So my DS and his best friend live just under 10 miles apart. They are in different schools and only get to see each other a few times a month. I wanted to get them a way fun way to communicate and was looking into walkie talkies. Apparently ranges on Walkie Talkies are a range with No Obstructions. I've read some reviews and it appears if they say 30 mile range it might really be just over a mile with obstructions (trees and buildings). They are in grade school and not old enough for cell phones but do have ipads. Of course, I would want them to have a locked passcoded channel so they aren't talking to strangers. I have seen an option on this on some walkie talkies.
Has anyone had experience either with type of walkie talkie for this use or maybe an ipad app or another idea? I looking at a couple walkie talkie apps for their Ipads.
I see i need to clarify...neither family has had landlines in a long time. I have no interest in ever having a land line again. They could easily ask to use our cell phones but then both parents have to be available and have their phones on them ringers on etc. . I'm looking for a way they can communicate with easily without trying to get a hold of the other parent. Which is why I was thinking walkie talkies. They are young boys they aren't going to have much to say but they will love having the connection to just be able to radio eachother.
Thank you!
Thank you. I was wrapping up Christmas shopping and I just love the idea of walkie talkies. My son has special needs and school is very stressful thus more writing would not interest him. We've had difficulties with Tango and those types of apps there isn't even an email associated with DS' s ipad. Maybe I'll have to associate one so we can get the Google phone working. Still wish there was a walkie takie that would do the trick. Maybe push to talk phone or something like that. Prepaid phone that remains at home might be an option. Don't want a monthly expense.
If they both have iPads, they can both text and use Facetime as long as they are on WiFi. No additional app download is needed.
I don't understand why texting and/or facetime on the IPad would not suffice.
That said, when we built our house about 15yrs ago, we did have 4 Motorola walkie talkies and used them when we'd walk out in the woods, go to the pool, etc. We never relied on them for safety or anything.. it was just a game basically. We had cell phones, the walkie talkies were fun for my daughter to use when she had friends over and they were out and about.
Imessage and Facetime seems like the obvious answer here.
We have a couple of sets of walkies. I don't know what you mean by "passcode protected channels." Unless you're using military frequency hopping secure radios, there are no "protected channels." Those frequencies are made for public use. So if you're going to do walkies, teach the kids how to use them safely and get off the channel if someone is behaving inappropriately.
We own 2 sets of Cobra 2-way radios.
Can't they just Face Time on their iPads?
I think the walkie talkies would be fun!! Of course if they have iPad's they have the ability to facetime and iMessage, but walkie talkies are so much fun!!
We went on a cruise a couple of years ago and when we got back we purchased some - they would have been so convenient for us on the ship. Now my daughter and I take them grocery shopping. She goes to the freezer section and I head to the produce section. Normally she does great with the deals and our coupons, but if she has questions she will ping me on the walkie talkie. It is SO much easier than her calling me on my phone.
Ours are Motorola and we have a 3-pack. They can be affordable (under $100) and they work for more than a 30 mile radius. I think it's a great and fun present! Maybe the other parents would want to split the cost with you so each boy can open one on Christmas morning!
We are "old school". My kids had them and LOVED them. Not sure how the walkie talkie technology has changed but they were awesome back when there weren't so many options.
Don't you guys have the internet, especially if you don't have a land line? They can just Skype or Facetime or whatever. They don't need phones to do this just a home computer!
If my DD had a friend and was unable to use our landline (we keep it for the kids and emergencies, having had the experience of having no cell phone working after a storm), I would look into a phone that could stay in the house but was on my cell phone account. It could also be loaned out to the child when he is older and at practice or doing a club after school. I think walkie talkies of what you need will be impractical long run. You could also introduce your son to snail mail. My DD recently got to writing to a friend's child and they both love receiving mail.
I would think they could talk on their pads. If they have google mail they can use the phone thing on it. I have gmail and I talk to my friends all over the USA all the time, it's free.
When you get the gmail account you click yes you want the phone option and it installs the plug in of the phone. Then you put in their area code and phone number. You can figure out how to do the computer/pad number when one calls the other's cell phone or land line.
BTW, it's not a horrible thing to have a land line. We did without one for years and years and now have a land line again. Kids need communication to their friends. It was either a land line or their own cells.
I figured it was safer and far less expensive to have a land line than have higher cell bills. Plus when cell service is down or electricity is off I still have access to 9-1-1 or whomever I want to call.
You can have a land line with a corded phone and it's not dependent on electricity for any call. If you only have cordless phones then they won't work without electricity.
I don't know enough about walkie talkies' capabilities now, but they've been around for a long time. I do they think are cool for kids to play with if they are in the same area.
But what's wrong with using the telephone? Kids have called each other on the family land line for decades, and it's actually a great opportunity to teach them telephone etiquette (how to identify themselves to the parents, how to politely ask if their firmed is available, and so on). I think even conversational cell phone use in older kids is far superior to texting - more inflection, tone and back-and-forth, more personal, and skills they will need as they get older.
If one or both families do not have land lines, then work out a schedule for using the parents' cell phones so the kids can have a relationship without tying up the phones forever.
i'm confused. if they didn't have phones or pads or whatever i could see the walkie-talkies. my kids thought they were a blast.
but since both of these boys have ipads, why don't they just face-time?
khairete
S.
We used to talk on our land lines..
Or they could speak on FaceTime, through iPads. Or the computers have FaceTime.
Land line phones are fine to use - they can ask parents if it's ok to call.
Another alternative is they can be pen pals and send letters to each other using real postage and mail boxes.
