Category Archives: Tech Tips

Earmuff and Temple Headsets Compared

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Radio Headset Comparison in High Noise

Bone Conduction vs.Traditional Earmuff Style in High Noise Areas

Motorola Solutions offers temple headsets for most two-way radio models and they continue to grow in popularity. Temple transducers use bone conduction technology and are more comfortable in hot weather as compared to traditional earmuff headsets.

Temple Headset Users TalkingTemple transducers keep the ears uncovered making it easier to communicate with the public. The speaker is muted so radio transmissions cannot be monitored and surrounding voices or other sounds can be heard normally. When used in high noise areas, earplugs can be worn for hearing protection.

Comparison Using MOTOTRBO Analog and Digital RadiosSpring and Associates HDD Driller

Spring & Associates, Inc an HDD (Horizontal Directional Drilling) contractor from Easton, Maryland relies on Motorola MOTOTRBO DMR digital radios on the jobsite.

Communications are challenging because noise levels can be 100db and often exceed 130dB close to where the drill operator sits. They compared the Motorola PMLN5275 heavy-duty, dual muff headset and the PMLN5101 temple transducer.

Tests were performed in digital and analog modes using their XPR 6550 UHF two-way radios. Digital mode audio quality was found to be superior to analog. Following are comments by Rodney Spring, President  of Spring and Associates:

Muff Style Preferred in Extreme Noise Approaching 130dBLoud Noise Chart (dB)

In extreme noise, I’m guessing over 130dB, the earmuff headset was slightly preferred over the temple transducer/hearing protection muffs combo by the operator. It seems that when you idle up the drill to full power/full noise the muff headset has ZERO distortion in the receive mode, while the temple transducer has a little.

Temple Headsets Preferred Below 100dB Noise Level

In noise levels under 100dB the temple transducer was preferred because of comfort and during temporary times of low area noise, being able to remove the auxiliary hearing protection, and still be in touch with other radios while having the ability to hear people around him.

Over-the-Air Programming Steps for Motorola DTR Digital Radios

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Written by Jeremy Byler, CETsr

How to Remotely Add or Update a DTR Radio Contact to your Fleet

Motorola DTR650 License Free RadioMotorola DTR650 digital radios can be programmed with a unique ID so other users can identify the person transmitting. Most of our customers request that we program their radios with employee names or job functions. This is helpful during emergencies, call alerts, and one-to-one communications.Info Displayed on DTR

When an additional radio is purchased, replaced, or updated the digital ID must be programmed in all of the existing radios. This is easily accomplished using the DTR650’s over-the-air programming feature.

All DTR Radios Must Be Turned “ON” and In Range

After the new radio is programmed using Motorola’s DTR CPS software and programming cable, begin by inserting the battery and connecting the antenna. All radios must be powered ON and within range of the new DTR for programming to be successful.

Use Cloning Mode to Add Contacts Wirelessly

To place the new radio in cloning mode a series of button presses is required. Refer to the picture for button locations and follow the steps below:DTR Radio Button Labels

  • Hold down the “Home” button and press the PTT (push-to-talk) button three times
  • Press the “Left Option” button
  • Press the “Up Arrow” button
  • Press the “Right Option” button
  • Hold down the “Home” button and press the PTT button three times
  • When done correctly screen will display cloning mode

DTR Radio Cloning Menu Mode

From Cloning Menu Choose “Send Contact”

When the DTR is in cloning mode, scroll to the “Send Contact” and choose the contact you want to send to the other radios per steps 1-3 below.Steps 1-3 Adding DTR Contacts Remotely

 Select the Contact You Want to Send to the Other DTR Radios

Steps 4-7 shows how to scroll through the list of radio contacts and change to the one you want to send to the other radios in your fleet.

Steps 4-7 Add DTR Contacts Remotely

Press “Program” and “Go” to Finish the Cloning Operation

Steps 8-11 include selecting the target radio or radio group and sending the info wirelessly using the “Program” and “Go” soft buttons.

Steps 8-11 Add DTR Contacts Remotely

After operation is completed, a status message will appear. It will either display “Successful” or show a list of radios that failed. A radio will fail if it is powered off or is out of range.

