Walkie-talkies were a big part of my childhood, using it to send secret codes to my friends when we pretend to play as pilots. But in the real world, these small devices serve an essential role in many industries to convey important messages and coordination with other parties, most especially when asking for help during emergencies.
Before a person can use one, they must master the Lingo for the walkie talkie. This Lingo is made up of short words, phrases, and numbers easily transmitted over the air that make the communication clear and concise.
Why do Walkie Talkies have their own Lingo?
Unlike using smartphones, where audio quality is much butter, walkie-talkies transmitted through audio waves are more prone to ambiguous transmission, which can lead to miscommunication. If we talk through the radio the same way we talk to a person up close, the sound will be garbled.
To reduce and prevent these frustrations, codes have been established to make transmission short, clear, and concise. This voice procedure or Lingo can be easily understood for parties involved, which is very important for those who rely on radio communication like pilots, police, firefighter, and other industries.
Speak clearly
Besides knowing the walkie talkie lingo, we must also follow specific rules when communicating over the radio line. First, we must pronounce words clearly. Enunciate codes well and slowly and do have a little pause to ensure they got the words well.
When it comes to volume, be sure not to shout as speaking too loudly can make the mic muffled, and the sounds not clear. The mic must not be too close to your mouth as well.
Standard Walkie Talkie Phrases
Walkie Talkie phrases or codes are standardized for a more efficient, quick, and clear way of communicating with the person on the other end. These set of numbers and words can help us during emergencies, keeping people’s lives out of danger and sending help immediately. It can also aid in coordinating with our friends and family when we go on outdoor adventures and want to keep in touch with them. Also, the Lingo may vary from field or industry to another, like in the case of production sets, pilots, police, and military.
Beginning a Transmission
Before speaking, I always ensure that I hit the transmission button for a few seconds. This pause will help the one I’m communicating not to miss any message at the beginning. For some, it may be a sound of a beat or counting to one-Mississippi. Keep in mind, a clear beginning paves the way for clear communication.
- Come in _______ (name/ code name) (Are you there _____?)
Example: Come in, Charlie, this is Eagle14, Over”.
- Go Ahead (Transmit your message)
- Go for Charlie (Acknowledge “Charlie” wants to contact me and I’m ready to listen)
Basic Walkie Talkie Codes
The codes or phrases below are most likely words you are already familiar with. These codes are commonly used and easily understood by almost all people communicating through walkie talkies, and all you have to do is spend a minimal time memorizing them.
- Affirmative – Yes
- Negative – No
- Disregard – Ignore previous transmission/message
- Copy – The message is clear
- Go Ahead – I am listening
- Eyes on… – I see what we’re talking about
- Mic check – Is my radio working?
- Loud and clear – I can hear you well
- Go again – Please repeat the last message
- Roger or Roger That – Acknowledgement/ Message Understood
- Stand by – I’m busy at the moment, but I’m acknowledging you’re calling me
- On It – I’m in the process of doing what you asked
- What’s Your 20? – Where is your location?
- Wilco – Message has been understood, action will follow
Issues
Having issues during transmission cannot be avoided, and there are also codes to let the other person know we are having problems with the line. Listed below are the widely -used codes.
- Do You Copy? (Do you understand me?)
- Radio Check or Mic Check (Is my radio working?)
- Loud and Clear (Your radio is working fine)
- Go again or say again (Repeat your message)
End a Conversation
For a normal conversation, I usually say, “goodbye, talk to you later, or “talk to you soon.” But for communications I make thru a walkie-talkie, I follow a clear way of ending conversation using two codes, which is essential to let the person on the other end to know I am done transmitting the message. To let the person know I am finished talking, I say “OUT,” and I say “OVER” to convey that I’m done talking and ready for their response.
Same as beginning the transmission, I do not end the transmission quickly after talking. The button must be pressed for a few seconds after uttering “over and out.” Removing my finger off the button can disrupt my last words.
The 10-Codes
First made by the Illinois State Department in 1937, the 10-codes system was established to help in decreasing miscommunication and ambiguous conversation over the radio most especially when the line is unclear. Not only that but also to aid police officers to convey messages quickly and to the point.
Here, I listed all the codes that are widely used not only by the police department but also used by other industries as well, so these can be easily understood wherever you go.
To use a 10-code, all you have to utter is “ten” and add the number. Very easy, right?
