thinking of starting a radio comm bussiness

[jmr3865]

I am thinking about starting a radio comm business that it's primary purpose is MOBILE and radio programming. I will come to you with a step van and program your radio's. I also want to sell radio's and will have a display in that step van. My Question is What would I need to do to get this started. Is there a tech class from Motorola? Are there certain license's that I need to obtain to program radios?

I have some software and cables (legally) and the software licenses through motorola. I have looked into becoming a dealer for them and it should be fairly easy. I will not limit to motorola and I will also be selling accessories.

Thanks for all of the help.

[MTS2000des]

first thing you have to do is analyze the area, is there really that much business in programming only in your area? if you want to service radios for public safety or government, most of them only want factory authorized people touching their radios, and a GROL is a good idea too. Not saying it's not a great idea, but how much do you think you can charge and what are the costs involved?
Most folks who want to pay the kind of money you'll have to charge want a full service dealer. If you program my radio and it doesn't perform well, without a service monitor, test jigs, test cables and training, all you'll be able to do is refer me to a competitor.

[Bruce1807]

most places want a full service not just programming.
If we reprogram we service at the same time.
ok we have the auto service software but we still do it.

[jmr3865]

How can I get the autoservice software? I am willing to learn and get the equipment for the above. What is GROL?

Thanks

[Pj]

I made a post awhile ago about this, but can't find it.

Essentially, I almost wouldn't bother. If you want to go that route, go to electronics school and get your degree. Then get a job with a MSS and learn the trade. Radio programming is less than 1% of a radio business. Most of the time your going to be up on a tower, a 2am service call or installing vehicle or site equipment.

In terms of sales, you need some serious capital and able to meet monthly or yearly sales goals or your dropped by the manufactures.

There is really a very small market for radio programming. Anything to do with mainline radios will be handled by the MSS shops in the area.

[xmo]

...What would I need to do to get this started ...
--------------------------------------------------------

A good shrink to talk you out of it?

As any MSS owner.

He'll tell you straight how to own a radio shop and wind up with a small fortune.

Start with a large one.

[jmr3865]

Do the Companies (MOTOROLA, KENWOOD, etc) normally charge a fee to become a dealer?

[mr.syntrx]

Most companies will require you to be a bona fide radio shop, and sell a reasonable volume of product to justify remaining a dealer.

A degree (EE etc) to run a radio shop is really a bit excessive. A trade certificate or other formal training in electronics, absolutely, as well as plenty of practical experience working in a shop before trying to go out on your own.

If your state etc requires you to have certain accreditations for OH&S purposes to be allowed to climb towers, get those too.

[Wowbagger]

How can I get the autoservice software? I am willing to learn and get the equipment for the above. What is GROL?

Thanks

General Radiotelephone Operator's License: an FCC certification of competence to operate and service radios in aviation, maritime, and international fixed public radio services.

A bit overkill for normal PMR work, but a good sign that you actually understand some of what is really going on.

As for autoservice software: before you go there, you'd better decide upon what specific radio protocols you are willing to work on:

• APCO-25
• APCO-25 phase 2
• Motorola TRBO
• Motorola Smartnet/Smartzone
• LTR
• EDACS/Provoice
• iDEN
• Trident Passport
• MPT-1327
• GMRS

At this time, autoservice software, at least from Motorola, means having a General Dynamics 2670 service monitor. IIRC, the 2670 does P25, SmartNet, iDEN, and LTR - I don't recall if it does MPT-1327, I know it doesn't do Passport, and I think it might do EDACs.

If you want to do Passport, your going to be buying my baby the Aeroflex 2975.

If you want to do P25 phase II, you're looking at the Aeroflex 3900.

Currently, we don't have autotest software for our gear - Aeroflex has been talking with Motorola about getting the information to do it, and that's all I can say in a public forum.

Now, several of the formats I listed are in the "who cares" category, but I'll let the other board members comment upon that.

[silverbk]

If you want to become a Vertex dealer you must be or have in your employ a FCC certified technician.

Not to mention the state and local business/sales tax licenses permits etc.

What you want to be is a consultant. Just consulting doesn't require much of what is in the above posts, just a good line of sh--.

Of course if you want to be the guy that people who don't or can't use regular radio shops go to, then you don't need anything except this board and Ebay.

73

[jmr3865]

How do you become a FCC certified tech?

[Jim2121]

Take an on-line test, let us know how you do.....
http://www.aa9pw.com/radio/commercial.html

I had a link for a ship/boat -- service/install: Radar, not to much water here. but if your in N.J. go to the boat yards..

http://www.fcctests.com/sample/default.asp
Element 8 Ship Radar Endorsement

[Bat2way]

If you formulated a (simple 2 page) business plan, it would show you the following...

Just don't do it.

[firetech792]

Been there, done that.....Life is much better now collecting a pay check from municipal gov't to play with their radios & electronic goodies.
Most people now a days have software to do their own programming. And as stated above, customers want full service dealers. The industry has changed since I started in the mid 80's. Now its Nextel, cellular and almost throw away radios. Or send it in to the depot.
Your waisting your time. You can't even phathom what is involved in starting a wireless maintenance business. And if you're really that serious, do as some one suggested above. Get a job in the business to gain experience (since I know you're only about 18 years old) .....and save your money.

