Jerry Beres

     Jerry is going on 28 years as a Chicago Communications technician. "Not many people can say they've worked for the same company 28 years, it just doesn't happen very often anymore,” he says. “I’m a loyal person and if you take care of me, I'll take care of you." According to Jerry, there have been enough challenges, variety and growth to keep things interesting and enjoyable all these years. Let’s take a closer look into those years to see if he’s right.

Pointers from the Principals: Why Invest In A Maintenance Contract?  

     With budgets already strained, an investment for the upgrade of a communication system to newer technology could be out of reach at this time. Organizations are focusing their attention on ways to reduce costs, to keep within their budgets. However, in doing so, they often lose sight of the importance a flat-rate maintenance program plays in keeping a legacy communication system at peak performance.      

A high level of performance is still expected from these legacy communication systems because of the role it plays in how quickly an organization can respond to a given situation. Cutting corners in an attempt to cut cost and not recognizing the importance of regularly maintained equipment could lead to coverage, functionality or reliability issues that could have been prevented. Similar to a car, if properly installed and regularly maintained your system will perform reliably for years.

Josh Lary

Our management team often receives letters from customers with feedback about their experiences with ChiComm’s staff. Recently one was received regarding an experience with one of our technicians, Josh Lary:

"He really was thorough and honestly my impression was that this guy really cared. He was persistent and didn’t stop until he had exhausted all possible contributing aspects of our coverage issues over there. You and I have been dealing with people and different personalities for many years, but Josh really gave me the impression that he and I had a partnership with this radio problem (might sound a little strange, but I’m sure you’ve occasionally come across an individual who seems to “get it”) and at the end of the day when he left…the radio signal had been improved greatly."

FAQs

Q: What is the first thing that you should check when problems occur with your two-way radios? A: The Battery. Repairs ( Labor )  is costly. Change a battery out with another radio to first check. If you just need a new battery then order one and ask if there are any specials.

Q. Retail stores claim that their radios can work 15+miles, is this true? A. Yes and no. A radio can work for  15 miles if nothing is in the way of transmission. ( Mountain to Mountain ) There always seems to be obstructions such as buildings and never  a true line of site. These retail store radios are never recommended for business applications and are usually 1 watt of power. That is why there are Professional radios that give better range because their 4 & 5 watts of power. Other needs also come in to play such as a Repeater.

 Basic techniques to try BEFORE Calling for Service on your Two Way Radios:

Who would know better about common troubleshooting calls then ChiComm's own Service Shop Supervisor? Slim to no one! Over the years and hundreds of service calls received here at ChiComm, there has proven to be common consistencies in the type of calls and a few that stand out most frequently. Here are some common troubleshootings that may be the result of your problem. Check everything out on this list first, to save you from a service call later.

 Tips for Mobiles (Squad cars,etc): Ask Yourself these Q's