How To Properly Upgrade From Analog to Digital

February 23 2023, by Ashley Gabriel, 5 min reading time

Two-way radios are an essential part of any workplace that requires constant communication and coordination. A bigger challenge, however, is keeping your equipment up-to-date with how rapidly technology advances. While you’ve no doubt heard murmurings of replacing analog with digital mobile two-way radios, you may not be sure how to effectively manage that transition. Learn how to properly upgrade from analog to digital radios, improve your working conditions, and ensure productivity remains high.

The Benefits of Digital Radios

Before you begin the process of upgrading your radios, it helps to first understand why you’re making the investment and change in the first place. After all, analog radios have been in use since the 1930s, so why fix what still works? Well, let’s look at the benefits digital can provide.

Improved Audio Quality

First and foremost, you’ll enjoy clearer audio through a digital radio that you can’t get from any analog model. Digital radios improve quality by turning up the volume of whoever’s speaking on the other end while canceling out background noise, preventing noise pollution that may obfuscate the message. Furthermore, digital radios have a superior coverage range that ensures your team will have crystal-clear audio at greater distances. These benefits make them an essential investment for people in industries such as transportation who need to keep in contact with truckers all over the country.

Durability and Battery Life

Many digital radios, which are especially prevalent in industries such as construction, suit military-grade specifications. This measure allows them to endure drops, crushing weights, or accidental smashing incidents on the job. Increased durability minimizes how often you’ll need to replace your radios, making them a cheaper investment in the long run. Furthermore, digital radios have longer battery lives, meaning you can rest assured that you’ll have clear and consistent communication throughout your entire workday. If it’s still not enough battery life for you, you can find even higher capacity batteries for digital radios readily available.

Quality of Life Upgrades

One of the greatest benefits of digital radios is that you can speak with one or multiple people whenever necessary. This aspect makes it easy to ensure information instantly reaches the necessary people. Another quality-of-life upgrade is the fact that you can upgrade the software of your radios whenever a newer version is available. Upgrading your devices ensures the models you buy stay reliable and on the cutting edge for as long as possible.

The Drawbacks of Analog

In comparison to digital radios, analog radios are very limited. For example, you can only ever talk to one other person at any given time. The receivers and transmitters are also only suited for very particular transmissions, and you can’t upgrade them without buying entirely new radios. Also, unlike digital, analog radios don’t have access to business applications that many industries benefit from. The greatest benefit analog radios have over digital is that they’re typically easier to pick up and use as a beginner. However, this ease of use stems from the fact that they’re so simplistic, lacking any features that may make the radio more convenient or practical.

Making the Switch to Digital

Now that we’ve gone over how digital radios are worth making the switch, how do you properly upgrade from analog to digital? The first step is to find a good supplier. You can often buy digital radios wholesale to get a better deal. After all, you want to have enough radios for all your employees without breaking the bank.

If you’re unable to completely upgrade your workforce’s radios, make sure you get digital radios that are able to operate on the same frequency you’re currently using. Digital has the advantage of being backward compatible, meaning they’re typically capable of connecting and communicating with both digital and analog radios.

When determining who should have digital radios in your organization, you should begin with the employees that work in the most demanding environments. For example, if you’re working in construction, the supervisor and workers should be the first to get digital radios because they’re at the greatest risk. For workers, the tough work environment means they need radios that will endure intensive wear and care. Meanwhile, supervisors can more easily and effectively communicate with their entire team if they’re capable of talking to everyone at the same time. This upgrade makes communication more efficient and instantaneous, ensuring everyone will stay informed of what’s happening around the worksite.

Once you have made the switch to digital radios, it’s important that you and your employees enforce good practices to protect the quality of your radios. Ensure everyone understands the importance of storing radios in cool, dry areas when not in use to avoid decreasing the lifespan of the radio batteries. You should also avoid storing the radios on recharging docks, as this will overcharge the battery and potentially harm your radio.

Digital Accessories

Once you begin making the switch to digital radios, you can also take advantage of the various accessories that further customize your radios to suit your team’s needs. Examples of accessories include dock stations that recharge your radios or noise-canceling additions that help you communicate in bustling industrial environments. Make sure you identify the needs of your workplace and team members as you switch to digital. You have an excellent opportunity to improve the efficiency of your workplace with the appropriate radios and accessories.

In Conclusion

While making the switch from analog to digital radio equipment may seem like a hassle, the benefits are undeniable. You can find digital two-way radios, accessories, and more when you shop with Atlantic Radio Communications Corp. We are happy to help you explore your options and provide further information on digital radios so that you can make an informed decision. Communication and coordination are always the keys to minimizing injuries and accidents while making employees much more efficient and productive throughout their shifts.

Get in touch with Atlantic Radio today to learn what we can do for you! We’ll help make the transition from analog to digital as painless as possible.

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