wet 2-way radio?

Don’t wait until your radio is corroded and rusty inside to send it in for repair.

By then it may be too late to repair your wet radio. Once a radio has become wet, corrosion starts to form rather quickly and deteriorate the metal. Good news, many times it is possible if caught early to restore a radio which has become wet. Early signs of corrosion can be removed and stopped.

Some basic information on what to do if your radio encounters water:

  1. Remove the battery. Do not turn on or try to use the wet radio, as this could cause further damage. (If you feel the battery has became wet inside, you will need to replace it.)
  2. Thoroughly dry the radio. You can use a towel on the exterior and any internal battery compartment. If you feel the water has intruded further, use a blow dryer on a low setting to air dry the radio. Specialty EVAP-bags can help to remove the moisture (700x more effective than rice). Call our office, 800-872-2627, and inquire about availability of EVAP-bags.
  3. Get the radio to a radio repair facility ASAP. The longer you wait, the more likely the radio will grow corrosion, and be deemed non-repairable.

Watch for IP57 or IP67 ratings when purchasing radios for the most water resistance. IP stands for Ingress Protection.

We’re here to help, and do our best to bring your radio back to good working condition. Give us a call here at Delmmar Communications if you have questions or need more info, 800-872-2627.

radio repair, radio tips, water resistant radios

Poor range – Is it your antenna?

Your antenna may be shortening your range. Here are some reasons:

  1. Your 2-way radio antenna is weather check, missing the top cap, some outside sheathing or has a crinkle or big bend in it. Exposing the coiled wires within to outside elements can oxide or corrode the metal, causing them to be inefficient and reduce range. If you can bend the antenna and see the metal coils or it is crooked in appearance like someone shut it in your car door, you need a new antenna.
  2. You are not using the correct antenna. Somewhere along the line you decide to use another antenna on your radio. It seemed to fit, so you weren’t worried, despite being shorter, taller, VHF vs. UHF, etc. See #4 below.
  3. You’ve used the antenna as a handle. This can strip the threads, or pull the antenna connection loose from the component board. When this happens you will need to get your radio into the repair center, or in some instances there is a chance the radio would be deemed non-repairable due to non-reversible damage to the component board.
  4. Any of the above three problems can also lead to a radio problem called reflected power. Instead of doing its job of getting all the power away from the radio and returning none to the transmitter, the bad antenna reflects the power back down into the radio and beats up the transmitter. This can quickly lead to a radio needing repair.

The inexpensive fix is simple, buy a new radio antenna. Most antennas range between $11 and $25. Delaying taking care of the problem can lead to the need for both a new antenna and a radio repair.

A good rule of thumb to remember is HEIGHT and PLACEMENT determines range. Holding your radio upright, perpendicular to the ground, will give you the best range. Tilting your radio to the side or using a stubby antenna will reduce your range by up to 2/3s. Educate your radio users on how to hold their radio for best range, you will be amazed at the difference it makes.

No time like the present to check your antenna. If it seems bad or weather checked replace it. Give us a call here at Delmmar Communications, 800-872-2627. We are happy to help.

~cl

radio repair, radio tips

someone ran over my radio

It happens more often than you might think… an employee comes in to tell the boss “someone ran over my radio”. It is not something a business owner or manager wants to hear. The radio repair center compression damaged radios in all shapes and sizes (Motorola, Kenwood, Vertex and others). Some are repairable, while others are not.

Repairability might depend on whether the radio was on a solid surface, or something simple like dirt or mud. It also depends on the rigidness of the housing. Larger radios are generally more forgiving than small radios, simply because there is more space between the component board and the exterior housing.

What to do if your radio gets ran over:

1) Turn off the radio. Look for physical signs of damage.
2) Be especially watchful of any battery which has been squeezed or crushed. (See the previous blog post about this.) If the battery is obviously damaged get rid of it in hazardous waste. If you are uncertain, send it in with the radio.

The good news is many business grade radios survive being driven over by a loader or truck. All is not necessarily lost. If your radio is damaged get it in to the radio repair center right away. Let us know it has been squeezed or crushed. We will do what we can to get it repaired and back to you right away.

Here at Delmmar Communications our nationwide 2-way radio repair center can assess your damaged radio and determine if it can be brought back to factory spec. The cost of radio repair is generally less than half the cost of a new radio. Give us a call, 800-872-2627.

 

~cl

batteries for 2-way radios, radio repair

bulging, smoking, flaming batteries

Bulging 2-way radio battery

Bulging 2-way radio battery

Scary even when it’s not Halloween!

What happens when your radio’s battery becomes a fire hazard? How does this happen?  Physical damage, over charging, defective battery… these can all be potential causes.

This bulging DTR series battery is from a DTR650 2-way radio that came into Delmmar’s 2-way radio repair center for repair. Our check-in crew quickly spotted the bulge and placed the battery in a secure fire resistant location.