If only a single radio needs to be updated, choose the name of the radio that needs to be updated instead of the group. Once this operation is successfully completed and all your radios have been updated with the new radio’s contact information, your DTR system will communicate properly.

For more information download the Motorola DTR Series User Guide and the Generation 3 DTR650 Product Training presentation from Motorola Solutions.

Motorola IMPRES Battery Tips and Charger Indicator Lights

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Proper IMPRES Battery Care Starts With Initialization

Motorola IMPRES ChargerA Motorola IMPRES battery must be initialized by an IMPRES charger the first time it is charged. This process is indicated by a STEADY YELLOW light on the charger indicator (the same as if the battery were reconditioning). The process is automatic, includes an initial reconditioning of the battery, and begins charging upon completion of this process.

This process requires approximately 12 hours depending on the capacity. Do not remove the battery from the charger until the STEADY GREEN light is on.

IMPRES Indicator Light Chart with Explanations

Motorola IMPRES Charger Light Indicators

IMPRES Automatic Battery Conditioning

Motorola IMPRES Adaptive Chargers, when used in conjunction with a Motorola IMPRES battery, have the ability to determine the appropriate time to recondition the battery. When an IMPRES battery is properly inserted into the charger, the charger determines if it is appropriate to recondition the battery. If the battery needs reconditioning, the charger automatically indicates a STEADY YELLOW.

This process may take up to 12 hours to complete, depending upon the state of charge and capacity rating of the battery when it is inserted. It is important to note, for this process to be effective, the IMPRES battery must be allowed to complete the recondition/recharge process. Leave the battery in the charger until the charger indicates a STEADY GREEN. At the completion of the recondition cycle, the charger automatically recharges the IMPRES battery.

How to Terminate the IMPRES Conditioning Process

At any time during the reconditioning process of a Motorola IMPRES battery (STEADY YELLOW indication), reconditioning may be terminated by removing and reinserting the battery back into the charger within 5 seconds. This causes the charger to terminate the reconditioning process and begin the charging process. The charger indicator changes to a STEADY RED. The charger will attempt to recondition the battery at the next battery insertion.

Manually Initiating the IMPRES Reconditioning Process

Within 2-1/2 minutes of the initial insertion of an IMPRES battery (STEADY RED indication), remove and reinsert the battery within 5 seconds to manually force reconditioning to occur. The charger indicator changes from a STEADY RED to a STEADY YELLOW. This forces the charger to recondition and automatically recharge the battery. This is a useful feature to have when IMPRES batteries have been in storage for several months or longer. Two or three manual recondition cycles may be required to rejuvenate the batteries, due to long term storage conditions.

How to Choose the Correct Motorola Bluetooth Accessory for your Radio

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Radios_BluetoothBluetooth accessories are starting to get complicated for Motorola public-safety and professional radio models. There are now three different types of wireless audio accessories: 

  • Mission Critical with encryption and touch pairing
  • Operations Critical Enhanced with touch pairing
  • Operations Critical Standard Bluetooth

Mission Critical Wireless With 128-bit Encryption is Most Secure

For the most secure wireless communications that is extremely difficult to hack, choose the mission critical models. These are only available for APX series with the internal Bluetooth option or the XTS series with the external PMLN5792 Mission Critical wireless adapter. Motorola’s proprietary “out of band” pairing with 128-bit encryption provides the best secure connection and only takes a few seconds. Pairing takes place when the radio and the audio accessory are within an inch of each other. It does not matter which radio you use – pairing is easy and quick.

Mission Critical Wireless Accessories for APX and XTS

If you have an APX 7000, APX6000, or APX 4000, the internal Bluetooth option must be enabled. At this time, Mission Critical Wireless is only available for APX radios although it is rumored standard Bluetooth might be available in the future. It is possible to use an external third party or MOTOTRBO adapter but it would not support the encrypted accessories.

Mission Critical Wireless AdapterThe PMLN5792 external adapter is compatible with the XTS 5000, XTS 2500, XTS 1500, MT1500, and PR1500. Cancelled models including XTS3000, HT1000, MTS2000, etc. will probably work but are not supported.

