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/diy/ - Do It Yourself

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1500567 No.1500567 [Reply] [Original]

Any commercial radio fags out there?
I've been installing radio equipment, trouble shooting, and programming. For the last year now. Just wondering if this is a good job choice. I technical high school training in electronics tons of radio certifications. Should I keep working in this trade, go to college, or find a better paying electronics based job?

>> No.1500620

>>1500567
Limited ceiling in terms of income.

Possibly become an electrician? Then with your radio background you could specialize with a big company or do your own thing. Fat cash.

Not having a dual ticket is like becoming a drywaller. Shit job, low wages, and half the guys that stick around are mental midgets with no future anyways.

>> No.1502006
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1502006

Work for major police dept or better yet a sheriffs office. The radio guys in my dept make 80k a year and do basically nothing, they’ll never be fired cause the county literally relies on them way too much, it’s the one part of our budget that has never been cut

>> No.1503214
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1503214

>>1500567
It's a liveable wage. Decent money for something more interesting than a desk job.

>>1500620
>Limited ceiling in terms of income.
This, but you can make a living on it.
>electrician
Should have some of that skill anyways. Both AC and DC circuits, as well as automotive.

>big company or do your own thing. Fat cash.
Contracting can be decent money, but it's a lot of work too. Not only do you have to be a technical jack-of-all-trades, but factor in accounting/adminstrative/sales/marketing duties too. Starting your own company adds in HR, employee, and commercial space duties.

Cellular and broadcast are where the big money is. Two-way/paging is a small niche service, and every business wants motorola performance on a baofeng budget.

>>1502006
>police dept or better yet a sheriffs office
I'd an hero before I went this route.
I know it varies state to state, jurisdiction to jurisdiction, who builds out/maintains the equipment and backhaul... but no way would I want to work with a local agency again.

>> No.1503849

>>1503214
Think what prev anon was (correctly) implying, an actual qualification as electrician is gold worth - not even 'running your own co', just working as freelancer etc. I do/did lot of stage tech and AV work, could have got into some very cushy numbers with broadcasters and sheeit. Cannot, as no Electrician Quali (employer needs it to be insurance covered 100% etc) - despite the fact its 95%+ nothing more than plugging or pulling some (admittedly, large) plugs.
tldr, trust me, that (get Qualified) is some fucking sound advice.

>> No.1503856

>asking 4chan for career advice

kek my dude

>> No.1503930

>>1502006
this. police, sheriff, or state patrol. i've seen these jobs advertised occasionally. looks pretty sweet

>> No.1504776

>>1500567
What kinda phone is that on the far right top? I can't find it on the Moto site.
Looks old school, dumb phone dumb, and bad ass.

>> No.1504799
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1504799

>>1504776
SL7550. DMR-only radio designed for hospitality (hotel/restaurant) and educational facilities where a radio is too "industrial-looking".

They're not bad, but they're low-power, DMR-only (no analog, so no interop with legacy systems), and the battery life kinda sucks.
SL300's have a little more power, dmr+analog, and much better battery life, for about the same price.

>> No.1507382

bump