Collection: Radios & Comms

When the power's off and the mobile network is creaking, information becomes the scarcest thing in the house. Emergency radios and walkie talkies keep you informed and in touch without mains power — the quiet heroes of the official household checklist.

Emergency radios

A battery or wind-up radio gets you local and national broadcasts whatever the grid is doing — many add a torch and a phone-charging crank for good measure. Keep one with your power cut kit and check the batteries twice a year.

Walkie talkies

Licence-free PMR446 walkie talkies cover the practical radius of family life — the campsite, the farm, the street — with no network, no SIM and no monthly cost. Realistic range is a few hundred metres in built-up areas and several kilometres with clear line of sight, whatever the box claims.

Radios & comms FAQs

Why do I need a radio if I have a phone?

Phone masts have battery backup measured in hours, and your home router dies with the mains. Broadcast radio stays up — it's how official updates reach you in a longer outage.

Do I need a licence for walkie talkies in the UK?

Not for PMR446 radios — they're licence-free. Higher-powered radios need an Ofcom licence.

What's the real range of a walkie talkie?

Ignore the headline number: expect 0.5–2km in towns, more across open country. Terrain and buildings matter far more than the spec sheet.

AM, FM or DAB for emergencies?

FM is the workhorse for local emergency info and has the best battery life; DAB adds station choice but drinks batteries. Many emergency radios do both.