MERCURY T320 Network Handheld Radio,Black,4G/WiFi

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What brings me to network radio? Curiosity, technological advancement, computers crossing into the RF world, the link with mobile technology, portability, being on the cutting edge – all these things, really. You can differentiate these from others calling themselves ‘network radios’ (in various guises) by the blue icons with large numbers inside them for the different numbered channels ( Fig. 4). People licensed and unlicensed, are coming together to enjoy communicating with one another. Internet propagation is ideal for this because it is open to everyone, with no need for an exam, a callsign or a license. Not exactly ‘stealing’ anything, as far as could be told, but they looked like connections to servers of ‘Oriental’ origin, which did not need to be present at all.

Sadly this is true, but none of that can be laid at the feet of Network Radios. Many people give up Amateur Radio due to snobbery being aimed in their direction. ‘Oh you’re an M6?’ Well if that’s what people are up against, can you blame them? They will certainly spread the word that Amateurs are a miserable bunch. If you keep telling people the bands are dead, they are going to believe you and these things have a way of becoming true. Network Radios are thriving. As I write this article, there are QSO’s on channels 01 and 02. There is also a stream of people asking for authorisation to use the system. Many of these are M0’s. What does that tell you? Network Radios is populated by people who are positive about the hobby, technically savvy and keen to not lose the RF bands we have been allocated. In fact you will often hear Amateurs develop Skeds via NR to go and meet on HF or VHF. This is because they have a central place to meet like minded people. ‘It’s just Skype’ Join me on a journey of exploration into an aspect of 21st-Century radio many enthusiasts are only just now beginning to discover and explore more fully. Neither have an Amateur license but – dare I say – are often more knowledgeable than many who have. Generally speaking, short wave signals bounce off one of the atmosphere’s layers (the ionosphere) while VHF/UHF signals are extended via tropospheric ducting; microwave signals might be enhanced by rain scatter and so on. There are other methods of propagation too, of course but, simply put, Mother Nature frequently assists us to achieve longer distances than would normally be possible. I am very happy with it and i am a ham radio op there is a new world to discover with this radio its just the finding them once you have then its all opened up for youThere are thousands of Zello channels, but the most popular ones for our use (at least so far) are in the Network Radios suite. You can actually use them as phones by the way. However, they are not quite as easy to use for calls or texts as a device specifically made for those purposes – in the same way, perhaps, that your mobile phone is not the best way to get the optimal network radio experience. Like most network radio devices, this is a computer, running Android OS, with both cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, but in a specific form-factor - in this case, the mobile transceiver format.

The Telo arrived professionally boxed with all accessories present and correct. It is designed, as so many of these devices are, for the professional market, using bespoke PTT software for business use. G6 Global supply many radios with such software. Could it be that, as we find in the I.T industry, that there are people struggling with new technology, perhaps they struggle with the small screen of the current Inrico units, which they may well have seen articles on (thanks for this one by the way !), or one of their members has shown them at a meet ? Being a tinkerer, I was confused that I couldn’t find any way to get inside the radio. No screws here, just that heavy-duty moulded plastic. Telo clearly does not want users playing inside this radio – but this is fair enough, as this is a business device first and foremost.

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The screen on these devices is a tad small at 2.4 inches. But its a trade off against battery life and you will find you don’t really need too much screen real estate. There is a 2W rated loudspeaker on the right-hand side, which provides plenty of volume, though, to me personally, sounds a little bass-light compared to some network radios I have come across. I am guessing that Telo thinks that, in a vehicle, a brighter sound would more likely cut through bassy road noise. At Zello, we are committed to maintaining our leadership in push-to-talk by teaming with a variety of device partners. Though Zello is most commonly used on consumer devices like smartphones, we are compatible with network radios. Top 5Benefits of Zello + Handheld Network Radios As a seven-year-old, I could not believe I was hearing voices (in English) emanating from such a far-away country! The world was a much larger place in those days, don’t you think? Note: There are also a few hybrid Network Radio devices that also include a VHF and/or UHF radio module.