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November 18, 2014If you own only a few two-way radios and don't use them all that much, you might not fret about your batteries: Just buy some extras and a charger, and you’re pretty much set. But as your radio fleet gets bigger, you really need to pay attention to your batteries. If your radios number in the dozens, hundreds or even higher, batteries can become a significant cost center. Squeezing the most life out of your batteries is just good business. Furthermore, if your business lives or dies on your ability to communicate with portable two-way radios, there’s simply no excuse for neglecting your radios’ power source. Two-way radio batteries can berecharged a fixed number of times, and discharging has a large impact on
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November 12, 2014Last of five parts A surveillance kit has to be quiet; a speaker mic has to be loud. That’s the only fundamental difference between these essential two-way radio accessories. Everything else is a matter of subtle differences in features and capabilities. Let’s take a look at each in more detail. Surveillance kits It’s true that spies, secret service agents and police officers on stakeout all use surveillance kits, which
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November 04, 2014Fourth of five parts Two-way radio manufacturers usually provide a basic clip to attach their radios to a belt, but users often find they need more options: clips that attach in different ways and holsters or carry cases to provide extra protection and make the radio more comfortable to hold in the user’s hand. Let’s take a look at each of these kinds of accessories: Belt clips There’s more variety to
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October 22, 2014Third of five parts For all the complex electronics inside a two-way radio, arguably the most important component is the antenna, which transmits and captures radio waves. Portable radios come from the factory with an antenna that has been tuned precisely to meet the needs of the radio it’s attached to. So why would you need an accessory antenna? A couple scenarios spring to mind: Broken and scratched — To operate at peak efficiency, an antenna needs to remain in the shape it was built in. Dent, scratches and breaks can foul up an antenna and might cause it to fail altogether. If your radio is operations-critical, you should have a backup antenna just in case. Without a working antenna, your radio ceases to be a radio. Transmission range issues — A longer antenna can extend the range of your radio. Of course,
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October 15, 2014Second of five parts Being able to hold a two-way radio in your hand goes from awesome to annoying the minute you start doing a chore that requires free use of your hands. That’s why earpieces and headsets are such popular accessories for two-way radio users. They set the hands free. A great way to explore these accessories is to walk through the features of an existing model. For instance, Motorola Solutions makes a head-hugging headset called RMN4049A that has a host of high-tech features: Bone conduction — This model transmits sound vibrations to sensors that rest against the skull. The ear can still perceive these sounds while allowing the eardrums to hear sounds as well. Traditional earpieces can blot out critical background noises like the sound of a machine that has suddenly malfunctioned, so bone-conduction headsets can make sure the user is not losing any listening capacity.
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October 07, 2014First of five parts Radio manufacturers usually provide basic batteries and chargers, which do a fine job as long as the radios don't get a lot of use. Active users of two-way radios, however, soon find they need more charging capacity and more versatile, longer-lasting batteries. Fortunately, radio manufacturers and several aftermarket companies offer plenty of ways to turbocharge your power capacity. Chargers A single charger can restore the battery of a single radio, but people with a radio fleet often buy a multi-charger, which allows several radios to be recharged simultaneously. Key considerations with chargers:
- What’s the recharge rate?
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June 24, 2014Fourth in a series So you’ve picked out the radios you want to rent for your annual arts and crafts fair, but you’re not done yet. You still have to decide on the two-way radio accessories: batteries and chargers, earpieces and headsets, speaker microphones, and perhaps even surveillance kits for your security crew. Every radio brand makes a host of accessories for specific radios. Typically, if you can rent the radio you can rent its accessories, but don’t assume. Make sure the model you’re renting has the accessories you need. Also, ask BearCom about after-market accessories that might do a specific task a little differently from the brand-name models. BearCom has a handy web tool