Why doesn't this radio work?

Not much of an IT thing, but as the network admin for the reactor network on an aircraft carrier, I was also given the job of maintaining the reactor plant radio system, because that makes sense somehow. It was probably 20 year old tech modified so that each handheld's power was below a certain threshold, lest the signal cause the nuclear instruments to peg high and have us scram or something. It was only able to be used in certain spaces wired with repeaters and nowhere else.

Enter the ship's Fire Marshall. He thought that since it was a reactor radio, it should be superpowered and allow him access to the entire ship. Because nuclear power makes everything awesome! Like my 4 page documentation on verifying tape backups. Good times...

FM: Petty Officer Neue_Ziel, why aren't these radios working like my regular topside radios? I use my topside radio in the plant and it works just fine, but your radios don't work for shit anywhere else.

NZ: Sir, one, the reactor radios only work in the plant spaces and are modified to emit a lower power signal than your topside radio, to prevent interfering with the sensitive electronics controlling the reactor, and two, did you say you were using the topside radio in the plant?

The Reactor Officer was nearby, and heard the whole exchange. The ship's Fire Marshall was given a good tongue lashing on proper radio use. I was called later to pick up the low power radios the Fire Marshall had, explaining why I was missing a few now that I think about it....