What is a cordless barcode scanner?

Barcode readers have been around for many years. They started as dedicated devices plugged into special ports, usually for dedicated computers, such as those used for point of sale. Then they became available as "wedge readers", so named because they were connected between the keyboard and the computer (system unit). Most readers now use the USB interface to connect the to the computer. Tethered barcodes are fine, they work well, with only the minor inconvenience of the cable.

Cordless barcode scanner LS4278 Symbol Technologies

A fairly recent innovation is the cordless scanner. This is functionally equivalent to the tethered barcode scanner, except - you guessed it, no cord. The handheld scanner part is linked by radio to its base station, which in turn connects to the computer. The base station provides communication, but also doubles as a charging station.
Cordless scanners were first introduced for receiving operations, where the user had the convenience of walking around a pallet to find the barcodes. But the convenience of not having a cord has caused this to become the scanner of choice in all applications. As a second benefit, the removal of the cord significantly improves reliability, as cord failure is the most common form of failure for tethered scanners.

First Impressions

The scanner has a nice feel to it. It is comfortable to use. The decoding is good, and range adequate for its intended use. It managed to decode good barcodes easily, and managed many that were out of specification. Battery life is good.

Setup

We found it easy to set up - but treat that comment with caution. This is all we do. If this is your first time in setting up one of these scanners, the many settings can be confusing. SageData always test and set up these scanners before shipping to our clients. It is our job to make your life easy.

Range

This is nearly always the first question, and perhaps the correct answer is "why do you ask". There is no feedback on the unit itself, so the user should be in range of a monitor to confirm that scans are registering correctly. The point of the cordless feature is more for convenience than to enable long range reading. But for those that want to know, the unit can work comfortably to thirty feet or more. At this range, one has to shout to be heard saying "yes, it got that one, try further back..."

Scanning without wires

Great for convenience and reliability. No cables to wear out.

Pros

Convenience and reliability

Cons

No feedback, except from the computer monitor. Cost - roughly twice as much as a tethered scanner.

Recommendations

We strongly advocate this as the preferred option. It may at first appear as an extravagance over the conventional tethered scanner, but we promise, once you have tried it, you won't want to go back. Recommended.

Questions?

Call Doreen Wallace or Trinity Joseph at 613 225 4404, or email to info@sagedata.com

For more information, or to ask a detailed question, contact SageData directly.

To reach us by phone from Ottawa, dial 613 225 4404
To reach us by phone from outside Ottawa, dial 1-888-838-1067

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