Repair or Replace your Two-Way Radio

This can be tough decision to make, when you’ve had your reliable Walkie Talkie for eons.

However the day has finally come you turn on your radio, but nobodies home. The radio won’t transmit, won’t receive, the screen is gobbledygook, or the battery lasts 2 hours into a 10 hour shift.
Could be one or all the above, Randy the reliable radio has finally kicked the bucket and now you’re asking the age-old question. What to do now, below is a few questions to ask before getting rid of it:

1. Is it under warranty?

Before you do anything check with your radio provider if it’s still under warranty. Most reputable brand offer a 2 Year to as much as 5 year Warranty on their radios. So double check before you do anything rash.

2. Do I Bin It?

In our throwaway society this is the 1^st thought for most customers. Sometimes the radio is cactus and there’s not much else you can do besides purchasing a brand new radio. However, if you need to throw it away make sure you recycle your radio properly, radio batteries can be dangerous.

3. Do I get it fixed?

It could be a quick easy fix, there are a few points to consider for this:

• Age of radio
• Cost of radio
• Fault of radio

Age

If the radio is beyond 10 years old, you’re radio has had a good run. The biggest hurdle technicians face is sourcing parts to be able to fix the radio especially if the radio is discontinued or no longer in production.

If the radio is younger than 10 years old than it may be worth getting it looked at.

Cost

If you spent $300 on your radio, unless it’s a minor fault most technicians charge anywhere from $100 to $180 ex GST an hour AUD. Once you add parts and the labour it would be more economical to repair by replacement.

If you spent $1000 on the radio, repair is a very viable option and often cheaper, then replacing

Fault

This is probably the most important if you can diagnose what’s wrong with the radio this will save you money. Sometimes it can be a simple fix; like replacing an antenna, battery, belt clip, case or even reprogramming a radio can fix it. It’s different each time.

What if I can’t answer any of the questions above?

“I can’t remember where I even bought the radio,
“It was given to me” “I bought it off ebay.” “I don’t know anything about radios”

Everyone has their field of expertise, if in doubt talk to your friendly radio provider, majority of people in the radio industry are there to help.

They should be able to recognise the make and model and quickly be able to tell you whether it should be looked at?

Getting your radio assessed is a sure-fire way to know 100% whether to repair or replace your radio.
You’ll be given a report with what is wrong with the radio and if it’s economical to fix.

Your provider should also be able to advise you on what to look for your next radio.

Once they’ve qualified you’re requirements.