IS YOUR TWO-WAY EQUIPMENT OLDER THAN YOUR EMPLOYEES?
We all know that Motorola makes a good product.
In fact, it’s so good that many companies are happily still using 30 year-old equipment. Talk about a great ROI! So you’d think there wouldn’t be a problem with that, right? Ordinarily I’d agree with you if it weren’t for a few little things. Things like:
- the growing scarcity of parts for old equipment
- a growing scarcity of technicians who know how to work on that equipment
- the great improvements in clarity and range the new stuff has
- and, last but definitely not least, the changing FCC regulations
Um. Yep.
There are some things we just can’t ignore.
Read on…
WHEN USING OLD EQUIPMENT NO LONGER MEANS YOU’RE SAVING MONEY
—–Old equipment can have multiple problems. Some radios are no longer supported by the manufacturer. 
Which means they’ve stopped selling the equipment years ago and their inventory of parts to cover warranties is disappearing. As soon as the parts are gone, the support is gone. Also, as equipment ages and parts break or wear out or get pulled off, etc., users don’t always take care of them (i.e., pride of ownership drops and carelessness increases). We’ve seen some amazing ways radios get gerry-rigged to work! And when the cost to repair exceeds the cost to replace, become doorstops.
—–The new stuff is really, really good and does actually save money. Much of what’s “out there” is analog, which has served our customers for many years. But like TV, the future is digital. Motorola’s offering, the MOTOTRBO, is a “smart” radio and is designed to save you money. For example:
- it can double the number of users on a single licensed 12.5kHz repeater channel through improved spectrum efficiency
- it reduces repeater costs up to 50% when compared with equivalent analog systems, because a single repeater provides the benefits of two analog repeaters
- it provides longer talk time with up to 40% longer battery life than analog radios
And that doesn’t even cover the availability of GPS tracking or data capabilities.
—–But the most compelling reason to begin upgrading your equipment is this: Narrowbanding is real, it’s coming and it affects everybody who uses two-way radios on the UHF and VHF frequencies. That’s a LOT of everybodies. Basically, the FCC is requiring all UHF and VHF licensees to upgrade their license and equipment from the 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz (i.e., narrowing the band).
If you recognize your company in the above paragraphs, you really need to talk with us as soon as possible.
Because effective January 1, 2013, you won’t be able to use old equipment that doesn’t meet the FCC mandate.
To read more about Narrowbanding, click this link: http://www.firstwirelessinc.com/Narrowbanding_FAQs.html.
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