What is an LMR Radio?

• Your license covers repeaters.
• You are licensed for repeater channels.
• This can be included in your initial FCC application and a frequency coordinator can help assist to confirm you have the correct license for your needs.

• Make sure that the audio knob has been adjusted to a comfortable level for you. If the audio is faint, you may need to simply turn up the volume to be able to understand what's being received.

• If the speaker has become damaged, is failing, or has failed, this can impact reception of audio. Check if the speaker sounds distorted, or if you're unable to get any sound on any channel or the Weather (Performa 450 Only.) If your keytones are not disabled, try pressing buttons and listen for audio cues. If voice prompts are enabled, changing channels or adjusting settings should cause the radio to clearly indicate the setting that is being manipulated. If you cannot hear the keytones or voice prompts when they are enabled, your speaker may be damaged, and the radio may need to be replaced.

• The microphone is located beneath a small opening on the face of the radio (see our Features & Reference Guide for a visual depiction.) Ensure that the microphone's opening is not blocked with dirt or debris. Please do not insert anything into the microphone opening to clean it out. Instead, use a dry cotton swab or a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol to gently swab over the opening to clear out any build-up or debris.

• If you are using an earpiece or other external accessory, try unplugging it and plugging it back in to see if that improves the audio quality. It may be that the accessory simply wasn't fully seated properly. If that does not resolve the issue, try using the radio without the accessory. If the audio improves without the accessory, consider trying the accessory on another known good radio. If the accessory works on the other radio, you may have a damaged accessory port on the radio with reception or transmission issues. 
• You can also try another known good accessory on the radio an see if the result improves. If using another known good accessory improves the audio, the original accessory may be at fault.
• You can see a list of compatible accessories for the Performa radios at our Accessories Page (link)

• You may be outside of the range of the other radios. While LMR is capable of supplying a 2-Watt signal, range is a factor in even the best of circumstances and several things can affect the range of your radio. Please see our article on understanding range in handheld radios.
• Monitor Mode will temporarily defeat the filtering on the radio at the cost of battery life. Turning off the filtering will allow weaker signals through; however, they may still be distorted or staticky due to other considerations involving range and obstacles.
• Please note that Monitor Mode affects incoming transmissions only and will not affect your outgoing transmission strength. The radio transmits at no more than 2-Watts, per FCC regulations.

• While the LMR frequencies are generally set aside for Land Mobile Radio usage, other broadcasting devices can drift into the spectrum of nearby frequencies and cause interference. The only way to deal with these signals is to eliminate the interference, either by removing the interfering device or moving away from its range of influence.

• If there are many users on the same channel/frequency, you may need to change channels, if possible, to clear up the audio issues that can be brought about by overcrowding the channel. The Performa 400 has up to 2 channels to choose from, while the Performa 450 has up to 6 channels.
• Please note that making use of Privacy Codes will not address issues due to overcrowding.

• If your radio has not been charged in a while, and the power level is low, the radio may not be able to fully capture all incoming signal and may not be able to utilize the full 2-Watts of output power afforded to it. If you have fully charged backup batteries, swap to one of those and see if your audio issues are resolved. You can also charge the radio in its charging Dock and check again if that improves your range.

• Make sure that your antenna is not clear of blockages and is functioning correctly.
• Do not touch the antenna while the radio is powered on! See the manual for more information.
• Do not tape or otherwise cover the antenna physically.
• Inspect the antenna to ensure that it is straight and that the casing has not become compromised with cracks or other damage that could expose the internals of the antenna. If the antenna is damaged, loose, or altogether missing, discontinue using the radio immediately and seek a replacement.

