Two Way Radios

Vertex Standard just launched a new rebate promotion! Purchase at least six Vertex Standard VX-350, VX-420 or VX-2200 Series radios and you qualify for a $20 rebate per radio. Purchase at least six Vertex Standard VX-450, VXD-720 or VXD-7200 Series radios and you qualify for a $40 rebate per radio. This great deal from Vertex is only available until mid-December 2011.

The following radios qualify for the rebate:

This offer is direct from the manufacturer, so you will need to send your rebate redemption form Vertex after you purchase your radios and they will mail your rebate directly to you. This offer is valid on up to 60 radios purchased through December 16, 2011. All radios purchased must be within the same product series and must be ordered on a single order and on the same invoice. The Minimum rebate will be $120 (6 radios x $20) or $240 (6 radios x $40). Click here for full details. To redeem your rebate, go to www.vertexstandardrebate.com and follow the instructions. Update: Vertex Standard was rebranded as Motorola in January 2018.

All redemption requests must be postmarked on or before December 30, 2011. Redemption submissions received after that date will NOT be eligible. Redemptions cannot be sent to P.O. Boxes. Please allow 4-6 weeks from receipt of your submission for to receive your rebates. Offer good only in the U.S. and Canada and is void where prohibited, taxed and restricted by law.

There are scenarios in which two way communications are necessary or even critical, but the prospect of equipping everyone with a handheld two way radio is not affordable, feasible or even practical. In such a situation, the logical solution may be to use a wireless base station, intercom or callbox.

You may already be familiar with the classic wired intercom system used in some businesses and homes. Essentially, it consists of a box with both a speaker and microphone that communicates with another intercom box in another room or location. These devices are usually mounted on a desk or wall and hardwired throughout the interior of an office building or home.

Today it is not uncommon to find wireless intercoms substituted for many of the traditional wired devices. A wireless intercom is actually a two way radio that, like the older, traditional intercom, is typically mounted in a fixed location. The intercom is programmed to communicate with other intercoms and two way radios within or around the facility. Wireless intercoms provide more flexibility than the old wired systems because they can be installed easily in existing locations without the added cost of actually wiring a building and can interact with a variety of other radios, including handheld portables.

A callbox is essentially the same type of device as an intercom, only a bit more rugged. While both types of devices operate the same way, the intercom is typically a lighter duty call box used primarily indoors between rooms or offices, while the callbox usually refers to a heavy duty unit designed to be more secure and weatherproof for indoor/outdoor use.

A callbox typically consists of a box mounted on a post or wall, with a front speaker, mic and call button or keypad. They are used for a variety of applications and are often found at or near gated entrances, warehouse delivery doors and loading docks, fast food ordering stations and drive-thrus, golf courses, roadside assistance stations, parking lots, resorts, hospitals, college campuses, airports and other public locations.

Ritron is a leading manufacturer of wireless callboxes and intercoms. The company offers a full line of fixed mount communication devices using two way radio technology. Based in Carmel, Indiana, Ritron is somewhat unique in the respect that their products are made in the United States.

Ritron's intercoms are designed with convenience and security in mind. The Ritron JobCom® Display Series Wireless Intercom/Base Station (JBS) is a wireless, 10 channel intercom designed for stationary use in a specific area, such as a reception desk or in a shop. It can be mounted to a wall for secure operation or sit on a desk for convenient access.

The Ritron JBS Series intercoms are also designed for both interactivity and interoperability. They feature 21 business-only, pre-programmed, user selectable UHF or VHF frequencies with 2 Watts of power. The JBS -446D operates on UHF frequencies. The JBS-146D operates on VHF frequencies (including MURS) and can be programmed to receive NOAA weather channels and weather alerts. Both models also feature a large, 1 Watt speaker with loud, clear audio output, 51 privacy codes, Channel Scan, Call Tone, 2-Tone Paging Decode, DTMF ANI Encode, Programmable Soft Key and an easy to read LED display. Both models operates on 110VAC or 12VDC (with optional adapter) and are packaged in a steel enclosure for added durability.

