Walkie talkie site test: what I check before you buy
By Jolene Wong
What a site test is, what I measure, what to prepare, and why I test with real radios before anyone buys. Free in the Klang Valley.
I test coverage on site with real radios before you buy. This page explains what that visit looks like, so you know what you are asking for.
Why I test first
Range claims come from open, flat, ideal conditions. Your site is not that. Concrete and steel, basements and car parks, steel racking and big machines all eat signal, and a test in the office will not show you that.
At a large retail property in the Klang Valley we tested portable radios, then a 4G PoC radio. Neither covered the property. Only the test showed it. The answer was one repeater and one well-placed antenna.
What I do on the visit
- I bring real radios and go to your worst spots first.
- I put a radio into its test mode and walk the route the staff walk. The screen shows RSSI, the strength of the signal in dBm. The closer the number is to zero, the stronger the signal.
- I mark the places where a call breaks up or never arrives. Each of those dead spots now has a number you can show your management.
- On larger jobs you get a written report of what works and where signal is weak, such as lifts, fire doors and enclosed stairs.
What to prepare
- List the places that must connect, including the worst one.
- Who needs to talk to whom, and how many talk groups that means.
- Choose a busy time for the visit, not a quiet one.
- Send me the models you already have. I will check them before you buy new units.
What you decide after the test
Only then choose: portable radios only, a repeater, or 4G PoC. Sometimes portable radios are enough, and sometimes 4G PoC fits better. I will show you the comparison over five years, not only the first invoice.
After the system goes in
If a repeater system goes in, the job ends with a site acceptance test (SAT), so you see it working.
How a repeater system is put together
What it costs
In the Klang Valley the site test is free. Outside the Klang Valley, tell me where the site is and I will let you know.
