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Constant and effective communication provided by the Motorola radio is very important; may it be in business, in school, government, or even privately. Lack of communication is the reason why problems arise and why difficulties at work exist. If communication is always present, there will be success in every venture made. Companies and business need [...]
Two Way Radios
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Japan is a well-known manufacturer of high-quality, modern technological products. Kenwood Corporation, along with its many branches around the world is a manufacturer of radio and audio equipment.
With revenue reaching up to one billion dollars in 2006, Kenwood Corporation started as the Kasuga Radio Co. Ltd. 1946 and renamed Trio Corporation in 1963; but in the period where Japanese made products are treated as low-quality, the co-owners of Trio Corporation changed the name of the company to Kenwood to make it sound American. Ken is a Japanese and Western name while Wood refers to the sturdiness.
Two Way Radios
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We talk about the Mil-Spec and Mil-STD ratings on two way radios and what they mean. We also review the Icom IC-F3001 and IC-F4001 two way radios.
Intro :00
Billboard 1:18
Topic Discussion 1:32
We talk about Mil-Spec and Mil-STD. We discuss what they are, what tests are performed on the radios to meet these ratings and identify some radios that carry these designations. Radios discussed include Icom, Kenwood, Motorola and Vertex business radios. For more information about Mil-Spec and Mil-STD, read the Military Standards Publications at The US Army Developmental Test Command.
Commercial Break 16:05
buytwowayradios.com 1:00
Product Review 17:03
Today we review the Icom IC-F3001 and IC-F4001 business two way radios.
Questions and Answers 24:12
Questions from readers of our Two Way Radio Blog and members of the Two Way Radio Forum. The Two Way Radio Show is now on Stitcher! Listen to us on your iPhone, Android Phone, BlackBerry and WebOS phones. Find it in your app store or at stitcher.com.
Wrap up and Close 31:30
Send in your comments and questions for Danny, Anthony and Rick to show@buytwowayradios.com. Feedback on this and other topics will be read by the hosts and included in future episodes of the show. Visit us at www.twowayradioshow.com!
© 2012 Cricket Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Decent price for one of my favorite Invicta designs, the monochromatic gunmetal Ocean Reef with 46mm bezel. I used a photo of mine. I would love to see Invicta make a new, bigger version, perhaps around 50mm.
Herculodge
18
02
Last summer Motorola added a new high-performance entry to its line of FRS/GMRS radios, the Motorola TALKABOUT MS350R Two Way Radio. This model quickly became so popular and the demand was so high that, shortly after its debut, Motorola couldn’t keep up with production – and we couldn’t keep them in stock!.
Today we are pleased to announce that the MS350R is back and Buy Two Way Radios has them in stock for immediate delivery to your door! The Motorola Talkabout MS350R is designed for use outdoors in inclement weather. It has 11 weather channels, a built-in flashlight, operates on either rechargeable or disposable alkaline batteries, is submersible and even floats. It is also repeater capable. The package includes two MS350R radios, two belt clips, two NiMH battery packs, a two-pocket drop in charger, an owner’s manual and a handy Emergency Preparedness Checklist Sheet.
An all-weather, repeater capable GMRS radio was bound to be popular; we just didn’t know how popular it would be. We do now.
If you’re planning to get the Motorola Talkabout MS350R, now is the time – while they are back in stock.
18
02
The National Geographic Channel has a new show called ‘Doomsday Preppers’ that airs on Tuesdays at 9:00pm EST. This show takes a closer look at people who are going to great lengths to prepare for hard times. Each episode features several ‘preppers’, and shows you how each is preparing for a specific crisis scenario. The show doesn’t look at the more common disasters, but instead focuses on major to catastrophic events, as unlikely as they may be to occur. Examples of such events include an EMP detonation, a major oil crisis, hyperinflation, financial collapse, and more.
In this past Tuesday’s episode one segment focuses on Jason Charles, a New York City fireman, and details his preparations for a supervolcano eruption. As he was demonstrating how he would prepare himself to go from his apartment to a storage facility for more supplies, he was shown carrying a Midland GXT1050VP4 two way radio. Is this radio a good choice for a crisis scenario?
Advantages of the Midland GXT1050VP4
There is no doubt that the Midland GXT1050 is a fantastic consumer grade GMRS radio. It has a lot of power and great range (typically 1-2 miles), is somewhat waterproof, (meets JIS4 specifications), will operate on standard AA batteries if you aren’t able to recharge the included NiMH battery pack, and it will allow you to listen to NOAA weather channels. This is essentially the same radio as the very popular and very well reviewed Midland GXT1000VP4, only in camo.
