Points on two-way radio systems and what you can expect!

Two-Way Radios are the most cost effective and fastest way to communicate within an organization of 2 to 200 people. There are a number of different systems available now a days we will only talk about two, a simplex and a repeater system as these are the two most common ones now a days for small to medium sized businesses.

A simplex radio system works very simple all the radios are tuned, set or programmed to a particular frequency which is allocated to you by Industry Canada. We initially set your radios up to a temporary frequency so you may use your radios while Industry Canada finds a frequency for you to use on a permanent basis.

There are two common bands available for use in our industry one is VHF and the other is UHF. Each band has other sub bands within them as well. VHF covers a spectrum of frequencies fro 136-174 MHZ While UHF covers 403-470 MHZ. In the VHF and some UHF spectrums the channels are quite full so you may have to share with a neighbor or some one fairly close to you. With the newer radios last 15 years or so they have come out standard with what the industry calls tone coded squelch and what this does for you is eliminates you from having to listen to the other parties on your frequency unless you lift your microphone off the hook or push the monitor button.

To use the radios all one has to do is make sure the radios are on and lift the microphone off the hook or mic clip and push the mic PTT (Push To Talk) button. All the other radios that are on will here the message as long as they are with in range of the system, (more about range later). Then you release the PTT to listen to the response. You can then talk to the base station the other mobiles or the handheld portables within your system, everyone is then within the loop of communications and everyone can make better decisions or call for help! Imagine how much time you will be able to save with a system like this no more back tracking, makes everyone more accessible for more productivity!

You do not have monthly bills like cellular, you don’t have long distance charges either, what you do have is good clear communications for your operation. There is an annual fee for the frequency spectrum from the government it currently is $41.00 per mobile and $106.00 for the base stations. The 1st year is about 20% more but it is also prorated pending when you come on.

Now a little bit about the nuts and bolts of the systems:

Most radios now a day in reference to power are any place between 25 and 50 watts Industry Canada who you register your radios with say you cannot operate a radio above 30 Watts in the band of frequencies we use. And you won’t get much more out of 50-Watt radio compared to a 25 or 30-Watt radio. Reason is that the curvature of the earth plays a large roll as well as the height of the antennas and ground elevation, you would notice a difference in areas with lots of trees and other obstructions.

A big factor in range is the sensitivity of the radios and which antenna is used and where it is used. The best location for any antenna is high as possible and still being on a ground plane like the metal roof of a vehicle. If the roof is metal and you want maximum range you would use a High Gain Antenna, this will give you best coverage it’s length is approximately 36” long . If you cannot use a long antenna whip then you would move to a quarter wave antenna, which is approximately 17” long. Now if you have a fiber glass or plastic roof you then want to use a No Ground Plane Antenna which is designed to work with out a metal roof.

The radios we sell are some of the best ones out there, they are Vertex Standard there parent company Yaesu which is known by the Armature Radio enthusiasts as a very good brand and a leader in technology. Yaesu is a Japan company that uses nothing but the best from components to the manufacturing processes and that is why they can offer a THREE WARRANTY on all their commercial radios. We invite you to take a look at their web site www.vertexstandard.com and click away. We also carry HYT which is another very reputable  2 way radio company. www.hyt.cn/02product/index.asp

If you need any help at all on selecting the correct product and you would like a quotation please feel free to give us a call and we would be more than happy to assist you out at 1-866-289-8164.

All of the 2-Way Radios that we sell have the programming of your personal frequencies included in the sale price of the unit.