Business Radios

As you probably already know, many essential businesses, ourselves included, are adjusting their business practices during the COVID-19 outbreak to help limit direct contact with their customers. Offering curbside pickup is one way to keep your business running while following safe social distancing guidelines, but what about businesses that don't sell directly to the public? Whether random sales solicitations or scheduled meetings with vendors and account managers, all businesses have to deal with visitors. We're hearing from businesses that are looking for solutions to help throttle these visitors so that they can be checked or tested, or just so that employees will have time to put on their PPE before greeting them. We have found that business handheld radios and two-way callboxes are perfect for this task of vetting visitors!

An outdoor callbox, such as the Ritron Q1 Series Two-Way Radio Callbox, can be permanently mounted outside of your building for safe and simple use. An arriving visitor will simply press the "Call" button to speak, and their message will then be relayed to employees indoors, who can then talk back to the visitor or open the door and allow entry. These units are weatherproof, easy to use, and can easily be sanitized with disinfectant spray or wipes after each use.

Callboxes can be programmed to communicate with other indoor units, such as the Ritron Jobcom 7 Series Two-Way Radio Base Station/Intercom. They can also be used to communicate with a handheld radio, such as the Icom IC-F4001 or Motorola CP-100d. If your business already utilizes a two-way radio system, we may even be able to program these callboxes to integrate with your existing units! As always, we offer free programming on any radio that you purchase from us, so it will arrive fully ready to "plug-and-play".

We have found that callboxes can be extremely beneficial in a warehouse environment as well, especially when multiple drivers per day are dropping off or picking up deliveries. The model we use here at our warehouse is the Ritron XT Series Heavy Duty 2-Way Radio Callbox. We have this unit mounted outside near our delivery bay doors, and incoming drivers can quickly alert our warehouse staff on their handheld radio that a truck has arrived. They can do all of this while avoiding any direct contact with one another. The Outpost 1 series callboxes are ultra-durable, weatherproof, and can also be sanitized after each use to ensure driver safety.

These are just a few examples of how using callboxes can help your business run efficiently during these uncertain times, but the possibilities are endless. Keeping your employees and others safe is crucial, and we hope this gives you some ideas on how to achieve this. If you have any other questions about these callboxes, or any of our other products, please feel free to give us a call. Our sales staff is working remotely, but our warehouse is still shipping orders as needed, with no major shipping delays.

Thanks, and stay healthy!

Download this pdf and learn how Motorola CLS and DLR radios plus callboxes can increase efficiency and enable social distancing in your business!

The Motorola DLR series radios are an excellent choice for businesses that want a high-quality digital radio with excellent privacy features. These radios also operate on 900 MHz digital frequencies, which means they can be used legally without applying for an FCC license!

The DLR series radios are ultra-compact, lightweight, and offer crystal-clear communication. They also use FHSS "frequency hopping" technology, which gives you a much higher degree of privacy from outside interference generated by neighboring businesses that may also be using these radios. Built to military-grade specifications for shock, dust, and water resistance, the Motorola DLR series radios are very versatile, and a great addition for almost any type of business.

If you've decided the DLR series is right for you, your next task is to decide on a model. This series offers two options: the DLR1020 and the DLR1060. What are the differences between these two radios? Well, there are really only two, and for the most part, the model you choose depends on how many channels you need.

The DLR1020 is the base model in the DLR series, and offers 2 channels. For most small, single location retailers and mom-and-pop type stores with simple operations and just a few employees, this is likely all you really need. The DLR1020 is priced at $209.00.

For larger restaurants, retail operations, and businesses that need more channel groups, the DLR1060 model supports up to 6 channels. This allows you to assign a dedicated channel to different departments, such as front clerks, stock clerks, managers and maintenance personnel. The DLR1060 is priced $10 more than the DLR1020, at $219.00.

Other than the number of channels and the price, there is no difference between these models.

Need more than 6 channels? Move up to the Motorola DTR series!

When searching for a two way radio to fit a particular terrestrial activity or application, it generally comes down to a choice between either a business or consumer grade model. Each category is intended for use on a specific radio service, and each has its own advantages and limitations. Fortunately, there is one category that has all the best qualities of both. We're talking about the MURS.