Following are the mission critical accessories for APX and XTS models:

  • NTN2570 Earpiece with 12 inch cable includes NTN2571 PTT pod
  • NTN2573 Earpiece with 9.5 inch cable includes NTN2571 PTT pod

Wireless Covert KitOptional wireless earbuds (NNTN8294 11.4 inch cable) or (NNTN8295 45.7 inch cable) are available that attach to the NTN2571 PTT pod. For covert surveillance operations, the  NNTN8295 uses ipod type earbuds or any 3.5mm audio accessory.

Enhanced Operations Critical with Touch Pairing

Enhanced Operations Critical provides intrinsically-safe operation with grab-and-go touch pairing. It is only available with the MOTOTRBO XPR 6300, XPR 6350, XPR 6380, XPR 6500, XPR 6550, and XPR 6580 radios. The PMLN5993 external adapter uses the NTN2570 earpiece.

We tried the PMLN5993 adapter with both the APX 4000 and XPR 7550 after getting conflicting answers from Motorola tech support. We tried multiple times with different accessories without success.

Operations Critical Standard Wireless Bluetooth

Standard Bluetooth adapters are available for all XTS, and XPR MOTOTRBO radio models. The RMN5104 allows the XTS 5000, XTS 2500, XTS 1500, MT1500, and PR1500 to use any standard Bluetooth headset. The PMLN5712 adapter is designed for the XPR6100/6300/6500 series. The XPR5350/5550 mobile radio, XPR7350/7550 portable, and the SL7550 have internal Bluetooth included.

Operations Critical Pod

Following are the certified Operations Critical accessories:

Optional wireless earbuds (NNTN8294 11.4 inch cable) or (NNTN8295 45.7 inch cable) are available that attach to the NNTN8127 PTT pod.

Vertex Standard VX-350 Series Cloning Procedure

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Vertex VX-350 Series Cloning Steps

Vertex VX-351 or VX-354 Cloning Requires a CT-27A Radio-to-Radio Cable

Adding a new Vertex Standard VX-351 or VX-354 radios to your existing fleet is a simple process with the built-in cloning feature. All you need is a Vertex XURTS0008 CT-27A cloning cable  to transfer the programming information. A VX-351 will not clone to a VX-354 and all models must be identical using the same VHF or UHF band.

VX-350 Series Cloning is a 6 Step Procedure

  1. Turn both radios OFFVertex 350 Buttons and Controls
  2. Connect the CT-27 cloning cable between the MIC/SP jacks of the two radios.
  3. Press and hold the “Side 1” key and the “PTT” key while turning the radio ON.  The LED will remain off and if a VX-354, it will display “CLONE”.
  4. Repeat step 3 on the other radio.
  5. To switch the radio to receive data, press the “Side 1” key. Then the LED indicator will glow “Green“.
  6. To switch the radio to transmit data, press the “PTT” key. Then the LED indicator will glow “Red“.

When the data transfer is successful, the VX-354 display will return to “CLONE” or if a VX-351, the TX/BUSY indicator will turn off. You are now ready for the next radio or turn both radios off and disconnect the CT-27 cable. You can then power on the radios and begin normal operation.

How to Clone a Vertex VX-231

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VX-231 Cloning Requires a CT-27A Cable

Vertex VX-231 Radio-to-Radio Cloning Requires a CT27A Cable

Vertex Standard VX-231 2-Way Radio Includes Easy Cloning Feature

The Vertex VX-231 radio model includes a radio-to-radio cloning feature that makes it easy to add new radios to your existing fleet. All you need is a Vertex CT27A cloning cable and identical VX-231’s on the same frequency band split.

Instructions to Clone Vertex VX-231 Radios

  1. Turn radios offVX-231 Knobs, Buttons, LED Lebels
  2. Connect the CT27 cloning cable to the MIC/SP jacks
  3. Press and hold the “Side 1” key and the “PTT” key while turning the radio ON.  The LED will quickly blink green and red then go out.
  4. Press the PTT button once to put the radio in “CLONE” mode, the LED indicator will glow “Orange”.
  5.  Repeat steps 3 and 4 on the other radio.
  6. To switch the destination radio to receive data, press the “Side 1” key. Then the LED indicator will glow “Green“.
  7. To switch the source radio to transmit data, press the “PTT” key. Then the LED indicator will glow “Red“.
  8. If the cloning is successful, the LED indicator will go out.

