The two-ay radio and professional wireless equipment have been used by the United States military since 1923, and Discount Two-Way Radio has been an important part of supplying the armed forces of the United States with two-way radio equipment for nearly a quarter century.

From Intrinsically Safe RCA RDR4360 portable two-way radios and the RCA RDR6350 digital mobile radios to hiring combat veterans, Discount Two-Way Radio has been a critical contributor to the United States military efforts since the day it was founded.

A Brief History of Two-Way Radios and the Military

While it is pretty obvious that American soldiers have used two-way radios throughout history, that was not always the case. In fact, two-way radio technology like RCA two-way radios revolutionized the way the military worked and increased the soldier’s survival rate dramatically. Here some highlights of how 2-way radios were used in the military throughout history.

• Originally, the military used two-way telegraph transmitters and receivers. These were installed in military ships and allowed for communication between far-away ships that were out of sight of land.
• In 1923 an Australian policeman invented the first wireless communication radio, later defined as a two-way radio. They were installed in cars and allowed the police vehicles to communicate with each other without having to stop and use a public telephone.
• The new two-way radio equipment was then used in military planes and helicopters. This allowed aircraft to send back observations of the ground in real time without dropping messages from above.
• Sometime around 1940, the first so called “walkie-talkie” was invented by the Galvin Manufacturing Company, which later became Motorola. At that time, the radio was carried on the soldier’s back.
• During World War II, both the Germans and the Allied forces used the first portable walkie-talkies for their ground troops. At that time, these radios couldn’t transmit audio, but they could communicate through Morse code.
• After World War II, a company called Raytheon invented 13 vacuum tubes radio receiver and transmitter. This powerful radio also had a 2-foot diameter antenna and an optional handset that could be connected with a cable.
• In the 1970s, the US Marines developed a squad radio that could mount to their helmets. In 1976, Magnavox created another version of the helmet mounted radio, and eventually the Marines and the Army adopted the technology.
• Today, the military still uses professional portable radios and accessories that can communicate in digital or analog, across multiple bands, and uses sophisticated encryption systems. These are often used in marine and aviation capacities when fixed radio mounts would be very costly.

Discount Two-Way Radio Recognized by the United States Navy

“We have been an American company assembling our two-way radio equipment in the United States for decades, and one of our first customers were the various branches of the United States military,” said Ben Burn, founder and CEO of Discount Two-Way Radio. “There have been times when we really needed to stretch our resources and go the extra mile to make sure the military received the equipment they needed and expected, but there has never been a instant when we did not come through,” said Ben.

One of these challenging moments came in early 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the United States, severely hampering the economic supply chain that kept business moving. According to a recent report by the Brookings Institute, the COVID-19 pandemic created both a public health crisis and an economic health crisis, disrupting lives, pushing hospitals to the brink, and forcing many businesses to shutter their doors.

However, Discount Two-Way Radio continued to push forward, revamping its businesses systems, adapting to the changing demands of its customers, and redefining how it could deliver critical communications equipment to hospitals, government agencies, the armed forces of the United States.

As a result, James F. Geurts, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development & Acquisition recently recognized Discount Two-Way Radio for its ability to continue to equip and support the finest Sailors and Marines in the world with the best platforms, systems, and technology to operate around the globe in defense of the United States.

“The onset of the COVID pandemic this year, during a period of high operational demand on our Navy, required an unprecedented level of dedication, mission focus, and resiliency from our entire shipbuilding and ship maintenance enterprise and YOU DELIVERED,” said Secretary Geurts in a letter dated November 3, 2020.

Currently, Discount Two-Way Radio has 120,000 customers who also benefited from the company’s commitment and dedication during this pandemic, providing professional grade two-way radios to professionals who needed to continue practicing medicine, transporting supplies, building homes, conducting government business and educating children.

“I have seen the pride with which you work every day I support of the fleet, and witnessed your sacrifice in accomplishing the mission during this challenging period. If America could see that I have witnessed, they would be grateful for your resiliency and productivity to keep the equipment flowing to our military’s deployed women and men. THANK YOU to the entire and all those that support the construction, repair, and supply efforts to ensure warfighting readiness for your Navy and Marines,” concluded Secretary Geurts.

RCA Professional Radio Equipment Used by the US Military
Equipment Piece	Description	Military Branch
RCA RDR4360	Intrinsically Safe portable two-way digital radio.	United States Coast Guard
RCA RDR6350	40 Watts, 1000 channels mobile radio delivers fast reliable communication.	United States Coast Guard
RCA CH4306	RCA six bank rapid charger package helps keep batteries charged and ready to go!	United States Coast Guard / United States Navy
RCA RDR2500	Portable analog/digital two-way radio	United States Navy
RCA HS12-X03S	Lightweight behind the head headset with IP55 dust and water resistant and 1-year warranty.	United States Navy
RCA RDR2550	Portable analog/digital two-way radio with limited keypad and full display.	United States Department of the Navy Headquarters, Washington D.C.
RCA SM310	Police style RCA heavy duty speaker mic with lapel clips.	United States Department of the Navy Headquarters, Washington D.C.
RCA SM220	Police style medium duty speaker mic with an IP54 dust and water-resistant rating.	United States Naval Ship Apache
THUN1200	Heavy-Duty Megaphone with siren and mic	United States Marine Corps, 2nd Battalion