As you can see the GXT1050VP4 offers a lot of what a ‘prepper’ may be looking for, and it would be tough to make a case that it is a bad choice. As always seems to be the case, however, there is not a product that is completely perfect for this scenario so I’ll point out a few other things that could be considered.
Other Things To Consider
First, while the GXT1050VP4 is packed with features, durability isn’t really one of them. At /pair you really can’t expect it to be, and this is going to be the case for any consumer grade radios. A business grade radio is going to be considerably more expensive, but far more durable. In a true disaster scenario, it would be difficult to find replacement radios so this has to be a consideration. Another option would be to purchase a backup set of the same or even lower cost consumer radios. This would provide a backup option and would still cost less than a typical single business radio.
The Midland GXT-1050 operates on FRS and GMRS frequencies, which are very popular and are used by most consumer grade radios. A high powered GMRS radio can usually be counted on for a mile or so of communication range. GMRS, however, also allows for the use of repeaters. Repeaters are high powered devices that essentially re-broadcast a transmission at a much higher power and over a great distance. In a crisis situation it may be helpful to be able to communicate with others that are more than a mile from you, but to do this you would need a repeater in your area as well as a radio that supports the GMRS repeater frequencies.
Unfortunately the GXT1050 does not support repeater frequencies. If you decide that you need this ability, Motorola has a couple of good options. The Motorola MR355R and MR356R are priced similarly to the Midland, but are repeater capable. The Motorola MS350R is repeater capable as well as fully waterproof. The Garmin Rino series is also repeater capable, but these devices are far more than just two way radios and that is reflective in the cost.
Basic Emergency Kits
Remember that we also offer some basic emergency kits. While these kits will get you nowhere close to the level of preparedness of those featured on the show, they are a small start and could make a big difference if you find yourself without power or clean water during a bad storm or other emergency.
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It is no secret that two way radios are essential tools in the manufacturing industry. Whether you have a small warehouse or a huge manufacturing plant, two way radio communication will help your company operate more efficiently.
Two way radios will give your employees a direct line of communication with other co-workers and/or supervisors. This will eliminate the need to leave a station unmanned to go find a fellow employee when something is needed. Studies have shown that two way radios typically pay for themselves with time savings in just a matter of months. In a manufacturing or assembly plant where an employee leaving a station could stop production, these savings are realized even more quickly.
Recommended Radios
We almost exclusively recommend UHF radios to manufacturers. UHF radios will tend to work better in most situations, as the radios will typically be used indoors. UHF frequencies penetrate thru solid objects such as steel and concrete better than VHF frequencies.
Here are a couple of basic UHF business radios that would be ideal in smaller warehouses or plants:
Motorola RDX RDU2020 (UHF) – One of our most popular models, the RDU2020 is a 2 watt, 2 channel UHF radio. It is built tough and is very durable. Comes standard with a lithium-ion battery, belt clip, and has a fixed antenna. As with all Motorola products, the RDU2020 has outstanding voice clarity. Also has the capability for accessories such as earpieces or speaker microphones for hands-free use. 1 year warranty from Motorola included.
Kenwood TK-3300-U4P (UHF) – Another one of our popular business radios. As with the Motorola model, the TK3300 delivers 2 watts of output power, but with 4 channels. This would be the better choice, say, if you had multiple departments and wanted each department on a specific channel. Also comes with lithium-ion battery and belt clip. The antenna for this model will be quite a bit longer than the Motorola model, but since it is removable, you can switch it over to a stubby antenna if you prefer (this would reduce range). Also earpiece/speaker microphone capable. 2 year warranty from Kenwood included.
For bigger warehouses or plants, you may want to go with a radio that has a little more “juice”. Here are some more powerful radios:
Motorola RDX RDU4100 (UHF) – This radio is in the same family as the RDX RDU2020, but will offer 4 watts of output power and 10 different channel selections. This model has a removable antenna and lithium-ion battery that come standard. Very tough, durable radio but still offers exceptional sound quality. The RDU4100 can be programmed to work with a repeater if even more range is needed. A 1 year warranty from Motorola is included.
Vertex VX-351-AG (UHF) – The VX-351 will get you the maximum business radio output power of 5 watts with 16 channels. For exceptionally large buildings, this model would be a good choice. It is built to military standards for water, dust, and shock resistance and comes standard with a long lasting lithium-ion battery. An industry leading 3 year warranty from Vertex is included.
