Hytera - PD7 Radio Handset

Long Range Systems UK or LRS UK has been selling the Hytera brand of radios for many years; this short review is all about the PD7 series ATEX intrinsically safe DMR handheld radio; it comes in two models, the PD715ex and the PD795ex and for this short review we will be discussing the PD795ex uhf digital radio, although many features exist on all models in the series.

Let's open the box and take a look at what's supplied when you buy one: you get a very nice owner's manual, the radio itself, an antenna, a clip, a strap, a battery, and your unit will also include a MCU R rapid rate charger that is a desktop model; the supplied strap can be fitted to the radio so you can hold the radio securely and the clip fits on the back of the radio with two screws; the antenna simply screws on the top of the radio and the main battery is a BL-1807-ex - it's 1800 milliampere per hours so 13.3 watt hours; it's powerful battery and is fitted in a way that ensures security of the battery to the radio which is really important for any ATEX type of radio. Buy the Hytera PD7 Now

So let's examine closer this Hytera two-way radio: First of all on the right hand side there's a port that is used for communication for headphone and microphone that can be secured in place; if you're not using that there is a sealing plate for the port provided. The radio comes in two formats; there's a PD715ex and a PD795ex; the PD715x is virtually the same except that there's no keypad or screen; it's a very robust radio as you might imagine for an ATEX radio and although it's pretty weighty (we'll come back to the weight in a moment) it has a powerful battery; there's a PTT on the left side with a couple of extra buttons at the top; there is the important man down button. On the top also is an on and off and we can change channels with this channel select button at the top also; this is an introduction only so you can get an idea of what this radio is really like.

Before we proceed, let's consider the ATEX compliance. The ATEX gas protection is as follows: II 2 G Ex lb IIC T4. The dust protection is as follows: II 2 D Ex lb IIIC T120 degrees C and the ATEX protection for mining application is: I M2 Ex ib I.

So an overall view of this radio is that while it's heavy it's very robust; it's going to stand up to a lot of abuse which could happen for ATEX type of radios - they're used in very very harsh environments most often.

Let's consider some of the features and functions of this series of ATEX two-way radios. There are various operating modes of this radios that can be chosen between conventional analogue or digital radio DMR as well as MPT XBT and DMR trunked radio; there are versatile voice calls, individual calls, group calls, broadcast calls, and emergency calls; there are GPS functions for retrieving and sending location data; there are data services, text messages, group text messages, and control, with the radio via API. Various analogue dialing methods are available; there's HDC1200 DTMF two-tone and five-tone dialing; there's a squelch procedure tone called CTCSS/CDCSS; there are a number of supplementary services like radio check, remote monitor, call alert, and radio disable will enable there's a menu of languages available on the pd795ex but not on the pd seven one five ex there's one touch functions including text messages, voice calls, and supplementary services. There is a scanning facility; there's automatic cell reselection or roaming, IP multi-site systems, secure encryption with encryption algorithm ARC 4; it's encryption is 40 bit in accordance with DMRA or with optional algorithms AES128 and AAS256 that's 128 and 256 bit.

Long Range Systems UK employs a number of experts at hand on 01782 537000 for all enquiries regarding Hytera radios of whichever model and we have experts for the ATEX specialized range as well you can also find other information about Hytera two-way radios on our website at hyteraradios.co.uk which is not operated by Hytera but it's operated by Long Range Systems UK as an introductory site to the brand. For any communications or any further information do contact our staff; that way you're going to always get a best match between the product and what you're looking for.

Let's look a bit further at the radio; this is an ergonomic product design and even in low light situations the PD795ex display is easy to see - it's a big display; the big keys and non-slip surface on both radio models ensure that they can be reliable and safely operated even when wearing gloves; a necessity for any ATEX type of radio is dust proof and waterproof and this handset certainly is in fact both models are; the two radios are resistant to water and dust in accordance with protection class IP67 they can therefore withstand a water depth of one meter for at least half an hour.