The Multi-Use Radio Service, or MURS, is a rather unique radio service that is usually overlooked, quite underused and greatly underrated. There are five MURS frequencies, all reserved on the VHF band for business, personal or recreational use at up to two watts of power, and without a license. MURS is license-by-rule, meaning that simply owning and operating an FCC type accepted MURS radio gives you the license to use it.

Now, two watts may not seem like a big deal, but it's actually a fair amount of power when applied to the VHF band. And as any seasoned radio operator knows, when it comes to maximizing range, wattage is not what really counts anyway. It's the antenna and where it's positioned within line-of-sight that makes all the difference. This is an important point to consider, because MURS allows for detachable and external mount antennas. You can hear All About MURS on our podcast, The Two Way Radio Show.

If MURS is so great, where are all the MURS radios? Good question. As mentioned before, MURS is often overlooked for a multitude of reasons, and most are market driven. But that doesn't mean they aren't out there. On the contrary, a number of MURS radios do exist, and in several different forms. There are handheld models, base stations, Intercoms and Callboxes and even a PA System available for MURS. With this eclectic selection, the question now becomes, which is the best MURS radio?

Of course, the best form factor largely depends on your application, but as far as portable handhelds go, it's really no contest. Here are our picks for best MURS radio.

Best Value MURS Radio
The Wouxun KG-805M is our winner for the best value MURS radio on the market. Introduced in 2019, it's also a fairly new model. It has five channels programmed with all five MURS frequencies and transmits at a full 2 watts, the maximum for the MURS. It sports a backit LCD display with an option to choose one of three backlight colors, which can be customized for transmit, receive or standby modes. The keys are also backlit for operation at night or in poorly lit areas.

The KG-805M features 155 CTCSS tones and DCS privacy codes, channel scan, a built-in FM radio, channel name edit and display, and VOX. The 805M can also be programmed from a PC to receive NOAA weather channels and for other advanced customization. It's rated IP55 for dust and water, which means it's a fairly tough little radio for use in the field.

As an added bonus, the antenna is also removable! This is a powerful advantage over other handheld MURS radios with fixed antennas, as it allows the operator to swap out with the stock antenna for another to optimize range or possibly even to attach an external antenna to considerably increase it.

Overall, the Wouxun KG-805M is a solid MURS radio, and it's packed with features at a cost that is both advantageous for businesses and affordable for the average consumer. For these reasons, we consider the KG-805M to be the best overall value MURS radio out there. Price: $79.99

Best Overall MURS Radio
The Motorola RMM2050 gets the award for best overall MURS radio currently available. Designed specifically for on-site business operations, the RMM2050 offers great audio and excellent range on VHF. It has five channels and the maximum 2 watts of power, a multi-color LED indicator, and two programmable buttons. It features three audible call tones, hands-free VOX mode, three voice-inversion scramble codes, and channel announcement with voice alias.

The RMM2050 is programmable and can be easily cloned with an optional cloning cable connected to the charger. It's also one of the toughest MURS radios around, with an IP54/55 rating and built to meet MilSpec 810 standards for shock, rain, humidity, salt fog, vibration, sand, dust, and temperature. As with many other radios in the Motorola RM Series, the RMM2050 also includes antimicrobial protection. Want a closer look at this model? Watch our Motorola RMM2050 unboxing video!

If it looks somewhat familiar to longtime MURS users, that's because it is. The RMM2050 is the successor to the classic RDM2020. While a bit pricier than the Wouxun model, Its tough exterior and excellent quality sound is well worth the investment. Price: $189.00

Greetings from the Buy Two Way Radios team. We hope everyone is staying safe during the ongoing pandemic, and would like to extend some ideas for using two-way radios to help streamline your business practices while keeping your employees and customers safe and healthy. During these unprecedented times, many essential businesses such as retail stores and restaurants have moved to curbside pickup only service, and two-way radios can be indispensable for this application!

For example, many of you may want to ensure that your customers can remain in their car while their orders are being processed and personally delivered. Having a designated employee assigned to an outside pickup station is a great idea, and can be a better way to keep things organized and running smoothly. To ensure safety, minimizing this employee's need to walk back and forth to relay messages could be huge. This will help limit person-to-person exposure while speeding up your delivery process at the same time. For these short-range communications, a simple handheld solution could be utilized. Our recommendation would be the Cobra PX500-BG FRS Two Way Radios For Business. These radios are cost-effective, easy to use, and will not require any license from the FCC, even for business use.

