Hiring Walkie Talkies - what do I need?

If you are not sure what you need in terms of hiring out radios, use the guide below to help you to work out what you might need!

Scroll the page down to see all the information. 

How Many Radios SHOULD I HIRE?

We can't tell you exactly how many radios you will need.

But count all the people who will definitely need them - and then - especially for large events, perhaps add a few more for good measure.

Many times we have hired out, say, 20 radios for some function or event, and then have the organisers on the phone on the first day of the event frantically asking if they can have 10 more!

It is also worth having a couple more than you think you will need in case one gets damaged, malfunctions or goes missing during the event.

If you need your hired walkies in operation 24/7, remember you can hire extra batteries to swap over and recharge.

What About Chargers?

We always include chargers in the price of hiring walkie-talkies, because the radios are not much use without them! You do not need to specify chargers - they are included in the "price per radio".

We have individual chargers and also six-slot chargers for larger hires. We normally will supply enough chargers to charge all the radios that you have hired at the same time, although if you do not need all these chargers, we can supply fewer.

Do I Need a "Base Station"?

A "base station" is a more powerful radio that requires mains electrical power and has a longer antenna than the walkie-talkies.

This is a completely optional item - the walkie-talkies do not NEED a base station in order to work.

It is quite common to hire one of these radios to use in a central "control room" or "site office". In terms of range, this more powerful radio will send its signal further than the walkie-talkies. It is often more important that all the walkie-talkie users can receive messages from the central control point than that every walkie-talkie can hear every other walkie-talkie.

These type of radios can also be used in cars and vans, using the vehicle's cigarette lighter socket for power, and a magnetic-mount antenna stuck to the roof of the car.

Do I Need Earpieces or Headsets?

There are two reasons for using earpiece/mics or headsets: the first is to make sure that your radio users will definitely hear radio messages when in a noisy place. If your event involves loud music or big crowds of people that tend to be noisy, then earpieces are a must, or radio users simply won't hear important messages over the background noise.

The second reason to use earpieces is to ensure discretion. Without earpieces, whatever is said over the radios can be be heard on the speaker of the other radios. This could mean that members of the public could overhear what was being discussed, which in many situations you may wish to avoid.

Do I Need Spare Batteries?

The rechargeable battery packs on the radios should last 10 - 20 hours, the exact time depends on how much actual transmitting (talking) you do, since this is when the radio uses the most power.

If you are going to be away from anywhere you can easily charge the radio's batteries, or if you are are going to be using your hired radios 24 hours a day (as is often the case when using them for stewarding and security at a festival or other public gathering) then hiring lots of spare batteries is probably a good idea.

You can leave the spare batteries charging on the chargers, and then quickly swap them over for discharged batteries when needed. 

What About Radio Carry Cases?

The hire walkie-talkie radios all come with a big spring-loaded belt clip on the back, which is enough for most users in terms of attaching the radio to their belt or pocket.

However, we do also hire out leather cases with neck straps, so that the radio can be "worn" hanging around the user's neck, in front of them. This is particularly useful for women wearing dresses or other outfits without a belt to attach the walkie-talkie's belt clip.

Hopefully this page will give you an idea of what radio equipment you may need to hire. Please call us to discuss your exact radio hire requirements.