As for callboxes, that is one of their specialties. Ritron manufactures several series of callboxes, called the OUTPOST® Series, designed for specific uses.

The Ritron OUTPOST® Series Callbox consists of a UHF or VHF two way radio transceiver that can be programmed for long range communication with virtually any other brand two way radio. According to Ritron, these callboxes offer up to five times the range of other wireless systems and are repeater capable to extend the range of the callbox.

The Ritron RQX-451 supports 77 UHF frequencies and the RQX-151 supports 27 VHF frequencies including MURS. All models are field or PC programmable and are wide or narrow band frequency compatible. The callboxes can be powered by 6 D cell batteries for a 100% wireless installation or wired for optional external AC power. Other standard features include an External Power Fail Alert, Low Battery Alert, Call Tone and Adjustable Speaker Volume.

The OUTPOST® 1 Series Callbox comes in two versions: the Basic and the XT. The Basic version is intended for use indoors in controlled environments such as inside a warehouse, manufacturing plant, remote area of a large building or in other interior locations where simplex radio communication is needed. The XT version is designed specifically for use outdoors in an all-weather environment. It is enclosed in a fiberglass housing with a stainless steel faceplate attached to the front of the housing with tamper-resistant fasteners. The XT is ideal for use around facilities such as golf courses, construction sites, gated entrances, outside large buildings or other exterior, fixed locations.

Intercoms and callboxes are a well-established form of fixed, two way communications. However, although traditional wired devices still have their uses, wireless radio intercoms and callboxes add a dimension of flexibility and interoperability to the mix, as they can also provide safe and secure communication to mobile, handheld or stationary base station radios as well as other fixed stations - without the costly installation of a wired system.

For an in-depth discussion about intercoms and callboxes, listen to The Two Way Radio Show Episode 23 - Callboxes and Intercoms.

View this video introduction to the Ritron OUTPOST® 1 Series Callbox!

The Motorola CLP Series radios are back and better than ever! Designed specifically for the hospitality, restaurant and retail industries, the Motorola CLP1010 and CLP1040 radios quickly became popular for their small, compact size, stylish design and extremely light weight.

Motorola initially launched these radios June 2010 but pulled them from the market about nine months ago for upgrades and tweaks. Now the new and improved CLP radios are back on the market and Buy Two Way Radios is one of the first to have them available!

At first glance, the updated Motorola CLP 1010 and CLP 1040 look much the same as before, with only a few minor cosmetic changes. The most notable one is the CLP1040. The original model was black with a red band around the sides, while the CLP1010 was all black. The new version is all black and now looks identical to the CLP1010.

Aside from color and a few minor changes to some of the buttons, most of the enhancements to the CLP Series were made inside the radios improve performance and simplify operation. In addition to the Monitor Channel and Scanning features (the latter available on the CLP1040 only), the CLP series now offers a Mute feature, Talk Permit Tone, Dynamic Talkaround Scan (enabled through Customer Programming Software, or CPS) and four Sending Call Tones (previously only available on the CLP1040).

Dynamic Talkaround Scan allows the radio to scan a repeater channel's transmit and receive frequencies for maximum radio coverage when a repeater is used.

The original standard voice driven menus were also upgraded in the new versions include voice prompts for programming frequencies into the radio. The PC programming software has also been updated for use when programming the new models with a computer.

As before, the radio is surprisingly rugged for its small size and weight. Both the CLP1010 and CLP1040 are Mil Spec 810 C, D, E, F and G rated for shock, vibration, low/high temperature and solar radiation. For added protection, the housings of the CLP Series radios are built using a polycarbonate with anti-microbial properties to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria on the surface of the radios.

One other important upgrade to the radio was performed on the headset accessory. The PTT button was changed and is now smaller.

For a review of the Motorola CLP Series radios listen to The Two Way Radio Show Episode 22 - Radios For Restaurants. If you want to learn more about these updated radios or have any questions, please give us a call at 1-800-584-1445 or enter our live chat at www.buytwowayradios.com weekdays from 8 AM to 6 PM EST.

