Articles

Enter the door of a local retailer these days and you are likely to see the staff using two way radios. From small mom-and-pop shops to big box stores, from the front register to the back storeroom, two way radios are used by merchants every working day, and it's easy to understand why. Communication is vital to any business operation, and radios provide instant communications between management and staff for lower cost of ownership and increased ROI. The faster response time improves efficiency, productivity, security and the overall customer experience. A two way radio system is a much more efficient way to communicate than using cell phones, and at a fraction of the cost. When it comes down to the bottom line, choosing two way radios for a retail operation simply makes good business sense.

Radios are a perfect fit for a retail store, and work very well in such an environment, but there is one model series that overshadows the others and is particularly popular with merchants.

The next time you visit your favorite retailer, take a close look at the radios worn around the store. It is quite likely the radios they are using were made by Motorola. But they may not be just any Motorola. Chances are, you will find that the clerk behind the counter will be using a Motorola CLS1110 or CLS1410 on-site business radio.

Motorola CLS Series radios are the de facto favorites among retail merchants and their staff. The CLS1110 and CLS1410 seem to be a sort of standard among both small and large retailers, and for a number of very good reasons.

They have great range indoors.
Although quite small, the CLS1110 and CLS1410 provide considerable coverage in retail environments. The CLS radios operate on licensed UHF frequencies, which are good for indoor applications, especially in small retail stores with multiple aisles of obstructions such as shelving and inventory. They are good indoor radios, and are specifically designed for that environment.

They are small and discreet.
These are two of the most compact and ergonomic business radios on the market, which makes the Motorola CLS Series perfect for retail use. Employees tend to move around a lot within the confines of a store and such mobility requires them to carry a radio that is extremely compact, light weight and unobtrusive to the customer. Since many shops don't need a lot of range, it makes sense to go with the smallest radio possible. The CLS1110 and CLS1410 fit the bill perfectly.

They are comfortable to wear.
Motorola CLS radios are designed for efficiency and comfort. A typical retail operation requires staff to carry or wear their radios for the duration of their shifts. A full-sized handheld business two way radio can be heavy, bulky and cumbersome to carry around for long periods. Not so with the CLS series. Motorola designed these radios for retailers with ergonomic portability in mind. According to reviews, Motorola hit the mark, as merchants and their employees find them comfortable to carry, hold and wear.

They are easy to configure.
The CLS1110 and CLS1410 operate on 56 business frequencies. These are preset in the radios, which makes programming a breeze. The radios are front panel programmable, and features can be configured or customized in a few simple steps. The CLS radios can also be easily cloned using the optional multi-unit charger, making the process of configuring a whole fleet of them easier and very fast.

They are easy to use.
The CLS1110 and CLS1410 are designed for simplicity, so an employee can instinctively operate them with little to no training. The Large PTT (Push-To-Talk) button is located on the front face of the radio at the top, allowing the operator to quickly and easily find and press it by feel, without having to look. The front panel has only four other buttons and a simple LCD display with icons that are easy to recognize and understand, even for the layperson. The CLS radios are much simpler to use than a cell phone and provide instant communications at the push of one button. The CLS radio also comes with a holster, and is designed to slip in and out of it quickly, securely and with ease.

They are built for daily use.
Motorola CLS radios are made to withstand the rigors of daily operation in a typical retail environment. While not impervious to abuse, these units can take a modicum of wear and tear during a long shift under normal working conditions. They meet Military Standards C,D,E,F, and G for shock, dust and vibration. They are also rated IP5X to handle up to a 5 foot drop onto concrete. The CLS1110 and CLS1410 are made to last awhile, and come with a two year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

There is a huge selection of accessories available for them.
Although these radios can be used with the built-in microphone and speaker, many retailers prefer to use them with earpieces or headsets for greater privacy and more discreet communications between employees, especially when used on the floor around customers. Fortunately, there is a plethora of OEM and after market accessories available for the CLS1110 and CLS140. Such a wide selection gives the merchant and their employees greater flexibility to communicate, increasing efficiency and productivity in their entire retail operation.

The Motorola CLS Series radio fits any retail workplace and integrating naturally into the workflow to provide instant continuous communications for on-site retailers, with no monthly fees, no service charges, and no contracts. After all, the faster the better the communications, the more cost-effective, efficient and profitable the operation. Considering all this, it's no wonder the Motorola CLS1110 and CLS1410 are a such popular choice for retailers. It's not trendy, it's just good business.

The Midland MXT400 Micromobile radio is quite popular for several reasons. It's a high wattage GMRS radio, it has NOAA weather channels, and it's mobile. One feature stands out from all the rest. This GMRS radio is also repeater capable.

