What 2 Way Radio Channel Should You Use

You may get confused about various types of walkie talkies on sale in the UK, or not be certain what type of walkie talkies you require, and what you’re legally allowed to use in some other countries that you plan to visit, or in your part of the world. Firstly, it is important to have in mind that any type of walkie talkie will function in any part of the world.

A walkie talkie is used on a channel that has a frequency associated with the walkie talkie. In other words, if a channel has a frequency different from that of a walkie talkie, then the two will not work together.

License Free Walkie Talkies

There are 446 license-free frequencies that can be used for leisure radios such as, Motorola talkabout, Binatone and Cobra radios. However, there are eight PMR466 frequencies or PMR466 channels that can be used.

The spacing between each of these frequencies is 12.5 kHz. As the system name suggests, PMR446 frequencies are located around 446MHz and are in the UHF segment of the radio range.

Even though they are not necessarily authorized, PMR446 frequencies are harmonized for use across European countries.

High level use of PMR446 frequencies may result in some annoying problems. However, these can be reduced or rectified by changing the frequency of the PMR446. Other systems such as DCS codes and CTCSS tone can as well help in alleviating the problems.

In view of the possible high use of the frequencies and the PMR446’s unlicensed nature, the scheme is not appropriate for individuals who need to gain access to frequencies at specific times and locations or for life use.

These are simple, short-range walkie talkies that conform to the European Union-wide PMR446 standard and can be used by any person in the United Kingdom or European Union without a license. These types of radios are commonly sold in High-Street shops as well as in most radio outlets.

Commonly known as "PMR446s” radios that meet these standards usually have a power output of 0.5watts, meaning that their range is lower compared to the powerful business walkie talkies that are a licensed and which feature power outputs of 4-5 watts. All of them make use of the same eight channels and this causes problems sometimes if a given area has a lot of radio users using these channels.

Licensed Walkie Talkies

Two Way Radio for Business

Licensed handheld walkie talkies can have a power output of 5 watts, but "license free" PMR446 walkie talkies can only have 0.5watt power output. Therefore, the licensed walkie talkies usually have a better signal penetration and better range in buildings.

A majority of businesses prefer using a licensed 2-way walkie talkie system because, in spite of the benefits of license free walkie talkies (PMR 446), they have some downsides (like lower power, a short range and interference) which make them less effective than licensed business radio systems.

Taxi as well as other transport companies, and large sites like factories or hospitals, and businesses situated in a number of different locations are excellent examples of circumstances where a licensed radio system may be a favored option.

These situations require more powerful radios as opposed to hand-held portable walkie talkies with low frequencies. If the system of your radio relies on vehicle-mounted radios or a base station, a licensed radio system is necessary.

Ofcom

If you want start using a radio system in your business, then you will have to get a license from Ofcom. In other words, Ofcom is a company that controls who can transmit on what frequency and where, to ensure that different users don’t interfere with each other.

Business radio system users range from factories and taxi companies, to industrial sites, hospitals, transport operators and care homes. To begin Ofcom’s licensing process there are a number of requirements that a business must first of all fulfil.

Ofcom license is especially important regarding official radio users like police, military, railways, air traffic control and emergency services, railways, etc. Radio systems that meet specific standards can be used without any license from Ofcom. For many walkie talkie users, license free radios will be okay. And if you are in need of a license, it isn’t that expensive or complicated to get one.

The UK simple license is a license issued by Ofcom and gives holders the right to use more powerful radios. It is effectively a license to use powerful radios any place in the UK, using give frequencies which are shared by anyone using this license. This license is easy and quick to apply for, costs about £75 per organization, and is valid for 5 years.

It is the only option for people who need to use their radio systems anywhere in the United Kingdom, and is ideal for most business radios users.

Geographic License

This license provides you with specific frequencies or frequency allocated just for your organization’s use within a given geographical area. The cost of the license varies from moderately cheap in most locations in the UK (about £100 annually), with the cost heightening in key cities, more so London, where the demand for radio frequencies is very high, going for up to more than £500 per year.

Radios that are designed to use dedicated frequencies such as this, should not be used outside of the licensed area, since the same frequency will possibly have been assigned to somebody else and you will therefore be causing interference to them.

UK Business Radio Suppliers License

This is a license for hire companies and radio equipment suppliers. It allows these companies to do short term radio hire via a set of frequencies allotted to radio hire companies. It also allows these companies to provide ‘demo’ radio systems to potential customers and to undertake repairs to radio systems.

When these companies hire out their radio equipment, it’s hired using this license, so that the person hiring it does need to worry about licensing issues.