If you are looking for something a little more professional-grade and robust, you could go with a business radio such as the Motorola CLS1410 Two Way Radio. In addition to its immense popularity for use in on-site business applications, this radio has an antimicrobial housing to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria.

To optimize your curbside communications, Audio accessories such as earpieces and headsets are also readily available for any of our handheld radio options.

If an outdoor pickup station is not an option for your business, then we also have another solution in the form of an outdoor callbox, such as the Ritron Q1 Series 2-Way Radio Callbox. This model can be permanently mounted outside your business location for customers to use upon their arrival. All they would need to do is simply press the button and speak, and they would instantly reach an employee inside the building with a compatible handheld radio who could then deliver their order. These callboxes are also weatherproof and can quickly and easily be sanitized with disinfectant spray or wipes after each use.

We hope that these solutions can provide some safety and peace of mind to your business and your employees, while helping to keep your business coordinated and operating more efficiently during these tough times. Like most of you, our sales staff is working remotely for the foreseeable future, but please do not hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-584-1445 if you have any questions or if you need other recommendations. We will be happy to assist!

Thanks, and stay safe!

The two way radio is an important tool for both business and personal short range communications, particularly during a national emergency such as a pandemic. From curbside service to personal home care, radios can keep us in constant, instant communication with one another while we practice social distancing and protect our personal space to minimize the spread of germs.

But what about the radios? Don't they need to be cleaned and disinfected as well?

Absolutely! Your radios should be cleaned regularly for general maintenance. They should be disinfected as well, especially when used in environments and situations involving possible contagions. This becomes even more critical when the radios are shared between users, or handled and operated directly by the user close to the face or mouth.

Think about it for a moment. Like any portable personal device, a handheld radio or walkie talkie can pick up and carry germs at the very first touch. When you hold and or carry it around in the palm of your hand, press the buttons, bring it up to your face, and speak into the microphone, you are transmitting any germs you carry directly to your radio, both on the surface and into any crevice that can catch them. Pass the same radio around to others, and, well, you get the idea.

In such cases, the radios should be thoroughly disinfected immediately after each shift or use. This applies to any type of operating environment, business or personal. Germs don't discriminate, and neither should you. Keep your radios clean and sanitized for your personal protection and the safety of those around you.

But you can't just dump your radio in the water and give it a twenty second washing like you would with your hands. As with any electronic device, cleaning and disinfecting a two way radio requires some care. There are some specific things you can do but there are also some things that you shouldn't do, primarily because they could be harmful to you and/or the radio itself.

While not all radio manufacturers have specific instructions for such maintenance, some manufacturers including Motorola, Kenwood and Midland do have guidelines and recommendations about how to properly clean and disinfect their radios. With a few slight differences and variations, the instructions are pretty much the same. It is important to note, however, that all radios are not the same. Some are rather basic in design, with few buttons, no displays, simple speaker grilles and non-detachable antennas. Others have full keypads, large displays, large, deeply penetrable audio jacks, external battery contacts or terminals, rotating knobs and various other physical features that can make a thorough cleaning session a little more involved.

Also, the materials used for the radio housings may vary. Consumer grade radios often use lighter, lower grade plastics that may not withstand a lot of stress and strenuous cleaning or liquid solutions. Business grade radios tend to use heavier duty materials capable of withstanding external elements and stress. The housings of most quality business and marine radios are often designed to be more water resistant, and may even repel some liquids. Many Motorola on-site business radios even have antimicrobial properties. While these antimicrobial housings do not protect against viruses, they can help slow the growth of bacteria and make the radios easier to clean and disinfect.

So, how do you clean and disinfect your two way radios?

Before you start, let's talk about what not to do. Especially the don'ts.

Don't

• Do not immerse the radio in water.
• Do not clean the radio while it is turned on or charging.
• Do not pour or spray any cleaning solution or liquid directly to the surface of the radio.
• Don't use anything abrasive. Do not use metallic or heavy duty brushes. Do not use any rough or abrasive cloths. Don't use any abrasive cleansers.
• Do not use bleach or solvents or cleaning sprays or anything like that to clean or disinfect the device. At the very least these chemicals can discolor the surface of the radio, and at worst they may melt the plastics or eat away at the surface of the radio. They can also scratch or damage the displays, so you really don't want to do that sort of thing.

