"Richard Clark" wrote in message
...
On 13 Jun 2005 10:35:40 -0700, "
wrote:


Richard has covered many of your concerns.

In terms of the rate charged, our mechanic gets about $15 per hour, while
I get $9.

With the proper tools, replacement materials, correct knowledge and a
motivated/productive worker(s) (less than your $15/hour mechanic) - you can
improve the operation of this system.

Did you know that many stereo installation workers (e.g. Best Buy, Fry's
stereo shops) and even some LMR shops make about this same wage range?
It is usually an apprentice or entry level position for LMR shops !

So, how can you make it happen?

Richard gave an excellent FIRST step
"Start by using what field medics call triage."

My Dad and Elmer's taught me 35 years ago that you need to quickly separate
the "wheat from the chaff".
Some of your "problem radios" in buses may actually be "bad radios" AND "bad
antennas". IF a radio has a shorted coax, the final RF transistors inside
the radio may have been damaged (like running an engine with no "oil
warning" light -- damage is or has occurred and you don't know it !)
There is no easy way that you will know this without diagnostic equipment.

While the repairs made to the repeater did get channel 1 working again,
it has a high static level with most but not all busses. A couple of
busses sound relatively clear, while most others are nearly
unintelligible.

While a number of problems can cause high static levels -- I would FIRST
suspect a broken shield in the antenna coax -- due to rough "installs and
reinstalls" from buses -- so that ignition noise from the bus engine is
being picked up by the radio.

Now, you still need to have a sit down conversation (for research and
business relationship purposes) with your local LMR. The purpose of this
meeting (about 30 minutes) is to introduce yourself and come away with the
following accomplishments. Something like this:

1. Establish a business relationship with the owner or manager of this
business. Who is he/she? How long in business? Did they originally install
and design this system for the company?
You just handed him a check for services -- and he/she should be happy to do
this.

2. Outline -- at a high level -- your problem, which is:
+ Due to regular replacement of buses, your staff has to remove and
install 40 radios very 12 to 24 months.

+ You have recently joined the company and discovered that the knowledge
to do this work properly has been lost (due to employee turnover).

+ The company needs to regain sufficient knowledge to perform this work at
"odd hours" or on "short notice".

+ You would like a proposal from this LMR company:
Cost to perform this changeout service per bus (at their facility OR at
your facility - likely 2 prices here) - and any discounts for guaranteed
volume of work (per bus) for a given time period.
(This service should include assurance of both the radio and antenna)

3. Ask the company if they would be willing to have 2 of your staff members
"shadow" his install technicians. I know of many LMR that are restricted
from doing this by their business insurers (similar restrictions exist for
many insurance policies at automotive and truck garages - you may have such
a restriction at your own bus garage
Your staff likely knows "buses" better than his LMR techs - and joint
knowledge may be required for proper power routing to radio and antenna
placement on the bus. No one has mentioned this - but the placement of a
UHF antenna on a large bus is a KEY DECISION for proper operation.

AFTER, you get his written or verbal proposal, I would suggest that you
propose to your management to try this out on the 2 bus radio installs - for
you suspect that there are several issues at work in those instances.

Select the worst 2 bus radios --- preferably to be removed and installed in
2 brand new buses. This is what I refer to as a "BOOT STRAP" upgrade -
taking the worst and making it the best.
NEW BUS - GOOD RADIO, POSITIVE Driver comments about these NEW BUSES -
immediate quality improvement -- easier to continue program -- you get "buy
in".

You will likely find the following reported to you by the LMR company -- as
they have the "UHF bus radios" on the bench.

1. Bad coax that needs replacing
2. New whip required for antenna or "recutting"
3. You may require "noise suppression" on the power lead from the battery
due to engine noise (e.g. spark plug, ignition system)
4. Damage or failure of the radio -- if you have no maintenance agreement --
this is break fix at a bench rate -- the alternatives are NO RADIO, FIX
RADIO or REPLACE RADIO

Lastly, although you are upgrading and changing buses on a regular schedule
(and tires) - where is the yearly budget allocation for the communication
system? Did you know that if you handle the accounting properly -- you can
include these radios in the overall capital depreciation of the buses?
IF you did not know this (kick your accountant in the ass for me) - that is
pretty basic.

Greg
w9gb