NFL headset

Want to win a Motorola NFL headset? We’re giving away three on the Monday after the Superbowl. Good news… You are automatically entered in the drawing if you purchase new Motorola product or have a radio repaired between now and then. No worries if you aren’t looking to buy or repair before then, you can still enter by sending us a brief email sales at eradiostore.com  with your name, company name and email address. We’ll toss you in the drawing too!

~cl

recycling

RADIOS: Motorola Solutions (the two-way radio company) has established a take-back recycling program to responsibly dispose of used Motorola radio equipment. We participate in this program.  If you do not have a recycling option in your community you can send the radios and/or batteries to our radio repair facility and we will take care of the disposal for you. FYI: Clearly mark it is “FOR RECYCLING”. Otherwise, it might end up in line for radio repair. ☺

CELLPHONES: Motorola Mobility (the cellphone company) offers recycling for old Motorola phones. You can get a free postage paid label at this link.

BATTERIES: RBRC accepts rechargeable radio/cellphone batteries for recycling, check for a RBRC drop-off in your area. Visit their website to find a location near you www.call2recycle.org.

Happy New Year! ~cl

best basic walkietalkie

When upgrading to a newer radio people often ask us “what is the best basic radio?” Our answer remains unchanged… the Motorola BPR40. It is small, easy to use, no excess bells-toots-or-whistles. It has the capability of 1 to 8 channels, and can do low power or high power, as warranted. Plus, the replacement battery pack is affordable, as is the future price of repair. (Currently $69 flat rate repair.)

And FYI: Our end of year special is a 4-pack of the BPR40 radios for only $699. Includes radio, NiMH battery, antenna, drop-in charger. (Save close to $100 on this offer.)

The guys in the radio repair center remain busy as we end 2011. They are still maintaining a 5-7 workday turn around on most models. If you have a time you are slow or close down during the Winter, it might be a good time to get your radios in for service and/or narrowband reprogramming as needed.

Happy Holidays!
~cl

radio parts availability

We are beginning to see certain groups of radio parts become unavailable from the manufacturers. If you have an older Motorola radio in need of repair, it would be better to get it in to the repair center now versus later. Sometimes parts are discontinued due to poor demand, or as in the case of the coming change to narrowband, it might be an anticipated low demand. Then you could just blame it on these economic times. Whatever the reason, if you own a radio which is not a current model, your radio is at risk of having poor parts availability.

We are very fortunate that some radio parts seem to be universal to many radio models. This helps us keep many older model radios going for our customers. For some components there are after-market parts available. In any given situation we do our best to repair your radio with geniune Motorola parts.

So all this being said… don’t procrastinate…  Happy Fall.

~cl

dog days of summer

Here we are in the Dog Days of Summer. A few years back my daughter coined the phrase “underground dog network”. She would use this phrase whenever a stray would land on our doorstep, and remain only a day or so. She was certain there was some kind of network, and dogs knew which houses were friendly and would give them food, drink and a place of rest. The photo of the English Hound (looks like a Beagle only bigger) is just one of those dogs. He came by, and stayed a day, and then was gone. He left well rested with food in his belly. My daughter feels certain he and others like him eventually find their way back to their families. Somewhat likened to a Disney movie.

 While we haven’t had any dogs visit lately, we are celebrating the Dog Days of Summer. Here at Delmmar Comm we are in the midst of our BPR40 4-pack offer. Buy a 4-pack of BPR40 8 channels with NiMH batteries for $699 and you save nearly $100. We are pleasantly pleased with the performance of this little radio. It easily does the basic walkietalkie tasks of most businesses. With the capability of doing a full 5 watts (4 watts on UHF), this is a full power radio in a small package. Give us a call if you want to know more, or determine if it will work for your business.

FYI: Flat rate repair is available for the BPR40, after its one year warranty, for $69.

And don’t forget to do your part in the “underground dog network”.
~cl

using 2-way radios instead of cellphones

Non-radio users often ask why would someone use a radio instead of a cellphone. Here a few answers:

1) When you need immediate ability to communicate on-site to one or many at the press of a button. Radios are the most reliable.

2) No monthly bill. No minutes.

3) Durability. Business radios are designed to go a 40-hour work week. Many are rated for resistance to moisture, dust, and humidity. They are made to be a workhorse.

4) Using handheld radios for on-site communications can keep workers on task, and prevent the abuses seen with cellphones. (No calling home or surfing the web on a 2-way radio.)

5) Longer life expectancy. Most cellphones last 2-3 years at best. Business two-way radios typically last 5-7 years, or even longer if you have them serviced as needed. 

6) Business radios are typically repairable at a reasonable rate, while cellphones usually require replacement.

Just a few thoughts to ponder. You may be able to add more…

There are situations where cellphones are ideal. But in the situation of public safety, business or on-site communications, radios still give you the best all around solution.

~cl

more tips on getting better range…

Here at the radio repair center we get many questions about range (distance). Typically a handheld business radio will do 2 miles line-of-sight or as far as the radio can see. Several factors interfere with range, including but not limited to: curvature of the Earth, obstacles, height and placement of antenna, position of the radio, and using the correct antenna for the radio.

