Two Way Radio... Is it time to move to POC 4G LTE Network Radio?

The most common question I am constantly asked is when someone buys a radio is "How far will they go?" This means what's the range or distance they will cover.

The answer almost has to be "How long is a piece of string?"

We have short range PMR446 walkie-talkies. Some manufacturers packaging claim 10Km plus. But in reality and in most practical cases we are looking at 500m-1000m of decent quality communication.

We then have business two way radio. With handhelds offering up to 10 x more power than a licence free radio. However this doesn't mean 10 x the range. In most circumstances you will be looking at one and a half to maybe twice the range in most practical circumstances.

If you need better coverage then you can look at a base radio fixed in a building with mobile radios fixed in to a vehicle. If both radios are using 25 watts and have good quality antennas then coverage can range from 5 to 25 miles.

Should you need greater coverage you can invest in a repeater system (signal booster). The repeater would sit in the middle of the area you need to cover and the radios would transmit and receive through the repeater. You can use this with either handheld or mobile radios or a combination of both.

But even with a repeater you can generally only cover one geographic area, and you will eventually lose coverage. And the cost of this equipment along with installation can run in to many thousands of pounds.

So what is the alternative?

PTT over Cellular (POC), aka Network Radio, aka 4G LTE Radio offer worldwide coverage, subject to either a cellular (mobile) or WiFi connection.

The "radios" have a SIM slot and make use not of just a single repeater, but the whole 4G network of your choice. If you suffer from a poor 4G signal then you can simply use WiFi. And the cherry on the top? Totally licence free!

So who would use this technology?

Two way radios are the best way of getting a message across to a group of people instantly, and now these people can be pretty much anywhere. Businesses can pass messages to colleagues. Security can call for assistance from greater distances. Managers can monitor radio traffic anywhere.

But not only that, there can also be a social aspect to this system. Families can stay in touch anywhere in the world. Old, infirm and lonely people can create support groups. We can help with neighbourhood watch and community groups.

Local schools can quickly pass information to each other should they have concerns. Towns and villages can have shop watch schemes. The list is endless.

And it's not all about calling groups, you can also individually select people for private conversations.

The system much more secure than many other types of two way radios.

So what are the drawbacks?

The system is reliant on having a data connection, so no 4G, 3G or WiFi and no radio. But since we currently have a robust mobile phone data network and WiFi in most places it is unlikely that you would be out of coverage for long.

There are a number of different systems in operation. All require a SIM and all require a monthly or annual access charge. Unlike conventional two way radios no system is compatible with another. However some radios can be programmed to work on different systems.

So who will I know if they are useful for me.

At Radioswap we offer a 7 day free trial. We have Icom, Entel and our own Tritan radios in stock.

Simply email [email protected] or call 01709 700720 and we will send you a free hire agreement. Complete it and return it and we will send you the radios (Subject to availability).

Finally POC radios are not for everyone, we have a huge selection of other products to cover the widest range of radio communication needs.

Thanks for reading.... Chris...