Battery Seating & Removal

• Battery Seating
  • The battery will only seat one way, do not attempt to force the battery into place.
  • Make sure that the battery is fully seated and properly sealing with the latch in place.
    • If the latch is not engaged, seating the radio in the belt clip may not apply enough pressure to keep the battery contacting properly.
    • Engage the latch if possible.
    • If the latch is broken, the radio may need to be replaced.
• Removing the Battery
  1. Remove the radio from its belt clip by pushing the lanyard tab behind the channel knobs away from the radio and pulling the belt clip down away from the body of the radio.
  2. Turn the radio upside down and undo the latch.
     WARNING! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO UNSCREW THE SLOTTED CONTACT POINT ON THE BATTERY; THIS IS NOT A SCREW HEAD; IT IS PART OF THE BATTERY!
  3. Once the latch is unfastened the battery should come away freely as long as the radio is not in its belt clip.

Battery Condition

• Batteries can fail over time, and it may be necessary to fully replace the battery if it will not hold a charge for the expected use scenarios (see the manual or our Features & Reference Guide for battery charge expectations) or cannot support quality reception or transmission.

• Your Performa radio can charge either via the drop-in Dock or via the USB-C cable port. If you're having trouble charging with one method, try the other to determine if the problem is in the radio itself, or with the accessory you're using.
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• USB-C Charging
  • If you're unable to charge via USB-C, try the radio's included Dock and see if it will charge by placing the radio in the Dock with the Dock connected to a known good source of power.
  • If you're able to charge with the Dock but not the USB-C port, try different charging cables if you're able, and different power sources.
  • If known good cables and power sources do not allow the radio to charge via USB-C, then the USB-C port may be damaged.
  • Check that there is no debris inside the radio's USB-C port, and that the center contact pin has not become bent, or damaged. If the radio's USB-C port is damaged, the radio may need to be replaced.
• Dock Charging
  • If you're unable to charge via your drop-in Dock, the issue may be related to the Dock, the Dock's power cable, or the radio itself. To determine which, please try the following:
  • Check that your power source is outputting power as expected. USB-C power is typically 5 Watts and 3 Amps; however, the radio can charge with as little as 1 Amp.
  • Check that your USB-C cable is carrying power as expected. You can unplug from the USB-C cable from the bottom of the Dock and plug it into the radio to test. If the radio's LED indicator turns solid red (charging) or green (battery charged), the cable is working as expected.
  • Check that your USB-C cable is plugged into the USB-C port on the bottom of the Dock firmly.
  • Inspect your USB-C cable for damage. Exposed wiring, cuts in the sheath, hard angles in the cord, stretching and cracking of the sheath can all indicate that the cable is not safe to use or will not function reliably.
  • Check that your battery is seated on the back of the radio. If the radio is not inserted in the battery, or not inserted properly, the radio will not charge.
  • Seat the radio firmly in the Dock. The radio should fit with or without the belt clip. The radio will be easier to seat in the Dock with the belt clip on. If the belt clip is off, take care to line up the guides on either side of the Dock with the slots on the sides of the radio. The radio should be facing away from the battery charging port at the back of the Dock where the cable is routed. Ensure that the radio is sitting upright and that the Dock is on a level surface.
  • Try removing the battery from the radio and charging just the battery itself in the rear slot of the Dock for the battery. The battery will fit in the slot only one direction, and the charging contacts need to be oriented downward to make contact with the charging pins in the rear.
  • If the radio is charging in the Dock, the left LED indicator will illuminate.
  • If the battery is charging in the Dock, the right LED indicator will illuminate.

• While the Performa radios are rated for IP67 and are MIL 810H Drop Rated, the radios still need to be cared for and maintained. Clean the radios with a soft cloth regularly to ensure that dirt and debris does not build up on or around the radio's controls, knobs, battery contacts and the ports.

• Check that you're getting a click from the volume/power knob when you turn it. The knob needs to go past the point of resistance to turn on the radio. If you're having difficulty turning the volume/power knob, try using a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol and swab around the base and see if there is any kind of dirt or debris build-up that you can remove that may be preventing the knob from turning freely.

• Check the Battery section above for advice on troubleshooting the battery and charging infrastructure of the radio.

• It may be that the radio is misconfigured, or that the programming did not apply correctly, or the device may simply need a firmware update. Please have your administrator consult our Programming Guide for updating and reprogramming the radio.