What Are Short Range Radio Devices?

Short range radios are highly cost effective and very reliable communication devices. These devices vary from each other depending on their features, cost and size etc. Not all the short range radios suit everybody. There are few factors that should be considered before choosing a radio for best usage. So here are some of factors you should consider before choosing for a best short range radio.

Frequency Range:

Frequency is the primary and the most important issue that should be considered when selecting a radio. Most of the radios come with a digital display which shows the frequency of the radio. Few radios are less expensive as they have an analog "slide rule" frequency which doesn't reveal the precise frequency of the radio. Make sure to get a radio with good frequency range for better usability. Here are the frequency ranges for few of the famous radio devices available.

Note that VHF stands for Very High Frequency, and UHF stands for Ultra High Frequency.

Motorola: Frequency Range: VHF: 136-174 MHz; UHF: 403-470 MHz.
Kenwood: VHF: 136-174MHz; UHF: 400-430MHz, 440-470MHz
Icom: VHF 136 - 174 MHz UHF 400 - 470 MHz
Vertex Standard: VHF: 134-174MHz; UHF: 380-450 MHz, 450-512 MHz
HYT: VHF: 136-174 MHz; UHF: 400-420 MHz 440-470 MHz
TaitNet: 136-174MHz/400-520MHz

Antenna:

Almost every radio comes with a built in telescopic antenna however, there are radios that have external ones too. Built in antennas are good for some extent, however, external antennas give better reception than that of inbuilt antennas. When the radios are used inside a building or a room that has steel frames then the output quality of radios goes down.

Built in antennas give great results to pickup international broadcast channels and they are not so effective for fainter signals. Radios with external antenna jacks can catch these fainter signals. Buying a radio with external jack as well as built in antenna is always a good idea to catch both international as well as fainter signals.

Selectivity options:

One should always consider the number of selectivity bandwidths available in a radio. Few radio receivers have very few bandwidths. But few have wide number of selectivity bandwidths. Radios with narrow selectivity bandwidths have less interference on adjacent frequencies.

So, before choosing a radio, you should prioritise the requirements and features you wanted. These radios are generally come handy and flexible to working people who needs to stay connected with each other. Generally these radios can communicate with in a range of 3 miles. These radios are low cost communication devices that have no services charges. Motorola, Kenwood, Icom, Entel, Vertex Standard, HYT, Tait are some of the best radio devices one can consider for short range communication.

Applications:

These radio sets are extensively used in Construction companies to communicate with working engineers inside the site. Police department also uses these devices to communicate with local offices to prevent crimes. Manufacturing companies, retail companies also often use these devices. They also come handy in public events like wedding, receptions for local communication between personals.