The support for repeater channels is important, because there are few radios around today with repeater capability that are also FCC Part 95 type accepted for the GMRS. In fact, at the time this article was published, there are only three, and all of them are manufactured by Midland.

So, now you have a new Midland MXT400, and you want to connect to local GMRS repeaters. Only one question remains. How do you set up repeater channels on the Midland MXT400?

It's actually quite simple and can be done very quickly, once you know how to access the repeater channels. The trick is how to find and activate them.

The General Mobile Radio Service, or GMRS, consists of 30 frequencies that include 22 GMRS and 8 GMRS repeater frequencies. As a general rule, these frequencies are pre-programmed to specific channels by the manufacturer, which are standard across the industry. The frequencies on repeater channels RP15-RP22 are preset, as they are pre-assigned frequencies for all repeaters operating on the GMRS. To put it simply, they are already programmed into the the MXT400. All you need to do is activate them.

How to activate the repeater channels

• Step 1. Press and hold [Menu] for 3 seconds to enter Menu Mode.
• Step 2. Press [Call] or [Plvl] to navigate the menu options until REP appears on the display.
• Step 3. Turn the Channel Knob to choose REP--ON.
• Step 4. Press [Select] to confirm.
• Step 5. Press [Scn/Mon] to exit the Repeater Channel option.

Some GMRS repeaters are open, and do not require Tone Squelch (T/SQ) codes to access them. However, others do. If you need to enter CTCSS/DCS codes used by individual repeater systems, these can be easily set by assigning the specific code to each repeater channel on the MXT400. Simply go to the channel and assign the code according to the instructions in the MXT400 user manual. GMRS repeaters generally use the same CTCSS code for both RX and TX frequencies, so you should be able to assign just one code to the channel. The user manual includes a table of the CTCSS codes along with the corresponding code frequency in Hz for each. For instance, Code 12 is 100.0 Hz, so if the repeater is Output 462.6750 MHz, Input 467.6750, MHz 100.0 Hz, set code 12 into the channel RP 20 to access the repeater.

You can set a different CTCSS/DCS code for each channel on the radio, including the repeater channels.

How to set a CTCSS code for a repeater channel

• Step 1. Turn the Channel Knob to the desired repeater channel.
• Step 2. Press [TS/DCS] once to access the CTCSS Privacy Code settings.
• Step 3. Turn the Channel Knob to until the desired CTCSS code appears on the display.
• Step 4. Press [Select] to confirm.
  The T/SQ icon will appear on the display to confirm your selection.
• Step 5. Press [Scn/Mon] to exit the Privacy Code option.

How to set a DCS code for a repeater channel

• Step 1. Turn the Channel Knob to the desired repeater channel.
• Step 2. Press [TS/DCS] twice to access the DCS Privacy Code settings.
• Step 3. Turn the Channel Knob to until the desired DCS code appears on the display.
• Step 4. Press [Select] to confirm.
  The DCS icon will appear on the display to confirm your selection.
• Step 5. Press [Scn/Mon] to exit the Privacy Code option.

There you have it! That's all you need to do to set up repeater channels on the Midland MXT400. For reference, a chart of GMRS repeater channels and frequencies is listed below.

GMRS Repeater Channels and Frequencies

If you watch our videos or listen to our podcast, you probably hear us comment from time to time on the lack of innovation when it comes to FRS or GMRS radios. If you rewind the clock 10 years, you would find the radios that were for sale then were really similar to the radios that are for sale now. With the introduction of the new Motorola Talkabout T800, there is finally some new and original functionality with FRS radios for us to talk about.

The T800 is a very different FRS radio. Although it is similar in function to the Motorola TalkAbout T460, it adds bluetooth app support and a visually impressive design that is a completely new look for the Talkabout line. However, the most notable aesthetic feature is the display.

The T800 display is uniquely different. Motorola calls it a hidden display, and with good reason. This is the same display concept used for the Motorola SL300 commercial radio, but with more graphics. Simply put, it's just plain cool. This new display is invisible when the T800 is off, undetectable behind the one piece T800 faceplate. Turn the radio on, and the blue LCD display appears, viewable through the now translucent faceplate!

Sure, the T800 display looks great and is easy to read when the radio is on, but that's not the only new upgrade to the design of this radio. The front panel buttons are now raised icons, which should be easier to find and identify when the radio is out of site, such as when it’s clipped to your belt. Towards the bottom, the radio narrows and turns into a loop. This appears to be intended for a carabiner clip, and is quite different from the traditional loops found on other Motorola Talkabout series radios. While this larger loop can be useful for connecting a clip or lanyard, it also makes the radio a little harder to balance on a flat surface.

