radios

Hurricane Season is just around the corner and the National Weather Service has advised us all to be prepared. According to the NWS, one important item to have on your emergency preparedness list is an emergency weather radio.

But which weather radio is right for you? There are a lot of radios available with a lot of features and options. Every radio may not be right for everyone or every situation. What is the best weather radio for your family or business? Which one should you choose?

Not to worry. Buy Two Way Radios created the 2012 Emergency Weather Radio Comparison Guide to help you find the radio you need.

This comparison chart includes all the current models we offer as an authorized Midland dealer, from the compact, easy to carry Midland HH50 Pocket Weather Alert Radio to the full-featured Midland XT511 Base Camp Two Way/Emergency Crank Radio, considered by some as the "swiss army knife" of emergency radios. The radios and their features are organized into a simple chart so you can compare them all easily.

The Emergency Weather Radio Comparison Guide 2012 is FREE for download and ready when you need it.

Here is a quick overview of some key features included with these weather radios.

For more information about choosing an emergency weather radio, listen to The Two Way Radio Show Episode 13 - Emergency and Weather Radios.

We discuss how two way radios are used for farming. We also review the Icom IC-F5021 and IC-F6021 Base Station Radios.

Intro :00
Billboard 1:17

Topic Discussion 1:32
We talk about two way radios for farmers. We'll learn how two way radios are used on farms, some of the advantages of using two way radios over cell phones, and recommend some radios for farms. Radios discussed include the Motorola RDU2020 and Motorola RDV2020, Icom IC-F50V and Icom IC-F60V, and Vertex Standard Business Radios.

Commercial Break 16:04
buytwowayradios.com 1:00

Product Review 17:03
Today we review the Icom IC-F5021 and Icom IC-F6021 Base Station radios.

Questions and Answers 22:01
Questions from readers of our Two Way Radio Blog and members of the Two Way Radio Forum.

Wrap up and Close 29:02
Send in your comments and questions for Danny, Anthony and Rick to show(at)buytwowayradios.com. Feedback on this and other topics will be read by the hosts and included in future episodes of the show. Visit us at www.twowayradioshow.com!

© 2012 Cricket Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved.

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With all of the unpredictable weather we have been experiencing lately, particularly the destructive tornados from last week, we have been receiving an uptick in interest in our weather radios. We thought it might be helpful to put together a quick guide to make it a little easier for those shopping for their first weather radio.

What Is A Weather Radio?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a federal agency that, among other things, is tasked with monitoring the weather (through the National Weather Service). NOAA has transmitting stations spread throughout the United States that constantly broadcast the current weather conditions for the surrounding area. Each station transmits a message on one of seven VHF frequencies (162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525, and 162.550). A looped recording is constantly played over these frequencies describing the current weather.

A basic weather radio allows you to tune into these frequencies and instantly hear a weather report at any time. Very simple models are super easy to use, only requiring that you choose your local channel and press a button to start listening. Choosing a channel is often as simple as scrolling through stations 1-7 and listening for the one that is the clearest, but NOAA has a page on their web site that will allow you to find the station that is designated for your area.

While a basic weather radio can be useful, a more advanced radio is really recommended.

Proactive Alerts
More advanced weather radios take things a step further, proactively alerting you when an emergency or dangerous weather situation occurs. When an emergency arises, a special tone is transmitted by the NOAA stations. Many weather radios can constantly monitor for these tones and turn themselves on when the tone is heard. This is critical, as it allows your weather radio to now alert you proactively to an emergency.

One drawback of the weather radios that proactively alert is that a NOAA transmitting station covers a very large area, and you may find yourself being alerted to events that do not necessarily apply to your city or county. If this happens enough, you may find yourself paying less attention to the radio when it sounds an alert. The most advanced weather radios support "Specific Area Message Encoding," or SAME, which solves this problem. Weather radios using SAME technology allow you to enter a code that will focus the alerts on roughly a zip code sized area, ensuring that only warnings in your designated area will be alerted to you.

Who Needs A Weather Radio?
As a retailer, it is a little cliché to say that everyone needs our product. In the case of a weather radio, however, I offer no apologies. Year after year we see news stories about people who die in emergencies in which they just didn't have time to get to safety. Weather radios save lives year after year by waking people in the middle of the night or providing enough warning time for them to get to shelter. This is a product that sells for a range of $20-$60 that could make the all the difference in the world when an emergency occurs, so there is really no reason not to have one.

