CommUSA’s Two Way Radio Blog

Communications USA has donated four two way radios (walkie talkies) to the Jackie Robinson YMCA. The donation is in conjunction with BOMA San Diego’s work party, where San Diego BOMA members teamed to renovate and improve the YMCA facility. The two way radios will be used to coordinate special events and programs. In the past, the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA had used family radios, which did not give them a strong signal. With the professional two way radios, the facility will be able to communicate more efficiently.

The two way radios that Communications USA donated are Motorola Mag One BPR40 radios. These Motorola two way radios are commercial grade and include a high capacity battery, charger, belt clip and a one year warranty. Motorola BPR40 two way radios are ideal for facilities like the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA due to their small size and light weight. The donation of the four two way radios were valued at $1,000.00.

Senior Communications Consultant Glenn Aranas is pictured with Pedro Anaya, Associate Executive Director of the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA.

Written by Adam Hermsdorfer - Motorola 2 Way Radios from CommUSA

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CommUSA is excited to announce that we have added walkie talkie video product reviews to our web site. Each major two way radio group and accessory line is represented with a video review. Our services, such as two way radio repair, system design, and walkie talkie rentals also have a video presentation.

The goal of the two way radio videos is to show you the features and benefits of the different two way radio series. We often get calls or quote requests from walkie talkie users who are looking for either too much radio or not enough. A luxury resort near the ocean that requires a small, discreet radio that is submersible or resistent to salt fog (EX560 or MOTOTRBO series candidate) won’t get as much out of a CP150. With the video product reviews, you can see for yourself which radio will best fit your unique application.

Our two way radio repair, on site system design and rental department videos will give you a first hand look at how we run our operation. Watch the videos and let me know what you think.

Written by Adam Hermsdorfer - Motorola 2 Way Radios from CommUSA

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Two way radios have turned to the digital world, just like their cell phone cousins did way back when. If you can remember when cell phones first came out, they operated with analog signaling, which resulted in a lot of static. Fortunately QUALCOMM invented CDMA technology which pioneered the switch to digital communications.

With digital cell phones, you either have the reception or you don’t. Calls drop in or out, but you never have static. The same principles hold true for digital two way radios. The Motorola MOTOTRBO system (when operated in digital mode) and the Motorola DTR550 and DTR650 have excellent audio quality with no background noise. In certain applications, digital frequencies penetrate structures and objects easier than analog.

Besides the audio quality, another advantage to digital two way radios are the calling features. These include:

• One to one calling. This is a nice feature when you need privacy.
• One to many, or public group call. You can broadcast your message to all the walkie talkies in your fleet.
• Private group call. Managers can communicate with specific talk groups.

DTR 650’s have a manager mode option which allows you to cue up another DTR radio and monitor what the user is hearing. You can also disable a walkie talkie if it gets lost or stolen.

The batteries on digital two way radios also last longer than analog. The DTR series carry up to 45% longer life and the MOTOTRBO two way radios come with a standard IMPRES battery.

Written by Adam Hermsdorfer - Motorola 2 Way Radios from CommUSA

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More two way radio users purchase the Motorola CP200 than any other model. What are the features that make this walkie talkie so popular? It’s durable construction, full accessory line, and affordable price highlight the list.

Durability:

The CP200 passes military standards 810 C, D, E and F and withstands Motorola’s accelerated life testing. Accelerated life testing is laboratory testing that simulates years of field use.

The CP200 is made with a steel chasis and was one of the first two way radios to utilize the unique battery lock-in mechanism.

Closed battery latch, securing radio.	Open battery latch.

This mechanism is a radio saver. If you accidentally drop this walkie talkie, the battery stays connected to the radio.

Full accessory line.

The CP200 accessory line comes with a wide range of options for headsets, microphones, earpiecess and carry cases. You can customize your system based on which accessory fits in your budget and meets your quality standards. These accessories are plugged into the walkie talkie by a strong, two pronged accessory connector, which prevents the accessory from slipping out of its connection. Actually, you really have to pull hard on the connector to remove the accessory.

Affordable:

With some models priced under $300.00, it is a very affordable two way radio. In the past, radios with the level of durability and audio quality of the cp200 were in the $600 to $800 range. The Motorola CP200 comes standard with a lithium ion (Li-ion) battery, rapid rate charger and two year warranty. The high capacity lithium battery assures the battery will last a full shift and it will not develop a memory if they are improperly charged.

Have you ever used the CP200? If so, what’s your opinion?

Written by Adam Hermsdorfer - Motorola 2 Way Radios from CommUSA

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Motorola just came out with a new standard package for the Mag One BPR40 two way radio. The new package contains a standard 1500 mAh Li-ion battery and a three hour tri-chemistry rapid rate charger, which cuts the charge time in half. The lithium ion battery is an upgrade because it can be charged at any time and it develops no memory.

For a “value radio”, we have been very impressed with the BPR40’s durability. Since its launch in January of 2006, our two way radio repair department has seen very few BPR40’s sent in for repair.

Written by Adam Hermsdorfer - Motorola 2 Way Radios from CommUSA

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Today, Motorola released another submersible two way radio, the EX560 XLS. The EX560 XLS follows the MOTOTRBO series, as Motorola’s 2nd submersible two way radio. It is rated IP67 for resistence to dust and water and submersible in up to one meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.

