My daughter (3) and her cousin (5) live 700km apart, they had a great time last time they were together they had fun using walkie-talkies and are disappointed they can't continue to do so.
Is there a cheap set that would just work over wifi? All I can find want a sim card and use zello
Wilco. Read you loud and clear. Roger that. Over and out.
Is this a Crawford Production, Gary? Over
Cop Shop vibes for sure.
Roger Roger
700kms apart?
(1) Find a free telstra phone box close to each end of the destinations.
(2) Get them to use phones, close eyes and pretend.
(3) This is the time for getting 2 empty cans and finally deciding 'how long a piece of string' is.
Depends on your budget and time and how much effort you want to invest.
The problem with WiFi radio is that you would need some kind of "RoIP" server set up. It would need a central hub for them to connect to. It wouldn't be necessarily a radio to radio setup, so that would be where something like Zello could come in handy. I know ICom do WiFi RoIP radios, but I am pretty sure they need a base station to connect to and are not radio to radio. However, you should be able to get a Zello compatible radio that does WiFi without having to use 4G networks to make it work.
Another option could be to get them into HAM radio, BUT that requires very specific equipment with a very steep learning curve. You need to get a license and may even require a course. A lot of outlay and effort for a 3yo kid.
Another option is an old mobile phone that only connects to WiFi and you may be able to install an app where they can chat with each other, like a PTT app that would work similar to a 2 way and if you had some old phones laying about, it would be easy to set up
Whatsapp Talkies.
Two older android or iphones, locked down to one or two apps only. Press to talk walkie talkie app. https://talker.network/5-best-push-to-talk-apps-for-ios-and-… But needs research because like UHF CB, some or most of these apps can connect to anyone. You'd want it limited to the two stations only.
How about a webcam on your TV with Zoom or Google Meet or similar, and just have that running so they can play together while being able to see and talk to each other?
Actual UHF CB repeaters to IP networks are a thing, but way out of what you'd want to pay or set up.
Should have thought about that before moving apart
Try baby monitor, it works on wifi.
Why not get two low-cost mobile handsets and Google Chat or FaceTime over wifi?
This is 2025, get a google nest hub lol
They are called phones.
OP is mixing 2 different types of communication …
walkie-talkie == either UHF or VHF comms … but then OP discussing something that uses internet (/WIFI).
aint no CB radio going to work over 700km (out of the box) … which is designed for 3-5 year old children as end user.
Acouple of posts above may also help OP … but in the end, it won't be what OP had originally in their mind.
Well yeah, coz walkie talkies are designed for outdoors etc, away from the wifi of buildings