Two-Way Radio Basics

Which is better UHF or VHF? UHF offers the best coverage and penetration inside buildings or outdoors. VHF is fine in flat open areas or around wood structures.

How much power do I need? Power is a major factor in achieving the range and coverage in a particular structure as well as providing a clear, crisp signal that is easy to understand. Coverage is improved when power is increased.

How many Channels do I need? One channel per work group is typical. Use multi-channels when separating multiple workgroups. Examples: Managers, shipping, manufacturing, maintenance, security, general and sub contractors, different departments such as stock, customer service, etc.

Do current Motorola radios talk to older models and other brands? Yes, as long as the frequencies and codes match.

How many two-way radios can be used together? There is not limit.

How rugged are Motorola two-way radios? These radios are built rugged for business and meet Motorola's accelerated life testing including a 5 foot drop to concrete on all sides.

Can they be used with repeaters and base stations? CLP, RDU 4 Watt, RDV 5 Watt and AX models are dealer programmable to work with repeaters and base stations. See page 8 for Range Extender/Repeater.

Inexpensive FRS/GMRS Walkie-Talkies
While recreational models are inexpensive, their cost to use is 2 - 4 times greater than business models over time. Units and batteries are replaced often. GMRS requires FCC license just as business models, but are not legal to businesses, violators subject to fines.

Return On Investment
Watch your savings multiply when each worker saves just 5 minutes per hour
Hourly rate	Each radio pays for itself in...	Annual savings for 10 workers
$8 per hour	59 days	$14,000
$12 per hour	40 days	$21,000
$24 per hour	20 days	$42,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Range & Coverage
Most business users need to communicate “on-site” in and around their structures. Coverage of their facility with a clear, intelligible signal is the primary concern. Wide area coverage of several miles may require use of a “repeater”. HP Series radios are compatible with repeaters.

Range is determined by several factors:

• UHF provides the best coverage indoors and out, especially in steel and concrete structures and large industrial or multi-story buildings. A 2 watt UHF will provide better coverage inside industrial buildings than a 5 watt VHF.
• VHF is good for outdoor “line of sight” applications and inside wood structures
• Power More power provides greater coverage and penetration
• Obstructions Structures, metal, steel and concrete reduce range and coverage

• CLP Series radios are equipped with 90 UHF frequencies
• CLS Series radios are equipped with 56 UHF frequencies
• RDX radios are equipped with 89 UHF or 27 VHF frequencies, depending on the radio model
• RDX high power radios are programmable to match other models, other brands, base stations and repeaters
• XTN Series radios are equipped with 56 UHF or 27 VHF frequencies, depending on the radio model
• AX Series radios came with factory programmed frequencies and were also custom programmable

RDX Two-Way Radio - VHF FREQUENCY CHART
Position	MHz.	Bandwidth	Position	MHz.	Bandwidth	Position	MHz.	Bandwidth
1	151.6250	25.0	11	151.6550	25.0	21	154.5150	25.0
2	151.9550	25.0	12	151.6850	25.0	**22	154.5275	12.5
3	152.8850	25.0	13	151.7150	25.0	23	154.5400	25.0
4	152.9150	25.0	14	151.7450	25.0	24	153.0050	25.0
5	151.7000	12.5	15	151.7750	25.0	25	154.6550	25.0
6	151.7600	12.5	16	151.8650	25.0	26	158.4000	25.0
*7	152.9450	12.5 / 25.0	17	151.8950	25.0	**27	158.4075	12.5
*8	151.8350	12.5 / 25.0	18	151.9250	25.0
*9	151.8050	12.5 / 25.0	19	152.7000	25.0
**10	151.5125	12.5	20	154.4900	25.0
*Due to FCC regulations these frequencies (six in total) are different from the previous Motorola Legacy Series radios. This means that if you select the RDX radio in one of these frequencies the radio will not inter-operate with an XTN radio. In order for a RDX radio to inter-operate with an XTN radio, make sure you choose any of the frequencies (21 in total) that are common for both radios. **Bandwidth for frequencies 10, 22 and 27 are not selectable and different from XTN. You might notice the communication quality differences when using these frequencies to inter operate with XTN radios

CLP & RDX Two-Way Radio - UHF FREQUENCY CHART
Position	MHz.	Bandwidth	Position	MHz.	Bandwidth	Position	MHz.	Bandwidth
1	464.5000	12.5 / 25.0	31	464.5125	12.5	61	467.1875	12.5
2	464.5500	12.5 / 25.0	32	464.5375	12.5	62	467.4625	12.5
*3	467.7625	12.5	33	464.5625	12.5	63	467.4875	12.5
*4	467.8125	12.5	34	466.0375	12.5	64	467.5125	12.5
*5	467.8500	12.5 / 25.0	35	466.0625	12.5	65	451.1875	12.5
*6	467.8750	12.5 / 25.0	36	466.0875	12.5	66	451.2375	12.5
*7	467.9000	12.5 / 25.0	37	466.1125	12.5	67	451.2875	12.5
*8	467.9250	12.5 / 25.0	38	466.1375	12.5	68	451.3375	12.5
9	461.0375	12.5	39	466.1675	12.5	69	451.4375	12.5
10	461.0625	12.5	40	466.1875	12.5	70	451.5375	12.5
11	461.0875	12.5	41	466.2125	12.5	71	451.6375	12.5
12	461.1125	12.5	42	466.2375	12.5	72	452.3125	12.5
13	461.1375	12.5	43	466.2625	12.5	73	452.5375	12.5
14	461.1625	12.5	44	466.2875	12.5	74	452.4125	12.5
15	461.1875	12.5	45	466.3125	12.5	75	452.5125	12.5
16	461.2125	12.5	46	466.3375	12.5	76	452.7625	12.5
17	461.2375	12.5	47	466.3625	12.5	77	452.8625	12.5
18	461.2625	12.5	*48	467.7875	12.5	78	456.1875	12.5
19	461.2875	12.5	*49	467.8375	12.5	79	456.2375	12.5
20	461.3125	12.5	*50	467.8625	12.5	80	456.2875	12.5
21	461.3375	12.5	*51	467.8875	12.5	81	456.3375	12.5
22	461.3625	12.5	*52	467.9125	12.5	82	456.4375	12.5
*23	462.7625	12.5	53	469.4875	12.5	83	456.5375	12.5
*24	462.7875	12.5	54	469.5125	12.5	84	456.6375	12.5
*25	462.8125	12.5	55	469.5375	12.5	85	457.3125	12.5
*26	462.8375	12.5	56	469.5625	12.5	86	457.4125	12.5
*27	462.8625	12.5	57	462.1875	12.5	87	457.5125	12.5
*28	462.8875	12.5	58	462.4625	12.5	88	457.7625	12.5
*29	462.9125	12.5	59	462.4875	12.5	89	457.8625	12.5
30	464.4875	12.5	60	462.5125	12.5
*Frequency limited to 2W maximum power output. When referring to XTN radios, note that frequencies from #57 to #89 are 33 new additional frequencies.

