Article by Joe Wood
Immediate help is on the way! Many people would like to begin using two-way radio in their businesses. But, choosing the right radio can be difficult and selecting the wrong radio could become a problem.
Tech Wholesale has established several levels of professional support to help current and potential two-way radio users get the proper radios for their situations.
The proper type of 2-way radio can be selected by visiting the new “Which Two-Way Radio is Right for Me?” tool. Completing the form will take less than 2 minutes, and will result in the optimal radio for each users situation.
For more personalized, detailed information and instruction, visit our Two-Way radio Forum. Here, experts will answer specific questions and will make specific recommendations as to which communication tools will work best in a variety of applications. Visitors can also review past topics and see how other radio users were helped.
Tech Wholesale will continue to develop tools to help make proper radio selections. If you have comments or suggestions please visit our Radio Forum and feel free to list your comments or questions.
To obtain free shipping, free chargers, the best prices in the US and dedicated customer service visit http://www.TechWholesale.com/.
There are four basic elements to consider in choosing the right radio for your job. These may be automatically considered when selecting a radio by using the “Which Two-Way Radio is Right for Me?” tool.
VHF vs. UHF – The difference between UHF and VHF can be explained with frequency penetration. VHF waves travel about twice the distance of UHF waves on open ground, rolling hills or through foliage. However, VHF waves are very poor at penetrating walls, buildings and rugged terrain. So, if you are working exclusively outdoors with open land, rolling hills or heavy trees, VHF radios are the best. In any other situation, including indoor to outdoor use, UHF radios will be the choice. UHF and VHF radios will not communicate with each other.
Power – If the radios will be used within a single building, or outdoors in less than about 1 mile, then a 1-watt radio will be sufficient. If the 2-way radios will be used to communicate between multiple buildings or for up to 2 miles, then a 2-watt radio should be used. There are 4 and 5 watt radios that will communicate consistently at further distances, but there is a limitation to any radio-to-radio communication. Once exceeded, the only way to proceed is through the use of a repeater.
Channels – If your entire group will always be speaking on the same channel at the same time, o matter how many radios you have, you will only need a 1-channel radio. However if you manage, say, a restaurant and you want the valets to be on one channel and the wait-staff to be on another channel, then you will want a 2-channel capable radio system. This will allow each group to communicate individually, but not talk over each other. For you, as the manager, to be able to communicate with both of the groups you will want a radio that “scans”. This will allow you to speak with either group by switching to the appropriate channel automatically.
Durability – Business radios range anywhere form units that are designed for restaurant and hotel use, to radios for heavy-duty military operations. Review the specifications on each unit to determine the best fit for your needs.
Communication in restaurants, hotels, nursing homes, schools and similar environments are best achieved with models like the Motorola CLS1410 two-way radio.More durability and power can be had with models meant for construction, manufacturing, campuses, etc. like the Motorola XU2600 walkie-talkie.Outdoor specific communication for farms, golf courses, surveying, etc. would be best using units similar to Motorola XV2600 radios.
By selecting the proper elements in choosing your initial radios, you will be assured of starting off on the right foot communication-wise. You will gain all of the benefits of having two-way radio communication, but will avoid the common pitfall of having to replace old radios that will not work with what should have been used in the first place.