Fortunately, it seems like weather radios are catching on in a big way. Local news channels have gotten the word out about the importance of having one and we see many businesses purchasing them to help keep their employees safe. Weather radios are also in use by almost all of the schools in the nation now, with the Midland WR-120 being the most popular model.

What Is The Best Weather Radio?
As with most products, the best weather radio really depends upon how you plan to use it and even how much you want to spend. Here I'll outline a few of our best sellers and give the pros and cons of each.

Midland WR-120 Weather Radio - The Midland WR-120 is possibly the most popular weather radio in the world. It is a full featured desktop weather radio, supporting SAME technology and even allowing for the connection of (optional) external accessories such as a strobe light or antenna.

Midland WR-400 Weather Radio - More advanced than the WR-120, the WR-400 also includes features such as an AM/FM radio, alarm clock, selectable alert settings, and color coded alert lights.

Midland ER310 Emergency Hand Crank Weather Radio with Flashlight - This is a full featured portable combo weather radio and flashlight with multiple power options, AM/FM radio, SOS signaling in Morse Code, a built-in USB charging port and even a dog whistle to alert rescue animals. The ER210 is the base model.

Midland XT-511 Emergency Crank Radio - This is more of an all-around emergency device than simply a weather radio. It can be powered by AC, DC, battery, or by crank. It has a flashlight, AM/FM radio, weather radio, GMRS two way radio and USB port. It would be nice to have during a power outage or on a camping trip. Does not support SAME.

Midland HH50B Weather Radio - This is a very small and inexpensive hand held All Hazards Alert radio. Does not support SAME.

Weather Radio Accessories
Midland 18-STR Strobe Light - This accessory is made to go with your Midland Weather Radios. This strobe light will plug directly into many weather radio models, giving you a visual alert in case of an alert. This would be great if you had a family member with hearing problems or simply wanted to keep the volume on your weather radio at a minimum.

Midland 18-259W Weather Antenna - This antenna is will help if you are in an area or in a building where it is difficult to receive a strong signal. Great for cars, vans, homes, boats, RVs, and is specially designed to use for steel buildings and manufactured homes with metallic siding or construction.

Whether you live in a region with unpredictable weather or you just want to be prepared in an emergency situation, we here at www.BuyTwoWayRadios.com have the tools to keep you and your loved ones safe and prepared. If you have any questions about anything, please feel free to contact our sales staff at 1-800-584-1445!

It is no secret that two way radios are essential tools in the manufacturing industry. Whether you have a small warehouse or a huge manufacturing plant, two way radio communication will help your company operate more efficiently.

Two way radios will give your employees a direct line of communication with other co-workers and/or supervisors. This will eliminate the need to leave a station unmanned to go find a fellow employee when something is needed. Studies have shown that two way radios typically pay for themselves with time savings in just a matter of months. In a manufacturing or assembly plant where an employee leaving a station could stop production, these savings are realized even more quickly.

Recommended Radios
We almost exclusively recommend UHF radios to manufacturers. UHF radios will tend to work better in most situations, as the radios will typically be used indoors. UHF frequencies penetrate thru solid objects such as steel and concrete better than VHF frequencies.

Here are a couple of basic UHF business radios that would be ideal in smaller warehouses or plants:

Motorola RDX RDU2020 (UHF) - One of our most popular models, the RDU2020 is a 2 watt, 2 channel UHF radio. It is built tough and is very durable. Comes standard with a lithium-ion battery, belt clip, and has a fixed antenna. As with all Motorola products, the RDU2020 has outstanding voice clarity. Also has the capability for accessories such as earpieces or speaker microphones for hands-free use. 1 year warranty from Motorola included.

Kenwood TK-3300-U4P (UHF) - Another one of our popular business radios. As with the Motorola model, the TK3300 delivers 2 watts of output power, but with 4 channels. This would be the better choice, say, if you had multiple departments and wanted each department on a specific channel. Also comes with lithium-ion battery and belt clip. The antenna for this model will be quite a bit longer than the Motorola model, but since it is removable, you can switch it over to a stubby antenna if you prefer (this would reduce range). Also earpiece/speaker microphone capable. 2 year warranty from Kenwood included.