Do

• Be sure the radio is turned off.
• Remove the batteries or battery pack before cleaning.
• Clean a battery pack housing separately, and only the outer facing plastic shell or housing.
• Remove the belt clip if possible and clean it separately.
• Remove any externally connected accessories such as earpieces, headsets or hand microphones before cleaning.
• Clean your radios in a well ventilated area and away from heat sources.
  Avoid breathing vapors or fumes from approved cleaning solutions.

General Cleaning of your radio

• Removing heavy dust, soil, mud, grime, stains, etc.
• Prepare a solution of a non-abrasive dish detergent and water, with no more than 0.5% detergent in the solution. Some manufacturers recommend using distilled water.
• Apply the solution to the surface of the radio with a soft, non-abrasive cloth. Note: do not apply any liquid directly to the surface of the radio. Apply it to the cloth first, then to the radio from the cloth.
• Use a stiff, non-metallic and short bristled brush to loosen and remove the dirt from the surface and crevices of the radio.
• Wipe the debris and moisture from the radio with a dry, soft, lintless, absorbent cloth.
• Be sure to remove all moisture from the radio, including any metallic contacts, connector ports, cracks and crevices.
• Allow the radio to fully dry before attempting to install the battery(ies), charge or use the device.

Disinfecting your radio

• Wipe down the radio using isopropyl alcohol with a 70%-80% concentration. Below 70% will not be effective.
• Apply the isopropyl alcohol to the surface of the radio with a soft, non-abrasive cloth first, then to the radio from the cloth. Do not apply it directly to the radio.
• Be sure wipe down into the cracks and crevices in the radio to effectively disinfect from germs.
• Some manufacturers allow the use of an antibacterial wipe, but excess liquid must be squeezed out of the wipe before use so that it is merely damp, not wet, to avoid over saturating the radio with fluid.
• Be sure to remove all moisture from the radio, including any metallic contacts, connector ports, cracks and crevices.
• Allow the radio to fully dry before attempting to install the battery(ies), charge or use the device.

Your radio is a powerful tool for communication, but as with any object, it can also be a germ magnet. Whether they are used in a dental office, medical facility, warehouse, retail store, restaurant, on the water, in a cockpit, on the trail, at home with the family or out in the field, clean and disinfect your radios regularly to ensure maximum personal protection and health.

For an in-depth discussion on cleaning and disinfecting two way radios, listen to The Two Way Radio Show Podcast TWRS-148 - The COVID-19 Pandemic and Two Way Radios.

Great news! The Midland BizTalk® Buy 6, get 2 Free offer is back for 2019, and it's even better than before! In the past, Midland offered this deal on the Midland BizTalk™ BR200 business two way radios. When they introduced the BR200 Two Way Radio Six Pack and Multi-Charger Combo, they expanded the offer to include this bundle. This time, Midland expanded this offer again, to include the new MB400 business radio and its MB400 MB400X6MC 6 pack radio and multicharger bundle as well. This is an exciting offer for your business with real savings and value!

Here's how it works. Buy 6 Midland BizTalk™ BR200 business two way radios radios or one BR200 Two Way Radio Six Pack and Multi-Charger Combo and you get TWO MORE BR200 radios FREE! MB400 business radios or one MB400 Six Pack and Multi-Charger Bundle from Buy Two Way Radios and you get TWO MORE MB400 radios FREE! The minimum purchase to qualify is either six single radios or one six radio combo package. The maximum purchase is 60 radios, for a potential maximum of 20 FREE additional radios! This is a truly amazing value add from Midland on their business radios and is available from November 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020.

As with the previous offers, this is a manufacturer sponsored promotion, so it's fulfilled by Midland directly. Midland will ship the free radios to you after they receive and acknowledge your online submission form. For details, qualifications and restrictions on this offer, Download the promotion flyer.

NOTE: All claims must be entered by 11:59pm CST on Friday, March 13, 2020 to qualify. Redemption submissions received after that date will NOT be eligible regardless of purchase date. All transactions are subject to validation. Offer is good to U.S. residents only and is void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law.

