DN400 LTE PoC Two-way Radio Review

What's in the box?

So what's in the box? First of all there's a quick start user guide. This wireless handset DN495 4G LTE PoC radio; obviously you get a radio in the box, there is a really big battery and a desktop charger. There is also a power supply and of course you get an antenna as supplied to all Entel radios that you might buy.

General Description:

The Entel DN495 is a small but very robust two-way radio that has these incredible features so let's take a closer look at some of those features and benefits; here's the dn-400 series radio which is part of Entel's push to talk over cellular that's PoC Wi-Fi solution. The DN-400 4G LTE Wi-Fi PoC two-way radios operate on national cellular networks; they combine this with the simplicity of traditional PTT operation and the two-way DN-400 radios deliver a significant step forward in capability and user benefits. There is a smartphone app, radio gateway, and dispatcher option, all available that add even more flexibility to this radio; some of those features are optional but this radio is small, it fits well in your hand, it has a really strong belt clip so you can put it on your belt, and it has a very large battery.

What's Special About PoC Radios?

What's really great about PoC radios is practically unlimited range; the DN-400 two-way radios deliver instantaneous PTT calling over cellular and Wi-Fi networks and Entel's multi-network unsteered roaming sim offers the very best network access and coverage. There is a small charge for the use of SIM calling but it's not particularly expensive for what you get.

There are no limitations on this radio and that's one of the great things of the DN400 series, they enable your workforce to carry a practically unlimited number of simultaneous calls - you can have multiple simultaneous calls; in fact those calls can be to almost anywhere in the world. The dn-400 series radios or virtually any 4G LTE Wi-Fi PoC radio isn't uhf or vhf; they don't operate in that way, they operate almost like a cell phone but there are some enhancements that aren't available on a cell phone; for example, when you first turn this radio on you will find it's not as instant as some radios, but once it's operational of course it makes no difference except the range is incredible compared to what older technology offers. The display screen is as clear as a bell and exceptionally easy to read.

We made a call to the Entel UK offices at the outskirts of the M25 and the clearest audio was so obvious on that call.

One of the great features of this DN-400 series 4G LTE Wi-Fi PoC radio is that you don't need a radio license and because of how it works we've got no interference either and best of all you won't suffer channel interference from all the regular radio users.

This Entel radio is pure digital of course; they're also cost effective because there's no need for your own expensive infrastructure; this radio has simple pricing options and they're especially attractive when compared to traditional two-way radio systems. The radio is ready to go straight out of the box; one of the features of this radio is that the software inside the radio gets instantaneous updates - the radios are updated and programmed over the air instantly no matter where the handset is so you can depend on always being on the latest operating system and the latest firmware and all the features and benefits that using current software brings.

Cross Platform Communications:

The Entel 400 series utilizes cross-platform communications; that sounds a bit technical but let me explain, they form part of a solution that can unify mobile communications. The products in the range include a pc dispatcher app, smartphone app, and radio gateway which allows connections with existing radio systems so you can use regular radios and everyone can talk together at the press of a button. Importantly, the communications on the dn-400 series is secure and resilient; this device uses an Entel service that utilizes AES 256 encryption to ensure the highest level of privacy and data security and Entel servers are locally hosted; for example Entel's EU server is hosted in a UK tier 3 plus data center with further remote backup servers so at all times it's a very secure system it's one of the reasons why LRS UK have chosen this product to sell, they offer a lot for a little.

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Talk to Customer Services:

If you speak to any of our Entel sales experts they can guide you through every feature of this radio and all Entel products, with every benefit as well and get the radio that you need whether it be this one or a different Entel product. We also supply many other brands. Simply call 01782 537000 and speak to one of our LRS Entel professionals now. The fact is that LRS UK sells this product into health and safety and emergency types of operations. As standard the DN-400 series supports emergency buttons, loan worker, and man down with automatic transmission of the radio's GPS location; it's a very useful device for anything where health and safety and emergency systems are required on site.