Callboxes and Intercoms
We also carry call boxes and intercom systems that will definitely come in handy for large warehouses that do a lot of shipping and receiving. These call boxes will mount on the outside of your building and are programmed to match the frequencies of your handheld radios, allowing the driver for any incoming shipments to press a button to alert someone inside the warehouse that they have arrived. This type of communication is necessary for many manufacturing facilities, but could also come in handy during those cold winter months and hot summer months when it may not be ideal to leave the warehouse bay doors open. Some Ritron callboxes even have options to automatically open a gate or activate other devices! Here are a couple of the call boxes that we suggest:
Ritron RQX-451-XT Outpost 1 Series Callbox (UHF) – The 1 Series XT Callbox is built in a fiberglass and stainless steel case that is built to withstand outdoor conditions. Comes with tamper-resistant fasteners to ensure that no one will be able to access the callbox when your business is closed. Has the capability to run wirelessly with D batteries, or you can hook up an external wired AC power source. Ideal for most situations.
Ritron RQX-451 Outpost 1 Series Basic Callbox (UHF) – This is the RQX-451-XT’s little brother. Built in a weather resistant housing, this model can also run off of D batteries wirelessly or be connected to an AC power source. Can’t be used exclusively outdoors in the weather without additional weatherproofing of the antenna.
Intrinsically Safe Two Way Radios
With manufacturing, we understand that sometimes there are special needs for two way radios. We run across quite a few facilities that work with chemicals or explosive gasses and need a radio that will never produce a spark that could ignite them. In these cases, an intrinsically-safe radio will be key. Intrinsically safe (IS) is a protection technique for safe operation of electronic equipment in explosive atmospheres. These radios will limit energy to prevent fire or explosions in areas with hazardous chemicals or gases. Here are a couple of intrinsically safe radios that we stock:
Vertex VX-427 Intrinsically Safe (UHF) – The VX-427 delivers the full 5 watts of power, and would be ideal in large chemical plants or any other environment where intrinsically safe radios are needed. Also comes standard with an intrinsically safe lithium-ion battery, belt clip, removable antenna and rapid charger. As with all Vertex radios, it is built to military standards and is very durable. Also comes with the industry leading 3 year Vertex warranty.
Icom IC-F60-81-DTC Intrinsically Safe (UHF) – Small but heavy duty radio that offers 4 watts of output power. Intrinsically safe radio as well as intrinsically safe lithium-ion battery. Comes with belt clip, removable whip antenna and direct trickle charger. Built to military standards and comes with the 2 year Icom warranty.
No matter what your manufacturing plant produces, two way radios are excellent communication tools that can be used to help your company run more smoothly. If you have any questions about the radios listed above or any of our other products, please do not hesitate to contact us!
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A CB radio, formally known as Citizens’ Band radio is a two-way radio which functions on a short distance range. Communication may be done on 40 channels. CB radios work by alternating turns of different users to transmit information. While this is happening other radio users will need to wait until the channel will be available for use of another user. These CB radios are known as General Radio Service in Canada and they may or may not have licenses.
A famous producer of CB radios is the Cobra Electronics Corporation which designs different gadgets for mobile communications. They cater the US, Canada, United Kingdom, and many other places around the globe. In its more than forty years in the communication industry, Cobra Electronics has produced different radio models and two years ago, they introduced the Citizens’ Band radios with Bluetooth. Through this, the capacity of CB’s was improved and may be used for longer ranges because of its Bluetooth technology; at the same time, it may be used even while you’re on the road.
Two Way Radios
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If you’re not familiar with Cobra Electronics, it’s a household name when it comes to electronic gadgets and communication equipments. It’s the famous manufacturer of two-way radios, land communication equipments, and even invaded the aviation and marine industries to introduce its products. Browse for two-way radios in the internet and you’ll mostly see in the results that Cobra Electronics’ products are aligned with the famous manufacturers like Motorola, Kenwood and many more.
Cobra electronics has a wide selection of a variety of different products. The cobra radio, Cobra 148 GTL must the most commonly demanded cobra product in the market for more than ten decades. According to some Cobra products enthusiast, the best set of Cobra 149 GTL CB radio is from the Philippines, but for those who were made earlier.
Two Way Radios
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If you’ve ever heard about Cobra Electronics Corporation, it has a very big influence on the two-way radio industry. Cobra designs mobile communication products around the world; United States, Europe, Canada, and a lot more. Cobra’s products include a wide range of different communication and electronic devices. Two-way radios, CB radios, Marine and mobile navigation devices are just some of the popular products manufactured by Cobra Electronics.
Currently chaired by Jim Bazet, Cobra received a designation from Forbes magazine as one of the Best 200 Small Companies in America for the year 2000 and 2001.
Two Way Radios