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What's the deal with those walkie talkie cell phones?

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Originally posted by: Kev

besides that its free with most plans so you can essentially talk all you want wheneveryou want.
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wouldn't you be able to do that with the regular phone plan then?
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Um. First off, not many people have unlimited cell phone minutes. Hence, there's the answer to your question. Why use a cell phone when you can use a free/alternative option to wasting your minutes, at the expense of annoyance to others? If you hadnt noticed, not many americans care about that kind of s#it.

Oh, and how can other companies like Verizon or AT&T get something similar to direct connect, when Nextel owns the frequencies?
 
Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
the worst idea ever concieved. this is only useful for people who need to communicate like at work. not for the general public. i fvcking hate that annoying beep and hearing their entire conversation because they're too fvcking lazy to pick up their phone
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How is that more lazy than picking up a phone? Pushing the button when you need to talk is inherently more effort than flipping open your phone twice.

It's more of a "ooh, look at me, i'm an attention whore" thing, if you ask me.
 
Hmmm, why don't they have walkie talkies that work like cell phones? In other words full duplex with a earpiece instead of an external speaker.. Seems like it would be easy enough to make... I would get a high end walkie talkie (my gf lives 2 blocks away and it would be great for shopping at the mall) but would only consider it if it works just like a phone would.. Odd that it can't / won't be done...
 
Originally posted by: Kev
Originally posted by: Citrix
I love the feature use it all the time with my wife and is very useful to business who have use for private band two-way radios. However i can see how annoying it can when people use them in cramped public places.

I believe it is a nation wide coverage now. I was just in College Station Texas and our Two-way never worked down there because it was out of my home area. but now it does work, Pretty cool to have a two way radio communication with somebody thousands of miles away, and im sure business with the need for it will be jumping all over it soon.
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what the f*ck is the difference between that and just using a regular cell phone??

there is no difference except in annoyance factor
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The difference is that it does not tie up your cell line. Have you ever seen construction people use them? Most of the time its a quick question with a quick answer.

Boss- "Bob, come over here for a second."
Bob- "ok"

another example. I had an alarm system installed in my moms house. the two guys who did it used the direct connect to communicate with each other when one was in the attic and the other was in the house. They used it quite well in where to go next and where the next wire will be coming from.

I do agree that the mornons who use it to carry on a whole conversation in a public place need to use the cell phone.

Just becasue you dont see or have a use for it doesnt meant that there isnt one.
 
yeah i see phone workers and construction workers using it and i have no problem with that. i just think it's stupid for the average consumer
 
What I see about it is that you can broadcast to multiple phones at once, which could be useful. Mostly for construction or something similar though, and maybe if you went on a family vacation and wanted to stay in touch in a theme park or something without having to keep dial each person's number.

Oh yeah, I'm on AT&T and my phone supports it. I think Nextel's contract must have run out.
 
if you gotta quick question or something involving work that'll just be a question or 2, its fine. but ive heard people having full on convo's with them, and its annoying. the beeping and hearing the whole conversaton.

"honey, since your at the rite aid, can you get me some 'roid cream.... yeah, its really flaring up on me" c'mon now, i dont wanna hear that sh*t! always notice the person on the other end, the one doing the errand, acts all nonchalant about it??

and yes, nextel's patent is just about up. actually verizon is very very close to launching PTT (push to talk), which is essentially the same concept. it should probably be out within the next month or two.
 
They're made to annoy everyone around you... including you sometimes.

And Verizon's going live with their direct connect network sometime in the future... "Can you hear me... *WHACK THUDD SMAK PIFF!!!*"
 
I think it's safe to say the technology behind it is great, and the convenience and minutes usage factors play a large role. That's all great.

BUT TAKE THE SPEAKER FEATURE OFF. If you're going to hold it in your hand anyway, just put it up to your ear and quit bothering everyone else. I'm talking to those braniacs who created the thing... it's such a cruel joke to make this available to the general public.

BEEP.
 
Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
Hmmm, why don't they have walkie talkies that work like cell phones? In other words full duplex with a earpiece instead of an external speaker.. Seems like it would be easy enough to make... I would get a high end walkie talkie (my gf lives 2 blocks away and it would be great for shopping at the mall) but would only consider it if it works just like a phone would.. Odd that it can't / won't be done...
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FCC Regulations and frequency restrictions, most likely. That, and the trouble of trying to design the radios... Full duplex would require the use of two frequencies, one for the radio to transmit on, one for receiving. It works well with cellphones, because the phone itself uses one frequency while the tower uses another. Same with cordless phones. Full-duplex walkie talkies would most likely require going through some sort of repeater station (akin to the cell tower) for full duplex communications between more than just 2 walkie talkies. With just 2, the first would transmit on frequency A while receiving on frequency B. The second would then receive on frequency A while receiving on frequency B. Add in a third, and which frequencies would it transmit/receive on? Frequency space is so limited that full duplex walkie talkies wouldn't be feasable, at least not in the public sector. Not to mention trying to power a handheld full-duplex device for any length of time so that it has enough transmit power to go much more than a few hundred feet would be difficult.

That's just my 2¢.

JW
 
Well I have a nextel and everyone else in our company has one as well.. Without it our phone bills would be considerably more then what we're paying right now. Since all cell phone providers round by the second even a 3 second call is considered to be 1 minute. I currently work with a cell phone company that has multiple locations. We talk back and forth with our walki talkis numerous times through out the entire day.. either to check up on inventory, check on a customer, just to chat, and etc and most of our conversations are. "do you have this." and "yes or no". For businesses the walkie talkie feature would save a lot of money. But i can definitely understand why it might be a pain if someone were to use it walking around the mall or in a restaurant. Thats why they can easily take it off speaker phone and listen out of the ear piece instead.
 
Originally posted by: JW310
Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
Hmmm, why don't they have walkie talkies that work like cell phones? In other words full duplex with a earpiece instead of an external speaker.. Seems like it would be easy enough to make... I would get a high end walkie talkie (my gf lives 2 blocks away and it would be great for shopping at the mall) but would only consider it if it works just like a phone would.. Odd that it can't / won't be done...
Click to expand...

FCC Regulations and frequency restrictions, most likely. That, and the trouble of trying to design the radios... Full duplex would require the use of two frequencies, one for the radio to transmit on, one for receiving. It works well with cellphones, because the phone itself uses one frequency while the tower uses another. Same with cordless phones. Full-duplex walkie talkies would most likely require going through some sort of repeater station (akin to the cell tower) for full duplex communications between more than just 2 walkie talkies. With just 2, the first would transmit on frequency A while receiving on frequency B. The second would then receive on frequency A while receiving on frequency B. Add in a third, and which frequencies would it transmit/receive on? Frequency space is so limited that full duplex walkie talkies wouldn't be feasable, at least not in the public sector. Not to mention trying to power a handheld full-duplex device for any length of time so that it has enough transmit power to go must more than a few hundred feet would be difficult.

That's just my 2¢.

JW
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Very interesting.. I never did think of it that way.. Though it's technically possible if the infastructure (repeaters, towers) existed?
 
Originally posted by: Kev
"it was really a Lot faster to get ahold of a coworker;friend."

elaborate.

i see no difference if you just call them using a cell phone
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cell phone useage took "minutes"
Nextel 2-way/direct connect was unlimited,

most of our Nextels were 2-way,and "911" only useage,as that was like 40% less per month..

 
It's the whole 'look at me' factor, and those that are just rude (talking to someone one aisle over at a volume you can hear at least five aisles away).

This are usually the same people who anytime you see them on a cellphone they are talking about things like "only $25,000 for it, I will have to buy that tonight" and other conversations involving huge deals and money, while they get into their 1984 Chevy Crapmobile 🙂 Even better when their phone rings as they are posing.

 
So Nextel's patent is up but I heard that Verizon already has a PTT coming out? Will they be using the same exact hardware/software as Nextel currently uses? If so, this will drive the price down dramatically.
 
Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
Originally posted by: JW310
Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
Hmmm, why don't they have walkie talkies that work like cell phones? In other words full duplex with a earpiece instead of an external speaker.. Seems like it would be easy enough to make... I would get a high end walkie talkie (my gf lives 2 blocks away and it would be great for shopping at the mall) but would only consider it if it works just like a phone would.. Odd that it can't / won't be done...
Click to expand...

FCC Regulations and frequency restrictions, most likely. That, and the trouble of trying to design the radios... Full duplex would require the use of two frequencies, one for the radio to transmit on, one for receiving. It works well with cellphones, because the phone itself uses one frequency while the tower uses another. Same with cordless phones. Full-duplex walkie talkies would most likely require going through some sort of repeater station (akin to the cell tower) for full duplex communications between more than just 2 walkie talkies. With just 2, the first would transmit on frequency A while receiving on frequency B. The second would then receive on frequency A while receiving on frequency B. Add in a third, and which frequencies would it transmit/receive on? Frequency space is so limited that full duplex walkie talkies wouldn't be feasable, at least not in the public sector. Not to mention trying to power a handheld full-duplex device for any length of time so that it has enough transmit power to go must more than a few hundred feet would be difficult.

That's just my 2¢.

JW
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Very interesting.. I never did think of it that way.. Though it's technically possible if the infastructure (repeaters, towers) existed?
Click to expand...

More or less, yeah... the technology involved wouldn't be much more complex than a cordless or cellular phone. Most difficult part of the design for the actual handheld transceivers would be preventing desense and possibly intermod within the transceiver. The problem could be solved as it is in cellular phones by using frequencies 20-30 MHz apart for transmitting/receiving.... but then you run into the issue of frequency allocations for such a use. Although... on the repeater side of it, there would be the task of allowing more than one user to transmit through the repeater at a time. Many repeaters use a "voter" system which allows for, in some cases either the first-heard, or the strongest signal to be passed through the repeater. With the case of FM signals (which most walkie-talkies produce), when 2 or more signals are mixed together, the resulting output on the receiving end's speaker doesn't sound that great. In order for full-duplex to work with walkie talkies, the repeater would have to do some form of audio processing and mixing to produce a legible output to the receivers.

In short, yes full duplex walkie talkies are technically possible, but would require overcoming several design and licensing obstacles in order to happen.

JW
 
licensing would be a bear now with cellular....of course they could afford to license it....our cell fees are ridiculous, just like metered isdn.
 
Nextel originally marketed these phones to traditional two-way radio users such as construction companies.

Now that they've saturated that market (which truly does find the feature useful), they're launching a not-quite-so successful ad campaign to convince Joe Everyman that it'll do wonders for him, too.
 
For business use. On-site employee's with nextals instead of pagers. Why the use them outside of work? Beats me.
 
Now instead of listening to one annoying idiot yack on the bus, I have to listen to the annoying idiot they're talking to as well, with a loud obnoxious *BEEP* after every god damn thing they say. What is useful or convenient about this?
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Are you kidding? Kids i can understand, they won't have a use for it (unless it is to keep open contact with a circle of friends), but business-wise, this is one of the best thing around.
 
I just start replying to their conversation. If they get pissed I up the ante 🙂

I am pantalones locos del capitán baaabbbbie!@!@!@ (that's sort of a paraphrase of a woman I worked with and ended up in a hotel room one night 🙂, accidentally of course, we were on company time)

hehee

they run, far far away
 
I drive a truck all around Atlanta and I put about 2500 minutes a month on my Nextel. I think the concept is great, but the dumbasses who keep the speaker on all the time, like in restaurants or public gathering places , are the same douchebags that leave their cell phones on so they can hear them ring. Total losers. I ALWAYS keep my Nextel on vibrate and speaker off when I am not in my truck.

Are they attention whores? Not likely. Just inconsiderate dickheads. Also, some of you are saying: Isnt it easier to just flip open the phone and call? Hell no,it isnt. You push the button and you get your response. A whole lot faster than having to dial and wait.(Heh, I think of Moe telling Homer that his fryer can flash fry a water buffalo in thirty seconds and Homer saying" 30 seconds? Oh, but I want it now!")




Peace




Lounatik
 
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