Summary

The importance of walkie talkies and radios in the UK and other parts of the world cannot be overlooked. Not only are these gadgets important in everyday communication, but they continue to play a very crucial role in the development of other communication tools. A lot of useful information about radios and walkie talkies has been highlighted in this article for the benefit of radio users and the public in general.

what to look for when buying earphones

Closed Back Headphones vs. Open-back Headphones

Open-back headphones have pads which rest on the outer ear. They're designed such that the outer shell of the ear cup has perforations usually with horizontal cutouts. The Open back headphones design of the ear cup enhances better natural sound because of less coloration as compared to the Closed back headphones.

Closed back headphones have much larger earpads which encircle the ears. They are designed such that there's a big pad which cups the ears, and it features an insulated outer shell of plastic which covers the ears. The Closed back headphones actually have a very solid outer shell which doesn't have any sort of perforations such that the outer shell effectively cups/encircles the entire ear. The Closed back headphones are excellent at isolating noise. They block most of the ambient noise, but they've a smaller sound stage, which gives the user the perception that the audio/sound is originating from within their head. Closed back headphones also tend to produce much stronger low frequencies as compared to Open back headphones.

Low Impedance vs High Impedance

Headphones normally come in various different impedance levels, such as 8 ohms, 16 ohms and 32 ohms. The power that's supplied by an audio source may be at varying levels because of a variety of factors including being limited because of being battery powered. Generally, as the impedance of the headphones increases, much more voltage will be required in order to drive it, and the audio loudness of headphones for a particular voltage decreases.

The determination of impedance is usually disregarded by many headphone buyers, however, the truth is it's one of the most important factors to consider when choosing the best headphones for your particular needs. Impedance is basically just how much power the headphones can put out so that it can overcome resistance to move the headphones' diaphragm.

Low impedance headphones (that is, less than 25 ohm), usually require little power in order to deliver high audio levels. Low Impedance headphones play well with devices which have weak amplification. These can include; mobile phones, portable music players and various other portable devices. This type of headphones can be used at home and also while jogging with your mobile phone; this is one of the reasons why most of the on-, in-, and over the ear headphones, are low impedance. Low impedance headphones are normally designed to get plugged directly in to a single (one) source, and generates sound more efficiently from a lower level input signal. This headphones tend to be much louder and much more efficient, however, they will also require a much more capable amplifier.

High impedance headphones (25 ohms and above), generally require more power in order to deliver high audio levels. As a result, they're protected from damages caused by overloading. High impedance headphones are typically designed for studio like applications where there might be multiple phones/devices wired in parallel and receiving input signals from a single source. High impedance headphones are more tolerant of the amplifier limitations, however, they will produce less volume for a particular output level. They are also a little more durable (that is, electronically), however, they require much higher signal levels in order to produce the same level of output level of the low impedance headphones. This type of headphones can be used with a wider range of audio equipment.

Passive Headphones vs. Active Headphones

Passive (noise cancelling) headphones are made of materials which help in blocking out sound waves from the surrounding environment. The same way ear muffs soften the outside noise, so does this type of headphones employ passive noise canceling. This type of headphones are typically used for both professional mixing and monitoring, like in broadcast and recording studios, and such other applications. Passive headphones are basically designed to playback music/audio true to the actual original recording, with minimal, compression, EQ, and such other sound enhancements.

On the other hand, Active headphones use batteries in order to power the built in Digital Signal Processing (also abbreviated as DSP) technology which processes play back for a particular reason, for example, to enhance the bass and the high end. Due to the enhancement of playbacks with sharper high ends and more bass, active headphones are more popular for general listening and listening to music for pleasure. Active noise cancelling headphones are also made of materials which help in blocking out outside noise, however, they take things a step further by making their very own sound waves; the sound waves created mimic the outside noises, but are a mirror image of each other, thus cancels each other out.

Wired Headphones Vs Wireless Headphones

When choosing a pair of headphones, deciding between wireless vs. wired is among one of the most overlooked factors. Wireless headphones might be a more popular choice, however, the wired headphones also have their own set of benefits. Well, that being said, as a general rule of thumb, between wireless headphones and wired headphones, assuming a similar price between the models; the wired headphones usually offer a much better quality. Also, the audio quality may get compromised over Bluetooth.

You can opt for the wireless headphones if you are not much of an audiophile, and you tend to travel a lot. If you really don't like getting the cables of your headphones getting tangled, or caught while listening to music/audio, then the choice should be rather simple; go for wireless headphones.