For bigger warehouses or plants, you may want to go with a radio that has a little more "juice". Here are some more powerful radios:

Motorola RDX RDU4100 (UHF) - This radio is in the same family as the RDX RDU2020, but will offer 4 watts of output power and 10 different channel selections. This model has a removable antenna and lithium-ion battery that come standard. Very tough, durable radio but still offers exceptional sound quality. The RDU4100 can be programmed to work with a repeater if even more range is needed. A 1 year warranty from Motorola is included.

Vertex VX-351-AG (UHF) - The VX-351 will get you the maximum business radio output power of 5 watts with 16 channels. For exceptionally large buildings, this model would be a good choice. It is built to military standards for water, dust, and shock resistance and comes standard with a long lasting lithium-ion battery. An industry leading 3 year warranty from Vertex is included.

Callboxes and Intercoms
We also carry call boxes and intercom systems that will definitely come in handy for large warehouses that do a lot of shipping and receiving. These call boxes will mount on the outside of your building and are programmed to match the frequencies of your handheld radios, allowing the driver for any incoming shipments to press a button to alert someone inside the warehouse that they have arrived.

This type of communication is necessary for many manufacturing facilities, but could also come in handy during those cold winter months and hot summer months when it may not be ideal to leave the warehouse bay doors open. Some Ritron callboxes even have options to automatically open a gate or activate other devices! Here are a couple of the call boxes that we suggest:

Ritron RQX-451-XT Outpost 1 Series Callbox (UHF) - The 1 Series XT Callbox is built in a fiberglass and stainless steel case that is built to withstand outdoor conditions. Comes with tamper-resistant fasteners to ensure that no one will be able to access the callbox when your business is closed. Has the capability to run wirelessly with D batteries, or you can hook up an external wired AC power source. Ideal for most situations.

Ritron RQX-451 Outpost 1 Series Basic Callbox (UHF) - This is the RQX-451-XT's little brother. Built in a weather resistant housing, this model can also run off of D batteries wirelessly or be connected to an AC power source. Can't be used exclusively outdoors in the weather without additional weatherproofing of the antenna.

Intrinsically Safe Two Way Radios
With manufacturing, we understand that sometimes there are special needs for two way radios. We run across quite a few facilities that work with chemicals or explosive gasses and need a radio that will never produce a spark that could ignite them. In these cases, an intrinsically-safe radio will be key. Intrinsically safe (IS) is a protection technique for safe operation of electronic equipment in explosive atmospheres. These radios will limit energy to prevent fire or explosions in areas with hazardous chemicals or gases. Here are a couple of intrinsically safe radios that we stock:

Vertex VX-427 Intrinsically Safe (UHF) - The VX-427 delivers the full 5 watts of power, and would be ideal in large chemical plants or any other environment where intrinsically safe radios are needed. Also comes standard with an intrinsically safe lithium-ion battery, belt clip, removable antenna and rapid charger. As with all Vertex radios, it is built to military standards and is very durable. Also comes with the industry leading 3 year Vertex warranty.

Icom IC-F60-81-DTC Intrinsically Safe (UHF) - Small but heavy duty radio that offers 4 watts of output power. Intrinsically safe radio as well as intrinsically safe lithium-ion battery. Comes with belt clip, removable whip antenna and direct trickle charger. Built to military standards and comes with the 2 year Icom warranty.

No matter what your manufacturing plant produces, two way radios are excellent communication tools that can be used to help your company run more smoothly. If you have any questions about the radios listed above or any of our other products, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Looking for ways to use two-way radio communication in your educational setting? Equipping your faculty with two-way radios can make your school much more efficient in a number of ways.

Effective communication between administrators, teachers, security and custodial staff is very important to keep your school running smoothly. Two-way radios are an excellent alternative to cell phones, loud speaker systems, or trying to track down an individual in such a large building.

Here are a number of ways that two-way radio communication can help you be effective:

1. Two-way radios will ensure good communication between the front office and teachers within the classroom, or administrators within the school.

