You’ve been thrilled with the performance of your two-way radios, when suddenly they don’t seem to work as well as they used to. You find that radio reception becomes spotty, dead zones appear where they didn’t before, and your units don’t last as long as they used to before needing to be charged. Does this mean these radios have reached the end of their lifespans and need to be replaced? Chances are, it’s actually a much easier fix. Here’s the more likely reason your two-way radios are losing coverage, and what to do about it.

Check the Battery First

The majority of poor performance with two-way radios can be linked back to aged batteries. Most are designed to last a solid twelve to eighteen months before you’re likely to see the indications above that it’s time to replace them. While battery replacement may feel like a nuisance, it’s more cost-effective than radio repair or replacement.

You can confirm that a radio battery is to blame with a simple in-house test. Take the affected unit and swap its battery out with one from a radio that you know is operating correctly. Do you see a marked improvement in the original radio? If so, you’ve identified the culprit.

What If It Isn’t the Battery?

If swapping batteries gives you the same result, there could be something wrong with the radio itself. Depending on the age of the unit, you may want to send it in for repair rather than replacement. We’d recommend using DTWR’s services for that repair work, especially since we offer a flat rate, no hidden fees, and only charge you for what we fix. 

Once our repair experts have time to analyze your radio, they can learn whether it’s worth fixing or whether a new radio would be preferable.

Replace Radios With High-Quality Units

If the radio can’t be salvaged, we have plenty of replacement units that we can recommend that are in stock and can easily meet or exceed the specs of the original unit.

You don’t have to sacrifice an arm and a leg for world-class radios. RCA offers the same sound quality, performance, and coverage you’d find with any major brand on the market — while costing you at least 30 percent less! And, thanks to RadioSync, all RCA units are able to work with the radios you already have, as long as they operate on the same frequencies.

A Final Note on Coverage

If multiple two-way radios suddenly experience dead zones where they didn’t before, but their other functions and battery lives haven’t changed, there’s probably other factors at play that are disrupting radio waves and interfering with your connection. It’s best to evaluate where those dead zones are, and whether any major changes have taken place that may have altered the materials those waves are traveling through — e.g., additional power lines, newly constructed walls, etc.

You may find that you’ll need to boost your radio signal in those areas by adding in one or more repeaters (radio receivers and radio transmitters combined into one).

Make Your Batteries Last Longer

While rechargeable batteries can’t last forever, there are still important tips your workers can follow to maximize their use before it’s time to replace them.

Avoid Extreme Temperatures

You’ve probably seen mobile devices stop working when they overheat or become too cold, so you know that extreme temperatures are not kind to electronics. While it’s true that two-way radios are far more rugged and intrinsically safe than cell phones, they do have their limits — specifically, below 40 or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Don’t Leave Radios Turned On When They Charge

It’s easy to forget to switch your radios off when you put them back on their chargers. It may even be tempting to continue using a radio while it’s sitting in its charging cup. Both decisions are not advisable.

Why? This causes units to become stuck on constant charging cycles: they reach 100 percent, quickly dip below that because they’re turned on, recharge to 100 percent again, and so on. This slowly degrades battery performance and the ability to maintain a charge once those units are finally disconnected. It may also damage the radios themselves.

Opt for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are ideal for two-way radios because they don’t experience the memory effect, hold the longest charges, weigh the least, and produce less heat compared to other batteries. 

Turn Off Radio Features You Don’t Use

Two-way radios provide a lot of convenient options for maintaining the best communication with your team. But if they have features that you don’t use regularly, like GPS or text messaging, it may be preferable to turn those off and conserve more of your battery power in the process. If any of your radios include digital screens, you could also dim them to reduce battery consumption.

Note: Don’t apply this method to your emergency features. These are too important to the safety of your team and should be available at all times. Click here to learn about the preprogrammed options RCA two-way radios can include.

Need Help Learning Why Your Two-Way Radios Are Losing Coverage?

We want to make sure you get the most use out of your two-way radios, regardless of the specific models and brands that you own. Our award-winning customer service representatives are ready to assist you immediately — whether it’s how to confirm your radios are losing coverage, test batteries to see if they’re old, discuss our repair process, or review our available inventory and accessories. Call us at (888) 299-6340 for the radio support that you need.