CONTRIBUTORS | DISASTER FJDSKAJF COMMUNICATIONS
The Evolving Walkie-Talkie Digital two-way radios offer greater clarity and distance coverage, and should be an essential part of your property’s emergency communications.
KEN LAD KEMPA PANIS
I
n Hawaii, we enjoy the beautiful surroundings found on land and sea. Living in the Islands, we also know that we can sometimes face extreme weather, including hurricanes and tsunamis, and other challenges that may disrupt our lives. These conditions can affect the daily management and operation of your property. Communication is an integral component to have available during emergency situations. Two-way radios should be a part of your property’s emergency preparedness plan. Two-way radios are handheld, portable and wireless, and interact via radio waves on a single, shared frequency band. Walkie-talkies, as they are also known, are capable of transmitting over short and medium distances. Unlike cellular phones, their operation is not reliant on a tower. This makes two-way radios a more reliable communication source in an emergency event when an electrical blackout may occur, or in the aftermath of a severe storm when traditional communication infrastructure may be down on your property or in the surrounding area. Two-way radios offer a very simple
“push-to-talk” way to communicate with your staff during emergency situations. They provide reliable radio-to-radio communication with rechargeable lithium ion or alkaline battery packs. Two-way radios are a long-term communication solution with technology that is simple and reliable yet continues to evolve as the needs of the market-
HAWAII’S 2-WAY RADIO SALES, SERVICE & RENTAL SOURCE • 2-Way Radio Equipment Sales & Consultation • Oahu, Island to Island & Statewide Radio Service Available • Repair & Maintenance Service Agreement • In-Stock New Radio’s & Accessories • Large 2-way radio communication showroom
40 BUILDING MANAGEMENT HAWAII | MAY 2020
phone: 808-845-7827
www.starcommwireless.com 275 Puuhale Road Honolulu, HI, 96819
place change. Radio technology has continually improved from the analog radios of the past to radios using newer digital technology. Eventually, FCC regulations will require the discontinued use of analog radios and everyone will have to move over to digital radio technology. Digital radios now offer up to 30% better coverage than their analog counterparts. Digital two-way radios offer static-free communication, wireless Bluetooth technology, batteries that hold their charge longer, caller ID of each radio, panic-distress button and text messaging with an LCD screen radio. A standard analog radio’s signal will decrease as the distance between radios gets further away. At their maximum range, you may only hear white noise or static. On the other hand, a digital radio’s transmission is going to remain consistent in sound quality regardless of the distance between radio units. Even at their maximum distance range,