Midland is well known for its popular consumer FRS, GMRS, CB and emergency weather radios. The company recently expanded into the business communications market as well, with the introduction of its first portable handheld onsite business two way radio, the Midland BizTalk BR200.

In this video, Danny introduces the BR200 with an overview of its features and functionality. It's available in both a single Midland BR200 package and a six pack/multi charger combo from Buy Two Way Radios.

Want more videos? Browse our video blog and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

When Motorola debuted the original DTR Series, the concept of a low license free digital radio for business use was somewhat of a novel idea. It didn't take long, however, for the DTR410, DTR550 and DTR650 to become niche favorites with certain businesses and even some consumers. Recently, the company introduced two new models to their DTR line. The Motorola DTR600 and DTR700 enhances an already popular digital series.

Motorola's DTR products are different from most of the other business radios that we carry at Buy Two Way Radios. Instead of operating on a single selectable frequency, DTR series radios constantly hop from one frequency to another in the 900 MHz wavelength. This provides several advantages over typical radios. 900 MHz frequencies offer greater range than traditional UHF radios and the ones used by the DTR series don't require a license. The frequency hopping technology makes it very difficult to eavesdrop on a transmission using common receiver technology, such as scanners. The DTR series also has clear, digital sound and advanced features, such as one to one calling.

Now, with these two new models, Motorola brings the DTR series into the next generation of license-free digital communication.

DTR600
The DTR600 is the newest edition to the DTR series and replaces both the DTR410 and the DTR550. It is compatible with all other DTR series radios as well as Motorola's DLR series radios. The DTR600 is physically a big improvement over the previous series. It's thinner by around a third of an inch, but more noticeable is the larger, full color screen.
The DTR600 will work right out of the box with support for up to 30 license free channels. Many customers choose to use the radio without any additional configuration, and this is fine - an out of the box DTR600 will work like a typical radio and you will still get the great digital sound and great range. If you're willing to do a little configuration, however, you can really unlock the power of the DTR series. By building a contact list of each radio in your fleet and defining private radio groups, you can make it simple for your employees or coworkers to get in touch with exactly who they need. A programmable side button can be set to allow for private replies, a direct call to a frequent contact, all call, or even to page all units.

The DTR600 includes a 2500 mAh lithium battery, good for 16.5 hours of operation, an antenna, a charger, and a holster. Price - $319.00

DTR700
The DTR700 is essentially the same radio as the DTR600, with all of the same functionality and features. The only difference between these two models is the number of channels. The DTR700 has support for an additional 20 channels for a total of 50 channels. Both radios support up to 200 contacts, and are fully compatible with one another, as well as previous DTR series and DLR series radios, such as the DLR1020 and DLR1060. Price - $349.00

Instead of the traditional belt clip, the DTR600 and DTR700 include a holster. This allows you to securely attach and remove the radio quickly and easily. The holster includes a nice feature. The belt clip portion of the holster has an area that is specifically designed for you to wind any extra cord from your earpiece, so it's not dangling and in your way!

By purchasing an optional programming cable (HKKN4027A), the DTR600 and DTR700 can be customized using PC software freely available for download from Motorola. Other optional accessories include a 6 radio multi-charger and a wide variety of earpieces and other accessories. Both models are in available to ship from our warehouse at Buy Two Way Radios.

Watch our video programming tutorial! How to program the Motorola DTR600 and DTR700 digital radios will show you how to do it yourself!

Motorola DTR radios are very popular 900 MHz digital radios that are also license free. The DTR600 is the newest edition to the DTR series and replaces both the DTR410 and the DTR550. It is compatible with all other DTR series radios as well as Motorola's DLR series radios.

In this video, Danny introduces the new Motorola DTR600 digital two way radio and provides an overview of its features. The Motorola DTR600 is available now from Buy Two Way Radios.

Watch our video programming tutorial! How to program the Motorola DTR600 and DTR700 digital radios will show you how to do it yourself!

Want more videos? Browse our video blog and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

When checking the search history for the Buy Two Way Radios web site, it's fairly common to see searches similar to "How to program a CLS radio" or "How to change frequencies on a CLS radio". Well, today I decided to actually check those queries for myself and was surprised to find that we didn't have an article about it! Shame on us, but better late than never I suppose!