2. Two-way radios can be used to help security and/or administrators communicate during the arrival and dismissal process. This can be one of the most hectic parts of the day for any school. Late buses, parents looking for their children, or any emergencies can be quickly and effectively communicated.

3. Two-way radios can be used to alert custodial staff of any spills or maintenance issues so that they can be taken care of immediately.

4. Two-way radios can be used to alert school security officers in case of any emergency situations, keeping the students and rest of the faculty safe.

Typically, a high powered UHF radio will be ideal in a school setting. Since most schools are fairly large buildings made up of brick, steel and concrete, UHF frequencies will be your best bet because they will penetrate through these solid objects much better than VHF frequencies.

The radios that we usually suggest to our customers looking for radio communication in a school setting are:

The Kenwood ProTalk XLS (TK-3230) (UHF) - Offers 1.5 watts of power, which would be ideal for a smaller campus. A very small, very lightweight business grade radio. This radio comes standard with a lithium-ion battery, and a 2 year manufacturer warranty from Kenwood. Gives you a nice professional look without being very big and bulky. Also comes with the capability to use accessories such as an earpiece or speaker microphone for hands-free use.

The Icom IC-F4011-41-RC (UHF)- Offers 4 watts of output power, which will equal great range within the building, as well as outside around the campus. This radio is also built to military specs for shock, dust and water resistance, and will be able withstand a pretty good beating without breaking. It also comes with a 2 year manufacturer warranty from Icom. This radio comes standard with a lithium-ion battery that should make it thru a school day on a single charge with no problems. This radio has the capability to use accessories such as an earpiece or speaker microphone for hands-free use. Also gives you that professional radio look.

The Vertex VX-231-AG7B (UHF) - Offers 5 watts of output power, which might be the better option if you have an exceptionally large campus that you need to cover. Built to the same military specs as the Icom model for shock, dust and water resistance. It also comes with a 3 year manufacturer warranty from Vertex. This radio has the capability to use accessories such as an earpiece or speaker microphone for hands-free use. Also comes standard with the lithium-ion battery and nice professional look to it.

Any and every school can benefit by having better communication within their staff, and there is no better way to do that than with a two-way radio system. If you have any questions about these radios, or any of our other products, please feel free to contact our sales staff and they will be glad to help you!

Last month we told you about some exciting changes to Midland's 2012 lineup of FRS/GMRS two way radios. We now have more details and we're even more excited to pass them along to you. Early this year, Midland promised technical and cosmetic upgrades to its line of consumer radios, including new models. Midland has made many enhancements and performance improvements to its entire line of two way radios during the last few years, and they are taking it all to the next level in 2012.

Feature Upgrades
Among new products to be introduced this year is the new GXT2000 Series. According to Midland, the new GXT2000 and GXT2050 radios will each offer a large, easy to read LCD display. A fast charging, higher capacity lithium polymer battery will also be included to provide longer battery life. This battery can charge from 0-90% in about an hour and trickle charge the final 10% in less than another. The battery upgrade will be a welcome one for hikers, campers and others who love the outdoors and need a battery that charges faster and lasts longer out in the field.

In addition to the new models, Midland's 2012 lineup includes two popular, tried and true standards, the GXT1000VP4 and the GXT1050VP4.

All Midland two way radios include a 3 year warranty, proving their commitment to stand behind their products.

2012 Model Specifications
Here is a sneak peek at the lineup of new models with the manufacturer's suggested retail prices. We expect to have them in stock by mid-summer of 2012. Note that actual prices may vary on release.

NOW AVAILABLE! LXT118 (MSRP $24.99) - 22 channels, channel scan, keypad lock, eVOX, call alert, auto squelch, dual power options, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, charges through the headset jack, battery life extender, water resistant.

NOW AVAILABLE! LXT118VP (MSRP $34.99) - This is the LXT118 in a value pack with two radios, beltclips, rechargeable AAA batteries, AC adapter and owner's manual.

NOW AVAILABLE! LXT500VP3 (MSRP $39.99) - 22 channels, silent operation, HI/LO power settings, channel scan, keypad lock, call alert, auto squelch, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant.

NOW AVAILABLE! LXT535VP3 (MSRP $49.99) - 22 channels, silent operation, HI/LO power settings, channel scan, keypad lock, call alert, auto squelch, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant.