[xmo]

Way back when, the FCC required a Second Phone license or higher to work on two-way. Now there is no such requirement.

Lately, Motorola may be encouraging their MSS's to have their techs certified:

http://www.iscet.org/

[1337MTech]

I don't know all of the legal ops of our shop (I'm just a tech), but if you are going with Motorola, there is a load of things you have to deal with. Some that I know of:

*You are given certain levels ($$$) of sales you have to met/exceed, I beleive its per 6 month time periods, it may be quarterly.
*Motorola encourages MSS, but it is not needed (but you are granted more rights with it) to service radios. In my honest opinion, it is a waste of money and time. This point will be clearified later in this post.
*Motorola is extremly tight with policies and regulations

Theres a whole lot more to Moto, but I don't do that part of the business, so I don't really know much about it.

As far as a comm business, most customers expect that every aspect of their radios can be taken care of by that comm shop, so that means prog, sales, repair, and installations, as well as support.

Programming - Easy, just costs a lot of $$$ for Moto RSS, the Rib(s) and programming cables (there are generics, but the last thing you want to do is trust some generic device with a customers radio).

Sales - Just usual terms - good advertising, and sale a lot (You would have to make you comm shop stand out from the rest of the fish in the sea).

Repair - Like I said, customers want your comm shop to take care of all their radio aspects, and 9.7/10 times, when a radio comes to be programmed only, it needs repair. The hardest part is finding techs who know what they are doing.

I've see so much garbage from other comm shops, such as caps being replaced with jumpers, total hack jobs, wrong parts used, you name it. All are not to Moto specs.

Repair is not that hard, you have to understand the basic functions of electronics. The most important aspects:

*Excellent soldering - If you can't solder, and do it without leaving huge globs, solder bridges, and damaging the boards, then stop in your tracks and look into some other career, because most radios are not non-repairable due to user problems, but from techs butchering the heck out of the radios. Soldering is an art, not a skill, either you can do it, or you cant.

*Must be able to use hot air station - Most (if not all) Moto radios use surface mount chips and components. Using an iron on these destroys the boards/components. It happens very often, and we end up junking the radios due to death by butchering.

*Brush, Brush, Brush - A simple task that is often missed, the flux residue left behind after soldering must be cleaned. Radios can actually become "dead" (non functional) due to flux shorts, and it ends up causing problems down the time line for the radio if left uncleaned.

*Use Genuine Moto Parts - And this is generally encuraged by Moto, because generic components cause problems, been there, seen that too many times. Yes, some Moto parts are way to much $$$, but when you offer a warranty, you want the radio to last.

*Common sense - This will CYA more often than anything else, common sense and electronics goes a long ways.

If you have excellent soldering skills, and a very good knowledge of electronics, then MSS will be a waste of time, as the well knowledgeable electronics person will not gain anything from thier teachings, other than a certificate that allows your shop to be a MSS repair facility (and maybe a few other legal Moto things).

You also have to have a true passion for electronics to do repairs. You can't just be "I just need the skills to do this" person, in all of the students in the classes I have been through, those ones are the ones that always struggled. Electronics is not for everybody.

Installations - Be ready for anything. Installing stuff into cars, towers, schools, law enforcement departments, water towers, radios have many uses and locations. You may be asked if you can fix/install odd-ball stuff as well. Generally if you don't want to take on something, you can point the customer to somewhere else.

In my honest opinion, the comm shop idea you had (getting a mobile unit, or "van", and being a mobile programming service + sales) I don't think will work out, at least, with the expirences I have had with customers goes.

There is just so much more involved to it that what seems to be on the outside, and I don't even know all of the things myself, but am getting introduced to them as time goes on (I may be the future owner of the business, as I am the only one there whos half the age of everyone else), and I am still not sure if its a task I would want to endure.

Oh, and for the note, you will also have to deal with the many shinanagans Moto puts you through, such as their "monkey" workers in the shipping department, the new Depot location, which is a total joke.

The cost is also great, I'd estimate costs for 1 tech's equipment to be about $30k+, then you have to deal with the building and other costs associated with the business, as well as employees.

If you really want to go this route, I highly recommend doing what others have already mentioned, get a job with a comm shop, so you can be familiar to the operations of such a business. Not only will you be getting a paycheck, but you will be getting "free" previews to whats involved in such a business.

OT: I noticed that ISCET was posted below. Thats one great way to see if you have the ability to have a potential career in radio repair. I scored 97.5%, but on average, I use probably only 40% of the topics for radio repair, but in any case, it covers a broad area in electronics, and also, if passed, gives you the paper to give you more qualifications.

It does cost (I believe it was $75), and you will have to go to a testing facility, however, there should be free practice exams, and for the note, the real test is nothing like the practice exams, so be sure you can answer the questions by actually doing them, not from memory.

I know that was a lot of reading, but thats my general thoughts on the subject, because I too have thought of the idea.