History of Walkie Talkies

The first walkie-talkie was invented by Alfred J. Gross in 1938. His fascination in radio transmission began as a young boy growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. This allure became a lifelong career, establishing himself as wireless communications pioneer.

In 1941, Alfred Gross helped lead the way with the invention of a "two-way air-to-ground communications system" used by the United States in the Second World War. This technology allowed communication with high-flying pilots behind enemy lines. The ground communication device, nicknamed "Joan", and the airborne device, "Eleanor", communicated over radio waves. This communication system was kept classified by the U.S. Government until 1976.

In 1940, the Motorola SCR-536 was developed by Galvin Manufacturing Corporation. This was a light-weight, handheld two-way radio which was known as a "handie-talkie". Like the SCR-536, these units operated on the AM frequency. But, most soon switched to FM technology for quieter operation. In 1943, the first two-way, portable FM radio began production. The first radio transmitter and receiver to attain the name "walkie-talkie" was the Motorola SCR-300 (pictured left). Roughly, 50,000 of these FM units were produced during World War II. Weighing about 35 pounds, it had a range of 10-20 miles.

In 1958, the first two-way radio, operating on a fully-transistorized power supply, for cars began production. Over the decades, companies such as Motorola have been able to decrease the size of walkie-talkies an unbelievable amount. In the world of communication technology, smaller is better.

Walkie-talkies have not only served purposes for adults. Since the 1970's, children have become large customers of toy walkie-talkies. The ability to hold "secret" conversations with friends thrilled kids.

Soldiers since World War II and all of the following generations have been able to benefit from walkie-talkies. Among others; businesses, law enforcement, and emergency services have found these 2-way communication devices to be of great assistance. Today, even cell phones have "push-to-talk" walkie-talkie features. They are a reliable, free way to communicate with others.