Q: Which radio will give me the greatest range?
A: Range is an extremely hard thing to determine with radios because there are so many variables involved. Most unlicensed radios are programmed to emit about 0.5 watts of power and most licensed radios emit 4 or 5 watts of power. As a rule of thumb licensed radios will give you better range than their unlicensed counterparts because they are more powerful. The environment you are using the radios in is the key factor as radio waves travel in straight lines obstacles such as buildings, woodland and hills will severely limit the range.
Q: What is the difference between Licensed and License Free?
A: All licensed radios require an OFCOM issued license to be able to be used in the UK, in brief there are two main types of license, a simple UK license which you can use all around the country or a technically assigned which can only be used in a site specific locations.
Q: What is the difference between VHF and UHF?
A: VHF (Very High Frequency) is found at the lower end of the frequency scale and due to the longer wavelength it is able to travel further than UHF, although VHF doesn’t penetrate structures very well so are not ideal if you need radios in a built up area. However due to the longer wavelength it is better suited to outdoor locations, open fields, golf courses etc., and are primarily used in aviation and marine communication. UHF (Ultra High Frequency) operates at the higher end of the frequency scale and because of this they penetrate buildings better than VHF making it a much better choice for indoor use and built up areas. UHF radios tend to be the most popular used in the UK.
Q: I can’t get full coverage on site with my radios, are there any other options?
A: There are many ways we can assist you in achieving full site coverage so do not despair. Where issues arise we use repeaters to boost the signal across the site. A simple test is to stand as central to your site as possible and do a test with a hand portable to another member who roams the site, see if you can reach your black-spots from here, a repeater would cure your coverage issues. If you are still getting black-spots then another option would be using 2 repeaters and connecting them up using a IP Connect system where the radio signal travels through the IP network to give better coverage, another option could be using long range radios such as the Pronto Express, these work across the 3G data network so there are no range issues with these.
Q: What is the difference between Analogue and Digital radios?
A: More and more people are switching their communications across to digital, there are many reasons for this, clearer sound quality, less interference and many others. Digital radios come with a lot more features and are able to do a lot more than analogue radios, they are able to do things like text message, call selected groups or individuals, or have different types of alarm systems in place amongst many other things.
Do you have any questions which need answering? Don’t delay, contact us today!