You can opt for the wired headphones if you are an audiophile, and you do not necessarily bother with the wireless options unless absolutely essential like using them when traveling, or keeping the headphones as a backup. As aforementioned, the wired headphones are way ahead in terms of output quality as compared to the wireless headphones. You will never have to worry about running out of batteries, unless you happen to opt for wired headphones which cancel noise. In addition, you will never suffer from interference from the other commonly used wireless electronic devices. However, you will need to take good care of the wired headphone cables, or they will eventually break.

The Motorola DP3400 Radio Earpiece Review

James Bond might use the earpiece we’re about to describe if he were helping a mate to guard a nightclub. We realize that it’s a bizarre situation to find yourself in, but its probably happened a couple of times in some early Ian Fleming drafts...(Editor’s Note: Wow. That’s quite a tangent. Well done).

The DP3400 earpiece looks good, works well and doesn’t cost a lot of money. You really can’t fault it on its merits.

The DP3400 earpiece features an HQ PTT earpiece that provides incredible clarity and depth of sound. Any instruction, even if a laryngitis-stricken Muttley delivers it to you from a library somewhere, will be clear, clean and crisp to the ear.

But that’s not all, not by a long shot. The transparent tube is almost invisible, designed specifically for secrecy and discretion; it even comes with an extra earbud.

It even has (and we swear we’re not making this up) a hidden micro-speaker located at the base of the centre of the PTT switch.

Amazon lists this beast at £19.99, but that strikes us a veritable bargain. This earpiece is stealthy, brilliantly designed and very high quality. It is also durable and hard wearing. Of all the devices we’ve looked at so far, the DP3400 earpiece is certainly the coolest looking. In terms of performance, it is also the best one we’ve viewed so far. 

The DP3400 earpiece is compatible with LOADS of Motorola (and Motorola MOTO TRBO radios) including (but by no means limited to): DP, DGP, XPR and XiR Series. XiR-P8200, XiR-P8208, XiR-P8260, XiR-P8268, XPR6300, XPR6350, XPR6500, XPR6550, DGP-4150, DGPTM 4150+, DGPTM 6150, DGPTM 6150+, DP-3400, DP-3401, DP-3600 and DP-3601.

Overall, this is a fine device. The DP3400 is an excellent earpiece, available at a pretty competitive price, with a cool, functional design and a lot going for it. No, this isn’t the same model that the CIA use when guarding Mr. Obama, but it isn’t a hundred million miles removed, either. This earpiece will do a good job, whilst at the same time not breaking the bank.

BREAKING NEWS: “Time Travel is Possible, Says Noted Physicist”

Physics Professor Brian Cox has determined that time travel is theoretically possible and that time machines could one day be a reality.

The British professor, who is also a TV Presenter and pop musician (having some success with the Northern Irish band D:Ream in the 1990’s), used Dr. Who’s famous TARDIS as a broad example of the type of time machine that he believes to be theoretically possible as well as scientifically sound.

“Can you build a time machine?” asked Cox during his speech at the British science festival, before answering his own question with a resounding “yes”.

However, according to Cox’s research, whilst time travel to the future is theoretically possible, time travel to the past is completely impossible. In addition, the trip would only be one way; there would be no going home.

Cox isn’t the first person to make this announcement; in fact, he’s borrowing directly from Einstein’s theory of special relativity when he states that movement at speeds close to the speed of light would theoretically cause time to slow down, but only for the individual travelling at such speeds.

Says Cox, “If you go fast, your clock runs slow relative to people who are still. As you approach the speed of light, your clock runs so slow you could come back 10,000 years in the future,”

Some scientists have suggested that the use of ‘wormholes’ would be a theoretically acceptable form of time travel. In fact, wormholes are a staple of science fiction stories. A wormhole (perhaps better referred to as an Einstein-Rosen Bridge) is, effectively, a passageway, or ‘shortcut’, through spacetime. The effect of a wormhole would be the spacial equivalent of writing ‘A’ on the far end of a piece of paper and ‘B’ on the other side, then putting the two letters together and punching a hole through the paper with a pencil.

However, in his speech, professor Cox refuted the idea that such a ‘bridge’ could ever be truly stable, saying,

“In General Relativity, you can do it in principle. It’s to do with building these things called wormholes; shortcuts through space and time. But most physicists doubt it. Hawking came up with the ‘chronology protection conjecture’ – physics we don’t yet understand that means wormholes are not stable.”

On the heels of this announcement, Professor Cox, an ardent fan of Dr. Who, will be delivering a 60-minute speech about the popular TV show, which will be screened by the BBC on November 23^rd. In the speech, the professor will share his thoughts on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, the potential discovery of new dimensions and, of course, time travel. 

BREAKING NEWS: “Time Travel is Possible, Says Noted Physicist”

’Earth-Like’ Asteroid Devoured by Dead Star

The Hubble Space Telescope has recorded an intriguing event some 150 light-years from Earth.

