Here at Highland Wireless, we specialize in many different on-site radio communications. To have effective communication throughout your worksite, you should consider getting a 3D design for your antenna systems. Below, we will cover all you need to know on this topic.

What are DAS Systems & Why Use a 3D Design?

Distributed Antenna Systems, or DAS for short, include the placement of antennas in specialized locations throughout a building to increase reliability of radio signals. A DAS can be used to increase the signal range. These systems are commonly utilized in large complexes with high attendance like big corporations, stadiums, and hotels. These systems are great for improving overall efficiency and even adding greater safety to a building in case of an emergency.

• Better Signal

3D design is crucial to the reliably of a DAS system. Generating an accurate model of the building we are working with is essential to overall success. Without a 3D rendering, we would be unable to properly account for height, inclined surfaces, and so on. For the facilities that we typically work with, having a 3D rendering allows us to visually account for how the strategy will play out when completed.

• Aesthetic Benefits

Another reason to include a 3D design is aesthetics. When working with clients, it is crucial to be on the same page of what you want your design to look like in the end. In many industries, the technical and functional side of things tends to overlook aesthetics. Therefore, creating a 3D design allows us to maximize all areas for our clients.

• Maximum RF Performance

Have a specific building material that you want us to match? Need the job to be as inconspicuous as possible? No matter what you are looking for, we will do our best to work within these parameters. We ensure maximum RF performance while keeping the aesthetics of your building in mind by carefully selecting appropriate supplies and providing the best antenna placement options.

• Ensuring Your System’s Success

Using 3D design can let us know where we need to double back and check if there will be interfering signals. Anywhere on your site with a large number of signals has the potential to interfere with the system’s effectiveness. With our 3D design, we get a clear idea of where antennas might excel, and where they might not work the best. From there, we will be able to place them in the best spots to maximize your budget and benefit our strategy.

• Can Be Planned Before Completing Your Building

Working collaboratively is critical to a successful relationship, and we want you to feel happy with the result. Working with you every step of the way from the preliminary site walk to the closeout documentation, you can rest assured that our Distributed Antenna Systems are perfect for your facility. Even if your building has yet to be constructed, we still offer an estimate and outline of our services based on floor plans.

Where to Find DAS Design Services

Highland Wireless specializes in DAS Design and Engineering. By partnering with iBwave-certified engineers, we create systems for our clients that are effective and efficient. Whether a client is looking for increased coverage or increased capacity, we create a specialized project strategy.

Our design plan is unique for each client, which means no consultation will be the same. What remains consistent is our drive to find the best cost-effective materials and equipment. Our mission to maximize the performance of a DAS, and our dedication to finish your project within a specified timeline.

To schedule a conference call about in-building DAS Design and Engineering with Highland Wireless, be sure to contact us today!

Highland Wireless sets up dependable on-site radios and offers affordable radio rentals for a wide variety of events and industries in South Florida. With years of experience in the industry, we know a thing or two about setting up functional on-site radios, and so we’ve prepared a list of 5 of the most important things to keep in mind.

5 Things to Know When Setting Up In-Site Radios

1. Knowledge & Experience

Perhaps the most important factor to consider is your level of background knowledge on the job as a whole. Therefore, consider hiring help if you are not confident in your team’s capability to do this on their own. Having a professional team that does this all the time ensures that you get the job done both efficiently and effectively. The last thing you need to do is invest in all the gear just to learn that you don’t know how to set it up.

2. Considering All Factors

Before you start setting up your on-site radios, you should take the time to consider the many variables involved in the task. Things such as management applications, location of the radios, placement of the devices, and overall usability of the system once it is set up. In addition, there are factors such as the desired range of the radio system, the total number of users, and much more. Be sure to consider all the possible factors before putting the money down on your on-site radio system.

3. Planning Out the Setup

Having technicians and engineers that are knowledgeable of on-site radio systems is so valuable when it comes time for this step. Before you can whip out all the gear and start putting it together, you need to first come up with a plan. This plan needs to keep in mind all the factors that you previously considered as well as making the system function as it is intended to work. There are lots of steps involved in planning out and testing the system, that’s why it’s so important to hire a trusted team of experienced professionals for the job.

