The Importance of Housekeeping and the Happy Radio

As brought up in one of our Tech Talks, preventative maintenance is crucial in keeping your two way radios optimized to their full potential.

• Most important is keeping the units clean and free of physical defects.

When I say clean I really mean CLEAN. A simple wipe down with a damp cloth over a portable can prevent dust and dirt from collecting inside internal microphones and speakers. Keeping these free of debris can ensure you won't have TX (transmit) or RX (receive) issues. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a portable come in and the complaint was "POOR TRANSMIT AUDIO" and we've come to find out the microphone was compacted with dirt, grime or debris blocking it. The same goes for mobile radios. Internal speakers jammed with debris causing "POOR RECEIVE AUDIO."

Lesson: A simple monthly cleaning could have prevented all these minor repairs from happening.

• Physical defects that may seem trivial can lead to major radio problems if not fixed when first noticed.

Another thing to watch out for is physical defects that may need further attention. I had a customer bring in a mobile radio that was not powering up. First thing I noticed was that the Volume ON/OFF knob was missing. I could see the actual switch but no knob. As I proceeded to troubleshoot the radio I found the internal part of the switch broken. After disassembling the radio and replacing the broken switch I also found damage to the main board. Finally, after replacing the part, trace repair and an hour of labor, the radio was back to its specifications. The customer then told me one of his employees was using pliers to turn the radio off and on. That more than likely forced the switch too far. If the knob that only cost $2.50 was replaced sooner it could have prevented the damage to the radio and saved the customer money by merely repairing that physical defect.

Lesson: addressing very simple things right away can prevent major incidents.

For more tips and help with troubleshooting read: Why Does My Radio System Sound So Bad? (Part 1 or Part 2)

This article was written by Emory Lutdke III, the Service Supervisor at Chicago Communications. He has worked in the communications industry for over 27 years and is considered a specialist in all areas at ChiComm including portables, mobiles, installation, repair, infrastructure, dispatch centers & much more. If you have a question for Emory leave a comment below.