Motorola radios have come on in leaps and bounds, with the latest products integrating with Android apps and other features. Though, sometimes you still need more functions you cannot get without extra radio hardware. To help you with this, Motorola provides a plethora of extra accessories that can make your role much easier.
Though, do you know the full extent of the different Motorola accessories available to you on the market?
Below, we describe some of the options so you can make informed decisions on what to buy moving forward. As you go through this article, make a note of the items which would be the most useful so you can shop for them in the future.
Motorola Antenna
There are several different antennas available for different devices. Below is a list and description of some of the options you can find.
Two-Way Portable Radio Antenna
It is very important to have a high-quality antenna to help you keep the signals you send and receive clear. Motorola provides a wide variety of antenna. These include:
Frequency band antenna. While the large majority of antenna only send and receive in a small part of the frequency band available, these do not. They can also cover the rest of the available band for radios, allowing you a higher ability to communicate in a small area with many different teams.
Heliflex antenna. These often have the best coverage as well as the best output for antenna their size. Also known as “whip antenna,” they comprise one long rod, in this case, they also use a steel core to allow for a high level of connectivity.
Integrated GPS antenna. If you want your radio to also use high-quality GPS, these are a good option. The antenna includes an integrated GPS antenna to allow you to plot your precise location at all times.
Stubby antenna. The use case for stubby antenna is when you do not want anything obtrusive on your person. These are often worn on the belt or in other places you do not want them sticking into you.
Motorola Batteries
While many radios come with a battery, there is every chance you might need to replace one at short notice due to natural usage. In such a situation, having spare batteries can save you from needing to wait for the battery to recharge. This allows you to continue using the device and rotate out batteries as needed.
While other batteries may exist, Motorola radios perform best with Motorola batteries. Motorola’s engineers designed them as a part of the same complete unit. This means you should avoid third-party batteries where possible to get the best use out of your device.
You also do not have the same assurance of safety and standards with aftermarket batteries. Thus, picking up Motorola batteries is the way to go.
Modern Motorola radio batteries use an energy system called IMPRES 2. This allows the radio to manage its power levels and give accurate feedback to the radio on its charge level at all times. This way, you can have a good idea of how all your batteries are faring at any time, which is very important in high-risk or high-stress situations.
These batteries are the second generation of IMPRES batteries. This means you can also expect longer charge capacity and thus more use per charge from previous iterations. A higher level of rechargeability also means you can expect it to last for more charges than before too, reducing costs.
Motorola Call Box
Sometimes you cannot always be confident everyone in a location has a radio. This is especially true when it comes to an area that has members of the public or employees in it, such as a college campus or wildlife preserve. As such, Motorola has designed easily-accessible call boxes to allow more people to use the radio systems in an area in an emergency.
These devices have received advanced UX design attention. As such they have features such as:
Voice chips. These devices can give audible instructions to users on how to use the device if they need help.
Location identifier. These devices transmit the user’s location when using the device. This helps people locate where the signal is originating and offer help as fast as possible.
Combined with an in-build call box ID system, you can always know which call box is calling at any time.
Lighting. These devices carry their own lighting to assist with visibility in darkness or extreme conditions. Users who do not have a torch will thus not have difficulty engaging with the call box.
Long-life battery. Each of these devices comes with a long-lasting 40-day standby battery. When not connected to a power source, this battery will take a very long time to dissipate, meaning you do not have to charge it all the time.
Low battery alert. When the battery does get below a set charge, it will inform the area the battery needs changing. This prevents it from running out of power.
Tamper-resistant parts. The screws in the device are designed to prevent people from opening up the call box. Thus, you can have assurances the device is not easily vandalized and can often remain alone for extended periods.
These call boxes come in a wide range of different sizes and shapes. This includes wall-mounted call boxes you can place on any vertical surface or free-standing models for areas where you cannot hang a box.
Motorola Chargers
Depending on your business setup, you might have different needs for chargers. Lucky for you, Motorola offers many different options to suit different circumstances.
Single Unit Chargers
If you only need to charge one unit at a time or want one charger for each individual, these are perfect. They are small, unobtrusive devices you can place on individuals’ desks or send home with them if they charge at home.
These chargers come in two varieties. The rapid-rate chargers can take a device from empty to full in less than three hours. Slower chargers are also available. These take the battery to full in around ten hours, perfect for overnight charging and a longer-lasting battery.