 

XTN Walkie-Talkie - VHF FREQUENCY CHART
Position	MHz.	Bandwidth	Position	MHz.	Bandwidth	Position	MHz.	Bandwidth
1	151.6250	25.0	11	151.6550	25.0	21	154.5150	25.0
2	151.9550	25.0	12	151.6850	25.0	22	154.5275	25.0
3	154.5700	25.0	13	151.7150	25.0	23	154.5400	25.0
4	154.6000	25.0	14	151.7450	25.0	24	154.6000	25.0
5	151.7000	12.5 / 25.0	15	151.7750	25.0	25	154.6550	25.0
6	151.7600	12.5 / 25.0	16	151.8650	25.0	26	158.4000	25.0
7	151.8200*	12.5 / 25.0	17	151.8950	25.0	27	158.4075	25.0
8	151.8800*	12.5 / 25.0	18	152.9250	25.0
9	151.9400*	12.5 / 25.0	19	154.7000	25.0
10	151.5125	25.0	20	154.4900	25.0
*Frequencies 7-9 are 1 watt only. Power is reduced on 2 watt models.

XTN / CLS Two- Way Radio - UHF FREQUENCY CHART
Position	MHz.	Bandwidth	Position	MHz.	Bandwidth	Position	MHz.	Bandwidth
1	464.5000	12.5 / 25.0	21	461.3375	12.5	41	466.2125	12.5
2	464.5500	12.5 / 25.0	22	461.3625	12.5	42	466.2375	12.5
3	467.7625	12.5	23	462.7625	12.5	43	466.2625	12.5
4	467.8125	12.5	24	462.7875	12.5	44	466.2875	12.5
5	467.8500	12.5 / 25.0	25	462.8125	12.5	45	466.3125	12.5
6	467.8750	12.5 / 25.0	26	462.8375	12.5	46	466.3375	12.5
7	467.9000	12.5 / 25.0	27	462.8625	12.5	47	466.3625	12.5
8	467.9250	12.5 / 25.0	28	462.8875	12.5	48	467.7875	12.5
9	461.0375	12.5	29	462.9125	12.5	49	467.8375	12.5
10	461.0625	12.5	30	464.4875	12.5	50	467.8625	12.5
11	461.0875	12.5	31	464.5125	12.5	51	467.8875	12.5
12	461.1125	12.5	32	464.5375	12.5	52	467.9125	12.5
13	461.1375	12.5	33	464.5625	12.5	53	469.4875	12.5
14	461.1625	12.5	34	466.0375	12.5	54	469.5125	12.5
15	461.1875	12.5	35	466.0625	12.5	55	469.5375	12.5
16	461.2125	12.5	36	466.0875	12.5	56	469.5625	12.5
17	461.2375	12.5	37	466.1125	12.5
18	461.2625	12.5	38	466.1375	12.5
19	461.2875	12.5	39	466.1625	12.5
20	461.3125	12.5	40	466.1875	12.5

 

AX Two-Way Radio - FREQUENCY / CODE CHART
Channel	Frequency Mhz		Code Hz
	AXU4100-UHF	AXV5100-VHF
1	464.5000	151.6250	67.0
2	464.5000	151.6250	77.0
3	464.5000	151.6250	88.5
4	464.5000	151.6250	179.9
5	464.5000	151.6250	none
6	464.5500	151.9550	67.0
7	464.5500	151.9550	82.5
8	464.5500	151.9550	94.8
9	464.5500	151.9550	179.9
10	464.5500	151.9550	none

Interference Eliminator Codes
Interference Eliminator Codes prevent hearing other nearby businesses's operating on the same channel. This promotes workgroup efficiency as your group is not interrupted hearing these other users. Business two-way radios are set to the same frequency and code setting that will communicate with each other. There are 121 codes available on XTN, CLS and AX Series two-way radios. Codes are easily changed by the user on the XTN and CLS Series.

Models	Digital Codes (DPL)	Analog Codes (PL)	Total Codes
CLS Series	83	38	121
RDX Series	83	38	121
XTN Series	83	38	121
AX Series	83	38	121

There are two types of "Codes"
Digital (also called DPL or Digital Private Line)
Analog (also called "PL", Private Line or CTCSS)