Are digital systems worth the switch? We have weighed the pros and cons of switching to a digital system.

Two-way radios have been used since the 1930s with some innovations over their life cycle. What used to be a clunky device, is now a small, ergonomic piece of kit easily clipped onto your clothing.

The latest radios from companies such as ‘Motorola Solutions’ have moved from analogue to digital system technology. This has allowed for many features to be added to the radio which would not be available with analogue.

Software Features

With new innovations and developments being made at a rapid rate, the benefit of having a digital software ready radios continue to grow. One of the standout benefits for moving from analogue to digital is the capability to add software apps to the radios enabling businesses to work smarter, quicker, safer and more efficiently.

For these reasons we think software features are going to be the main reason why digital leaves analogue behind!

Look out for our upcoming blog on Motorola’s ‘MOTOTRBO’ software features in April which will go into more detail on the benefits of the best features around at the moment. For now, here is a brief overview of what they entail:

MOTOTRBO:

• Job Ticketing
• Man Down
• Emergency Features
• GPS
• Text Message

More immediate benefits from analogue to digital include;

Sound Quality

As mentioned, one major benefit of digital over analogue is that the sound remains high quality right to the edge of the coverage area, before it drops off. Whereas with analogue it begins to gradually diminish & crackle as the distance between the radios increases. This means with digital, when it matters most your message is delivered clearly and concisely.

Battery Life

Battery life in a digital radio lasts up to 40% longer than an analogue radio because it is much more energy-efficient as its technology reduces battery drainage and improves talk time.

Security

Digital radios operate with encrypted signals meaning that it is much harder for a third party to ‘eavesdrop’ on conversations than it is with unencrypted analogue radios. Digital does this through transmitting data packets and jumbling them up before they reach the intended radio which then ‘unjumbles’ it and delivers the message.