Public Services - Unit 20
M1 - Compare different types of radio communication systems
Introduction
In this task, I am going to compare different types of radio communication systems used by the public
services and armed forces in the United Kingdom. These systems include Pye, Racal, Clansman,
Bowman, Airwave, Personal Role Radio and Ptarmigan.
COMPARISON OF RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
Pye Radio Communication System: was used by the British Police Service and the British Army in the
nineteen hundreds. Using a Pye Communication System in the modern day would be nowhere near as
useful and as advanced as a modern-day radio system such as a Bowman Radio, but during World War II,
Pye Communication Systems were very reliable. In the Police, a Pye Pocketfone PF1 was used for regular
Police Officers to communicate when on duty; this was a fairly small radio system, much like the Airwave
System that modern Police Officers use. One thing the Pye PF1 and Airwave System have in common is
that they both have the push-to-talk feature and come with speakers allowing the Police Officers to not
have to wear earpieces. The Pye PF1 is very different to the Clansman Military Radio used by the British
Army from 1976 to 2010. The main difference between these two is simply the range; the PF1 had a
much lower range making it useless in the military world compared to the Clansman Radio, which came
in many versions for all frequencies making it a perfect system for the British Army to use on
deployment.
This picture shows the Pye Pocketfone PF1, which was used
by all Police Officers in the United Kingdom in the 1960s
and had a range of 2-3 miles. However, due to the rise in
technology advancements, this was soon replaced by
another communication system known as the Burnadept. A
difference between the PF1 and the current Airwave
System is that the PF1 targeted by people eavesdropping,
which is very hard to do on the Airwave System.
Personal Role Radio/Racal Radio Communication System
(Lightweight):is still used to this day by the Royal Air Force Regiment, British Army and Royal Marines of
the Royal Navy. This communication system is used by soldiers who are working in close quarters. It is a
small system which is wired up to a headset and attached to the soldier’s burgen or webbing. Unlike the
Airwave Communication System, the Racal System’s range is not interrupted as much by thick walls or
objects; when in the jungle, a Royal Marines Commando won’t have connection issues as long as they
stay within the range of around five hundred metres. However, a Police Officer using an Airwave System
may experience communication issues if they are in areas where they are surrounded by big buildings or
are inside. One big difference between the Racal System and other systems such as the Clansman and
Pye Systems is that it is great for covert activity; this is due to the radio being attached to the soldier’s