In this article we're going to step through how to program a Motorola CLS1110 and a Motorola CLS1410 two way radio, but first let's quickly cover what "programming" means. Entering "Programming Mode" on the CLS series radios allows you to adjust the following:

• The frequency assigned to each channel (from a list of 56 available frequencies).
• The CTCSS/DCS code assigned to each channel. Also called a privacy or interference eliminator code.
• The selected call tone, or activating the vibrate alert (CLS1410 only).
• The microphone gain.
• The channels scanned when scan is activated (CLS1410 only).
• The number of channels supported (up to 4 - CLS1410 only).

Each of these features is activated by first placing the radio in "programming mode" and then navigating to the setting in the menu that appears. Since most likely you're only here to find out how to change one of those settings above, I'll provide separate instructions for how to enter programming mode and how to change each setting. Let's get started!

Placing the CLS Radio in Programming Mode

• Be sure the radio is OFF.
• Press and hold the Push to Talk (PTT) button and the MON button.
• Turn the radio on while continuing to hold PTT and MON.
• After 3 seconds, you should hear a tone and see a "PROG" icon on the display.

Changing the Frequency

• Enter "Programming Mode" using the instructions above.
• CLS1410 only: Select the channel number that you would like to change the frequency for. Immediately after entering programming mode, the channel number will flash and you can use the plus and minus keys to change it.
• Press MENU until "FREQ" is displayed and the frequency number above it blinks. ("Frequency" example on the right.)
• Press the plus or minus buttons to select the number of the frequency that you would like. Click here for the list of all CLS series frequencies. Click here for the CLS series default frequencies.
• Press Push to Talk (PTT) to exit, or MENU to continue programming.

Changing the CTCSS/DCS Code

• Enter "Programming Mode" using the instructions above.
• CLS1410 only: Select the channel number that you would like to change the frequency for. Immediately after entering programming mode, the channel number will flash and you can use the plus and minus keys to change it.
• Press MENU until "CODE" is displayed and the frequency number above it blinks. ("Code" example on the right.)
• Press the plus or minus buttons to select the number of the code that you would like. If you know the specific code that you need, refer page 56 in the manual for a cross reference.
• Press Push to Talk (PTT) to exit, or MENU to continue programming.

Changing the Number of Available Channels (CLS1410 Only)

• Enter "Programming Mode" using the instructions above.
• Press MENU until a blinking channel number appears with "CH" displayed to the right. ("Number of Channels" example on the right.)
• Press the plus or minus buttons to select the number of channels that you would like to be available on the radio. The maximum (and default) number of channels is 4.
• Press Push to Talk (PTT) to exit, or MENU to continue programming.

Changing the Call Tone or Activating VibraCall

• Enter "Programming Mode" using the instructions above.
• Press MENU until a blinking number appears with "CA" displayed to the right. ("Call Tones & Vibrate" example on the right.)
• Press the plus or minus buttons to select call tone 1-3. Call tones can be turned off by selecting "0" (this is the default). CLS1410 users can activate the vibrate alert feature (VibraCall) by selecting call tone 4.
• Press Push to Talk (PTT) to exit, or MENU to continue programming.

Adjusting the Microphone Gain

• Enter "Programming Mode" using the instructions above.
• Press MENU until a blinking number appears with "G" displayed to the right, along with a face profile icon. ("Mic Gain" example on the right.)
• Press the plus or minus buttons to gain levels 1-3. Level 1 is the least sensitive, for loud environments, and level 3 is the most sensitive, for quiet environments. Level 2 is the default.
• Press Push to Talk (PTT) to exit, or MENU to continue programming.

Editing the Scan List (CLS1410 Only)

• Enter "Programming Mode" using the instructions above.
• Press MENU until an icon that looks similar to the letter "Z" appears at the bottom of the screen. ("Scan List" example on the right.)
• The large blinking character to the left is the channel number, and the character to the right is a "y" or "n" to indicate if the channel is scanned ("y" is yes, "n" is no). Press the plus or minus buttons to select the channel, and the MON button to toggle between "y" or "n".
• Press Push to Talk (PTT) to exit, or MENU to continue programming.