Batboard

Hey all, just wondering, with all these used radios showing up with the engraving in them, what is the most common method, machine, whatever, used to do this?

For example, i have a couple HT600's with UNIT and a number neatly and cleanly engraved in. The lettering is so clean it must be some type of machine for this. I also see a lot of HT's on eBay with the CSX and stuff like that cut in.

I was just curious how its done, and if anyone knows how much it costs to have this done? I would like to do that with some personal radios to identify them.

Thanks..

The local award shop does them when I need it. They clamp the radio down, punch the text into the computer and hit enter. Not much longer... it's done, very clean engraving. Much better than with my sears security engraver!

I paid around $7 last time I had it done.

And don't ever forget that God has a special place in Hell for people who do freehand engraving on radio cases and frames.

A pet peeve of mine, obviously.

To get up to speed on machine engraving, one of the manufacturers is a company called New Hermes.

The local guy here does it with a laser engraving machine for me and it runs about $10.00 a unit. He even backfills the engraving with white paint if I want.

Laser Engraving, hmmm, i think i know a place locally that does that! I wasn't aware that they were doing laser engraving on plastic. I know that place is always doing metal plaques and other metallic pieces.

I think i will ask them!

Hello,

A friend of mine just order a laser machine. Yes they even use the it for wood and leather also.......
The machine doesn't just do engraving it can produce 3-D images. Saw some samples he has pretty amazing........

Gary

The laser engraving looks rather impressive! I'm going to stop by a place on Monday and see what he can do. I have plenty of projects for him if reasonably priced.

Just a side comment, in case it matters to you.
/\/\otorola has said that if you engrave an intrinsically safe radio, the IS certification is void!

When I asked them about "their" rental units having been engraved, they said (exact quote) "we had them recertified after the engraving".

Yeah, sure.

It never seems to stop with 'M'. Let me guess, they'll engrave your new radio for $46. per character if ordered as a factory option at time of purchase only. If you need this after the fact, sorry you'll have to buy a new radio and option it then. Wouldn't doubt it!

Tom in D.C. wrote:And don't ever forget that God has a special place in Hell for people who do freehand engraving on radio cases and frames.

One more bullet for my "resume", I guess.

Personally I don’t have a problem with freehand engraving... I always viewed a radio as a tool to be used... it’s going to get scuffed, scratched, dinged and whatnot anyway, a few extra chicken scratches on it isn’t going to matter much. Many years ago I had a metal lettering set that I would heat up over a propane torch and melt the engraving into the case... looks a little better than freehand, but either way it makes tracking much easier.

Jack

transistor747 wrote:Just a side comment, in case it matters to you.
/\/\otorola has said that if you engrave an intrinsically safe radio, the IS certification is void!

When I asked them about "their" rental units having been engraved, they said (exact quote) "we had them recertified after the engraving".

Yeah, sure.

What M says means nothing...............it's what Factory Mutual says that matters.

The cheepos who use a soldering iron in a new radios case should definitely be drawn and quartered, I have a couple of Saber cases like this.


Mike

I've seen someone try to engrave a HT1000 with a soldering iron and :o it up quite severely. How they managed to put a hole in the case in the process is quite beyond me.

We engrave all of our portables inside and out, as well as our batteries. We use a local award trophy shop. The cost is around $1.50 each with two full lines of engraving. They also backfill the lettering and numbers with white. It looks great and keeps loss and theft down. It sucks when you spend $10,000 in batteries for your rental fleet and find that half the batteries come back from rentals and sub rentals with old batteries from the customers and other companies. On the inside of the radio it is done very nice and light on the chasis. We thought about getting a engraving machine but the cost was over $5,000.00. Not worth it unless I want to get into the business of engraving.

Just my thoughts....

Crimestopper

How about water jet engraving? Ha Ha!