- 10-1 = Receiving poorly
- 10-2 = Receiving well
- 10-3 = Stop transmitting
- 10-4 = Acknowledging /Message received
- 10-5 = Relay message to ___
- 10-6 = Busy, please stand by
- 10-7 = Out of service, leaving the air
- 10-8 = In service, subject to call
- 10-9 = Repeat message
- 10-10 = Transmission completed, standing by
- 10-11 = Talking too rapidly
- 10-12 = Visitors or officials present
- 10-13 = Road and weather conditions
- 10-14= Convoy/Escort
- 10-15= Prisoner in custody
- 10-16 = Pick up papers or prisoners/ Make pick up at ___
- 10-17 = Urgent business
- 10-18 = Anything for us?
- 10-19 = Nothing for you, return to base/ station
- 10-20 = What’s your location
- 10-21 = Call by telephone
- 10-22 = Report in person to
- 10-23 = Stand by
- 10-24 = Completed last assignment
- 10-25 = Can you contact _____
- 10-26 = Disregard last information
- 10-27 = I am moving to channel ____
- 10-28 = Identify your station
- 10-29 = Time is up for contact
- 10-30 = Does not conform to regulations
- 10-32 = I will give you a radio check
- 10-33 = Emergency Traffic
- 10-34 = Trouble at this station
- 10-35 = Confidential information
- 10-36 = Correct time is
- 10-37 = Wrecker needed at
- 10-38 = Ambulance needed at
- 10-39 = Message delivered
- 10-41 = Please turn to channel
- 10-42 = Traffic accident at
- 10-43 = Traffic tie up at
- 10-44 = I have a message for you
- 10-45 = All units within range please report
- 10-50 = Break channel
- 10-60 = What is the next message number?
- 10-62 = Unable to copy, use phone
- 10-63 = Net directed to
- 10-64 = Net clear
- 10-65 = Awaiting your next message/assignment
- 10-67 = All units comply
- 10-70 = Fire at _____
- 10-71 = Proceed with transmission in sequence
- 10-77 = Negative contact
- 10-81 = Reserve hotel room for ______
- 10-82 = Reserve room for _____
- 10-83= Road blocked at ______
- 10-84 = My telephone number is ______
- 10-85 = My address is _____
- 10-86= Time check
- 10-89= Caution
- 10-90= Crime in progress
- 10-91 = Talk closer to the microphone
- 10-93 = Check my frequency on this channel
- 10-94 = Please give me a long count (1-10)
- 10-95= Fight
- 10-96= Report of a Prowler
- 10-97=Domestic Problem
- 10-98= Mass Disturbance or Riot
- 10-99 = Mission completed; all units secure
- 10-200 = Police needed at _____
The Phonetic Alphabet
There are some moments where I communicate with someone and mishear a ‘D’ for a ‘B’ or ‘N’ for an ‘M’ and it is, for a fact, a very common occurrence for many. To prevent such errors, the phonetic alphabet must be used. Each letter has a word assigned to it, where the letter’s word or name is also beginning with the letter itself. The NATO phonetic alphabet, made in 1956, paved its way as a universal means of communication by all civilian, military, hospital, BPO, and hospitality sectors. These codes do come in handy whenever we communicate with various accents and pronunciations from other nationalities and also to avoid errors in spelling. As for the numbers, you can say it as is, except we say ‘niner’ for number 9.
- A-Alfa
- B-Bravo
- C-Charlie
- D-Delta
- E-Echo
- F-Foxtrot
- G-Golf
- H-Hotel
- I-India
- J-Juliet
- K-Kilo
- L-Lima
- M-Mike
- N-November
- O-Oscar
- P-Papa
- Q-Quebec
- R-Romeo
- S-Sierra
- T-Tango
- U-Uniform
- V-Victor
- W-Whiskey
- X-X-ray
- Y-Yankee
- Z-Zulu
Conclosure – Codes for Walkie Talkies
The Lingo of walkie-talkies made up of phrases and ten-codes aid in conveying messages clearly over the radio. These codes are commonly used by police, military, rescue and emergency personnel, pilots, BPO, and hospitality industries. Studying and memorizing each code is to get messages across quickly and concisely, which can be a crucial factor for those mentioned fields of work. As civilians, walkie-talkie codes can also come in handy, especially when we go out for camping or hunting where cellphone range is out of coverage.
