Line #11 Main/WalkieTalkieStatic


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4	[[quoteright:349:[[Webcomic/{{xkcd}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eagle.png]]]]
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6	The special sound effect that makes any conversation over CommLinks sound immediately [[MilitaryAndWarfareTropes military]]. A transmission usually starts off with a recognizable click, then follows the actual text, along with audible white noise in the background, then ends with another click. Both sides cannot speak at the same time (also known as half-duplex operation.)
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8	Goes very well with DangerDeadpan voice, MilitaryAlphabet, ReportingNames, RadioVoice, and AttackPatternAlpha. However, it doesn't always have to indicate military: VoiceWithAnInternetConnection often sports this sound effect, too, simply for the RuleOfCool.
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10	Amping up the static is a typical way of having a message get LostInTransmission. If you get a DistressCall from a BleakBorderBase or EerieArcticResearchStation and in the middle of the panicked mayday call, the video screen turns to a SnowyScreenOfDeath and the audio is only static, you don't have a rescue mission, you have a cleanup! If it's done on purpose, see FakeStatic.
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12	This technique is actually a pretty realistic portrayal of modern RealLife voice transmission over [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_modulation frequency modulated radio systems]], which for the most part are used by the military, police and emergency forces. The distortion is the reason the MilitaryAlphabet was invented. The click at the start and end is the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_wave empty carrier wave]] while the person is not talking but has the transmit button depressed.
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14	See also WalkieTalkieGagOver.
15	----
16	!!Examples:
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18	[[foldercontrol]]
19
20	[[folder:Film]]
21	* Stormtrooper helmets in ''Franchise/StarWars'' do this, as well as the ship-to-ship communications of X-wings and other Rebel starfighters.
22	[[/folder]]
23
24	[[folder:Literature]]
25	* ''Literature/TheLastHero'' sees an accident involving an omniscope[[note]]it shatters - but the wizards realise every shard will remain in contact with every other shard[[/note]] being used to create a base-to-ship communication system with the Literature/{{Discworld}}'s first spacecraft, ''The Kite''. As ''The Kite''' flies underneath the Disc, thousands of miles of intervening geology causes the link to fail with more and more static and white noise creeping in.
26	* In the ''Literature/XWingSeries'', Wedge claims that three years or so after ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', the New Republic can afford better comms for the X-wings, but keep the white-noise-filled versions for tradition's sake, and to maintain a level of anonymity against Imperial eavesdroppers.
27	[[/folder]]
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29	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
30	* Parodied in ''Series/TheYoungOnes'' episode "Cash". The police recruiting sergeant (who bears a strange resemblance to Mussolini) tells Neil the only qualification he needs to join the force is the ability to imitate radio static when using his walkie-talkie.
31	* Spoofed when ''Series/TheGoodies'' are launched into space. While communicating with Graham at MissionControl, they keep saying [[http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/quindar.html "Beep!" at the end of every transmission]].
32	* Quindar tones are also used in the ''Series/BlakesSeven'' episode "Killer". Unfortunately this is a case of TechnologyMarchesOn.
33	* Sheldon in ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' insists on adding this verbally at the end of each sentence during a Skype-type videochat via laptop with Howard while the latter is in space.
34	* Used to prefigure any flashback or GilliganCut in ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', evoking police radio static.
35	* ''Series/MonarchOfTheGlen'': When Hector and Kilwillie are conspiring to remove a valuable ancient cask of alcohol from Glenbogle, Archie locks it away securely, prompting Hector to make a radio call to Kilwillie:
36	--> '''Hector:''' The fox has gone back to earth, and dug itself an even deeper grave. Plan B, I think.
37	[[/folder]]
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39	[[folder:Video Games]]
40	%%(ZCE)* This is part of what makes ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'' predefined radio messages so awesome.
41	* All Terran units in ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' have this in their responses to orders. Zerg and Protoss units lack it.
42	%%(ZCE)* Ditto ''all'' units in ''VideoGame/WorldInConflict''.
43	%%(ZCE)* Most of the dialogue in ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty 4'' and later.
44	%%(ZCE)* [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection Merc]] in ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge''.
45	* The Replica in ''[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R.]]'', who all speak over radio with electronically filtered voices. ''Project Origin'' actually shows why they only speak with filtered voices, as it turns out their "natural" voices sound like harsh, guttural, inhuman growling. Friendly [=NPCs=] also get this if you're beyond a certain distance from them while they're saying something.
46	* Most of the dialogue in the ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' games, since it primarily takes place via radio communication between planes.
47	%%(ZCE)* All unit responses in ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'' and its sequel, ''Homeworld 2''.
48	* The ''VideoGame/StarFox'' series uses this for the same reason as the Ace Combat example above.
49	* ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'': In the expansion ''Enemy Within'', [[BlackShirt EXALT]]'s radio talk is distorted to the player to the point of [[TheUnintelligible being impossible to understand]]. It comes in contrast with the otherworldly gibberish of the aliens themselves.
50	[[/folder]]
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52	[[folder:Web Animation]]
53	* In the ''WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail'' "too cool", Strong Bad makes fake static sounds in his walkie-talkie while talking to Bubs. Bubs, meanwhile, [[SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud says the word "Static"]].
54	[[/folder]]
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56	[[folder:Web Comics]]
57	* Imitated in [[http://xkcd.com/733/ this]] ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' strip.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Western Animation]]
61	* In the ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' episode [[Recap/LiloAndStitchTheSeriesS1E3Clip "Clip"]], when the duo try to sneak into Mertle's house, Lilo does the radio click thing with Stitch as though they're talking on walkie talkies (they weren't actually using them, just pretending they were).
62	* In an episode of ''{{WesternAnimation/Bonkers}}'', the titular character refused to stop making this noise, even when he wasn't on the radio.
63	* In the ''WesternAnimation/MollyOfDenali'' episode "[[Recap/MollyOfDenaliS1E16ToothOrConsequencesQyahSpy Qyah Spy]]," Tooey and Molly are playing at being spies and use walkie-talkies. Tooey notices the static on Molly's radio gets louder or clearer depending on where she's standing.
64	* In ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'', Virgil and Richie use walkie-talkies they call "shockvoxes" constantly from the moment Richie builds them. In the episode "Brother-Sister Act," Virgil's sister, Sharon, suspects he's Static, and Richie obviously can't hear that Virgil has left and that Sharon is in the room because he's speaking into the shockvox. Sharon hearing Richie calling Virgil Static sets off the rest of the episode.
65	* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarepants'' where [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick pretend to be astronauts talking through radio, eventually just start alternating static noise.
66	* ''WesternAnimation/StarshipTroopersInvasion:'' Every time the ''Alessia'' sends an audio message to the troopers, it is preceeded by a digital tone. None of the Troopers' radios do this, nor do any video messages sent by anyone.
67	[[/folder]]
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69	[[folder:Real Life]]
70	* Inverted on general-use FM walkie-talkies (FRS/GMRS, PMR446, etc), where most of them by default include call tones ("Hey you!") and "roger beeps" (indicating end of transmission), but due to the way the squelch functions on such walkie-talkies work, the user never hears the static unless the walkie-talkie is put in monitor mode.
71	* Many professional and ham radios have an adjustable [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squelch squelch]] control to keep constant static from being annoying. Weak signals may not be able to break through the squelch, so the LostInTransmission trope can (and often does) occur.
72	[[/folder]]

Context Main / WalkieTalkieStatic