NOW AVAILABLE! LXT560VP3 (MSRP $59.99) - 22 channels plus 14 extra channels, 121 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, silent operation, HI/LO power settings, channel scan, keypad lock, call alert, auto squelch, monitor, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant.

NOW AVAILABLE! LXT600VP3 - (MSRP $69.99) - 22 channels plus 14 extra channels, 121 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, silent operation, HI/LO power settings, eVOX, channel scan, keypad lock, 5 call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant.

NOW AVAILABLE! GXT860VP4 - (MSRP $79.99) - 22 channels plus 20 extra channels, 142 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX, channel scan, keypad lock, 10 call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant.

NOW AVAILABLE! GXT895VP4 - (MSRP $89.99) - Camo shell, 22 channels plus 20 extra channels, 142 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX, channel scan, keypad lock, 15 call alerts, 5 animal call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant.

GXT1000VP4 - (MSRP $89.99) - 22 channels plus 28 extra channels, 285 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, whisper mode, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX (9 levels), channel scan, keypad lock, group call, 10 call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant, JIS4 waterproof.

GXT1050VP4 - (MSRP $99.99) - Camo shell, 22 channels plus 28 extra channels, 285 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, whisper mode, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX (9 levels), channel scan, keypad lock, group call, 10 call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant, JIS4 waterproof.

GXT2000VP4 - (MSRP $119.99) - 22 channels plus 28 extra channels, 142 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, whisper mode, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX (9 levels), channel scan, keypad lock, group call, 15 call alerts, 5 animal call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual watch, dual power options, SOS siren, roger beep, keystroke tones, HD dynamic audio, mic and headphone jacks, EXTREME Lithium-Polymer battery pack, ultra fast charge, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant, JIS4 waterproof.

GXT2050VP4 - (MSRP $129.99) - Camo shell, 22 channels plus 28 extra channels, 142 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, whisper mode, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX (9 levels), channel scan, keypad lock, group call, 10 call alerts, 5 animal call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual watch, dual power options, SOS siren, roger beep, keystroke tones, HD dynamic audio, mic and headphone jacks, EXTREME Lithium-Polymer battery pack, ultra fast charge, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant, JIS4 waterproof.

We will keep you updated with more information as it becomes available.

Still using your two way radios on wideband? If so, you need to prepare your migration to narrowband as soon as possible, before the end of this year.

The FCC issued a public notice January 5 to remind everyone that the deadline to transition to narrowband is January 1, 2013. This includes private business class land mobile radios and licensees in the 150-174 MHz VHF and 421-512 MHz UHF bands. After January 1, all business radios that operate within these bands must do so using narrowband technology at 12.5 KHz or narrower.

According to the FCC, all VHF/UHF industrial, business and Public Safety Radio Pool licensees must operate on 12.5 kHz (11.25 kHz occupied bandwidth) or narrower channels and all two way radio manufacturers must cease the manufacture and import of radios that include a 25 kHz mode. This applies to all radios purchased after December 31, 2012.

As long as you are licensed for narrowband and your radios support narrowbanding (most radios sold within the last decade do) they should be in compliance. All you may need to do is simply re-program your radios for narrowband if you are still using wideband frequencies. However, if you are licensed for wideband only you will need to update your license for narrowband. In addition, if you are still using older radios that operate in wideband mode only, you will need to upgrade them to support narrowband as well - and you will need to do this by December 31, 2012.

Although a bill has been introduced to delay the transition, our sources have told us that the chances of it actually passing are very low. As such, waiting until the eleventh hour for a possible extension of the deadline may be a risky proposition.

For more information, read the FCC Public Notice DA 12-12 or visit the FCC for full details.

If you need to upgrade your licenses and/or business two way radios, we can help. Give us a call at 1-800-584-1445 today. Don't wait until the last minute to become narrowband compliant. The time to prepare is now.

Cobra announced two new additions to its current line of two-way radios during the 2012 International Consumer Electronics show, which was held January 10-13, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Both models are modestly priced, yet include two specific features previously found only on higher-end models: advanced NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) and All Hazards Alert. NWR allows access to the national network of NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards radio stations. These stations broadcast around-the-clock information on weather conditions from the National Weather Service, as well as official National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other alerts.