This video explains how to disable some programmable features of Motorola Talkabout two way radios for silent operation such as Call Tones, Keypad Tones, the Talk Confirmation Tone and the VibraCall Alert.

This video explains how range limitations affect radio signals and provides tips and tricks for optimizing range for Motorola Talkabout Two Way Radios.

Related Resources
GMRS Radio Range Chart
30 Miles? The Truth About Range
Getting The Most Range From Your Radio
The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-05 - Radios in Range
The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-45 - The Truth About GMRS Radio Range
Radio 101 - The truth about FRS / GMRS two way radio range

This video explains and demonstrates how to use NOAA and Environmental Canada Weather Channels on a Motorola Talkabout Two Way Radio. It also explains how to scan for weather alerts and how to use Specific Area Messaging Encoding (S.A.M.E.) technology featured on the Motorola Talkabout T9680R two way radio.

This video explains and demonstrates how to choose, set up and use channels and privacy codes on Motorola Talkabout two way radios.

This video discusses Push-To-Talk (PTT) and Vox headsets. It also demonstrates how to properly use headsets with the PTT, Vox and iVox features on Motorola Talkabout Two Way Radios.

Haunted attractions, or haunts, as they are called, are big business. While many of them are small, mom and pop operations, some are much larger; collectively they generate millions in revenue each year, creating an entire industry that is all their own.

Tony Wohlgemuth knows the haunt business inside and out. Tony and his wife, Donna, own and operate Kersey Valley Spookywoods, a haunt located on a 55 acre farm in High Point, North Carolina. It is huge compared to the typical haunt and bills itself as "North Carolina's largest haunted attraction". Spookywoods employs 150 actors during the haunt season.

Tony uses up the whole farm. "Most of your haunted houses are going to be inside a grocery store, a vacant store, or a warehouse setting", Tony says. "We're really unusual as far as the size goes and being outdoors."

Kersey Valley Spookywoods features numerous attractions, such as The House of Darkness, Corn Maze, and of course, the famous Spookywoods. With 150 actors and so much going on at once, quick and reliable communication is critical to the entire operation. To keep things running smoothly and on cue, Tony and his crew rely heavily on their arsenal of two way radios.

To keep things organized, the staff and radios are divided up into groups and Tony has managers who monitor everybody. "There's a lot of chatter, especially, you know, trying to get the show started; a lot of communication going on", Tony explains. "Our biggest challenge is, there's just so much talking going on, you know, that it's just hard to get through." To minimize the traffic, he constantly stresses a company policy of radio use during radio meetings: "don't talk unless you've gotta talk... don't talk unless you have to."

Typical haunts operate after dark. Spookywoods is unusual in the sense that they operate both day and night. The long hours have an impact on their radio communications strategy. "Battery life is so important to us", says Tony. "We open at night, obviously, for the haunt but we use the same radios during the day at our corn maze. So these radios are on from, say, 11 in the morning all the way to 11 at night."

While battery life is an issue, Tony doesn't let it affect the show. He says, "Some of our managers have two radios, so when one dies they just pick up another."

Although two way radios are important to the operation, it is equally important that they are not seen and certainly not heard by the guests. Almost every radio operator, guy and ghoul alike, is a visible part of the haunt and more often than not in character or costume. A two way radio in the hand of a spook can certainly ruin a scare or effect. For this reason the radios need to be small, lightweight and easy to hide. A hidden microphone and headset are critical. Tony makes this point perfectly clear. "Earphones are important because we don't want the customers to hear what's going on."

When it comes to mics and headsets, a surveillance earpiece with a PTT mic is ideal. "We like to be discreet and have the cables coming up behind our neck and you don't even notice we've got a radio on", Tony says. "Which I think is great; you know... we're quiet... you don't hear a bunch of chatter and the customers respect this. They don't know that we're in communication. And it's great when trying to catch somebody doing something."

Safety and security concerns also make the radios an indispensible part of the haunt. Guests can get out of hand and people can become unruly. "It's kind of nice to have that discreet communication", Tony says. "Like I could talk to our sheriffs and they don't even know I'm talking to the sheriff."