A large asteroid was pulled into the White Dwarf star (named ‘GD 61’ by astronomers) and utterly destroyed. This is not an unusual event, as even dead stars still exhibit a very high level of gravity. However, scientists are interested because the chemical signatures left in the star’s atmosphere indicate the presence of water and a rocky surface, both considered to be key building blocks for the creation of life on our planet.

Until this event was observed, water and a rocky surface had never been found together on an object outside our solar system.

The asteroid consisted of the elements magnesium, silicon, iron and oxygen, all of which are usually found in rock minerals, but scientists believe that the abundance of oxygen indicated the heavy presence of H20.

The object was at least 90KM across and as much as 26% of that is thought to have been water. Earth is considered to be just 0.02% water.

This discovery is important because it gives scientists a vindicating glimpse of how inhabitable environments may have been formed, receiving key components (such as water) from outside sources such as meteorites.

It is thought that water first arrived on our planet by similar means and that other planets in the GD 61 system would once have received water this way as well. According to BBC News, scientists consider the presence of rocky planets in the GD system to have been “very likely”.

Scientists have observed over 1,000 planets outside our solar system, but none is thought to contain water.

Closer to home, some planets and heavenly bodies are thought to contain water. Mars is considered by many to once have had liquid water, but if this is still the case, it is a greatly reduced amount.

Elsewhere, Jupiter’s moon Europa raises a tantalizing prospect that there are oceans under its icy surface. This has led to some convincing research into the possible presence of ocean currents there. However, Europa is not alone, its fellow moons Callisto and Ganymede have also been suggested as candidates for liquid water.

In addition, Rhea (moon of Saturn), Titania (moon or Uranus), Oberon (also orbiting Uranus), Triton (moon of Neptune), Pluto (dwarf planet), Eris (dwarf planet), Sedna (possible dwarf planet) and Orcus (another possible dwarf planet) are all speculated to have oceans, some of which may be in contact with the rocky core of the respective body, which would hypothetically result in a steady stream of minerals and salts into the water – an important factor in creating life.

Saturn’s moon Enceladus has geysers, which is seen as proof of the presence of water or at least water vapours. It has even been theorized by some that Neptune contains oceans of liquid diamond.

The heavy presence of water on this asteroid is a vital clue for scientists and their understanding, not only of the cosmos, but also of how our home planet came into being.

 

SOURCES

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24491845

’Earth-Like’ Asteroid Devoured by Dead Star

Stallone To Play ‘Rocky’ Yet again

Rumours thrive that Sylvester Stallone will probably be playing the personality of ‘Rocky Balboa’ again, in a new film set inside the ‘Rocky’ world.

The incredibly popular character Rocky Balboa formerly appeared in the Oscar-winning 1976 movie ‘Rocky’ and has been the central hero in no less than six movies to date.

MGM films have officially offered the brand new project, at present recognized only as ‘Creed’ to director Ryan Coogler.

The proposed movie is invariably a spin-off as opposed to a straight sequel.

Michael B. Jordan, star of this year’s ‘Fruitville Station’ and also HBO television drama ‘The Wire’, will play the grandson of habitual series character Apollo Creed. The planned plot would call for young Creed to enter the world of boxing, with Stallone’s Balboa playing the role of his counselor.

Director Ryan Coogler, who worked with Jordan on the aforementioned ‘Fruitville Station’ film, is said to be enthusiastic about the idea and is eager to co-write the screenplay.

Apollo Creed, as portrayed by Carl Weathers, was originally presented as Rocky’s antagonist. In his initial position, Creed (who was apparently similar to a combination of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Joe Louis) was the World Heavyweight Boxing Champ as well as a confidence entrepreneur. When challenged with the lack of appropriate opponents, Creed decided to put his title on the line against a local, unknown fighter.

The first film largely centred round the elected fighter Rocky Balboa as he trained for the biggest fight of his life. In the later movies, Apollo Creed grew to becomte a mentor plus a close friend to Rocky.

Weathers played Creed in every ‘Rocky’ film until ‘Rocky IV’, where the character was killed in a fight with Russian boxer Ivan Drago (portrayed by Dolph Lundgren).

Despite the character’s downfall, he’s significantly mentioned in both follow-up films and remains popular with fans of the series.

The final film within the original Rocky series, ‘Rocky Balboa’ was released in 2006 to strong critical and commercial reception. In 2010, Sylvester Stallone was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum for his formation and depiction of Rocky, as well like the many tributes he has paid to boxers and the sport of boxing in his profession.

