Retail Staff Headsets

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timberwolf
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Retail Staff Headsets

Post by timberwolf »

Seems like every shop, from my local Co-op to Primark have done away with their VHF / UHF handheld radios and adopted the VoCoVo (or similar) 1800 - 1900 MHz tier 1 headsets with their limited 200m range extended by repeater boxes! Oh No ! I'll never be able to monitor their fascinating radio traffic again ! Maybe you've got a solution to how we could receive their transmissions otherwise I'll never know why Kasia wanted John to "hop on till 3 for ten minutes" or whether or not Brenda had "a sequined green floral print in a size 18 for the 'heffer' near Changing Room Two". Cheeky bitch, I'm only a size 14-16. But seriously, are these comms the lightweight retail equivalent to the army standard issue forty-eight-five-five PRR ? The guy who fixed my internet told me that the original model Baofeng UV-5R can be easily modified to RX up to 2.6GHz (now where's my screwdriver...)
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Andy
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Re: Retail Staff Headsets

Post by Andy »

I once head a supervisor at my local Tesco getting in a real state over the Salad Cream, which apparently was 'in real danger of running out. If that goes we're in trouble!' That was when they were using 449 MHz. They seem to have moved off to somewhere else now.
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Hp4kev
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Re: Retail Staff Headsets

Post by Hp4kev »

Most retail outlets are using Motorola clp446 pmr headsets
Got lots of friends n family who work in various stores
I get them to take pics of the radios/ headsets
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Mikel
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Re: Retail Staff Headsets

Post by Mikel »

Hp4kev wrote: 24 Jan 2020, 04:39 Most retail outlets are using Motorola clp446 pmr headsets
Got lots of friends n family who work in various stores
I get them to take pics of the radios/ headsets
Yes, I think your correct, some retail stores and hospitality establishments are using Motorola clp446 PMR headsets. In my experience it can vary quite a lot mind you, depending on the organisation concerned and even then, things can very often be determined at a local level.

For example my local B&Q use Beofeng 888 radios on the default frequencies that they come with out of the box (alongside their official UHF allocation), Somebody obviously thought that was a good idea!

Many organisations including Aldi, Lidl, Oasis, Smyths Toys, Woodie’s, Homebase, Booths, Haskins etc, use the Quail digital headsets I believe:

https://www.quaildigital.com/retail-headset-system.html


Some on the other hand like timberwolf stated earlier are using VoCoVo (DECT?) based systems, Wyevale Garden Centres, Jacks the Tesco spinoff, TGI Friday and Wickes to name but a few.

https://www.vocovo.com/vocovo-headsets/

Morrisons who used to be on 449 MHz are also largely using a DECT system as far as I can tell (the trolley collectors on the other hand are using analogue PMR446 in my local store).


There are also Bluetooth headset systems in use, which I am led to believe is what McDonald's are using but I am not sure how accurate that information is.

A surprising number of places are still using analogue handies, Sports Direct being one local to me that springs to mind.

I noticed the staff in my local Argos using some headsets, but I feel a bit conspicuous staring at peoples heads to try and establish what it is, ha, ha.

Maybe we could try compile a list of who uses what?
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Hp4kev
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Re: Retail Staff Headsets

Post by Hp4kev »

I think a list would be a great idea👍
Goffy
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Re: Retail Staff Headsets

Post by Goffy »

ASDA and Wilko still on 449mhz analogue in my area and a third one which i think is sainsburys but not yet got 100% positive id on that. Lidl are using the digi headsets mentioned above.
timberwolf
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Re: Retail Staff Headsets

Post by timberwolf »

Bless the door security staff! While the retail assistants all have their VoCoVo-style headsets, those poor SIA women & men only have their Baofeng 888's still set on factory frequencies. It's a damn shame : they get paid so little, get dog's abuse for trying to keep shoppers safe, while the public pass by at unsocially close range, coughing & sneezing. They deserve Motorolas (and cattle prods.).
yagiman
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Re: Retail Staff Headsets

Post by yagiman »

I noticed recently morisons hired loads of Motorola two way radios so they just be receivable not on these 1.8 MHz
But strangely seemed to of stopped using them
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Mikel
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Re: Retail Staff Headsets

Post by Mikel »

yagiman wrote: 24 Jun 2020, 10:51 I noticed recently morisons hired loads of Motorola two way radios so they just be receivable not on these 1.8 MHz
But strangely seemed to of stopped using them
Recently
Maybe its because of the Coronavirus queue system they have been setting up outside the store. I know my local Tesco superstore did the same recently to manage the queue, the trolleys, and the checkouts.

They were using 449.400 Mhz analogue, one of the Simple UK channels, whereas I had never heard any radios being used at all at the store as they were using those pesky headsets.

Seem to have gone quiet now though seen as we are getting back to normal - until we get the second wave that is, wont be long
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yagiman
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Re: Retail Staff Headsets

Post by yagiman »

I know it’s devastating I used to sneakily look at there two way radios Aswell they used GP340
I did have a conversation with a shop worker and she said use head sets instead
Coincidentally it’s the same band you mentioned
That construction sites use
Allthough no sites picked up on it for a while I’m gutted
yagiman
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Re: Retail Staff Headsets

Post by yagiman »

H
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