Cloning will transfer transmit and receive frequencies, privacy codes, channel power levels, narrow or wide bandwidth, and other programmable features. It cannot change a radio from VHF to UHF or a UHF low split to the higher split.

Check the Date Codes of Your 2-Way Radio Batteries

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Magnum Electronics Supplies Batteries for All 2-Way Radio Models

It is that time again to check your radio batteries so you keep your communications loud and clear. Batteries begin to degrade after 18-24 months of use and can affect radio performance. Many intermittent radio problems are solved with a fresh battery.

How to Read a Motorola Battery Date Code

All Motorola batteries have a 3 digit date code on the battery label. Check the date codeMotorola Battery Label and Date Code Circled on your Motorola battery and if the first digit is a “0” or “9” it is a good time to replace it.

The first digit represents the “Year” and the next digits are the “Week” manufactured. For example; 036 is the 36th week of 2010.

All Motorola batteries carry a replacement warranty of at least a year after the date code and probably longer if marked IMPRES or contain NiCD cells.

Replacement Batteries for Motorola, Vertex, & Other Radio Manufacturers

We carry Motorola Original OEM, Vertex-Standard OEM, and Power Products batteries for all current and discontinued radio models.

Below are links to the most popular and recommended batteries:

We also carry replacement batteries for Harris, Kenwood, Icom, Tait, and many other hard to find models. Check our 2-Way Battery selection or call us and we will be happy to help you find the best battery for your needs.

Battery Technology – Lithium Ion vs. Lithium Polymer

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2-Way Radio Batteries What is different between Li-ion and Li-Polymer Batteries?

We have received several inquiries about the newest battery technology, Li-Po, that is now available for 2-way radios. Historically, NiMH was an improvement as compared to NiCD and Li-ion has many advantages over NiMH. The assumption that Li-Po is now the best battery for your radio is more marketing than anything else.

Li-Po or Lithium Polymer battery cells still use the same chemical material as Li-ion but the difference is the way they are packaged. Li-ion batteries use a thick-walled, rigid aluminum case for the cells and Li-Po utilizes a new thinner foil aluminum case. Bottom line is the difference is all in the cell construction.

Both Li-ion and Li-Po are Recommended But Check the Specs

Li-Po battery manufactures must add a more rugged case to meet the mission-critical specs required for two-way radio specifications. When comparing Li-ion and Li-Po batteries the following should be considered:

  • Battery capacity measured in mAh – The higher the mAh number the longer your battery will work before needing a recharge. When comparing specs be careful when you see the words “typical” or “average” and not “minimum” or “rated”. Our experience is there can be a big difference in actual results.
  • IMPRES or Advanced Charging Technology – “Smart battery” automatic conditioning improves performance and keeps them in service longer.
  • Drop Specification – Dropping the radio is probably the most common reason why batteries fail. Most Motorola mission-critical batteries are rated at 36 drops from 5 feet to a concrete floor.
  • IP (Ingress Protection) Rating – Higher IP numbers are better and signify the ruggedness of the battery. The first number references solids and the second number signifies liquid protection. The highest solid number is “6” (dust tight) and the highest liquid is “8” (submersibility beyond 1 meter).
  • Overvoltage protection circuit – Better batteries have 2 levels, some have 1, and lower cost batteries may not include have protection at all.
  • Temperature Range – Extreme cold affects Lithium battery performance and the spec should be investigated if your environment is outside “normal”.
  • Intrinsically-Safe Rating – FM Approval is important if you use your radio in hazardous, combustible atmospheres where an electrical spark could cause an explosion.

Firefighter Training Video Demonstrates Proper Radio Operation

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Motorola and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) produced a training video, “Loud & Clear”, demonstrating the best practices of 2-way radio operation. The 15 minute video compares both analog and digital radio transmissions in typical firefighter environments.

You will learn how to maximize the clarity of your voice transmissions and minimize background noise. Recommended for anyone using professional mission-critical 2-way communications.