Did you know that you don’t need to jump in blindly when you are using your two-way radio? There are plenty of courses out there that will teach you the specifics of operating two-way radio. On this page, we are going to look at a little bit about these courses, as well as give you an indication as to whether they are right for you or not. We will wrap by giving you a bit of advice on finding the perfect course for you!
Who is Two Way Radio Communication Training For?
Two-way radio training is really for anybody who wants to know a little bit about how to communicate properly on a radio. Of course, the vast majority of courses have been designed for those who are planning to use their radios professionally. In fact, a lot of the courses that you find will have been designed to target groups. Also for those who work in business, or simply want to train a youth group to learn how to use radios.
If you are planning to use your radio every single day, then you absolutely do need to have a touch of two-way radio training. It is going to make your life a lot easier. It is far better than learning ‘on the job’ where you really can’t afford to make any mistakes with your communication. These courses are useful for anybody who wants to know more, though.
What Will You Learn?
Obviously, a lot of this is going to be dependent on the course that you are following. Any training program worth its salt will be able to give you a quick overview of the sort of content they will cover. If it doesn’t, then you may want to give that particular course a skip. There is no sense paying for something if you do not know what you are going to be getting, right?
Most courses are going to give you an overview of how a two-way radio works. It won’t be a whole lot of depth. This is because each radio is different (beyond a few basics). You don’t really need to know how a two way radio works to communicate with it. Just a bit of key information about how to find frequencies and the like is about as far as your training is going to go in this area.
Beyond this, you will likely be taught about proper etiquette and two-way radio communication language. You will also likely be given a ton of information on the lingo that you need to know in order to communicate properly. This is actually one of the reasons why you should try and find a specific course in your local area. This is because there is so much lingo that is quite localized. A course that operates on a local level will probably be a lot more useful than a course that has been put together by somebody on the opposite side of the world!
Basically, courses are going to teach you everything that you need to know about confidentially communicating through your radio. They may even cover a little bit about using your radio for emergencies, but not all courses will go into depth on this.
Do You Really Need Structured Training?
Honestly, not really. There is enough free information out there that you do not need to do any paid training. Generally speaking, most two-way radios are going to be pretty simple to use too. All most people really need is their radio manual and reading up a little bit online. This should tell you all that you need to know about the basics of two way radio communication codes.
If you are planning to do all of this long-term, then you will probably want to invest in a bit of training. This is particularly the case if you are going to be doing things professionally. Of course you’ll want a clear idea about how everything works, and with most courses, you will be free to ask questions. Basically, if you are planning to use your radio every single day, particularly in a professional capacity, then two-way radio training is a brilliant route to go down.
How Do You Find the Best Course?
While two-way radios have gone down in popularity over the past few years, the good news is that there are still a lot of two-way radio training courses out there to choose from. Some are online, others offline.
Generally speaking, if you can, you should try and opt for offline training in your local area. While online courses are brilliant and all, they aren’t exactly practical. You are just going to be reading a bit of information on a screen. If you do things offline, then you get hands-on experience with a two-way radio. People can actively tell you where you are going wrong. That being said, you have to remember that these types of courses are going to be a lot more expensive. They are also likely going to be a bit difficult to find in certain places (thanks to the lower popularity of two-way radios!)
The one thing that we do suggest you keep an eye on is the course content, here’s an example. You will want to choose a course that is relevant to whatever you want to do with your radio. While there will likely be a bit of overlap between courses, there is no sense in doing a ‘boat communication’ course if you are scared of the water, right? There will be a lot of irrelevant information! So, think about what you are planning to do with your radio and choose a course to suit,
Finally, you will probably want to check out a few reviews for courses before you jump into one. This way you know that the information you are going to be given is going to be of high quality. Obviously, you should choose the best course that you can afford.