During a repair the radio and accompanying accessories are assessed by a qualified technician. All common failure parts, along with any other necessary parts are replaced. With this radio a phone call was made before beginning the repair. The customer chose to have their DTR650 radio repaired under the flat rate repair and purchase a new battery to replace this bulging one. Bulgy has been disposed of in hazardous waste.

In the news recently there has been a lot of talk about electronics devices catching fire on planes. An educated guess would be the battery in the device was damaged or poor workmanship. It could have been physical or liquid damage, overcharging, poor manufacturing, or the effects of the change in air pressure in the cabin. While we have not heard of any incidents involving 2-way radios (which have restrictions when taken on a plane), users should always use wisdom whether in the air or on the ground.

There are dozens of youtube videos showing these types of batteries in flames once they are abused, overcharged, wet or mistreated.  Short story: If your radio battery bulges, or shows any sign of puncture/damage DO NOT use it.

Delmmar Communications‘ advice: For your two-way radio choose a fresh good name brand battery from a reputable radio dealer. Choose good quality Li-Ion or NiMH batteries instead of Li-Polymer. If you have questions give us a call, 800-872-2627.

~cl

batteries for 2-way radios, radio repair, radio tips

spicy – 2-way radio repair

They say “variety is the spice of life”.

Here in the 2-way radio repair center things can be pretty spicy. We see a variety of radios every week, everything from portable radios (handhelds) to repeaters (a device which increases the range of the average two-way radio). When you do flat rate repair on more than 40 models of Motorola radios, and then add in Kenwood and Vertex radio repair… variety is the name of the game.

Most radios are in need of the common user-interface items. The things you move or touch when using the radio such as push-to-talk buttons, battery contacts, on/off/volume potentiometers, accessory jacks, antenna ports, etc.. Then there are the radios which look like roadkill and the electronics technicians are miracle workers using everything but the kitchen sink, bring them back to life. The techs do board level repair, this means they actually work on the component board that came in your radio, soldering and replacing necessary parts to bring your radio back to factory spec (or as close as possible).

Our customers are pretty spicy too. We take care of radios for businesses of all types, from A to Z. If they use radios we probably have them as a client. Today we might be talking to a nightclub owner and the next client might be a monkey reserve. Those of us here at Delmmar Communications enjoy the variety of clients we serve and helping businesses keep their radios in good working order. Plus, we can generally repair a radio for less than 1/2 of the cost of a new unit. This makes us all happy.

Have a radio needing repair? Pass the Tabasco please!
~cl

radio repair
Motorola battery date code

do you care about battery dates?

GOT STATIC? GOT POOR TRANSMIT?

Using an old battery on your radio can cause you problems, including poor or intermittent transmit, a battery that no long last the full day, lots of static or white noise, poorly functioning add-on audio devices, and more. Continual use of an old or bad battery can eventually cause wear and tear to the radio itself, resulting in the need for repair.

The life expectancy of the average rechargeable battery used in 2-way radios or other devices is 2 years. This includes your rechargeable flashlight as well as your portable radio.

How can you tell the age of your battery?
Nearly every manufacturer of a rechargeable battery marks the battery with a date code representing the date of manufacture. Sometimes these date codes are hidden in plain sight. You might feel like you need a secret decoder ring to break the code. Motorola is no different than most manufacturers, their batteries and accessories are marked with manufacturing codes.

Motorola batteries follow a very simple date code system. You will find a 3- or 4-digit number on the battery label (or embossed in the plastic of the battery itself). Use the example 1611, the first two digits are the year, and the next two digits are the week of the year. The battery shown is dated 2016 the 11th week.
If you have a 3-digit code the first number is the year. 611 would be either 2016 or 2006. (You can usually tell by the appearance of the battery if it is 10 years or more old.)

Next time you have a poorly functioning radio check your battery date code. Maybe you simply need to replace your battery.

Battery tips:

  • Clean your battery contacts on your radio and charger periodically with a pencil eraser to remove any film or debris. This will allow your radio to make better contact on the charger. (Never use chemicals or a sharp object to clean contacts.)
  • Always have your radio turned off when placed on the charger, and if in an emergency you must have a radio turned on when on the charger, never ever transmit while charging. This can burn out components in your radio causing the need for repair.
  • If you feel you have an old, bad, or poorly functioning battery, try trading batteries with a known good radio and see if the problem is solved. You may simply need to replace your old battery.
  • The shelf life of a battery which has never been charged (initialized) is supposed to be indefinite. If you store new batteries before you use them, mark them with the date you initially charged the battery. This will give you a better idea on your 2 year life expectancy.
  • When initially charging a battery that has been in the cold or stored for a period of time before use it may take 2-3 charge cycles for the battery to successfully take that first charge. If you charger is blinking when it usually doesn’t, leave the battery on the charger and let it blink a few hours, even try again the next day doing the same thing. The battery will usually wake up, charge and be fine.
  • Beware of aftermarket batteries from less than reputable sources. We’ve seen or tried them all. We do offer a good aftermarket battery for most models if you are looking for such a battery.
  • Dispose of all old batteries in hazardous waste. Most big box stores have handy recycling bins where you can deposit your old batteries for recycling.

