The Toughest Two Way Radios for the Toughest Jobs

Construction is a tough business. Cement, dust, dirt, working outside in all weather, vibration from heavy machinery and the ever-present risk of dropping equipment off scaffolding. When working on site, you need kit that can stand up to all of this.

Which explains why no one wants to use their mobile phone in the middle of a job.

If you want a wireless comms solution on site, a two-way radio is the answer. Many two-way radio models are built for use in tough and even hazardous conditions in mind.

But how do you know which are up to the task?

Protection ratings explained

Many two way radios will come with an IP, or International Protection, rating. IP is sometimes referred to as ‘ingress protection’, because it measures how resistant a device is to water and dust getting into it.

As this chart explains, an IP rating always has two digits, the first a rating of 0-6 for dust resistance, the second a rating of 0-8 for water protection. So a two-way radio with an IP rating of 65 is completely secure against dust and will survive being sprayed directly with water. A rating of 67 or 68 indicates it is fully submersible in water.

Dust and water are not the only hazards facing handheld radios on a building site, however. On some two way radio models, you will also see a rating listed as ‘MIL-STD-810’, followed by a series of letters.

These are design standards devised by the US military to certify a device’s ability to withstand environmental stresses such as temperature extremes, vibration, impact, and shock. Two-way radio ranges like the entire Hytera PD7 series comply with these standards, giving a clear indication of how robust and durable the build quality is.

Safety first

As well as being risky places for equipment, building sites can also potentially be very dangerous for people, too - there are around 64,000 non-fatal accidents on UK construction sites every year.

One of the big benefits of two-way radio is the range of in-built safety features many models are loaded with. Models like the Hytera PD705 include features such as Man Down fall alerts and Lone Worker remote monitoring, helping to provide additional support for health and safety management. Brentwood Communications is a trusted sales partner for the Hytera PD705 and many more durable, safety-enhanced two-way radio models perfect for use in the construction industry.