Blinkwave has a new return on investment calculator. This tool shows you the net present value, break even period and return on investment. Check out the Two Way Radio ROI Calculator today!

Blinkwave.com has launched a new Business two way radio comparison chart. We revised the layout to make it more user friendly and to show you more two way radio attributes.

There are a lot of features that separate two way radios. Some radios, such as the Motorola CP200 come with more power. That gives the radio a stronger signal. Other radios may have a water resistant casing, like the Motorola CP185 or the Motorola CP110, which is a very nice feature if you work in areas where your two way radio may get wet.

Another feature to consider when purchasing a two way radio is its accessory line. Two way radio accessories can play a huge difference in customizing your radio system. Not all accessories will fit different radio lines. Ear pieces, headsets and surveillance kits may have different prongs that connect to the radio. If you have any questions on which radio is right for you, call us anytime at 800.939.5044.

In January, we were contacted by Steven, a Canine Assisted Search Team member, to help find the right two way radio to fit their application and budget.  Their current fleet of radios were old/outdated and in need of replacement.

Steven needed help finding out which two way radio equipment to purchase with an upcoming grant. The Motorola CP200 and PR860 radios were being considered. After helping weigh out all features needed, the CP200 radio was recommended to give them the most bang for their buck.  The CP200 radios have been in use since January and are working better than expected:

“Thank you, we sure appreciate your support.   Finding that lost person with the help of my dog is the greatest “high” I have ever had.  The years of training three times a week and hundreds of dollars spent by each volunteer is quickly forgot when we bring that person back to their family.

Your wonderful radios have helped give us have more range and clear communication between the search teams and our base which has greatly impacted our effectiveness.   Thank you for recommending the right equipment – you’re a part of every “save” we’re involved in now- thank YOU. - Steven.

Choosing the right two way radio for your situation can be a very difficult task.  While you can purchase directly online at Blinkwave.com, please call us if you have any questions.  Our Motorola trained and certified experts can help you figure out which two way radio is right for your situation.

We get many calls asking about the differences between certain Motorola radios that look identical but have different names or labels. For example, what is the difference between the Motorola XU2100 and the Motorola CP100? Both are available in UHF frequencies, have 2-watts of power and are 1 channel and also are identical in size, weight and features. And what about the Motorola RDU2020 versus the Motorola CP110? Both of these radios have 2 channels, are available in UHF frequencies and are identical in size, weight and features.

The answer is nothing is different between the radios themselves. The difference is who you are buying them from, which can make a significant impact on the value you receive from your radio investment. Like many manufacturers, Motorola has many distribution strategies. Motorola manufactures virtually the exact same radio models and names them differently depending on the divisions they sell them through. The two primary divisions in the U.S. are Authorized Motorola Two-Way Radio Dealerships and Distribution Channels.

Blinkwave.com, for example, is an Authorized Motorola Two-Way Radio Dealership. This allows us to sell directly to you, our end users. Our sales and service staff are trained and certified by Motorola to sell and service Motorola radios. Distributors for Motorola sell to retail-type stores, who then sell to end users.

So what does this mean to you? There are several advantages to buying from an Authorized Motorola Dealer like us. First and foremost is price. We buy only Motorola products and as a National Dealer, buy in bulk. Buying in bulk allows us to get the very best pricing, which we pass along to you, our customers. Also, you avoid the unnecessary expense of a “middleman,” which you’d incur if buying from a retail store.

In addition, our staff is trained and certified by Motorola to sell and service your products. Our Consultants understand applications, features and coverage, and they have the experience and industry knowledge to make recommendations that will significantly benefit your organization. Retail stores sell a variety of products and product lines, and typically have limited or no understanding of the Motorola radios they are selling.

If you are looking for Motorola radios, give us a call at 800.939.5044 and let us prove how working with a highly skilled Authorized Motorola Two-Way Radio Dealership best supports your communications needs. And if you have or are looking at purchasing “Distribution” model Motorola Radios, below is a reference guide that matches those models to the equivalent Authorized Motorola Dealer version.

We get calls everyday from customers asking what to do now that their Motorola two way Radio has been discontinued.  Most of these callers express that they were happy with their existing Motorola radio and now have to find something else to replace it with.  They commonly ask:

• Will the new Motorola radios work with my existing radios?
• Will the new Motorola radios perform as well as my existing radios?
• What about the batteries, chargers and accessories I’ve invested in?  Are any of these backwards compatible with my existing Motorola radios?
• Will Motorola continue to make accessories and repair parts for my discontinued radios?

To answer these questions, it’s important to address why Motorola makes these kinds of changes.  Motorola is the industry leader in engineering and development and is constantly striving to improve the quality and performance of their products.  So when Motorola discontinues a radio they typically replace it with a new and improved version.  For example, the Motorola SP50 and SP50+ radios were the highest selling radios in the country for years.  Motorola developed two new radios, the Motorola CP200 and the Motorola CP150 to replace these popular radios.  Some of the new improvements to the CP200 and CP150 over the SP50 and SP50+ are better audio quality, smaller size, more durable, longer lasting lithium-ion batteries and better chargers.  With these radios, all the audio accessories, such as headsets, remote speaker microphones and earpieces are backwards compatible as well.

Most discontinued Motorola radios have a direct replacement, while some have a few radios that might be appropriate for you depending on the features you use and your application.  Our trained and certified Communications Consultants can help you determine which radio is best for you.  In the meantime, here is a quick guide to assist in determining the appropriate replacement radio for your discontinued radio:

Call one of our qualified consultants today at (800) 939-5044 to help you determine which new Motorola radio is the best for your unique application.

Motorola CP150 and CP125 are being discontinued.

All models of the Motorola CP125 and Motorola CP150 radio are being discontinued effective June 30th, 2009. These two “CP” family two way radios have been around for over 5 years now. New editions to the CP family,  will take their place.

The CP125 is being replaced by Motorola CP110 (16CH 2W) and CP185 (16CH 4W). The CP150 is being replaced by the following Motorola two way radios:

All of the replacement two way radios depend on power, number of channel and frequency demand.  The alternatives for the CP125 and CP150 can get tricky if you were to choose yourself.  We recommend calling one of our Motorola trained and certified experts to help you out.

Motorola has migrated the CP150, CP200 and PR400 radios to Switch Mode Power Supplies (EPNN9288A) as a standard offering. These switch mode power supplies ensure that Motorola is consistent with their initial commuication that all models are shipping with switch mode power supplies.  These power supplies use power cleaner and are better for the environment.