Using two-way radios seems pretty self explanatory, but there are a number of tips and rules that make business two-way radio usage more efficient every day as well as in times of emergency. The Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health as well as the Centers for Disease Control recently released a report titled Radio 101: Operating Two-Way Radios Every Day and in Emergencies.

The instructional guide is full of insightful tips laid out in a brief, concise manner reminiscent of how two-way radios are used, efficiently and using as few words as possible. Many of the scenarios provided in the booklet relate to miners, although they are generic enough that they apply to many different industries.

The Best Tips For Business Two-Way Radio Usage

Keep It Short and Concise
When using two-way radios you want to be as concise as possible when delivering a message to the person on the other end. There is the ‘long story’ and the ‘short story.’ Make sure and use the shorter version when communicating across radio waves.

Think Before You Speak
-Know what you are going to say and whom you are going to say it to before initiating contact.
-Avoid long, complicated sentences, or awkward pauses by planning out what you are going to say beforehand.
-Don’t use code lingo or abbreviations unless they are clearly understood and used by all members of the team.

Conduct Regular Radio Checks
Radios are reliable but no technology is 100% reliable all of the time. In order to make sure your radios work when you need them frequent radio checks are important. Such as:
-Make sure batteries are charged and all devices are powered on.
-Make sure that the volume is set high enough to be heard even if hand-held radios are a few feet away.
-Make sure you are still within range to receive signals.

Repeat It So You Get It Right
Communication errors occur every day, often resulting in very preventable issues. In order to help reduce the risk of miscommunication you should always repeat a message before acting upon it. This only takes a few extra seconds and can make the difference between making a costly mistake and smooth sailing.

Drop The Manners
In the real world manners are very important, saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ is key to making people feel appreciated for their hard work. When it comes to talking over two-way radios you don’t have to mind your manners so carefully, this only takes up precious time.

An occasional ‘thanks’ is okay, as you don’t want to drop your manners in exchange for being rude. Rudeness is proven to deter successful communication and team efforts. You don’t have to waste time being overly polite but you still need to speak to others in a respectful manner.

Radio Communication Is Not Always Private
Two-way radio channels may not be private and may be overheard by someone who happens to tune into your frequency. Remain mindful of this potential lapse in security when communicating via radio. Unless you know for certain that your line has the proper security technology in place you shouldn’t openly discuss private manners. Using code lingo can be very beneficial to saving time as well as keeping private information more secure.

Make Charging A Priority
If two-way radios are not properly charged and ready to go they can quickly go from a helpful communication tool to well, dead and out of power. Designate someone to make sure that all radios are properly charged and ready to go each day.

Call Signs and Locations Should Be Memorized
Instead of using names to communicate, radios provide everyone with a unique signal. Having these signals and call signs memorized will help enhance the ability to properly communicate on the job.

Don’t Interrupt
Two-way radios only allow one person to speak and others to listen. In other words, two people cannot talk over one another. If you hear a conversation going on across the channel you are trying to use, be patient and wait for it to end before talking. The only instance when this rule may not apply is in an emergency.

Speak Clearly
Make sure you speak very clearly and talk a little slower than usual to ensure everyone understands your message. You want to speak in a normal tone, and avoid shouting.

(More Two Way Radio Tips)

General Two-Way Radio Terms To Help With Efficiency

Radio Check: Do I have good signal strength? Can you hear me?
Read You Loud And Clear: This is a response to ‘Radio Check,’ meaning signal strength is good and you can hear loud and clear.
Go Ahead: You are prepared to handle transmission.
Stand-by: You are able to hear and understand but you are not able to respond at the moment.
Roger or Ten Four: You heard and understood the message.
Negative: “No”
Affirmative: “Yes” (Avoid using slang such as ‘yeah’, or ‘yup’)
Say Again: Please repeat your message
Over: Message is complete.
Out: The conversation is complete.
Break, Break, Break: You are interrupting a conversation because you have an emergency.
Come In: Asking the other party to acknowledge that they hear you.
Copy: You understand the message.
Wilco: “I will comply.”
Repeat: Say this before you repeat something to prevent confusion.

(Read More on Two Way Radio Etiquette)

Purchasing a fleet of two-way radios is a beneficial investment, but in order to get the most out of your money how do you extend the life of two-way radios? Some two-way radios prove powerful for 20 years, while others give out after only a few years of consistent use.

