FAQs

“How far can I talk?” is one of the most commonly asked questions by radio users. There are no straight answers as many factors contribute to the distance that you can communicate. Wattage of radios, antennas, type of communications, frequency, location of use and terrain.

Commercial Level Hand-held radios using a simplex frequency or otherwise knows as “radio-to-radio”-will generally provide you with the range of up to 4-5 km depending on the terrain. Flat terrain with little or no tree line is best. When there are obstacles such as buildings, high terrain or trees in between the radios you will shorten the distance you can communicate between users.

Commercial Mobile radios with 25 watts of power mounted in vehicles using a 1/4 whip, communicating with a simplex frequency is most likely to provide you with the communication distance of approximately 12-15 km depending on the terrain.

Base stations with 25 watts will generally talk approximately 12-15 km. adding external antennas with higher db gain can increase the distance you can expect to communicate.

If you need to communicate further distances you may wish to look at either erecting a tower on your property, obtain repeater services from a local company or join one of Spectrum’s private area networks such as “TALKPLUS” to give you wide area coverage.

* Spectrum offers a variety of consultation services which can include custom path studies to determine which communication products would be suit your application.

There are two major bands for most two-way radios.  They are Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio and Very High Frequency (VHF) radio. Neither frequency band is inherently better than the other.  They each have their advantages and disadvantages. Both formats are effective ways to communicate with another person so deciding on the right radio for you depends on your application, nature of your business and frequency allocation by Industry Canada.

Any radio system operating in Canada requires a licence from Industry Canada to operate, unless the need for a licence is specifically exempted in the Radio communication regulations.

If you are renting tower space or services from a communication service provider such as Spectrum Telecom, we will regulate the license use on your behalf.

Visit the Industry Canada website to obtain an application or read the guidelines regarding Radio licensing as specified in the Radio Communication Act.

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sd-sd.nsf/eng/home

These battery tips will help you obtain optimized performance and a longer life cycle from your Motorola rechargeable battery.

1. Charge your new battery overnight before using it. This is referred to as INITIALIZING and will enable you to obtain maximum battery capacity.

• Nickel Cadmium or Nickel Metal Hydride: 14-16 hours.
• Lithium Ion/Polymer: 1 to 2 additional hours after the charger light turns green.

2. Motorola Impres batteries, when inserted into a Motorola Impres charger, will indicate a calibration cycle by displaying a steady Yellow indication on the charge status indicator. Allow this calibration process to complete by not removing the battery from the charger until it has completely charged and displays a steady green indication.

3. In order to minimize capacity loss and cycle life reduction, new, NON INITIALIZED batteries must be stored in well ventilated, cool and dry locations. Batteries stored in these conditions may be stored:

• Nickel Cadmium up to 2 years.
• Nickel Metal Hydride up to 18 months.
• Lithium Ion/Polymer up to 18 months.

4. If used batteries are to be removed from service for extended periods (greater than 30 days) they should be discharged to about 50% of their capacity before storage in a cool, dry location.

5. Batteries which have been in storage for more than two months should be fully discharged and recharged.

• Nickel Cadmium or Nickel Metal Hydride: 14-16 hours.
• Lithium Ion/Polymer: 1 to 2 additional hours after the charger light turns green.

6. When using a Motorola rapid charger, leave the battery in the charger for an additional 1 to 2 hours after the steady green light appears.
   (Applies to non-Impres batteries only.)

7. Do not leave your radio and fully-charged battery in the charger when not charging. Continuous charging will shorten battery life. (Do not use a charger as a radio stand.)
8. Only charge a battery when it needs it. If it is not fully discharged, do not recharge it. We suggest that you carry a spare. This is the most cost effective solution for users requiring longer operating time.
9. Do not return fully charged non-Impres batteries to the charger for an “extra boost.” This action will significantly reduce cycle life. Repeated short cycle charging of non-Impres batteries will shorten battery life. (Do not use a charger as a radio stand for non-Impres batteries.)
10. Stabilize batteries to room temperature (72ºF) before charging. Charging below 40ºF and above 104ºF will decrease cycle life

When it comes to work, almost nothing works like a two-way radio. Digital two-way radios can give you instant, rugged, secure and high-performing communication that helps increase productivity, improve resolution time and protect workers. They are easy to use and will allow your team to talk one on one, or as a group. DIGITAL TWO-WAY RADIOS ARE AN EXCEPTIONAL CHOICE.