Something you can't see is that there are different digital and analog operating modes; in addition to conventional DMR radio that's DMR tier 2 an analogue radio, both radios support operation in DMR trunked radio that's DMR tier 3 via chargeable license XBT digital trunking simulcast and MPT1327 durability. Besides meeting the requirements of the European ATEX and IEC directives as well as the north American FM standard these two-way radios are compliant with military standard MIL-STD-810 C, D, E and F and G standard and are dust and water resistant to protection class IP67 both radios are therefore rugged and long-lasting to keep up with operations in a tough condition - it's a fail-safe design.

The use of batteries or accessory components with a lower level of protection automatically triggers an alarm so that errors of this type can't occur; a full intrinsically safe accessory portfolio is available to improve user experience. This radio series is built up to a standard and there is meticulous encapsulation of both the radios and the batteries are encapsulated so that all internal switches are protected against hazardous explosive gases and dust particles; this screen has a high strength LCD protective cover that's on the PD795ex because the PD715ex doesn't have a screen; the high strength LCD protective cover is extremely scratch resistant and can even withstand being struck by a one kilogram hammer - this is what you call tough, extremely robust.

The patented battery locking system ensures that if the radio falls onto a hard surface the battery cannot just simply detach; there's an integrated GPS as standard - the integral GPS module means that both radios are able to send location data to a dispatcher system; dispatchers can evaluate this information and use functions such as geo geofencing, radio localization, and GPS tracking to improve safety and well-being. Like many products these days the software is upgradable. Upgradable software future proofs your purchase and enables further updates.

Access enhanced encryption on high tier DMR trunking tier 3 via chargeable licenses as well as GPS location services; both radios have lone worker and man down and emergency mode to help safeguard the workforce; it's a very important aspect these days and particularly in the UK because some of the fines are in tens of millions of pounds - and ensuring staff are safe everyone has to be involved.

So let's mention a few other specifications of this radio: it can be VHF or UHF; the supported operating modes have already been mentioned; there's a channel capacity variance between the PD715ex and the PD795ex; for the PD715ex there are 16 and for the PD795ex there are 64 with a maximum of 256 channels; in each there are 64 zones with a maximum of 16 channels for each zone the channel spacing is 12.5 or 20 or 25 kilohertz for analogue and for digital it's 12.5 kilohertz; The standard battery is 1800 milliamps per hour and the battery life of the PD715ex is approximately 17 hours digital and 14 hours if using it in analogue mode; while the PD795ex is approximately 15 hours operation in digital and 13 hours in the analogue mode; this unit weighs 1.7 kilograms. Just for information about the number of programmable keys on the PD715ex there are three but on the PD795ex there are five plus the number keys; both units have a transmission power of one watt; importantly the nominal audio power output is half a watt;

Warranty is always important and it offers customers extra value for money; if you have a radio that let's say you bought from eBay or Amazon and bought one of those cheap Chinese radios that doesn't have proper certification what warranty would you get with the product like that? it probably would be zero because returning it back to its origin might be difficult.

In the case of Hytera it has a two year warranty and LRS UK will handle that warranty for you if you get any problems we're here to help. LRS UK can offer great pricing for any repairs and we'll handle everything for you; we can be contacted on 01782 537000 or you could visit our website at hyteraradios.co.uk that's operated by LRS UK but it's purely an introductory website for customers that are not familiar with Hytera radios. However, it's always better to contact one of our experts at LRS UK; we have experts for Hytera equipment specifically that can help you to match the radio that you're looking for to the sector of business that you're currently operating in.

So, in summing up the PD715ex and the PD795ex handheld radios. Both are compliant with the open ETSY standard for DMR compliance with the European ATEX directives; the FM standard, the IEC standard; as well as its impressive robust design; guaranteed reliable communication even in hazardous environments where explosive gases and combustible dust are likely to occur we can recommend this radio. In fact we can recommend Hytera among some of the best radios we sell and we sell lots of different brands of course. We always try and match the radio to the client's purpose and needs exactly. Don't forget you can call us on 01782 537000 and speak to one of our Hytera experts who are waiting for your call right now.