Do Walkie Talkies Emit EMF Radiation?
When someone mentions walkie talkies do you get a flashback to childhood fun? Maybe your mind goes to your day to day routine where walkie talkies are in use, or maybe you are about to head out on an outdoor vacation and you are thinking about purchasing some walkie talkies.
There are hundreds of ways people use these two-way radios but have you ever stopped and asked yourself, do walkie talkies emit dangerous levels of EMF radiation?
I am going to unpack walkie talkies for you. I’ll explain how these hand held, two-way radios work, whether or not they emit dangerous levels of EMFS, discuss walkie talkies and cell phones, comparing how the two work and explaining if one is worse than the other, and how to better protect yourself against the potential EMF radiation exposure from walkie talkies.
How do Walkie Talkies Work?
Walkie Talkies also known as handheld portable two-way radios, are radios that can both transmit and receive a signal. This differs from your AM, FM radio in that it can transmit where those can only receive a signal.
Walkie talkies operate in a half-duplex mode, this means that the user can either talk or listen but cannot do both at the same time. They have a push-to-talk button that once the transmitter has released the receiver is active.
Do Walkie Talkies Emit EMF Radiation?
While actively using a walkie talkie on TX mode (transmit or broadcast) the two-way radio is emitting between a 4.4 and a 8.3 using a magnetic EMF reader.
Now there are three different ways to check EMF levels, magnetic field, electric field, and radio frequency. So how do we know if these numbers are “bad” or are considered high based on the reader you are using? These are the numbers showing what would classify a reading as high EMF exposure:
- Magnetic Field: > 1 mG (milliGauss)
- Electric Field: > 10 V/m (Volts per meter
- Radio Frequency: > 1 mW/m²
With this information, any number greater than 1 mG is considered high while using a magnetic field reader. When testing Walkie Talkies that were transmitting with a magnetic reader the number was between 4.4mG and 8.3mG. I would consider these high levels and thus I would say that yes, walkie talkies do emit EMF radiation and a decently high amount.
Do Walkie Talkies Emit as Much EMF Radiation as Cell Phones?
You may have already guessed this one but no, walkie talkies do not emit as much EMF radiation as cell phones. The main reason why? Cell phones transmit continuously throughout the call whereas a walkie talkie is only transmitting when the “press-to-talk” button is in use.
The one exception where cell phones and walkie talkies emit similar amounts of EMF radiation is with smart walkie talkies. Smart walkie talkies use 2G/3G/4G/and or WiFi which make them very similar to a cell phone when it comes to the amount of EMF exposure.
How Best to Safeguard Against Walkie Talkie Radiation
We now know that two-way radios emit a dangerous level or EMFs so how can you best safeguard against them? Here are our top 5 ways to lower EMF exposure while using a two-way radio.
1.) Avoid Use of Walkie Talkies When Possible
If you don’t need to use a walkie talkie, don’t. The best way to protect yourself from harmful EMF exposure is to remove these harmful devices from your life.
I get it, that is not always possible but that is the only way to ensure complete EMF protection.
2.) Hold the Walkie Talkie as Far Away from your Head as Possible
Create distance between your head and the walkie talkie specifically the antenna. The antenna is where the most EMF Radiation is coming from, 8.3mG vs the 4.4mG from the body of the radio.
Distance is our second best option when it comes to protecting against EMFs. As we double the distance from a source of radiation, we are quartering our exposure. So when possible add more distance, and you will have less exposure.
3.) Use EMF Neutralizing Stickers on your Walkie Talkie
EMF Neutralizing stickers are one of my favorite, simple ways to help protect against harmful EMF radiation. They are easy to use, inexpensive, and you can add to basically any product you use!
Place EMF neutralizing stickers onto your walkie talkie like this one here. The Aulterra EMF Neutralizer is my go-to sticker, the company claims they are the most effective Neutralizer ever with patented and proven results!
This is a nice product to have on hand to add to other devices where a cover is not an option, such as smart watches or GPS devices. They are also great for adding extra protection to cell phones, laptops, and Ipads.
4.) Opt for Lower EMF Walkie Talkies
If you are in need of a walkie talkie try to find the most basic one possible. The fewer bells and whistles can often mean less EMF exposure.
Avoid purchasing smart walkie talkies, these two-way radio devices that have 2G/3G/4G/and or WiFi.
This style of walkie talkie is most commonly seen in the security industry but has become more popular to help stay in contact when you become farther out of range than a standard walkie talkie can pick up.
Smart walkie talkies will be exposing you to similar amounts of EMF radiation as a cell phone with fewer ways to protect yourself.
With a cell phone, they have great covers to block the radiation while not in use and there is no walkie talkie EMF protecting covers at this time.
5.) Wear EMF Protective Jewelry
There are many options when it comes to EMF protective jewelry so you can easily find one that fits your desired style.
Necklaces are some of the most common items you can find pendants, bracelets, and even earrings that will help protect you from harmful EMF exposure.
Want to know a little bit more about finding EMF protective jewelry? Check out our article on the 5 Best EMF Protection Necklaces of 2019 here.
Although walkie talkies do emit EMF radiation there are some options for protecting yourself. Thank you so much for reading and hope you found this information on walkie talkies and EMF radiation helpful!