Kersey Valley Spookywoods utilizes two way radio communications in nearly every part of the operation to make the haunt entertaining, safe, secure and profitable. At the end of the night, it seems Tony considers his radios well worth the investment.

Updated March 29, 2021
Each year, as autumn sets in, the air begins to cool, the leaves begin to die, and the night comes early to cast its eerie shadow upon the earth even before the day is done. The world becomes cold, bare and dark.

Then the haunts begin.

From mid-September to the end of October, thousands of haunted houses and spooky amusement attractions, or haunts, open across the country. Some are small, home-grown amusements or events operated by local charities, churches and civic groups. Others are larger, commercial attractions that feature professional performers and slick, high tech shows. Small or large, they all offer one thing in common: a unique experience derived from devious diversions and fun filled frights for those who like to be scared silly or out of their wits, just for kicks.

Some haunts are simple shows with inexpensive props and volunteers dressed in home-made costumes performing improvised scares. Others are high tech, carefully orchestrated events with actors, effects and gadgets to add a touch of virtual reality and heighten the fright. But there is one item nearly all respectable haunts rely on besides the costumes, make-up and fake blood: two way radios.

Good radio communication is very important to haunts for several reasons. The first is safety. Attractions of any sort where patrons gather for entertainment always present safety concerns. Attractions intended to scare those patrons increase them. A situation in which an actor gets assaulted, a patron has a heart attack or gets hurt, something catches fire or some other emergency occurs requires immediate attention, communication and response.

Security is also important. Patrons may become unruly or a fright can get out of hand. Patrons may vandalize sets and props or otherwise take advantage of dark surroundings to engage in other inappropriate activities. Communication is important to ensure property is protected, liabilities are limited and everyone enjoys themselves appropriately.

Third, no matter what, the show must go on. Ensuring actors act on cue, props perform as they should and effects execute on time ensure the haunt itself will have the desired effect and not drop dead during delivery.

Communication can be important or even crucial for other operations as well, such as parking, ticketing, concessions and crowd control. In short, the ability to communicate quickly, efficiently and collectively can make the difference between the overall success or failure of a haunt. To ensure success, two way radios are a practical means to that end.

If you're thinking about creating a haunt or currently operating one, choosing the right two way radio is important to consider. Will your haunt be located indoors or outside? Does it encompass a small or large area? Do you need to communicate with only a few key operators or an entire cast and crew? Will it operate for a just few hours a night or all night and all day? How your haunt is set up and how it will operate will largely determine the type of radios you need. There are several types to consider.

Small lightweight business radios
These are generally a prime choice for haunts. Small radios can be hidden more easily in costumes and are lightweight, yet durable. Business class radios also use commercial UHF/VHF frequencies that can be assigned for use specifically for the haunt, ensuring more direct communication between those radio operators and at greater range. Batteries used in business radios typically last longer as well, allowing the radios to be used in haunts with long hours without the need of a recharge. The most popular business class radios for haunts are Motorola CLS1110 and CLS1410 two way radios. They are very small, extremely lightweight radios and have a long battery life. The Kenwood TK-3230DX is also a good choice and is particularly rugged for its size.

900 MHz digital radios
if you are buying all new radios and need them to communicate with your cast and crew on separate, multiple channels, 900 MHz digital radios are an option. The advantages? Radios such as the Motorola DTR600 and DTR700 offer direct, one-to-one calling over multiple channels (30 for the DTR600 and 50 for the DTR700). This allows you to call either an individual radio or an entire group. Motorola also offers the DLR series: the DLR1020 features 2 channels and the DLR1060 has 6 channels.

These radios utilize Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) technology, offering more privacy and greater security for your haunt attraction than FRS, GMRS and some other UHF/VHF radios. The best part? They are all license free! Since these radios operate at 900 MHz, anyone at any age can operate them for either consumer or business use without the need to purchase a license from the FCC. So, whether you operate a small haunt for charity or a large one for profit, these radios have you covered.