Multi-Unit Chargers
You can use these to charge several devices at the same time. At present, the units available can charge up to six radios or batteries at the same time, and do so within three hours. This helps you keep a large number of devices on the go at once.
Vehicle Chargers
While not as powerful as the rapid chargers, these can keep a radio topped up while out and about. For someone who is often in the field, this is perfect to keep up contact at all times.
These also come with a charging base and a mounting bracket to ensure it stays secure while inside a moving vehicle.
Battery Management
Along with chargers, you can also use software to help you manage your company’s batteries at all times. The IMPRES Battery Reader and Battery Fleet Management apps both receive battery data in real-time. This helps you keep an eye on all users’ battery data, allowing you to know if someone’s battery will last them their shift.
If a battery is likely to run out, you can then call the user back and offer them a full battery. This prevents large-scale downtime as users run out of energy in the middle of important events.
This system also has other functionality to help you in a large organization, including:
Battery life readings. Using IMPRES’ advanced systems, you can detect if a battery is starting to have trouble recharging and is thus at the end of its life. You can then choose to replace the battery when it is at the end of its run, preventing you from throwing them out before their time.
Recover lost batteries. The IMPRES system can keep track of batteries when they are recharged.
This ability can help you inventory all your equipment, helping you know where everything is at all times. You can also track down lost equipment by watching which charging stations recharge which batteries.
Finally, this system is also useful to track chargers that see more use than others. Thus, you can work out if certain areas need more chargers to keep up with demand from users. You can then buy more charging units to compensate for this and place them in the perfect location.
Audio Options
There are many different forms of microphones you can buy for Motorola brand radios. Each of them has its specific uses and benefits.
Earpieces
These small devices are useful for discrete audio, such as if you are surveilling an area. They are also unobtrusive and perfect for customer service positions where you want to appear attentive. These microphones come in many different styles.
IMPRES ear mic. The first benefit of these is very clear audio and a long-standing reputation for high quality in the IMPRES line. The other is the ability to block out microphone background noise through noise filtering and bone conduction.
Pellet earpieces. These small devices allow a user to hear radio communication without being overly large. The user can also wear them for long periods without discomfort.
Ultra-lite clips. These attach to the ear and include a boom microphone. As they are push-to-talk you can also have assurances they will not transmit when not used.
D-style earsets. Instead of inserting into the ear, these sit atop the user’s earlobe. They have a large speaker that can speak clearly into the ear but does not obstruct the ear canal.
They are perfect for people with unusually-shaped ear canals. These earsets can also be removed or replaced fast if the job demands it.
Headsets
There are many different styles of headsets available. These range from lightweight devices all the way up to noise-canceling heavy-duty headsets for loud areas.
Depending on your use, you might want to invest in devices that mount into other kinds of headgear. For example, headsets exist in the Motorola line for use alongside hardhats. These are perfect for construction sites or industrial areas.
Other options include:
Racing headsets. These are useful for inside hard hats and helmets. They are heavy-duty and high-quality pieces of gear. They also assist with noise cancellation to prevent the noise of engines coming through the device.
Boomless temple transducers. This is an advanced piece of technology that uses bone conduction to provide crystal-clear audio to an individual. These even work when the person is in a high-volume, high-stress situation such as emergency service work.
As they work with bone conduction, they do not demand the user cover their ear to hear clearly. This helps with situational awareness as well as allows for robust communication.
Mobile Radio Mics
These devices are made for vehicle users who need to remain in contact at all times, such as lorry drivers or construction workers. As the surrounding environment alters in volume, the Intelligent Audio system in Motorola radio mics will kick in. It will adjust any attached speakers to compensate, allowing people to hear the radio at all times without changing the volume by hand.
These come in many different styles, including:
Palm microphones. Simple and durable devices with basic push-to-talk functions.
Keypad mics. These allow a person to use a detailed radio system or dial specific numbers and send text alerts.
Heavy-duty mics. These can continue working when suffering from bumps and bashes. They are also easier to handle with thick gloves, allowing for use in safety-first environments.
The Perfect Motorola Accessories for You
With the above list, you should have a good list of Motorola accessories from which to choose moving forward. We provide a wide variety of Motorola radios and accessories you can choose from. So, check out our selection today and find the perfect radio system for your organization.
If you need more information on these, or if you are considering investing in them, we are available to discuss and help you select the best options that suite your needs.