The rest of the buttons are lined on one side of the radio for easy, instant access. These controls include a button to active the built-in flashlight, high and low power push-to-talk (PTT) buttons, a bluetooth pairing button, and an emergency alert. On the other side of the radio is a micro USB charging port.

The T800 connects to a smartphone via bluetooth and will integrate with Motorola's new TalkAbout app, which is available as a free download for iphone and android mobile devices. The app basically uses the radio as a modem, to enable and manage features such as message and location sharing. These features even work when you're off the grid, as long as the radios are connected and in range.

When you launch the app for the first time, you'll be asked to pair it with the radio. This is very simple and doesn't even require you to press the Bluetooth® button on the radio. Just make sure the only radio that is on is the one that you want to pair. The final step of the setup process is the creation of an account that is linked to your phone number. You can skip this, but it does make a few of the features on the app work better if you are linked.

Most of the Motorola Talkabout App is centered around maps and location sharing. You can download maps offline and share your location, or view the location of your group members even if you don't have cell phone service. The app allows you to add members to your group using their username or phone number, if they created an account during setup. Once you have your group, an easy pairing option is available which sets all radios to match the channel and sub code of the leader radio.

The radio settings option is a nice feature of the app. The screens are kind of limited on most FRS radios, so navigating the menu is usually a guessing game of which icon matches what setting. Having all options laid out in a way that is easy to navigate is fantastic. When you change a setting or activate a feature in the app, it immediately updates the radio!

The T800 is definitely a step forward for FRS radios and its a positive direction for Motorola. There is nothing specific to the T800 model in the Motorola Talkabout App, so it would come as no surprise if app support is added to other Talkabout models in the future. The Motorola Talkabout T800 is now available for purchase from our web site at buytwowayradios.com.

UPDATE: Watch our video and see the Motorola Talkabout T800 in action!

As a result of the recent FCC enforcement advisory on import radios and the subsequent discussions on the topic in episodes TWRS-128 and TWRS-129 of The Two Way Radio Show Podcast, we checked the FCC IDs on all affected products in our warehouse to ensure full compliance. As a result, we posted our Wouxun Radio FCC ID and Type Acceptance Reference Chart to assure our Wouxun customers the products we sell meet FCC requirements. Since we are also an authorized US dealer for TYT, we decided to create one for TYT radios as well.

The following chart lists the TYT radios on our web site with FCC IDs and FCC type acceptance.

Of course, if you have any questions, please contact us or leave a comment below.

The prospect of migrating an entire fleet of two way radios from analog to digital was once a rather intimidating one, and involved a considerable investment in a new and very expensive technology. Not anymore. As seems to be the trend, prices on high quality digital radios continue to fall. More evidence for this is the recently released Kenwood ProTalk NX-P500 Digital Radio, which retails for only $219. Once limited to the domain of DMR, the cost of choosing NXDN digital technology is finally coming down. Thanks to the NX-P500, NXDN is now a very affordable option.

The NX-P500 is a small and lightweight UHF radio with two watts of transmit power. Its small footprint aside, this is a powerful little transceiver. It uses a 2000mAh lithium-ion battery pack that provides up to 15.5 hours of uptime on a single charge. Its built-in 750mW speaker belts out loud and clear audio and its LCD display is bright with easy to read icons and channel ID. It is also equipped with a 7 color LED indicator for call alerts and color coding groups.

The NX-P500 operates on 450-470 MHz UHF frequencies and has 99 user programmable memory bank frequencies. It supports both analog and digital mixed mode operation, so it can communicate with your existing fleet of UHF radios. The NXDN digital scrambler adds a layer of security to your digital communications. It also features Fleetsync® paging, VOX functionality and companding. It's repeater capable and supports wireless cloning. It's also waterproof and even submersible.

The NX-P500 is a ProTalk® series digital radio. With this model, Kenwood is clearly providing a digital option for users of their PKT-23 and the very popular TK-3230DX. Those analog models are great for many shorter range business applications, such as restaurants, retail stores, event management, or medical and dental offices. With the NX-P500, those businesses can now choose a radio that is similar in size that also offers digital sound and features.

The question is, should businesses that were using these small analog radios switch to the NX-P500? This is without a doubt a superior radio, but is it worth the money? First of all, even if your business isn't using any of the advanced digital features, you will take advantage of the improved audio clarity. Second, the FCC has established a mandate that any new radios over two watts must be digital. While analog radios such as the TK-3230DX and PKT-23 are under this wattage, it's clear that digital is the direction that the FCC is pushing the industry.

It seems logical to think that if you're eventually going to have to replace your fleet with digital radios, a good strategy is to start buying digital models like the NX-P500 now. Why buy another analog radio that you're going to have to replace later? The NX-P500 also supports analog, so it will work with your old radios now, and once you've replaced them all with digital models you can flip the switch and activate digital mode. Of course, if your business is currently not using radios at all, it definitely makes sense to start with digital. Either way, it's an easy, economical, and sensible route to digital two way radios.

