To hire two-way communication, body-worn camera, metal detectors or crowd control equipment please contact us directly with your requirements and we will help you.

1. Please check our HIRE tab at the top of the screen to find out which equipment we have on hire.
2. Fill out and submit the Hire Form on our website.
3. You will receive your contract to be signed electronically from your computer or any smart mobile device.

You do not need to have your own licence when hiring your radios from us as you will be covered by Light of Night’s business licence.
Therefore, you can start using your radios straight away without having to fill in any licensing paperwork and without any delays.

All two-way communication radios on hire from Light of Night are being programmed free of charge before delivery.
To avoid any interferences with any other radios we have on hire near your site, our technician will need to know the area where they will be used.

You can hire the equipment as long as you wish to.
We have event and monthly hire agreements. Should you hire for an event with fixed dates and need to extend, you can easily do so. All you need to do is to contact us to extend the period.

Light of Night will organise the delivery of your equipment as soon as possible after the signed contract is received and basic formalities are accomplished.
Depending on your venue’s geographical location, the type of equipment & requirements we will either send it by courier or use our own delivery service. From the same day to a couple of working
days.
We tend to hand-deliver (Light of Night’s own service) most equipment hired within the M25.
Depending on the urgency & our availability, we can deliver on the same day you place the order.
Direct delivery enables the opportunity to give you a short demonstration if required.
To avoid any disappointment, we advise our customers to book as far in advance as possible.

Standard analogue radio is going to decrease in signal the closer you get towards its maximum range, at which point, all you hear is white noise. On the other hand, digital radio is going to remain much more consistent in sound quality regardless of the distance to or from the maximum range. 

Analog Radios

Analogue radios typically allow for only one two-way conversation at a time per channel, limiting your team’s ability to collaborate and conduct private conversations.

Digital Radios

Digital two-way radios offer many advantages compared to analogue communications including, enhanced voice quality, increased radio capacity, better signal coverage and extended battery life.

Digital Radios offer many benefits vs. analogue radios:

• Better Voice Quality – Automatic error correction capabilities maintain the clarity of voice, even with background noise or a corrupted signal. 
• Greater Capacity – Exceptional bandwidth far outreaches what analogue can offer. In fact, it’s so efficient, it allows you to double the capacity of your existing 12.5kHz channel 
• Stronger Coverage – Digital performs better even at the far edges of coverage. Built-in error correction helps eliminate the static, background noise, and voice distortion that can occur with analogue radios as you reach the limits of coverage.
• Longer Battery Life – While the battery life is a challenge for all mobile devices, digital technology is much more efficient. Digital radios provide up to 40% longer battery life.

VHF stands for “Very High Frequency” 

VHF mobile radios in UK operate from 136 to 174 MHz. These frequencies are normally used for outdoor operation and in rural areas. 

VHF frequencies are mostly used in areas such as:

• Outdoor events (in parks, fields…)
• Farming
• Agriculture
• Road construction
• Maritime 

UHF stands for “Ultra High Frequency”

UHF two-way radios in UK operate from 403 to 470 MHz. These Ultra High frequencies are normally used indoors or outdoors in densely wooded areas.

UHF frequencies are mostly used in areas such as:

• Hotels
• Hospitality & entertainment (restaurants, cinemas, theatres, reception halls…) 
• Retail stores
• Schools, Universities
• Large offices 
• Healthcare, hospitals & care homes
• Factories
• Warehouses
• Construction sites

Although UHF radios are usually equipped with a short antenna (stubby), a longer antenna (Helical or Whip) can boost range for building with heavy concrete or denser building materials.

In the UK the use of any radio transmitting device is required to be either licensed or specifically exempted from licensing (such as Licence Free radios/PMR446).

Other than being used in accordance with a licence (or exemption), the use of radio equipment is illegal. Before purchasing any licensable two-way communication radios, customers are advised to request a licence.

OFCOM (Office of Communication) is the communications regulator in the UK. 

There are specific models of walkie talkies designed for businesses that operate on the licensed UHF (400 – 470MHz) and VHF (136 – 174MHz) channels and which require a licence.

If you hire your radios from us, you do not need a licence as you are covered under Light of Night’s free of charge (see our Hire section for more information).

Simple Site Light Uses – include localised voice and paging systems for sites using a base station and antenna. Return messages cannot be sent to the base station. The coverage area is required to be within the premises or perimeter of a local site, completely under the control of the licensee Typical distance covered is up to three kilometres. Cost: £75 for five years (please double-check with Ofcom) 

Simple UK Light – These systems transmit speech messages from handheld-to-handheld radio communication, anywhere in the UK, without the need for a base station. Users have shared access to a set number of frequencies and signalling tones along with all other customers who hold a Simple UK Light licence. The cost: is £75 for five years (please double check with Ofcom) 

Suppliers Light – A Business Radio Suppliers licence permits businesses such as Light of Night or any other two way communication supplier to hire out licensable radios, service & repair, demonstrate business radios to customers… (see our HIRE section for more information).

