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FAQ

 Facts & Questions

What are the delivery times?

If you order before 2pm you will receive next day delivery.

If you order after 2pm your order will be collected by the courier the following working day and delivered to you day after that.

85% of orders are dispatched on the same day you purchase.

How does the price promise work?

If you find the same product from another company with in 7 days that is cheaper than our product then we will match that price.

Are you a official dealer? 

We are a official dealer of Motorola, Hytera, Kenwood and Icom.

Can you program the radios?

We do program the radios for £5 each however if you buy a certain quantity we will program the radios for free.

What support do you offer?

We offer warranty on all the radios and free advice to all customers.

How much is shipping and why that price?

If the Order is over £150 the shipping is completely free however if the order is below this price it is £8.99. It is this price as we use a proper couriers service.

Can we trial the Radios?

We do offer free trials depending on which radios.

Can we come and visit you?

You can come visit our Leeds office to discuss and see some of our radios. If you would like to do so contact us by calling 0800 774 7147

Difference between licence free and licensed?

With a licence free radio it works straight out of the box however anyone can pop up on your channels and it is cheaper than a licensed radio. With licensed radios they are more professional radios which have privacy in which no one else can hear you apart from the other users. They are more robust than licence free radios and you have to have a licence with Ofcom which costs £75 for 5 years.

What is Ofcom?

Ofcom is a telecommunications company that has a wide range of powers over television, radio, telecoms and postal sectors. Ofcom promotes competition and protects the public from harmful or offensive materials.

How does warranty work? How does warranty work with radio shop?

If you purchase a licence free radio we offer 12 month warranty, where as with a licensed radio we offer 24 month warranty. Within these months of warranty, if anything goes wrong with the radios we will fix the radios or replace them.

What is the different between Digital and Analogue?

Digital transmits the sound a lot faster and has a clearer audio than analogue. It also cancels any background noise and has many more features such as a tracking system. With analogue the advantage is that you can still receive a weak signal however digital either works or doesn't although analogue picks up a lot of background noise.

What is the different between vhf and uhf?

VHF means very high frequency and UHF means ultra high frequency so UHF has a stronger frequency than VHF. VHF is suitable for open space areas where as UHF works in built up areas as it has a better frequency than VHF.

Difference in batteries lithium and NiMh?

Nimh batteries are cheaper than Lithium batteries. Nimh have a memory and don't last as long. lithium don't have memory and lasts a lot longer however most people buy lithium batteries. Motorola come standard with Nimh batteries and you have to upgrade to lithium. The biggest problem now is that lithium batteries are now restricted from air freight.

What are the differences in IP ratings?

Each radio is tested to protect against dust and wat

er. The higher the number the more protected the radio is.

IP Rating Dust and Water Protection

What is PTOC?

PTOC means Push to talk over cellular. PTOC is a way of communicating with an individual or a group of users via cellular phone. 

What is PTT?

PTT means push to talk for example a two way radio.

There are so many options which do I pick?

If you are in any doubt at all give us a Call or simply message us on our online chat which is on our website and we will find a solution for you.

 

What accessories do you sell?

We sell thousands of accessories such as earpieces, headsets, chargers, batteries, carry cases, chest packs, programmable cables and remote speaker mics. If you are stuck please give us a call, we will find the right accessory for your radio.

What is privacy- explain basic, enhanced, AES?

Privacy means how secure your conversations are. Basic privacy has 8-bit encryption, enhanced is 40 bit encryption and AES is 256 but please note with AES you have to get special authorisation. 

Why are the prices so different online?

Some companies box shift and offer no support, some sell solutions like we do.

How can I improve my reception?

Press pause and talk with digital, spend that extra second allowing them to connect. Speak clear and precise, make sure you look at your surroundings before you talk e.g. don't talk behind a huge thick wall. Take a few steps back or go near a window. Buy a licensed radio as you they offer you upto 10 times more power than licence free radios. The licence is a very simple process in the UK and not to be feared. Give us a call for more support and information.

Why do 16 people randomly keep popping up on my channel?

This is very common on licence free radios as all low cost radios use the PMR446 Freqeuncy range including them tiny barbie radios you see kids using.. If this is the case then we recommend you to use licensed radios. This restricts the radios that have access to your frequencies on your channel and you can use digital radios for enhanced privacy to encrypt what you are saying.

Why are licensed so more expensive?

With licensed radios you get an extra 12 months warranty than licence free radios. Licensed radios have more expensive components and have a huge amount of features including enhanced privacy (voice encryption), higher dust and water rating and will generally last you a lot longer.

Most customers consider cost as main purchase consideration but often without advice become victims to false economies. The radios might be cheaper but they will most likely not work to your full expectation and will not last as long. 

We can ensure you get the right radio fit for purpose at the right price which will last for years.

Which is the best manufacturer?

Motorola is very popular however Hytera sell great products. Kenwood and Icom both sell low cost radios that work well.

What is the difference in chargers?

There are two types of chargers which are single unit and multi-unit chargers. Single unit chargers only charged one radio at a time where as a multi charger can charge 6 radio at once which is less hassle and mess.

Can you get radios that can be charged in a car/vehicle?

If the radio has a USB connection on it you can charge them using your normal car chargers. If the radio does not have a USB Charging port you can buy a vehicle charger the costs £100 from Motorola however you could purchase the item shown below from Amazon and plug a single unit charger into it.

12v to 240V Adapter

What is PMR446?

PMR446 stands for Portable Mobile Radio. This is what some companies call licence free radios. 446 comes from the frequency they operate on, this frequency can be used across Europe and has 0.5 watt power output.

What is the Difference between portable, mobile, base station?

Portable is hand held radio. Power output 0.5 - 5W

Mobile is a radio which is fitted in a vehicle. Power output 1W - 50W

Base station is a mobile radio that is insulted in an office or building and normally has a external antenna fitted to the outside of the building. Power output 1W - 50W

Repeater is installed to increase coverage of an area. It is used to improve the coverage line of sight it can be used in a building, on top of a building or on a hill-top site. Power output 1W - 100W