These two new models, due out in March of this year, are the CXT135 and the CXT235.

CXT135 - Now available! This new Cobra GMRS two way radio includes advanced NOAA Weather Radio capabilities and Cobra touts it as "the most economical weather radio on the market today". It has an advertised range of up to 16 miles, Call Alert, a Power Saver feature to extend battery life, and rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries. For all its powerful features, the new CXT135 also quite affordable, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of only $49.95.

CXT235 - Now available! This powerful new member of the Cobra GMRS family has all the aforementioned features of the Cobra CXT135 with greater range of up to 20 miles, according to Cobra. Along with the NOAA All Hazards Alerts, this radio emits a loud audible alert if there is a weather related or other emergency. Should NOAA send a tone alert with the warning, the alert will trigger an automatic alarm on the CXT235, which will activate even if the audio is turned off. This feature can be very important if such a warning is issued overnight while you are asleep. The suggested retail price of the CXT235 is $59.95.

Cobra added the CXT 135 and CXT 235 to their existing product line, which includes the CXT425, CXR725, CXR825 and CXR925. According to Cobra, the CXT135 and CXT235 will replace the CXT125 and CXT225, respectively.

If you spend a lot of time shopping around for two way radios, at some point you may have come across the term "intrinsically safe". If you're somewhat new to the world of walkie-talkies, you probably have a few questions. What is an intrinsically safe radio? What does it do? What makes an "intrinsically safe" radio different from any other radio? Why would I want one? Why would I need one? Why would I even care?

The word intrinsic refers to the essential or real nature or value of something. In electronics it refers to the very nature of an electronic device as being electrical; an item that operates using electricity. Any electronic device, by its very nature, carries and electrical current or charge, therefore the chance of an electrical spark or heat eminating from the device is inherently present or a possibility at all times.

Intrinsically Safe means the device is safe to use in hazardous environments where the presence of a potential spark, heat or flame could potentially create a safety hazard. In the case of two way radios, this is especially important. Since radios are electrical, they do have the potential to generate sparks and heat, and there are many situations in which a radio may need to be used in potentially hazardous or explosive environments.

Such environments include oil rigs and refineries, gas mains, coal mines, engine rooms of seafaring vessels, chemical plants, factories, emergency scenes involving First Responders, and other environments where there are potentially explosive or hazardous materials.

Hazardous environments fall into different divisions and classifications. The details are outside the scope of this discussion, but essentially they fall into three basic classifications:

• Class 1: flammable vapors and gases
• Class 2: flammable dust
• Class 3: flammable fibers

In such environments, two way radio communication can be very important and even critical to operations, yet standard two way radios should not be used because they can make a potentially hazardous situation even more dangerous.

These situations require the use of Intrinsically Safe radios.

In order to be designated Intrinsically Safe, radios must be designed and housed in such a way as to prevent or eliminate the possibility of generating even the tiniest little spark. They must also limit the amount of heat produced by the radio. The batteries used in the radios must also be specially designed to prevent sparks and eliminate short circuiting. Even the radio housing itself must be designed and constructed of materials to prevent or eliminate friction, which can create static electricity and generate sparks.

In addition to the radios, any accessories used, such as microphones and headsets, need to be intrinsically safe.

Intrinsically safe two way radios are manufactured according to strict codes and regulations set by the National Fire Protection Association. The manufacturing facilities and processes are supervised by Factory Mutual, an insurance and loss prevention company approved by the US government to oversee enforcement of the NFPA codes.

Due to these more stringent manufacturing requirements, Intrinsically Safe radios are considerably more expensive than their standard counterparts. However, the safety considerations built into these radios are worth far more than that. After all, you can't put a price on safety.

Radios manufactured as Intrinsically Safe carry the FM (Factory Mutual) Approved certification mark. Icom, Motorola, and Vertex are major brands with one or more models of intrinsically safe two way radios.

This chart lists popular makes and models of intrinsically safe radios currently available from Buy Two Way Radios.

Questions? Leave us a comment below. You can also give us a call, e-mail us or enter our live chat from 8 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday!