Motorola walkie-talkies are a useful tool, as well as something that can be fun to have for different recreational or creative activities. They are relatively simple to use, as long as you have properly charged batteries and both walkie-talkies are close to each other and on the same channels. The best way to learn how to use these walkie-talkies is to test them out in the field.
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Charging and Batteries
Having fully charged walkie-talkies is one of the most important parts of a properly operating walkie-talkie system. As there are a number of different models of Motorola walkie-talkies, there are a number of different ways to power them. Some have batteries that are rechargeable, which will run for most of a day with steady use. These rechargeable batteries will wear down over time and usually take a few hours to fully charge. Other, smaller walkie-talkies rely on disposable batteries, which they will often chew through during a day of steady use. Constantly adding batteries can become very expensive over time.
Channels
With the two fully charged walkie-talkies now turned on by twisting the knob on the top, the channels should be explored to find the one which you want to talk over. Both walkie-talkies must be set to the same channel, which will either be marked on the top of the walkie-talkie where you twist the channel knob, or on a data screen which you can scroll through by pressing a button on the front or side. With a large number people using these walkie-talkies at once, different groups can be on different channels. For example, on a film production different departments of a film crew will use different channels on a walkie-talkie system. Art will be on channel 1 while the camera department will be on channel 2 and hair and makeup will be on channel 3. This way people won't be talking over each other and the walkie-talkies won't run out of juice as quickly.
Range
Different sized walkie-talkies have different amounts of range, based on their size and the structures or landscapes which may be interfering with their respective signals. Certain walkie-talkies claim to have ranges up to many miles away, but this is usually difficult to actually have unless you are out in a rural area and it is relatively flat. It is important to know the full range of the walkie-talkies if you are using them for certain purposes like hiking through a wilderness area or trying to keep track of someone who is with your group. The best way to test this is to test the walkie-talkies every so often as they move farther apart from each other. When the sound quality begins to disintegrate with a lot of static, then the range limit has usually been met.
