Tom's Tech Talk (#4): Data Paths Are Re-shaping Connectivity

As we migrate to a more digital universe, as I’ve indicated in my previous Tech Talks, Radio is usually slower to follow. What should be recognized is preplanning for systems. Just as telephone systems are changing out from Analog to Digital, so are radios. With this migration, we see implementations from Villages and corporations to provide network connectivity between buildings or facilities, whether on a campus or miles apart, data paths are reshaping connectivity.

While we have always relied on the telephone company to provide our wide area connectivity, solutions like fiber and wireless links contain a larger up front cost, but a greater return on investment. With these paths we can achieve huge bandwidths that allow us to carry voice, data and video.

Technology continues to evolve and is more mobile now than ever. First cell phones, and now Voice Over IP (VoIP), text messaging, imagery and video have changed everything, from the way the public places 9-1-1 calls, to the manner in which emergency operations centers field and respond to those calls. The Nation's current 9-1-1 system is designed around telephone technology and cannot handle the text, data, images and video that are both increasingly common in personal communications and critical to future transportation safety and mobility advances. The NG9-1-1 initiative has established the foundation for public emergency communications services in a wireless mobile society (RITA).

What is NG 9-1-1?

Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) addresses the evolution of emergency call taking in a technology-saturated world centered on Internet Protocol (IP). IP will be the foundation of NG9-1-1 for years to come. However, we must not lose sight of the present and the fact that each call center has its own unique needs. After holding Lunch & Learns in partnership with Cassidian Communciations, here we share some important things to consider going forward that can allow you to plan ahead.

    Tom's Tech Talk (#3):
What does TEAM mean for your business?

     After returning from the IWCE tradeshow in Las Vegas (earlier this year), it appears that radio platforms are starting to have the ability to merge together. At a seminar held by Motorola, they presented the Motorola TEAM product. This product, although specific in application, allows for disparate systems to link together. The intent is to have one number, one voicemail. The concept links an IP based telephone system in your office with your handheld smartphone and your radio system all together.
    

 Tom's Tech Talk (#2): Analog vs. Digital with Motorola’s MOTOTRBO

With the current evolution of technology, two way radios have been slow to change. Motorola within the last several years has developed a radio platform that will not only allow for a migration path from analog to digital, but also allow for third party developers to create software products to enhance the functionality of the system.
     Analog radio allows a user to basically push to talk and release to listen. There are variations within this that can allow users to do GPS and status messaging. These required the use of the channel to send data across it when no voice communications were present. With Motorola’s MOTOTRBO digital platform, an existing analog user can buy the repeater and use it in analog. As the user budgets for new equipment, when complete, the entire system can be converted to digital.
     Why Digital? To start with, by using a repeater in the digital mode, Motorola allows for two completely simultaneous conversations over the same channel. With radio spectrum a commodity, this allows for minor modifications to the license which allows the TDMA protocol to handle two concurrent calls. In addition, having this digital capability allows a user to Privately Call another user so the typical Party line radio communication is not heard. In addition to features like private call you can do simple text messaging across
the system to communicate.
     To further enhance the system’s ability is the “Third Party Application Vendors”. Through licensing, Motorola has allowed for their system to be used as a backbone to allow for wireless applications such as GPS, Telephone, Email and Indoor location services by outside developers. In essence a system purchased that originally was used for push to talk and release to listen has now created tracking, monitoring, texting and telephone, all from a single radio channel.

 Basic techniques to try BEFORE Calling for Service on your Two Way Radios:

Who would know better about common troubleshooting calls then ChiComm's own Service Shop Supervisor? Slim to no one! Over the years and hundreds of service calls received here at ChiComm, there has proven to be common consistencies in the type of calls and a few that stand out most frequently. Here are some common troubleshootings that may be the result of your problem. Check everything out on this list first, to save you from a service call later.

 Tips for Mobiles (Squad cars,etc): Ask Yourself these Q's

 Tom's Tech Talk (#1): What's Your Communication Solution?

    It’s a good question that we all ask ourselves at one time or another. For those of you who have been hit with the ever shrinking budgets and economy, it is time to reflect on what’s it really costing me now to keep my radio equipment going or should I invest in replacement. Unfortunately there is no one simple answer as we all have different needs and resources.

     What I will tell you is to plan. We have helped more customers by advising them in current and future communications trends. This leads to implementing 1 year, 3 year, 5 year and 10 year communications plans to balance your buying power and provide the knowledge to keep your company or department on current trends within the communications arena.

Let's Break It Down: An Overview of the Essentials

Certain two way radio accessories are a must have when you regularly rely on these radios for communication.  At one time, the devices were used mainly by the military and law enforcement personnel, but with advances in technology and their cost efficiency, they have become a favorite with the businesses in all industries today.
      Two way radios are relatively inexpensive, simple to use, and provide crystal clear communication, even from an extended distance.  They are efficient, lightweight, and easy to carry, which makes them popular with groups, individuals, and professionals alike.  For a first time user or even for experienced users, the list of accessories can be steep and overwhelming. Here we try to break down that list into a few of the most essential two way radio accessories:

Batteries and Chargers
      If you are using your two way radios frequently, two of the top radio accessories you will always need are batteries and chargers.  Batteries need to be chosen for proven lasting durability since they can determine and affect a radio’s performance. Be sure to pick up spare batteries, plus a charger that works both at home and in your vehicle. For the two-way portable radio user with cell type batteries, the most useful chargers are the ones that offer a charging timer that will automatically interrupt electrical power to the charging batteries when they are fully charged. The buyer of these chargers should also look for one with electrical circuits that will monitor charger temperature, electrical  current resistance and drop in voltage. These characteristics will prevent damage to the chargers and batteries.

You’ve probably been hearing a good deal, lately, about a networking technology called wireless broadband. It’s a way of using high-speed radio links to provide robust Internet-like voice and data services - so-called IP-based networking, that is - within a city or metro area.

Wireless broadband has many advantages over the technology it typically replaces, a long-existing wire-based scheme known as the T1 line. The latter is typically provided by the local telephone company.  One of the most appealing advantages - especially for fire, safety, law-enforcement, and other public agencies - is that when set up properly, wireless broadband can move data much faster than a typical T1 line: Some wireless links move 300 megabits of data per second, vs. the T1’s limit of a mere 1.5 megabits per second.

   But how safe is wireless broadband? Is it more vulnerable than wired networks to outages caused by natural disasters? Is it less resistant to unauthorized users, aka hackers? Is this technology too shaky, too unreliable for use by agencies concerned with public safety?

Listen Through Your Temples, Not Through Your Ears?

Temple Transducer is the name, and enhanced communication is its game. Unlike conventional headsets, these allow the user’s ears to be uncovered and completely free to hear surrounding environmental sounds, while still using the Motorola two-way portable radio. Conventional headsets can mask external sounds, such as approaching traffic and overhead pages, that are crucial for busy professionals to hear.

You're probably thinking how does it work? Well the solution lies within bone conduction technology. Bone conduction is the reason why a person's voice sounds different to him/her when it is recorded and played back. Because the skull conducts lower frequencies better than air, people perceive their own voices to be lower and deeper than others do.