The average two-way radio ceases to work around 5-7 years. A low-end industrial radio is likely to withstand about 3-4 years of regular use, while a higher quality industrial radio tends to last closer to 5+ years. Still, a lot of it has to do with how well you take care of two-way radios. (Reference)

How To Extend The Life Of Your Two-Way Radio

• Purchase a two-way radio that is resistant to water, dust and impact.
• Handle with care, at least as much care as possible
• Use two-way radio belt clips or wall mounts in order to reduce the chance radios are dropped and subsequently damaged.
• Use trickle charging, as opposed to fast charging. Trickle charging may take 8-12 hours to fully complete but fast charging is known to decrease battery lifespan. Only resort to fast charging when absolutely necessary.
• Replace battery, antenna and any other parts in need of repair in a timely fashion.

Keeping Two-Way Radios Relevant

Even if your radio remains in in good condition 5 or 10 years from now, how do you ensure that it still offers relevant technology capabilities? With each passing year technology improves, offering a world of new wonders. The great thing about two-way radios is that you can always download the latest updates onto the device.

According to the Product & Purchasing Manager at BearCom, Hugh Johnston, “Digital upgrades are constantly available.” Johnston added that this allows you to constantly update older radios with new firmware and applications by simply bringing your radio to a qualified technician.

Most Commonly Replaced Parts In Two-Way Radios

The first thing to go on most two-way radios is the battery. The average battery typically lasts between 18 and 24 months. This time span varies depending on how many times the device is charged, used and re-charged. If the battery stops holding a charge you only have to replace the battery, not the entire radio.

When replacing a battery it’s important to properly dispose of the old battery. The EPA considers rechargeable batteries a hazardous waste, and requires you to contact your local Hazardous Waste Authority or recycling program to find the correct location for disposal.

The next component that tends to go out is the antenna, which can also be replaced in the instance it breaks.

The Rough And Tough Life Of A Two-Way Radio

The line of work a radio is used for will largely contribute to its lifeline. Regardless of industry, most radios undergo a lot of wear and tear since they are used daily. Two-way radios are often dropped, stepped on, and even run over. Radios used in outdoor environments are at the greatest risk, such as construction sites where there is great exposure to water, dirt and impact damage.

Two-way radios are often used for emergency purposes, when handling tends to be rough and conditions are not ideal. In other words, there are plenty of opportunities for something to go wrong with a two-way radio.

Since radios must succumb to a great deal of wear and tear, manufacturers are highly focused on creating durable models. There are a number of two-way radios produced by both Motorola and Kenwood that offer waterproof and dust proof features. Most are also constructed with a high tolerance for impact damage. (Read how Motorola and Kenwood compare)

When searching for the appropriate two-way radios for your business it’s important to address what sorts of exposures your radios are most likely to encounter. Then, seek out the options that are most resistant to these factors to increase the time you get out of two-way radios.

When Is It Time To Get New Radios?

According to Mobile Solutions, only 18% of businesses are prepared to deal with mobile technology changes. How do you know when it’s time to update your two-way radio technology?

Staying up to date on the latest radio technology will help you decide when it is time to upgrade to a new radio system. If your radios are still in good condition and working efficiently, there isn’t necessarily a reason to upgrade immediately.

If your fleet of radios are not working as they once did, you need more range, or the average range has greatly decreased it might be time to look into new radios. If you are considering getting new radios anytime soon it’s important to save ahead of the expense. If you do not have the funds to buy new radios, leasing radio equipment may be an option as well.

How far can you really expect your two-way radio to communicate? This is a common question with a couple different answers. Your radio will be able to communicate across varying ranges depending on the type and power of your radio, as well as your actual location.

Many consumer radios advertise a 30-mile range, but the truth is that most basic consumer radios will not provide anything near this distance. On average, a standard two-way radio is capable of communicating around half of a mile to 2 miles.

Knowing how far you need your radio to communicate is key to finding a radio suitable to your requirements. For instance, a 2-watt radio with a long antenna is going to offer greater range than a half-watt radio with a short antenna.

Before you panic and think two-way radios will never work for you, there are options that greatly increase the range a radio can communicate across. In fact, some radio systems can effectively communicate from as far as 300 miles. (Read more on how to increase your two-way radio range)

Why Is My Two-Way Radio Not Providing The Advertised Range?

The range provided by a two-way radio identifies how many miles you can communicate across, although the advertised range may dramatically vary from the actual range you are getting. That’s because in most instances you are not in the ideal location for a two-way radio to function at peak performance. This is a very common problem that individuals and corporations encounter.

Some of the factors that decrease your radios ability to communicate over longer distances include:

• Large trees or surrounding mountains that interfere and block signals, decreasing range capabilities.
• Buildings and other man-made structures can also interfere with reception, including a mass of walls if you are trying to communicate from within a building.

The ideal terrain for using two-way radios is flat and largely free of obstructions. When situated in the middle of a lake you will notice an increase in two-way radio range due to a lack of obstructions. The top of a mountain serves as another great location, especially if you are trying to contact people in the valley below.

Of course, these ideal locations are not typically a reality and so it’s important to be realistic when shopping for two-way radios.  If distance is of great importance Wide Area communication networks might be exactly what you are looking for.

Long Range Two Way Radios

While radios have long been dominated by short-distance communication, the latest two-way radio systems offer far more versatility. Highland Wireless is one of the first to offer Wide Area radio communication in Florida.

By synching your fleet of two-way radios to a Wide Area radio network you will enjoy a reliable 300 miles of radio-to-radio communication. The results offer crystal clear communication that literally sound like the person on the other end is right next-door.

Businesses that require constant communication between vast distances find the latest Wide Area technology extremely beneficial, as well as reliable. In fact, Wide Area communication is a game changer in the two-way radio industry.

How To Improve Radio Range

Maybe you don’t need to communicate across 300 miles, but would like to improve the range your two-way radio currently provides. If so, there are a couple of tricks you can utilize, such as:

• Make sure your battery is fully charged in order to get as close to the maximum range as possible. When the battery gets low the transmission power naturally decreases.
• Make sure you are tuned into GMRS channels if you are using a radio that supports these channels. In general, consumer radios support 22 channels including a mix of FRS and GMRS. Channels 1 through 7 are designated to both FRS and GMRS, while channels 15 through 22 are used exclusively for GMRS. Channels 8-14 are designated to FRS. According to The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) you must have more than a half-watt of power in order to access exclusive FRS channels, which are still considered “low-power.” If your radio is relying on FRS channels, it is emitting a low power signal.
• Switch your two-way radio to the highest power mode. Many radios offer a low and high power option. If you need greater range the high power option is your best bet.
• If you are pushing the limits offered by your radio’s range, switch your radio to “monitor channel.” This feature allows you to pick up things it would otherwise filter out and ignore. Switching this feature on may allow you to hear a good deal of static but you may also be able to pick up messages that are too weak to come across when the radio is switched to normal mode.

 

 

The one thing you should always be prepared for in life is the unexpected. When an emergency arises the best way to deal with the situation is to have a solid plan of action in place.

One of the worst things that can occur during an emergency is a loss of communication. Are you prepared to communicate in an emergency situation? Everything from dispatching appropriate response teams to contacting team members and loved ones rely directly on your ability to make contact with others.

Despite the grand importance of communication it is often left out of emergency planning, but it shouldn’t be. Every disaster that has unfolded teaches us the same lesson: in order to prevent further calamity clear communication is a must.

Emergency Communication Checklist

If an emergency strikes do you have a plan of action to reach out to appropriate people? All solid emergency plans should include a separate Emergency Communications Plan. After you create a plan it’s important to discuss it with your family, team members, and whomever else it involves.  Here are some important things to consider when creating your emergency communication plan:

1. Who do you need to contact during an emergency? Make a list of every last person or institution and distribute this list to all involved parties.
2. Collect the phone numbers, social media networks, and email addresses of everyone listed above. It’s highly advised to have at least 1-2 contacts that are out of state. Make sure these contacts are aware that they are listed as a point of contact during the instance of an emergency.
3. Identify a ‘main point of contact’ you will work with to coordinate evacuation efforts, or other necessary tasks. Make sure you run through the plan with your main contact prior to an emergency.

If an emergency arises, knowing who to contact and how to react removes a great deal of uncertainty from an already hectic situation.

The Best Emergency Communication Radio Devices

Communication technology has vastly improved over the years but it’s far from flawless. More than likely your cell phone will stop working in the instance of an emergency, even 911 phone lines may become overwhelmed and inaccessible. Two-way radios prove time and time again to be the most reliable form of emergency communication.

It’s highly advised that you are prepared to utilize more than one form of communication. Here is a list of the most commonly used devices for emergency communication.

Wide Area Radio Communication is the most reliable form of communication you can turn to during an emergency. The latest wide area technology allows two-way radios to reach as far as 300 miles. You won’t have to worry about radio lines tying up, as cell phone lines tend to do during an emergency. Plus, the superior transmission power ensures you can quickly contact people near and far.

Two-Way Radios vary considerably in power and range. The Family Radio Service (FRS) and the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) are designed to provide two-way communication over shorter distances, typically between 5 and 35 miles. Just like two-way radios that rely on Wide Area, you have your own radio signal which allows you to contact people without the concerns associated with overrun cell phone lines.

Ham Radio is not the most popular device, but knowing how to use one can be the difference between a calamity and a solution. The Ham Radio has been used during almost every emergency in the US for over one-hundred-years. When cell phone lines go down, the Ham Bands remain a reliable way to make outside contact.

CB Radio often brings to mind images of giant radios in old big rig trucks, but they play a vital role in emergency communication. You can keep a CB Radio in your car, office, and home to ensure it is always available no matter where danger strikes.  CB Radios generally allow one to make contact within a 20 to 30 mile radius.

Satellite Phones are far from cheap but they can be very useful during a crisis. Satellite phones do not depend on cell networks, and are far less likely to be impaired by increased call volume. Meaning that even if the entire cell network collapses your satellite phone will still work.

Cell Phones are something almost everyone has, but they are not the best for emergency communication. Phone calls and text messages are likely to fail during an emergency due to a dramatic increase in phone line usage.

Social Networks offer a new way to communicate during an emergency by posting status updates and/or sending messages. In order to access this option you will need a device capable of accessing the Internet. It is not recommended to use this as a primary form of emergency communication, although it is a great way to alert and communicate with large groups of people. When cell phones stop working for placing calls and sending text messages, social media apps often still work.

 

Blackberry might not be the most popular phone on the market any longer but they have recently combined forces to push out new groundbreaking two-way radio technology. For the first time ever, Blackberry devices will allow you to download an app that transforms the device into a two-way radio relying on the Internet. The push-to-talk capabilities are being touted as particularly useful to military personal, emergency response teams and law enforcement that do not have authorized radio headsets available.

The Seattle-based company Twisted Pair Solutions stands behind this new app. Twisted Solutions was proud to announce the release of their web-based radio on March 10. The app relies on the networks Internet connection to send and receive verbal messages to other Blackberry users with the touch of a button.

As of now, the technology is built exclusively for Blackberry models. The Mobile Communicator is expected to be available for other devices within the near future. Developers are already busy creating compatible operating systems for iPhone, Android and Windows Mobile.

According to Tom Guthrie, the company’s president, the new application is built using WAVE Thin Client Platform, which supports military-grade security including encryption technology. Guthrie said, “We’re now enabling point-to-point communications, irrespective of what network you’re on. If you happen not to be on a Sprint network, (or other network) that someone is on, you can’t do point-to-point talk. This lets you do this.”

How Does The Mobile Communicator App Work?

Simply downloading an app will grant users access to two-way radio communication. The signal will come from the Internet connection provided by the phone company, but how does it really work?

One Blackberry executive explains the rather straightforward process, “There is a server in your enterprise [or hosted device] that has the push-to-talk and/or radio feeds going into it. It then encrypts and sends the

via data channel to the app on the BlackBerry. It sounds like an enterprise version of something like Pandora or Slacker.”

Mobile Communicator Vs. Two-Way Radio

Although this technology is very new and still has a way to come, it may offer a glimpse at the future of two-way radio technology. Albeit, that doesn’t mean the latest Mobile Communicator for Blackberry is going surpass or replace official two-way radio systems. In fact, there are still many benefits to installing a complete radio system over downloading a smartphone app. The best candidates for the app are companies with limited budgets, or who have invested in mobile phones prior to realizing what they really need is a radio system.

Investing in this technology is still not cheap, although it’s not highly expensive either. In order to obtain a secure point-to-point transmission that works on any network clients can expect to spend around $745 per device. There will also be an initial security and licensing fee expected to cost somewhere around $325 per client.

Cost aside, bloggers and industry experts are skeptical how well the latest two-way radio app known as Mobile Communicator will really work, let alone compare to the high quality of advanced two-way radio systems. Technology bloggers were quick to voice their opinions on Sprint Wireless community bulletin boards. Most have a “wait-and-see attitude,” as it’s a bit soon to really judge the capabilities of this new app.

One market observer highly familiar with the industry wrote, “I doubt that it will ever compare to iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network) PTT in terms of real-world performance.” Still, it’s not entirely far fetched, “But given that it could be ubiquitous by virtue of the fact that it is based on VoIP-like technology (RoIP), and it is just an app, this conceivably could open a whole new chapter in the life of PTT. Of course, it might turn out to be a dog and never gain any market. But if it works reasonably well, it might just be a game-changer. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Advantages To Traditional Two-Way Radio Systems

As of now, traditional two-way radio systems still offer a number of advantages:

• Two-way radios offer the most reliability in the instance of an emergency.
• Finding a reliable connection will be difficult in regions with poor Internet connectivity.
• Distraction is a big issue when using cell phones to communicate on the job. Two-way radios greatly reduce chances for distraction, while smartphones increase the risk for distraction.
• Phones are slowly becoming more durable, but as of now must shatter when dropped and die when dropped in water. This gives two-way radios an advantage in terms of durability on the job site.

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