4. The Installation Process

Once the site has been fully explored, tested, and all the factors have been considered down to the most minor details, you are now ready to start the installation process. The installation process is simple as long as all proper preparations have taken place. This is the part where we take the knowledge gained during the consultation and planning process and roll it out into play. Much of the hard work here is making sure everything works exactly as planned and that the system works as intended.

5. Maintenance

Once you have your on-site radio system installed, the last step of the process is actually using the system. Even if you have a team of professionals like the folks at Highland Wireless to install your on-site radio system, it is still plausible that you will need maintenance over time. For this reason, it is important to have a maintenance team on standby whenever you are using the system. This way, if you do run into problems you can instantly have things fixed back up to par. Remember that glitches and technical issues can happen despite having high levels of planning involved in the setup process.

Do you need a professional on-site radio system installed? Contact Highland Wireless for a detailed quote.

The short answer is no, you shouldn’t use off brand batteries in two-way radios. Motorola and Kenwood batteries are specially designed to work with two-way radios, offering the best results.

Two-way radios are widely used across many different industries of work. Since you need to replace two-way batteries from time to time, many people are curious whether or not off-brand batteries are suitable for the job.

Below, we will cover this topic in full detail and also help you understand when your two-way radio batteries need to be replaced.

Should You Use Off Brand Batteries?

No. As a general rule of thumb, using off-brand batteries in two-way radios is not recommended. The manufacturers of two-way radios have a particular battery in mind when they design each two-way radio. If you stray away from manufacturer standard settings, you are much more likely to encounter hiccups and errors with the device. This is the main reason we highly recommend using the proper brand of batteries as opposed to an off brand.

When you rent two-way radios from Highland Wireless, you don’t have to worry about batteries or accessories. We provide everything you need.

3 Signs that You Need a New Battery for Your Two-Way Radio

Although two-way radio batteries are rechargeable, it’s important to realize that they will still need to be replaced from time to time. Below, we will break down three of the most common signs that your two-way radio’s rechargeable battery needs to be replaced.

Power Lasting Shorter Periods of Time

A brand-new battery will last the entire set time determined by the two-way radio manufacturer. Often, this is somewhere between 12 to 24 hours long. A two-way radio will often spend most of its time idle, making it last a longer period of time. If the power starts lasting shorter periods of time, this is a sign that battery health is decaying and it’s time to consider getting a replacement.

Very Fast Charging Time

One of the most surefire ways to instantly receive feedback as to whether or not your battery needs to be replaced is to monitor the charging time. Think back to when you first got the two-way radio and try to recall how long it took to charge the device from low to high.

Typically, a defective battery will be able to charge in a very short period of time – that’s because it’s not really fully charging. As rechargeable batteries start to age, their overall charging capacity decreases. Therefore, if the battery charges to full capacity much faster than normal it might be time to think of getting a replacement.

The Radio Overheats During Use

When you use a two-way radio with a low battery, one of the common things you might experience is overheating. This is especially concerning if the radio has never overheated in the past. As a general rule of thumb, overheating is never a good sign.

In addition to potentially having a defective battery, you might also be experiencing mechanical issues with the device itself. Therefore, if you encounter overheating with your two-way radio it is generally a good rule of thumb to start by replacing the battery. If the overheating continues, then consider the possibility of further issues.

How Often Do Two-Way Radio Batteries Need to be Replaced?

In order to receive a definitive answer as to how often two-way radio batteries need to be replaced, first consider what type of two-way radio that you have. If you have a rechargeable battery system on your device, it will typically last anywhere between 12 to 24 months. If you make it past this point, you are probably already starting to experience signs like what we described above.

Remote speaker microphones are a popular tool used in many different professional industries. They come with the ability to both instantly send and receive voice messages that are broadcasted live over a private radio channel. As a result, this provides several benefits over some of the common alternatives for communication, such as cell phones.

Benefits of Remote Speaker Microphones

Although just about everyone these days has a cell phone, there are still many reasons why remote speaker microphones continue to be widely used. Below, we will break down 5 benefits of remote speaker microphones. If you are still on the fence as to whether or not it is a good option for your personal situation, the following information might help you make a final decision.

1. Windporting

Although you cannot find this feature in all remote speaker microphones, many Motorola models come with a windporting feature. In a nutshell, windporting is a built-in resistance to wind. Therefore, if you need to work in a windy environment while retaining the ability to communicate with a remote speaker microphone, this is a popular feature.