There are so many features on this radio but what we at LRS about this radio is the aspect that it's extremely robust; you can just feel that it's a quality product.

The Warranty:

The warranty is a two-year warranty period and that's important because we like to see our customers benefit from a warranty that isn't a one-year warranty or isn't one of these warranties that's not very good; The Entel warranty is exceptional and if you wanted to have a longer warranty Entel can help you with that because in addition to the standard two-year warranty Entel's optional three to five year comprehensive maintenance service also covers accidental damage, and you know what it can be like with radios if you currently operate them - they have a tough operational life.

More Features:

Other features include a presence check; what that means if required, the DN400 radios can be configured to indicate which users are actually online and available now. There is crystal clear audio; the audio output volumes are quite incredible in this 400 series and is actually three watts output; you won't find a radio other than Entel and with 3 watts audio it's one of the loudest radio series available and perfect for where high audio is essential.

Some Accessories:

There is a comprehensive range of high quality Entel accessories available, from covert earpieces, to bone conductive and Bluetooth options; so if you want to use the Bluetooth earphones there's no problem. One of the problems you can get with LTE PoC radios is what is called a call latency problem and that's really all about delays but Entel's radios apps, the servers, and the Sims, have all been optimized to deliver core latency times that are equivalent to DMR radio systems so if you use the older type of radio systems whether you know digital you wouldn't really notice any difference between the latency.

Fast Deployment:

Another great thing about the 400 series radios is you can use rapid deployment techniques to get them installed on site to wherever you need quickly; the DN-400 radios can be deployed anywhere in just a few hours; these are perfect for applications such as highway maintenance, events, logistics, you name it. The DN400 series has got a contact list on-board and it's greater than a thousand entries so you're not going to run out of contact space anytime soon.

Waterproof Use?

The DN400 series are submersible; these handsets can operate in up to two metres deep in water for up to four hours; you will find if you check that's one of the best submersible tests that you will find from most makers. It's IP68 on this radio but the whole series is also built to a military specification so you know you're getting a product that is really designed to be robust; the military standard used is to mil-std-810 C D E F and G.

About the Batteries:

Batteries and their operation is an area that a lot of radios suffer with problems but these particular Entel batteries are lithium-ion batteries; they don't suffer from memory loss like metal hydride type of batteries do (often found in cheap inferior competitive products). These batteries will give you a substantial amount of time of operation and there are two models of battery available; there's a CNB 420e which is 1350 milliamperes per hour that gives up to about 11 hours worth of use but there is another longer life battery, a CNB 450e which will give you 2000 milliamperes and operates for up to 17 hours of radio use so quite extensive improvement from just a simple battery upgrade.

Key Feature Summary:

The key features of this radio can be summed up as follows: it's compact and rugged, ip68, submersible, it has outstanding battery endurance and these batteries won't fade away anytime soon, there's three watts of audio output, in fact the loudest in its class, there's built-in GPS and Bluetooth, there's AES256 encryption as standard on this radio, there's OTA or over-the-air programming and updates free, practically unlimited range, practically unlimited simultaneous calls, there's high contrast white on black OLED display - in fact the same display as in many other Entel radios. There's no expensive license fees or infrastructure with this radio - pay a small fee and away you go. It works right out of the box.

Here at LRS UK we're very selective in what types of radio and what brands of products we sell; all too often there are for sale radios, no brand radios - if there is a warranty problem on those types of products then those generally have to be sent back to China with no UK representative or support and that's not really what LRS wants to offer its customers.

We're Fully Authorised

We pride ourselves in being an authorized dealer for Entel and selling products that are of the standard that we would buy ourselves, let alone offer to our customers; we love the warranties we love the robustness of the Entel range because they offer ATEX and lots of other radios too so if you want to learn more about any of the Entel radios and the DN400 series do call LRS UK on 01782 537000 where we have employed experts in this field to help you whatever your enquiry or problem. We are always happy to speak to customers whether you're buying or you're not buying or you just want some advice. We look forward to talking with you soon.