What are you waiting on? Go check your date codes! If you have questions give us a call here at Delmmar Communications, 800-872-2627. We are always happy to help.
~cl

2 Commentsbatteries for 2-way radios, radio and battery recycling, radio tips

walkie monkey problems?

This radio arrived with a note saying “Walkie Monkey may have caused the problem… no one else will admit to it.”

As an added surprise Walkie Monkey arrived with the #BPR40 radio and he’s not talking. So we have no idea what problems he may have caused!

Customers often ask what they should include with their radios when sending them to Delmmar’s radio repair center. Short answer is we need the radio and any other accessories you think might be associated with the problem. If you include the battery we can check the date code and run it on the reconditioner/analyzer to see how well it is performing. If you think the antenna or charger may be part of the problem include them too. Oh the other hand, if you feel certain the issue is with the radio alone, just send the radio itself. It is that simple.

Occasionally we receive fun surprises like Walkie Monkey, which brightens our day. The BPR40 radio from sunny California is now in line for repair, and Walkie Monkey continues to have this smirky grin and is maintaining his silence. We think we will keep him here for further interrogation.

If you have questions about two-way radio repair give us a call, 800-872-2627, here at Delmmar Communications. We are happy to help.

#motorolaradiorepair #monkeyproblems #BPR40radio #radiorepaircenter

-cl

radio repair

radio soup?

radio sent for repairSomewhat like the book series Chicken Soup for the Soul, our days at the radio repair facility can consist of true stories about ordinary people’s lives and they way they use and sometime abuse their 2-way radios. Today the subject of soup came up because of an interestingly packaged Motorola BPR40 radio, which came in for repair packaged in an AT&T cellphone box and an open, but clean, soup package.

This BPR40 radio suffers from low receive (Rx) audio, and the user says it can faintly be heard. Currently the radio is in line awaiting the electronics technician’s careful assessment. Barring any unforeseen circumstance this BPR40 radio should be repaired and headed back to the tofu with spinach soup eating customer in just a few days.

Low receive (Rx) audio can be caused by a number of issues including a bad volume control, a mix of wideband and narrowband radios, and more. When sending in your radios for repair be certain to include a brief description of the problem you are experiencing. It helps the technical staff zero in quickly on what needs to be repaired.

If you have questions, give us a call, 800-872-2627, here at Delmmar Communications. We are happy to help.
~cl

radio repair

radio repair – get onboard

Did you know Delmmar Communications’ radio repair center does repair on Motorola, Kenwood and some Vertex 2-way Radios? We have skilled electronics technicians on staff to repair your radios. We do component level repair.

Did you know radio repair is typically less than one-half the price of buy a new radio?

This week we have a few radios on hold awaiting parts, two from Alabama and one Kenwood Protalk from Illinois. While we stock several months worth of common failure parts, there are occasions where a radio will be held for parts. Barring any unforeseen circumstance, the parts for these three radios should arrive in a timely fashion with the radios repaired the same day the parts arrive. Soon our little travelers (radios) will hop on the UPS truck and be heading . Here at Delmmar we are always happy to help you with either option, repairing your existing radios or purchasing compatible replacement radios.

If you have questions, we are always happy to help, give us a call, 800-872-2627.

radio repair

mics for business radios

Public Safey MicSo you are probably used to seeing your local law enforcement officers wear a remote speaker mic on their shoulder. It’s identifiable, something that seems to be part of their uniform. But did you know many other industries use these devices too? Just to name a few: manufacturing, amusement, sporting and entertainment venues all take advantage of the convenience of the remote microphone. Remote mics (aka lapel or shoulder mics) can be used anywhere two-way radios are used. They move the convenience of your radio on your lapel.

You can find a remote mic for most types of commercial two-way radios. Mics vary in features with some including submersible, windporting, display screens, antennas, emergency buttons, audio jacks for earpieces, coiled or straight cords. For basic business two-way radios a remote mic may simply have a speaker, microphone, coiled cord, lapel clip, and a push to talk button.  Everything you need to have the convenience of your radio near your head, where you an both talk and listen.

Ever seem like you are constantly taking your radio off your hip to talk? Maybe a remote mic is right for you!

If you need help finding the perfect remote speaker mic or audio device for your portable radio, give Delmmar Communications a call, 800-872-2627. We are happy to help.

~cl

2-way radio news, emergency response radios, firefighter radios, radio accessories & batteries, radios for public safety