Bang for your Buck: Radio Buyer’s Guide

I often hear from people “Which radio is right for me?” and “I don’t want to spend a fortune.”
While radios have been out for 40-50 years; not all of us grew up with a radio in hand.

Not to mention that radios have evolved and all the “extra” features can distract you from what you set out to buy.

Some radios are so advanced it could compete with your smartphone, this can cause a great deal of confusion.

To ease this process I would ask these questions before purchasing radios for yourself or your team.

Environment

• What kind of environment will the radio be used in, will there be dirt/ dust present?
• Are you working outdoors in the elements or indoors? E.g. Will the radio be exposed to moisture?
• Could my radio be dropped; if so will it drop on carpet, land or water?

Safety

If you’re dependent on your radio for your safety/wellbeing than this needs to be taken into serious consideration. Talking to a radio provider may help selecting the right choice for your needs.

Extra Features

Bluetooth, Man Down, Lone Worker, Emergency Features, GPS, Wi-Fi, Noise Cancelling, Aqua quake, Job tickets, Private Calls, Trunking, DMR, NXDN.

These are just some of the technical jargon terms that you might end up seeing during your quest for your radio.

For most users these features are not needed. While it’s always great to futureproof your radio and have all the whistle and bells; simultaneously you don’t need a Ferrari to drive to work.

If you’re just transmitting and receiving on your radio then you can most likely skip these as you won’t end up using them.

Things to watch out for

You can pick up radios that are cheap as chips. Buying radios from online sites such as ebay, marketplace etc, can be a risky process.
That’s not to say that there aren’t good buys available online, I simply suggest, proceed with caution.

If you’re not sure ask. I had a friend recently buy a Motorola radio off Gumtree; the radios were in working order but this particular person needed UHF and they accidentally bought VHF, rendering the radio useless for them.

My checklist when buying a radio? (Feel free to copy this or print this)

If you use the following as a guide, you are more likely to purchase a commercial quality radio that is suitable for the worksite.

☐ 5 Watts (This is your transmit power, how far you’ll transmit)

☐ IP67 rated (Ingress Protection Rating this stands for how well your radio will prevent Dust/Water from getting in your device)

☐ RCM or C-Tick Approval (This is a symbol shown on the inside of radio that it’s approved for use in Australia)

☐ Reputable Brand (Do your research, look at reviews, talk to a friend, talk to a radio provider)

If you haven’t heard of the brand, I’d be certainly asking more questions – from time to time, people will import very cheap Alibaba radios and re-brand them as a new product.

If you cannot find a warranty/service agent for a particular radio brand or any other supplier stocking this brand, chances are it’s a cheap import that has been re-branded.

If you have any questions or simply want us to

eyeball an offer/online deal you’ve found, we are here to help.