Consumer grade radios
For small, non-commercial haunts on a tight budget such as churches or civic groups, consumer grade radios may be acceptable. These radios are generally small, lightweight, and inexpensive. They usually not as rugged and durable as business class radios, but if they do break they are a lot less expensive to replace. Consumer radios are not intended for private communication. They operate on FRS/GMRS frequencies, which are open, shared channels; the radios will operate fine, but don't be surprised if you receive interference from other area radio users or your conversations are overheard.

Consumer radios also have shorter battery life than most business radios and the range is usually not as good. However, some consumer radios are more durable than others and there are ways to work around some battery issues. If you have limited funds and resources and your haunt is not a large commercial operation, a good consumer radio can still be worth the investment. Radios such as the Midland GXT1000VP4 and the Cobra PX500-BG are a good value at a good price as they include headsets, batteries and charger. The PX500-BG radios are also small, compact and lightweight, allowing you to carry and conceal them easily.

There is one new FRS walkie talkie that is an exception to the "consumer grade" category. This is the Wouxun KG-805F Professional FRS Two Way Radio, and is a great option for haunts that need more rugged durability and battery life without the business radio price. This is because the KG-805F is a business grade radio. Unlike most other FRS radios, the KG-805F is capable of operation on up to 2 watts of power, the maximum for FRS. It is also available in short "stubby" antenna model for low profile operation.

Base stations and intercoms
Wireless radio base stations, intercoms or callboxes that are strategically placed throughout the perimeter can provide instant or emergency communications in situations where it may not be economical, practical or even feasible to provide portable handheld two way radios to individual staff members. These intercoms can usually be mounted to a wall or post in central areas or zones and programmed to specific frequencies to talk with other intercoms or two way radios in a group. They can also often be programmed with prepared messages and alerts to act as emergency callboxes. The Ritron Jobcom Base Station/Wireless Intercom is a perfect example of such a device. Larger, permanent attractions and perennial haunts may find this solution to be both desirable and cost effective.

Accessories
Choosing the right type of radio also includes choosing the right accessories. The type of headsets, mics and other equipment attached to your radios depend largely on your haunt and the effect you want to achieve. Simply operating a radio in your hand in full view of the guests can ruin a good scare and possibly the whole show. Chances are, there will also be a lot of noise and the radio operators on both ends need the ability to both speak and hear clearly above the shrieks, screams and other cacophony.

If your radios need to be hidden but headsets are not that critical, a D-Ring type of earpiece with a PTT mic attached could suffice. Our XLT DR110 D-Ring Earpiece with PTT Mic is a stable, flexible earpiece with a "D" ring that loops around the left or right ear. The earpiece rests against the ear instead of inside it, making the DR110 a good option when sharing an earpiece with several people.

For something a little more discreet, yet easy to wear, an earbud with earclip is an ideal solution. The XLT EB210 Earpiece with PTT Microphone is lightweight, comfortable and features an adjustable height earbud style earpiece to accommodate almost any, er, human ear, left or right. The push-to-talk button/microphone can be clipped onto your lapel or hidden inside your pocket.

If you want the radios to be completely hidden inside or under a costume with no easily discernable wiring, a surveillance earpiece with PTT mic would be the way to go, such as the XLT SE440 2-Wire Surveillance Earpiece with PTT Mic The clear, "surveillance-style" eartube is difficult to see in the dark. It also features a quick release style mushroom tipped surveillance earpiece. The Push-to-talk button/microphone is on a separate wire that can be linked to your lapel, placed in a pocket, or slipped down a sleeve. Think "men in black" and you'll have the idea.

Our Recommendations
For most commercial haunts, the recommended solution is the Motorola CLS1110 or 1410 radio and XLT EB210 earpiece with PTT microphone. For larger haunts, a Ritron Jobcom Base Station/Intercom placed in one or more strategic locations around the haunt is also recommended.

Behind every scary haunt is a scary spook. More often than not, such old fashioned terror is brought to you by modern technology. The next time you visit your favorite haunt, watch out for the ghoul creeping up behind you. Aside from the normal paranormal baggage or props, He, she, or it(?) may just be packing a two way radio.