As I wrote about in my Unique Motorola MOTOTRBO features post, submersible radios come in handy for not only wet industries such as water parks or ports, but also humid environments. Any industry that has radio users exposed to rain, snow, or even salt fog, can benefit from a submersible two way radio. Once the circuit board gets wet, it’s just like card board and never dries.

The EX560 XLS, like other EX™ Series radios, is small and compact in size. It is the walkie talkie of choice for industries that want to keep their radios discreet. The EX560 XLS two way radio comes standard with a high-capacity Lithium Ion battery and can operate on an LTR© trunking system.

Written by Adam Hermsdorfer - Motorola 2 Way Radios from CommUSA

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The new Motorola MOTOTRBO is filled with a long list of features that are unique to business two way radios. Text messaging, digital signaling and a waterproof casing highlight the list.

Text Messaging

The MOTOTRBO is the first two way radio with data capabilities, such as text messaging. You may ask how can text messaging help my operations? Let me give you a couple of examples:

• Facilities that have a lot of children (who get lost), such as malls or amusements parks, can send a text message to all the radios with the description of the child.
• If a walkie talkie user is unable to speak, they can send a test message alerting staff to an emergency situation or even to call 911 if needed.
• Security guards can send discrete text messages to each other without alarming people in their vicinity.
• The front desk of a hotel can text message a room number that needs serviced.

Digital Signaling

In addition to text messaging, the the MOTOTRBO comes with the abilitiy to transmit both analog and digital signaling. The difference between the two is that digital signals stay stronger throughout the coverage area. Analog signals tend to fade further out in the area. With a stronger signal, the MOTOTRBO can eliminate the need for repeaters in certain situations.

We had a customer that is located in extremely hilly terrain with a lot of “nooks” that prevented coverage. Traditionally, a repeater system was the only option to help them receive the critical coverage that they needed. We went in with the MOTOTRBO for a coverage test and not only did we cover all their “nooks”, but we even drove up a dirt service road at the farthest end of their property and got coverage! The MOTOTRBO’s digital signaling saved the customer thousands on the repeater system.

Waterproof

Finally, a Motorola two way radio that is waterproof.  The MOTOTRBO is ideal if you work outside and weather conditions (rain, snow, salt fog) come into play.  Environments with moisture in the air can corrode and damage the circuit boards of walkie talkies. 

Even if you don’t work in a wet environment, everyone has someone on their staff who has dropped their walkie talkie in water. It’s nice knowing that you don’t have to buy a new radio when it gets wet.

What new MOTOTRBO feature do you think will help out the most?

Written by Adam Hermsdorfer - Motorola 2 Way Radios from CommUSA

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Motorola recently released the MOTOTRBO two way radio system. Packed with new features, the MOTOTRBO combines two-way radio functionality with improvements to digital technology. With more of a cell-phone feel, the MOTOTRBO has GPS and text messaging services, is water resistant, and will be compatible with your existing two way radio system.

Digital advantages

The MOTOTRBO is the first digital two-way radio with voice and data capabilities. Integrated data will be helpful for a variety of applications. For example:

• Security guards can send license plate information via text messaging back to the control station.
• Global positioning services will be great for finding people in the event of an emergency. You can track vehicles or portable radios. Central command will be able to locate the closest person to the scene. This will allow for increased efficiency, productivity and improved response time

You also have integrated privacy. The MOTOTRBO has a cell-phone-like feature that allows you to make one-to-one calls, or a public, one-to-many calls. Administrators and security guards will appreciate the opportunity to have a private conversation on their two-way radios.

Improved use

Another benefit of the MOTOTRBO is that it comes with a standard impress battery. The impress battery gives you 40% longer batter life. That means the night shift can work a full 12 hours instead of the standard 8 hours. Any company that has a 24-hour operation can benefit from the impress battery.

The audio quality of digital radios is superior to analog radios. Digital signals are strong throughout the whole area of reception. Analog radios, on the other hand, have a signal that tails off when you get to further distances, which results in static.

Migration

The MOTOTRBO System will be upgradeable and will be easy to migrate from analog to digital radios. If you have a fleet of 400 radios, you can slowly phase out the analog radios and add digital. You won’t have to replace your entire fleet. That is possible because the MOTOTRBO has a dual mode feature, which means you can switch from analog to digital, utilizing your current analog UHF radios. Note: the MOTOTRBO won’t work with VHF systems.

Submersible, durable

Accidents happen. But even if you work in wet environments or anywhere there is moisture, you are safe with the MOTOTRBO. It is extremely durable and it is IP57 certified. We tested it at the 2006 National Safety Council Trade Show and had it under water for more than 4 hours. If your MOTOTRBO gets dropped in a puddle, toilet, or even a tank, it’s not going to be ruined. Every janitorial and maintenance service, water park, and golf course could use a radio that is water proof.

Future of two way radios

The MOTOTRBO will release a lot of useful features in the future. These include the ability to link repeaters via an internet connection. This will enable radios to communicate over long distances. To provide an example, a company in San Diego can communicate with their warehouse in Ohio via their radios.

In conclusion, the MOTOTRBO will be a very cost-effective communication solution. You have integrated data applications, enhanced voice communications, and spectrum efficiency (2 channels on one repeater.) We are excited about its potential and look forward to the breakthroughs of digital two-way radio systems.

Written by Adam Hermsdorfer - Motorola 2 Way Radios from CommUSA

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Welcome to our new blog. Our goal is to keep you informed on the latest news on Motorola two way radio products and services.

Written by Adam Hermsdorfer - Motorola 2 Way Radios from CommUSA

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