Need radios for large concrete building

I need a means of communicating with our maintenance guys inside our building complex. The complex is 3 office buildings… a 4 story, 2 story and 8 story building. The buildings are made of reinforced concrete 10" thick between floors. I need an inexpensive radio to communicate within the buildings…distance is irrelevant in that he is never more than 1/2 a block away. My concern is being able to reach him when I am in the lobby and he is on the 8th floor.

Also, price is a factor and rechargeable batteries a must. I don’t want to waste $40 on something at Best Buy but I don’t want to spend $200 a radio either.

I appreciate any recommendations…if there is anything that will fit my needs.

Thanks,

-Tim

I would look into something like this…

https://www.buytwowayradios.com/products/olympia/p324.aspx

and then you may possibly need to buy a repeater as well.

I have 25 years in the 2-way business. I seriously don’t think you can do what you want to do with a price limit of $200 each. High quality, commercial grade radios have a entry level price of $250-$300. Look at the radio as a tool to help you do a specific job. Would you try to haul a yard of concrete in a half ton truck? Of course not. A radio (or any other tool) is useless when it is broken and/or waiting to be repaired. Having the right tool for the job can save you time and money, and time is money. Right? I don’t sell radios any longer, but if I was sitting across the desk from you I would recommend the Motorola CP200 portable on UHF frequencies. I sold hundred’s of them and they proved to be a tough radio with great audio and should cover your required area.

I would recommend something like the MagOne from Motorola. Its lightweight, With a great range and relatively cheap.

Motorola Mag-One BPR40

Features & What’s Included:

Features:

  • 8 Channels
  • 2 Programmable Side Buttons
  • Small / Lightweight
  • High / Low Power

Includes:

  • NiNH 1200 mAh 7.2V Battery
  • 2 Programmable Side Buttons
  • Small / Lightweight
  • High / Low Power

BPR-40 VHF
5W, 146-174 MHz
$229.95
BPR-40 UHF
4W, 450-470 MHz
$249.95

To do it right and get the coverage I would go with a 4 or 5 watt licensed two way radio.

your best bet is motorola h750 i have gotten really good results. even in the worst conditions plus rechargeable batteries are cheap. i recommend 2 extra batteries just incase no matter what radios you get