SOURCES:

http://www.sylvesterstallone.com/stallone-inducted-into-boxing-hall-of-fame/

http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/stallone-to-play-rocky-again-in-spin-off-creed-053257511.html

Stallone To Play ‘Rocky’ Yet again

Microsoft returns to CES Las Vegas tech show

Latest News - With Steve Ballmer leaving microsoft as chief executive, we are starting to see signs that microsoft is aligning itself with google and apple. After pulling out of the 2012 CES show they have announced that they will return in 2013, obvioulsy with the Xbox one and windows 8 improvements, along with several windows 8 tablets, they will use this exposure to showcase a new look microsoft.

 

The organiser of the US’s biggest tech show has revealed to the BBC that Microsoft is returning to the event.

Microsoft announced it was pulling out of CES in 2012, saying that its “product news milestones” did not align with the January tradeshow.

Although it is not scheduled to host a keynote speech at 2014′s event, the firm has booked meeting rooms again.

One analyst said the news reinforced the Las Vegas show’s claim to be the year’s most important tech event.

Others had previously suggested Microsoft’s departure might mark “the beginning of the end” of the show.

A spokesman for Microsoft said he was unable to comment.

‘Tactical blunder’

Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association – the lobby group which hosts CES, disclosed the news during a visit to London.

“Microsoft is officially back in the International CES,” he told the BBC.

“They are taking out significant space in meeting rooms – it’s actually a larger presence than I believe they have ever had.

“Microsoft will have to make the decision who the rooms are open to or not, but I imagine they’re very open to the press.

Steve Ballmer made a guest appearance during another firm’s press conference in 2013

“We have had a tremendous partnership [with Microsoft] going back to the very beginning. You know, we had one little blip this year… but now we’re happy to have them back with a physical presence.”

The company was not totally absent at 2013′s event. Chief executive Steve Ballmer made a brief surprise appearance during chipmaker Qualcomm’s keynote event, and Microsoft’s chief technology strategy officer spent a few minutes on stage at a Samsung press conference.

But one tech consultant who regularly attends the show said the US company had made a “tactical blunder” by not hosting its own event or having space to show off its wares.

“There was an opportunity to really assert the Windows 8 story and they completely missed it,” said Ben Wood, from CCS Insight.

“So, you had a show floor full of convertibles, tablets and all-in-one Windows 8 PCs but no narrative to go with them. You can align that to the fact that Google’s Android was omnipresent and Windows Phone didn’t really get a look-in at all.

“If you look at the assets that Microsoft has now, I’d argue that it’s virtually essential that it steps up its efforts at not just CES but also other shows like Barcelona’s Mobile Wold Congress where its absence has been noted.”

Microsoft is in the process of taking over Nokia’s handset unit; recently launched the second generation of its Surface tablet, despite missing sales targets with the first one; and is about to put its Xbox One games console on sale.

Tech titans

More than 152,000 people attended 2013′s CES, according to an independent audit, with 3,282 exhibitors taking part across a range of venues totalling 1.92 million sq ft (178,370 sq m).

Bill Gates appeared alongside musician Slash at Microsoft’s 2008 CES keynote event

The event is not open to the public, but presents an opportunity for firms to host public and private meetings with the media, analysts, retail chains and other industry professionals.

Although there has been a trend in recent years for tech-makers to hold special events to launch products, rather than competing for attention at a tradeshow, many of the industry’s biggest names continue to hold gadgets and other announcements back for CES.

Intel and Audi are both holding what is termed “tech titans keynote” events at the forthcoming show, which runs from 7 to 10 January.

Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Huawei and Toyota are among others hosting both press conferences and stands. Google, Yahoo and Dropbox prefer to just book private meeting rooms. Apple does not attend in any formal capacity.

‘Set the agenda’

Microsoft is currently going through a period of upheaval. Last week Mr Ballmer gave a tearful farewell to staff having previously announced his resignation.

Gary Shapiro had previously described Microsoft’s pull-out as a “pause” rather than a permanent departure

Reuters is now reporting that some of the firm’s biggest investors are pressing for Bill Gates, its chairman and co-founder, to also step down.

Mr Shapiro did not speculate whether changes in management might see Microsoft further bolster its presence in later years. However, Mr Wood had little doubt this would happen.

“I can see a renaissance, particularly given Microsoft’s move into hardware,” he said.

“It’s going to be in the heartland of consumer electronics – you’re looking at tablets, Xbox and mobile phones all working together for not just a mobile story but a connected homes story, and that’s the epicentre of CES.

“It’s all about how these different bits of gadgetry hang together, and CES helps set the agenda.”

 

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24364985

Microsoft returns to CES Las Vegas tech show