2 way radio advice

ive got a chance to install about 30 2-way radios. i think they are all motorola brand. ive never installed a 2-way radio, but plenty of other 12v work. so i have a few questions about the installs. heres what i know so far. the radios only take a power, ground, and  antenna. all radios have been programmed with the right frequency needed( or so im told). all vehicles will need an antenna. so heres my questions:

1. how do i know what type of antenna is needed( i think i have a supplier for these unless someone has a suggestion).

2. how do i know if they have been pre-programmed with the right frequency, if not do they need to be programmed by computer software and the appropiate cable. i think they are only going to use 2 channels.

3. is there different types of antenna for different ranges and/or frequencies.

4. what is the going rate for a basic 2-way install with no hitches( i usually charge about $35 for a stereo + kit and harness). some will be in road graters and backhoe tractors.

5. is there any special tools needed such as power meters, crimpers...

6. is there anything else i need to know about 2-way radios?

thats all i can think off for now, but im sure there will be more! thanks in advance!

thanks alot i hope i get the chance to do this job. its something i havent done before.

how would you choose the gain does it matter the physical size of the antenna. theres alot of mountains, and they want them to work thruought our county, which is prettty spread out.

i cant emphasise enough the importance of the earth of the antenna to the vehicle - a good earth and VSWR can make the difference betweent the installation working and not working. as always in any 2 way radio installation the antenna is always the most important part of the installation.

a little tip to ensure that your Ae (antenna) has a good earth is to make sure the teeth of the base of the Ae make good contact with the chassis/body of the vehicle - use a dremel or something similar to grind away the primer/paint of the vehicle on the underside of the antenna location.

looks like i start tomorrow on 15 units. so i think i got it heres what i understand so far.

to choose the right ant i need to know the frequency their on. i know thres 2 frequencies an old one and a new one.  ill probably be using unity gain ant.

do i need an swr meter, do the ant need to be tuned or are they plug and play. i know one guy that got one of the new radios and plugged it into the old radios location and it did not transmit or receive, so im thinking the 2 channels are not on the same ant. and no one seems to know the channels i need to know.

do you know what type of antenna (Ae)? Make/Model ?

if its a standard whip then it only needs cutting/trimming to length for the relevant frequency.

ideally you should have a VSWR meter but they can be expensive and if your not doing it all the time it may not be worth you investing in one.

if you have a fluke/multimeter set it to tones and make sure there is no contact between the centre pin and outer sheathing of the Ae co-ax/feeder.

do you know the actual frequencies. i can supply you witha  formula to work out the correct 1/4 wave length that the Ae should be.

hope it goes well, Paul

ok so far so good. but i got a question for you guys. 6 done and working so far.

i was told that the whip should not bottom out in the coil. it should touch and be pulled up slightly then tightened. is this true, so far i have put the whip touching the center of the coils and have had no problems. i was told it could burn out the radios if its touching.

another question is there anything that could happen to "burn out" a 2-way radio? i actually found 3 that were already connected on the 24 volt side of a tractor that didnt transmit then connected to the proper 12 volt side and worked perfect( so far).

if the antennas have to be grounded how does a magnetic ant. get a proper ground?

so does leaving the ant, the length it come from the factory, affects its far range. i tried one radio today about 30 miles away and didnt get any reception. will it make a difference on the far range if the ant is not trimmed. what else can be done fo further range?

what should the average range of radios(45 watts) in the 154.??? range be? 

will a radio shack swr meter help for tuning not sure what type of connections on a radio shack meter but i need one with mini uhf connections.