About Thomas Engineering Company

When you buy from us, we make sure that you are fully satisfied; now and in the future. You will never get a hassle from our company. Should a problem arise, we simply correct it immediately because we stand behind and service every Motorola product we offer. You just cannot buy a better radio than a new Motorola, and we think you will find our prices low, our service excellent, fast and risk-free.

HOW TO BUY A TWO-WAY RADIO After almost 40 years selling and servicing Motorola two-way radios we offer some food for thought. We hope to present some old ideas that many new buyers may not have ever considered. Know your product before you buy is foremost.

A real two-way quality communications system can help you quickly and efficiently coordinate your business activities and save time and lots of of money. They are especially great in emergencies; they talk no matter what as they are point to point direct units with no tower or central station or fees involved. They last for years and years and cost near nothing to operate.

There seems to be a great deal of confusion about what two way radios are and what they are not; range is the burning question. First let us say that these are not "high seas" radios that talk hundreds of miles or even car to car across town. A simple cell phone would be a better choice if long range is the only criteria. We mention this even though it seems obvious but every day people ask if these radios can do the impossible.

Motorola corporate rates the portable radios they manufacture several different ways depending on the model selected. They rate them at up to 350,000 square feet or 30 high rise building floors; we have found this figure to be conservative and a good one to go by. However Motorola also rates the same radios at 6 miles and further state that the new Digital DTR units have a 20% coverage benefit over the standard analog RDX radios; this also is true. Range can be confusing to most folks who just want a flat number to work with. Such a number is not possible to give until many factors are considered.

These are true business handheld portable radios, designed for use in large or small complexes keeping people in instant reliable touch. Great radios will turn your employee base into a tight knit coordinated team; this is a huge unseen benefit. Quality, reliability and features are what business radios are all about - not the ability to talk over huge distances. Do not get us wrong, Motorola commercial radios have truly great real world range. In fact no other radios of this type can offer more coverage but again remember that range is truly secondary to what they do.

That said, here are some things to think about......

What area or size area do I want to cover?

Having defined your coverage area here are some tips about frequencies and power.

A radio's power rating is represented in watts and determines the strength of the radio's signal and its coverage. That power rating also affects the radio's battery life. For example, a 4 watt radio may have a stronger signal and transmit farther than a 2 watt radio, but it will also draw more power and drain the battery more quickly. Plus, 4 watt may be more power than you need. Because it's more important to have an efficient system than a powerful one, it's best to have a system designed to use the lowest power rating possible for the size of the operation that still delivers solid coverage.

In most cases, once the family toy type radios (usually offering an an absurd 25 mile range) have been eliminated, the distance you can talk out-of-doors is not dependent on how much a radio costs, its size, or even its features or style. Actual range is determined by five things and five things alone: Antenna height, Transmit mode (analog or narrow band digital), Transmit power, Receiver sensitivity and the ever present ...Terrain.

Theoretically, if you are holding your radio at an altitude of five feet six inches above an absolutely flat dry lake bed and someone else is doing likewise, your communications will be overcome by the curvature of the earth at a distance of approximately seven miles. However, speaking from a hill 5000 feet high you could probably speak to your partner on the plains below at a distance of 50 miles or more with ease.

That is why hi altitude mountain or building top radio repeaters are sometimes used to increase an overall systems range. Repeaters are beyond the scope of this article.

Other components can be added to a system to increase its overall efficiency such as external antennas, hi gain antennas, and yagi beams. Special operating accessories such as a remote shoulder Speaker-microphone or a stealth Headsets are important additions most users.

Radios used inside, outside, or both?

Today's business radios operate on one of three bands. Choices are the very high frequency (VHF) band, the ultra high frequency (UHF) band, or the new super high frequency (SFH) Digital band. Which band you chose is dependent on how exactly you will use the radios.

Generally speaking UHF is more effective when transmitting and receiving within buildings or to and from buildings from outside. VHF frequencies offer a range improvement when radios are mainly used outdoors. The new DTR Digital radios using the SHF band have amazing coverage both inside, outside or a combination of settings. Digital radios excel in high-rises, hotels and schools and most difficult environments.

How many people will use the system?

If the system is small, say 18 users or less, a single channel conventional FM radio system, where each party hears and can transmit to any unit is typically sufficient. This is the most popular and lease expensive way to go.

However, if you have a large group of people, you may want to use a multi-channel system. This technology allows you to organize your channels into "talk groups" or predefined groups of users. For example, a supervisor may carry a six-channel radio allowing him to speak to "worker bees" in six separate groups. Worker bees usually have a single channel radio but not always. Multi channel radios can be complex to use if the system is not thought out well. The new DTR Digital radios offer unique private communications between users that other radios simply cannot provide.

Disaster Preparedness!

During an unexpected emergency 2-way radios really shine. When infrastructure and communications grids are disabled, 2-Way radios just keep on working. Extra radios and batteries are always good to have around. Radios are so very important in disrupted conditions. Radios save lives, time and plenty of money.

Call In the Professionals

After you've determined your communication needs, it's best to work with someone you trust; someone who knows. A manufacturer-authorized dealer is usually a good start as they can recommend and support the best system for you. Choose a dealer who has experience servicing the radios he sells. Avoid buying radios from box sellers who do not understand the product technically. A few minutes discussing your exact needs with a pro always pays. Here is where range discussions become really meaningful as a pro will know if the intended radios will do what you actually want them to do. Again make sure he or she services what they sell and discuss what happens relative to the warranty. A dealer must be factory authorized to properly honor warranty and service claims; box seller simply can't do this. A money back guarantee of satisfaction is also something to look for.

Be certain you are getting the Right System

Remember, a well-designed communication system will operate so transparently that it will often go unnoticed in your daily routine and even in emergencies. An inadequate system, on the other hand, may create more problems than it solves. Your best safeguard to ensure a sound business decision begins with a little preparation and selecting the right dealer and the right equipment. In the old days Motorola used to say that "it takes 6.5 men without radios to equal the work output of only 5 men with quality Motorola radios" we think this still holds true.

Get the Right Radios

You absolutely do get what you pay for in 2-way radios. Remember that poor quality inexpensive low power toy radios never do a satisfactory professional job. Buy a quality product the first time around and you will be able to add units anytime in the future; this is important. A good dealer will always help you decide without any obligation to buy; the 2-way radio business has always been good about this. Dealers usually have the lowest system prices and all the radios and accessories are fresh and in stock. Beware of used or dumped radios that one sees from time to time. Buy only the latest versions and avoid the older units. Our best business sellers are the new Motorola DTR Digital radios followed by the UHF and VHF analog RDX series radios in 12 set packages. We started selling radios on eBay just about the time eBay began and we are always glad to help and there is never any pressure from our company to buy. This is how it should be. Send us an email or call us toll free at 1-800-667-4829 with questions.

Go Back