Windporting doesn’t necessarily reduce all background noise created by wind. However, it drastically reduces it to the point where it is hardly noticeable. At the same time, another useful aspect of this feature is that it prevents water from entering into the microphone and distorting your messages.

2. Improvement of Speech Recognition

One of the most immediate benefits of using a remote speaker microphone comes when it’s time to listen to the messages sent to you. Factors that affect your ability to hear an audio message, such as surrounding background noise, proximity to the person talking, and so on, are all essentially eliminated. This helps you to hear messages more clearly than you might even be able to while talking face-to-face.

3. Instant Means of Long-Distance Communication

Remote speaker microphones are often used on job sites between a team of employees that need to be in close contact with each other. Without a remote speaker microphone system, this can be a lot more difficult due to a variety of factors that stand out with some of the most common alternatives to remote speaker microphones.

For example, workers are often stationed around different areas of a job site that would otherwise require them to walk back and forth just to relay simple messages. Using cell phones, it would also be a lot more complicated to relay one message to multiple people. In addition, remote speaker microphones broadcast messages without the need to manually look at them using a distracting device such as a personal cell phone.

4. Greater Privacy and Security

Most remote speaker microphones come equipped with two features that make it easy for private conversations. One is the volume switch, which can be easily twisted so people in the same room as you cannot hear private messages. Secondly, there is usually a headphone slot attached to remote speaker microphones that allow you to be the only one in the room who can hear the messages shared through the radio system.

5. Live Group Messaging

Using a common alternative such as a cell phone for communicating between a workforce can often turn into a mess of messages and calls. Remote speaker microphones stand out as a great option since they allow each of the active parties to listen to messages in real-time without spending the time clicking on a notification and navigating through the device.

Need to rent two-way Motorola or Kenwood radios? Give us a call today and we will help you determine the right solution.

Two-way radios make it easy to send and receive messages in an efficient manner. However, adding radio headsets to the mix will help you get even more use out of your radios. There are many benefits to radio headsets, including more private conversations, added comfort, and hands-free accessibility. 

5 Benefits of Using Radio Headsets

Right off the bat, it’s important to understand that there are various reasons that you should consider using radio headsets for your two-way radio system. Below, we will discuss 5 of the most relevant benefits of using radio headsets. Keep these in mind while determining whether or not this is the best option for your needs.

1. More Private Means of Communication

When you use a radio headset, one of the most inherent benefits that you will receive is the ability to communicate privately while minimizing eavesdropping. Therefore, if you need to use your two-way radios in a location where bystanders could otherwise access sensitive information, it is highly recommended to use headsets.

2. Lightweight and Comfortable to Wear

Many people have a misconception that using radio headsets will add extra bulk. In reality, radio headsets are very lightweight and generally very comfortable. Therefore, they can be comfortably used all day without putting too much strain on your work efforts. Just make sure to consider the weight and comfort features of a radio headset before using it, as there are many different options on the market. 

3. Keep Your Hands Free

Perhaps the most relevant benefit of using radio headsets is that they grant you the ability to keep your hands free. Otherwise, you’ll spend time grabbing the two-way radio, adjusting the volume, pressing the button down to talk, and so on. This can get in the way if you need to keep your hands-free for other things on the job. For this reason, radio headsets make it much easier to get things done.

4. Better Sound Quality and Word Recognition

Using a radio headset allows you to have a direct line of audio that goes straight to your ears. Without this, it is easy for audio quality to decrease depending on the health of your radio’s speaker. Therefore, it is recommended to use radio headsets if you want to experience the utmost sound quality possible.

In addition, having a radio headset will help you to recognize words much more easily. This is due to the fact that the audio is being projected right into your ears. If you have hearing problems or are working in a potentially loud environment, having a headset can make it much easier to listen to messages.

5. Higher Productivity

One of the most logical reasons to consider using radio headsets for your remote two-way radio system is that it allows you to save some time for the task at hand. Think of it this way, if you are constantly adjusting the volume, pressing buttons, and moving the radio back and forth to communicate, you will naturally start to lose time.

Therefore, those who are passionate about productivity should see two-way radio headsets as a great means to make the most out of your time.

Rent two-way radios with all accessories from Highland Wireless – contact us today to learn more.