Seeking info about renting out a Moto DLR1060/110 fleet

[Stripes]

Hello internet.

 

I'm a staff member at a organized convention and we have our event about once a year and its a good considerable size. Instead of having to pay the FCC for our own frequencies for such a short time, Im looking to use motorola's DLR 1060 and 110 radios for a cheep, license free, and more secure option as they are designed for. However I would like to put the purchase of a fleet of these radios on my own tab so that I can look into renting them out for other conventions that I work with throughout the year as a way to get the fleet paid off and offer that availability for other cons to use them as needed. Since the FCC licensing shouldn't be an issue, I want to know if there is any issue with using motorola's radios like this. I tried to do my due diligence with my own online research but all im getting is software agreements ect. Any input?

 

Thanks!

[Radioguy7268]

The biggest issue with your plan (as I see it) would be actually acquiring the equipment in today's supply shortage world. DLR (and DTR) 900 MHz Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum radios are great for indoor coverage. If you're looking for some Rental Agreement boilerplate, dial up one of the major players and tell them you're interested in renting 10 or 20 radios. See what they send you (nobody says you've got to sign it & agree to the rental!)

As someone who has a fleet of UHF and VHF rentals, I can tell you that the biggest issues are #1 - dealing with someone who has actual spending authority. #2 - getting ALL the radios back after completion of the rentals. #3 - Defining the cost of replacement up front, so that there's a responsible User in charge who will represent your interests in having the radios returned in good shape.

You should also consider Gang Chargers as a necessary part of the equipment list. You'll  never untangle all the charger cords on single unit desktop chargers if you include them with a stack of rentals.

[PACNWComms]

Here on the West Coast, Day Wireless has been known to rent DTR/DLR radios at times. I have not seen a 900 MHz ISM band Motorola rental in a while though, as many people must have realized the cost and purchased them outright instead, they proliferate in cities where UHF spectrum is very congested. I still support a fleet of DTR410's for several local schools, but bought them outright as well. 

What I do see as rentals and many XPR6550 Motorola Trbo series radios, mostly in UHF band, and working for a large corporation with many contractors, get several back each month that are actually rentals. I have one at my desk now, and this particular XPR6550 was rented to Veca Electric, has the Day Wireless engraving , and when rented by a corporation, they fall under licensed spectrum of the rental company, in this case Day Wireless. You should not be paying yourself for spectrum for rental radios, rent what they have and on their license, channels, and TalkGroups when possible. Then you get a different radio, which is legal for the area you are using/renting them for......did many trade shows, oil spill responses, and training evolutions this way. Another company is Bearcom, that often rents radios. I hate to mention either one as they have "hit or miss" customer competence/service, but have stocks of rental radios. A third that has been great for sales is Used-Radios.com also known as Sunny Communications  out of Colorado. They may have rentals that will work for you on short notice. (SunnyComm would be my first call, then Bearcom, Day Wireless is just west coast - a regional company). 

[PACNWComms]

On 5/11/2022 at 4:25 AM, Radioguy7268 said:

You should also consider Gang Chargers as a necessary part of the equipment list. You'll  never untangle all the charger cords on single unit desktop chargers if you include them with a stack of rentals.

Excellent advice, it also means that those with "sticky" fingers will need to take a 6-bank charger too, instead of swiping one radio and single charger. It is common to lose one radio, but six, with a 6-bank charger?

[Stripes]

Thank you guys for the great insight! I've actually already have a small case of DLR1060s that I got for cheep (state surplus from a library) and so that's how I got my ball rolling on these but i dont have enough for what I planned to do. There does seem to be a shortage but if that's my largest curve for acquiring a fleet I need then I don't mind playing cat and mouse with it. The gang chargers are just a flat out great idea and I have 3 of those on order from ebay now. 

 

Managing the assets from being lost/stolen is concerning but since I'm working with the staff that these would go to onsite, that would give me a better advantage to support and manage them if need be. Maybe I could do a signin/signout sheet kind of thing for accountability... that's a promising idea.

 

As for the UHF/VHF rental experience, we haven't been ecstatic about what we have used before. We have tried the XTS1500's, the HT1250's and the XPR line up. And while they work as they should, we didn't feel that they were really for us. I don't have the details but I do know the coordinators are wanting to continue to try something else, and that's why I'm pitching the idea of the DLRs. I'm betting it's because of the sheer size and bulkyness that 122 radios has eaten up in con ops and shipping back and forth. But they seemed to like the DLRs from the small fiddling around we had and it's why I'm wanting to grab a full fleet. Plus if I'm the vendor, then support and customer service to them could be far easier and better since I'll likely be on site of the event anyways.