Range tips:
1) Holding the radio upright with the antenna straight up gives you the best range. Tilting to the side, as if talking on the phone, will reduce the range by up to 2/3s. This will cause transmissions to drop out, or be very staticy. Just remember: Perpendicular to the ground is best!
2) The body fluid of the person wearing the radio can absorb part of the range.  If you’re a little bit round in the middle, your radio will not work as well as your pencil thin co-worker. You can compensate by wearing the radio higher your body. Maybe in a shirt pocket or with a chest pouch. (Height and placement of antenna determines range.)
3) Use a good quality fully charged battery. It takes more energy to transmit than to receive. Using a good battery will do wonders to clear up static, making your transmissions clear.
4) Use the appropriate antenna for your radio. While stubby (short) antennas may be available for your radio model, keep in mind these will significantly reduce range. If you are working in a close proximity, they may work wonderfully. However, if you are expecting to transmit a long distance, go back to the original standard length antenna.
5) Check your antenna for damage. If you can bend the antenna and see the coils or if the top cap is gone, it is time to replace the antenna. This may do wonders for your range.

Hope these tips help. Have a safe and wonderful Summer.
~cl

radio range…

Here at the radio repair center we occasionally get questions about the range of a 2-way radio. Below are some simple answers to basic two-way radio range questions:

Handheld radios generally will talk “radio-to-radio”, “line-of-sight” up to 2 miles. Once you start putting obstacles in between the radios you will shorten your range. Even the body fluid of the person wearing the radio on their hip will absorb some of the range. Higher wattage radios will have a slight increase in range and a significant increase in clarity of transmission on the outer fringes of your range.

Mobile radios, such as those mounted in vehicles, will generally talk “radio-to-radio” 8-10 miles depending upon the obstacles and the terrain.

Base stations will generally talk approx. 8-12 miles. (referencing a simple base station where you use a mobile radio, power supply and outside antenna, aka a control station.)Contrary to popular belief wattage does not determine distance. Antenna height and placement determines distance.

Increasing Range:
1) Hold your radio perpendicular to the ground, not slanted like you would hold a phone. This problem alone could decrease your range 30-50%.
2) Don’t shout CB-style, shouting reduces talk-range on industrial-type radios.
3) Be certain you are using a good, fully-charged battery.
4) Check your antenna. Any exposed copper coil or weather checks which expose the coil when bending are a sign your antenna needs replaced. Also, keep in mind, use of a stubby antenna will reduce your range. The best antenna for a radio is generally the standard antenna it came with.
5) And the guys in the shop will tell you… have your radios serviced every two years to maintain peak performance. 

Looking for even more range? You might be in the market for a repeater, or have need to connect with a local repeater or trunking system which is already in place. But first, try bringing your radios to optimum range by following the above tips.

~cl

are you going through the change…

NARROWBAND: Radio manufacturers are quickly making changes as we head toward the deadline for switching to Narrowband. We have several tools to assist you in the transition. Some things you need to know:
1) There is a quick FAQ sheet at our website, along with a worksheet for you to fill out and send in with your radios to be reprogrammed.
2) Reminder: You must have any existing FCC license modified for your transition to narrowband.  This modification can add narrowband to your existing wideband license, which will make the change seamless.
3) Get your radios reprogrammed and retire the radios which cannot make the change. See the narrowband worksheet and FAQs for reprogramming prices.
4) If you’re staying wideband for a while longer, now is the time to get replacement or add-on radios, while wideband radios are still available.  (However, keep in mind you must be working toward making the change. New radios available now are both narrowband and wideband capable.)

REPAIR CENTER: Don’t forget Spring is a good time to send your radios in for service. We have a remarkable 5-7 day turnaround on most units. Flat rate repair fees are listed on our website.

Have a great Spring season!

~cl

fishing license…

Here in the Midwest it is the time of year to renew our annual fishing permits. Just finished doing mine online today.  (A new modern convenience.) Getting the permit made me think about how many things we do which require a license or permit… fishing, hunting, driving… and two-way radio transmitting. If you use a two-way radio, chances are you need to have an FCC license. While there are a few license-free frequencies in the USA, most businesses using radios need a license.

Radio users who are affected by the FCC narrowband mandate need to be have a license modification done in order to keep their current frequencies, and add the narrowband version of their frequency to their existing license. You can do this yourself at the www,FCC.gov website OR you can use a licensing company to take the headache out of the process. Either way, we suggest you don’t procrastinate, as the process will likely bog down as we get closer to the deadline and droves of radio users try to slip under the wire. Be an early adopter of the change. You won’t regret it.

LICENSE-FREE: There are 5 license-free VHF frequencies known under the nickname MURS (multi use radio service).  Some users are opting to move over to one of these frequencies. While this will work for some VHF users, this will not work for those of you on UHF.

Also in the license-free arena are the 900 MHz radios such as the DTR650.  These new radios are digital, have much clearer transmissions, and more range than a VHF or UHF radio. If you are looking to replace your radios, this would be a great direction to go. The DTR650 can even do simple test messaging. We’re really impressed with this model and think you would be too.

As always if you have any questions give us a call, 800-872-2627. We’re always happy to help. In the meantime, hope you can take some time to enjoy the simple pleasures like going fishing…

~cl