This is the silliest possible commentary on a piece of radio equipment.
As part of facility upgrades at work, we’re getting new radios and gradually going from analog to DMR. This is one of the models we’re trying out.
It’s a very solid little radio with a metal chassis exposed on the sides, which will likely take the blow if the radio is dropped. The big color LCD, reminiscent of those on flip and feature phones, is protected behind a thick window that hasn’t managed to get any scratches yet. The radio is ip68 rated to withstand dust, moisture, and 3 foot immersion (oops, puddle!)
The speaker is on the back. This may seem odd at first but it’s really practical. When you clip the radio to your belt, this directs the sound right up to your ears. If your hand is behind the radio, it reflects the sound to you. Compared to a Motorola CP185 or CP200, this thing is a screamer. I’ve had to get used to leaving the volume at 50% or lower, as opposed to maximum on the Motorola. There is an automatic ambient volume adjustment called LQO which measures the ambient noise level and automatically boosts the volume level if needed to shout over the noise; the maximum gain added is adjustable in the CPS (Customer Programming Software).
Battery life and rf performance are amazing.
There’s just one thing I don’t like… If I put a hair tie on the clip out always gets lost. I’m starting to think the radio just absorbs them and that’s why I can go two days without charging it. Oh well, it’s all good, it let me put a picture of a corgi begging for pizza on it as a startup image, so I can’t complain about a lost hair tie here and there.