If you have any questions about the Kenwood NX-P500 or moving to digital radios, don't hesitate to contact us!

There has been some concern about the effects of the recent FCC enforcement advisory on the marketing and sale of import radios, especially within the amateur radio community. As a dealer, we shared those concerns and discussed them at length in episodes TWRS-128 and TWRS-129 of The Two Way Radio Show Podcast.

We are an authorized Wouxun dealer in the US, and our friends at Wouxun were very helpful in providing us with the additional information needed to ensure that the models we sell are compliant with the FCC rules. We want our customers to be confident that the radios they purchase from us will meet these requirements, so we created a Wouxun Radio FCC ID and Type Acceptance Chart using the information provided by Wouxun for reference.

Wouxun manufactures and distributes their products around the world, so some models may be available in different markets in different versions. Because we are a US dealer, we carry the commercial version when both an amateur and commercial version is available, since the amateur frequency ranges are included in the FCC grant for the part 90 approval. For example, the KG-UVD1P is listed with an amateur version and a commercial version, but we only carry the commercial one.

The following chart lists the Wouxun models on our web site with FCC IDs and FCC type acceptance.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us. We welcome your feedback! You can also leave a comment below.

Too often we hear from customers who desperately need radios that can communicate over a large distance, but they have no simple or viable options. Usually, our solution involves repeaters. While Installing one or more repeaters will often get the job done, they can also be expensive, time consuming, and may not be practical in some cases. Now, there is good news. Icom has a solution.

It's called The IP501H.

The Icom IP501H is a small and very lightweight radio that looks almost identical to Icom's original IP radio, the IP100H. However, they are not the same radio. This is a completely different animal. While the IP100H used a LAN to interconnect with other radios, the IP501H takes it to another level. This radio attempts to solve the two way radio range problem. And it does.

The Icom IP501H isn't your typical walkie talkie. It is an LTE radio. This small yet powerful IP based radio uses LTE networks, the same ones used by cell phones, to deliver coast to coast coverage. The IP501H uses a sim card, so anywhere you have a 4G or 3G LTE network, which is essentially nationwide in the United States, you can communicate with these radios.

Range is an important difference, but what really sets the IP501H apart from other two way radios is the way it handles two way communications. A typical two way radio is a half-duplex device, which means it only allows one person to talk at a time. One operator presses the PTT button to transmit, then releases it to receive, and the other operator presses the PTT button on the next radio to transmit, and so on. The IP501H is capable of full duplex operation, which means that a user can transmit and receive simultaneously, just like a cell phone. Imagine a radio that provides instant, full duplex communication using an LTE network for telephone-type calls and conversations without the need for repeaters or a wired network. That's the Icom IP501H.

Anywhere your cell phone works, the IP501H should work as well. With this in mind, there is so much potential for where it could be used. This product is perfect for companies with a fleet of vehicles, such as an HVAC company with service or repair technicians. Any company that's currently buying cell phones for employees might find that the IP501H does everything that they need and saves them money at the same time. It's also a simple solution for businesses with multiple locations that need an easy way to stay in contact.

The nationwide coverage is clearly the biggest reason to buy this radio, but it's not the only one. When it comes to features, the IP501H is loaded with them. Like you would expect, it has clear digital audio, and as already mentioned, like a cell phone, it supports full duplex conversations. Yet, there is more. It features a 500 memory address book with room for individual, group, talkgroup and telephone lists. It has a vibrate alert, message recording, lone worker function, man down function, and is GPS capable.

A vehicle charger is available for the IP501H that enables Bluetooth® support, allowing hands free communications via a headset. The included lithium-ion battery provides over 17 hours of operation on a single charge. This makes it a great choice for use in service trucks, and is ideal for long shifts out in the field.

The IP501H is also quite durable. This is kind of a heavy duty radio for its small size. It is also IP67 dust and waterproof. Best of all, you don't need to purchase an FCC license to operate the IP501H. It's license free!

But what about the price? is It a good value for the cost?

The IP501H radio itself starts at $540 per unit, which is less than the cost of a lot of cell phones. There is also a monthly fee for use of the Icom's service network, called LTE Connect. The monthly fee is $28 a month per radio, but there are some contract and month-to-month packages you can work out for the radio and the service.

The radios will be configured by us before they ship and will work right out of the box, with no other devices or controllers to install. It's simple and it works! If you'd like to learn more, or would like to receive a quote for IP501H radios, please contact us at 1-800-584-1445 and we'll be happy to help.