We recently touched on three of the most common problems that you may have to address when it comes to the maintenance and longevity of your two-way radios. Here a few more that could affect their performance, and the simple ways to confirm whether these are fixable on-site, or through cost-effective radio repair.

Problem #1: You’re experiencing coverage issues, static, bad transmissions/receiving, or poor overall radio performance.

Solution: Find out which radios have batteries that are more than a year old. Ninety percent of the time, a two-way radio malfunctions because of its battery’s age and inability to hold a charge, or because the voltage has dropped to a point where the radio has extreme static and poor transmission. If a full recharge cycle doesn’t fix the problem, the battery needs to be replaced. Most start to show signs of performance degradation after 13 months of use, so it’s a good idea to be prepared to address this right around the one-year mark.

Tip: Confirm it’s really a battery issue by taking a second one from a radio that does work and putting it in the radio that’s giving you trouble. If the “troublemaker” radio immediately works better, you know the battery was the reason. (Note: Make sure the second battery has been fully charged before performing this test.) This method is cheaper and faster than sending a radio in for analysis and repair, especially if it’s not even broken. That said, if the radio continues to malfunction even with a good battery, repair is the necessary solution.

Problem #2: Your earpiece, headset, speaker mic, or other audio accessory doesn’t work.

Solution: Before purchasing a new accessory, make sure it isn’t the radio that has the connection issue. Try plugging in an earpiece, headset, speaker mic, etc. that you know works properly with another unit. If it gives you the same difficulty, you’ll know you have a bad accessory jack and your radio will have to be sent in for repair. Conversely, if you find that a second audio accessory does work, you’ll simply need to order a replacement.

Tip: DTWR offers fast, efficient, and cost-effective repair services. You’ll have your units back in your hands in a matter of days — not weeks or months like some vendors. Plus, we have plenty of audio accessories and replacement parts in our inventory, so regardless of the solution you need, there won’t be any supply chain bottlenecks getting in the way.

Problem #3: Your radios are not working right and driving you crazy, but you don’t know which ones are causing the problem.

Solution: Similar to above, start by using the process of elimination. Select a radio you know works correctly, and perform a simple transmit-and-receive test between it and every additional unit on your network. Once you’ve identified those that are giving you grief, you can follow the troubleshooting above to confirm whether they’re worth sending in for repair, or something you can correct in-house.

Tip: Take advantage of radio preventative maintenance. DTWR offers a Tune and Align program that extends radio life and keeps units working like new. This includes: setting maximum power output, frequency and deviation; aligning TX and RX; and adjusting unit settings for optimal performance. We even offer this service for free for one radio per customer each year, and cover shipping costs both ways. If you have any questions about the above solutions, have encountered problems that weren’t covered, or would like to learn more about our Tune and Align service, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 877-978-4574. Our customer service representatives are ready to help and exceed your expectations.