LICENCE FREE two way communication radios (PMR446)

PMR stands for Personal Mobile Radio

PMR446 refers to the UHF frequency range 446MHz and on which license-free two-way radios are permitted to operate free of charge. They can be used immediately without the need to request any kind of licence.

These Licence Free radios are however less powerful than any licensable radios as their power output is only 0.5Watts compared to 4 to 5 watts with most licensable radios. 

Licence-free walkie talkies may also experience more interference with other users on the same channel in the area. To avoid such an issue, switching channels can be a way out of this inconvenience balancing the advantage of a lower purchase price compared to licensable radios.

For more info please visit this site: https://secure.ofcom.org.uk/busrad/

Understanding mAh

The unit milliampere-hour (mAh) is generally used to describe the capacity of a battery.

It is a unit that measures (electric) power over time. It is commonly used to measure the energy capacity of a battery. In general, the more mAh and the longer the battery capacity or battery life.

A higher number means that the battery can store more energy, so it has a higher capacity. Of course, this also means longer battery life for a given usage.

Battery life: The mAh of a battery will determine how much power is stored and how long it can run. the higher the mAh, and the more energy you have in reserves.

Lithium (Li-Ion) vs Nickel–metal hydride (NiMH)

In general: Batteries have a limited life which is defined by several factors such as the number of charge/discharge cycles, storage process, environment they are used in, and level of discharge/charge. Batteries with very large numbers of charge /discharge cycles may not hold a charge as well as newer ones. This extended usage may lead to impaired product performance but does not affect the safety performance of the device.

Batteries should only be used in specified temperatures. They are designed to optimally operate at room temperature; they will operate at cold and hot temperatures, however, not optimally. 

The key difference between the lithium-ion and NiMH battery: The most obvious difference between Li-ion and NiMH batteries is the material used to store power. Lithium-ion batteries are made of carbon and highly reactive lithium, which can store a lot of energy. Nickel metal hydride batteries use hydrogen to store energy, with nickel and another metal (such as titanium) keeping a lid on the hydrogen ions.

Cost: Nickel metal hydride batteries are, right now, the less-expensive technology.

Which battery lasts longer:  lithium batteries last longer. Lithium batteries are known for stable, long-lasting and reliable power.

Weight: Lithium batteries are usually lighter as well as smaller in weight as compared to NiMH batteries

Power & Discharge: Li-ion and NiMH batteries can actually hold a similar amount of power, but the lithium-ion cells can be charged and discharged more rapidly. Lithium batteries have lower self-discharge as compared to NiMH batteries. They can endure more charge and discharge cycles. As a result, they feature longer shelf lives.

Li-Ion batteries recharge quite much faster as compared to NiMH batteries. However, if a Li-ion battery gets fully discharged, it will be damaged Compared to the Nimh battery which can be brought down to 0 charge & will still charge (just don’t let them suffer from reverse polarity, or else they will be damaged). In general, batteries should not be allowed to deep discharge.

Motorola IMPRES battery: 

It is a smart battery technology that is designed to lengthen battery life and maximize talk time. 

With automated power management, IMPRES delivers accurate information on every battery in your fleet.  IMPRES batteries can be charged 150 times more than standard batteries and gives a 43% increase in charge cycles.

YES! Radios ordered from Light Night will be programmed FREE of charge at the time of the order. 

We will need your frequencies details so, please contact us to share them with us.

Any radios needing programming will incur a delay in the delivery due to the extra work needed.

Please open this PDF file for instructions.

If you decide to hire our radio equipment, we will provide a demonstration Monday to Wednesday if possible. Should you decide to purchase our equipment, we will be able to help you if you are based in London West End.

Light of Night endeavours to deliver your on-hire products ordered before 12 noon Monday to Friday, within 24 hours in London within the M25 depending on stock availability, emergency & requirements.  

Purchased items will be dealt with on the same day if ordered before 2 pm Monday to Friday & not require programming.  

If your delivery address is located in London West End, we may be able to deliver on the same day for an emergency delivery (please contact us for emergency delivery) depending on stock availability & configuration required.

To mainland UK address, Light of Night also uses a third-party express delivery service & items are usually delivered within 48 to 72 working hours.

Deliveries to some Scottish Highlands, Islands and Northern Ireland postcodes may take 1 extra day. 

Depending on the demand for some products, the stock may be limited & may need to be ordered from the manufacturer once you place your order. This can bring to extra delivery delays. Please rest assured that at Light of Night, we are always trying our best to minimise your waiting time.

Our dedicated delivery team is working Monday to Saturday days and nights. So, should you require an emergency delivery during unsocial hours within the M25, it should not be a problem for us as far as we do have the item in stock? However, depending on the quantity order you may be charged extra.