radio comms asia-pacific sept/oct 2013

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Sep/Oct 2013- RADIO COMMS 3www.radiocomms.com.au

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Radio Comms Asia-PacificSeptember/October 2013

on the cover 4

6 Tunnel vision

16 Comms Connect 2013

23 Network news

30 The digital decade

34 A strategic approach to radio technology

42 Farewell to Mike

Big news, with the awarding of the

Queensland government’s Government

Wireless Network (GWN) to Telstra and

its major contractor, Motorola Solutions.

This keenly awaited decision will see the

companies roll out and maintain the $457.3

million network over the next decade and

a half. The GWN will initially be a vital

component of the security and public safety

operations of the G20 meetings scheduled

to be held in Brisbane late next year,

before being expanded to other areas of

the state. Congratulations to Telstra and

Motorola Solutions!

A state government network that is

already up and running is the New South

Wales Government Radio Network,

operated by the NSW Telco Authority.

Established about 18 months ago, the

authority has responsibility for implement-

ing the government’s plan to consolidate

a number of disparate networks and

improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

The authority’s busy director, Shaun Smith,

was kind enough to spare some time to be

interviewed by Radio Comms Asia-Pacific,

and he gave us a good insight into the work

of the authority and its goals (page 23).

There can be few harder locations in

which to establish a radio comms net-

work than in the subterranean world of a

subway system - particularly one that is

as old as New York’s. It’s a formidable

challenge, but it’s one that Australia’s BAI

Group, through its majority-owned US

subsidiary, Transit Wireless, was eager to

tackle (page 6). The ongoing success with

the project is a testament to the skill and

dedication of this ‘down under’ company

taking on such a huge venture, ‘down

under’ in one of the world’s biggest cities.

The Comms Connect conference and

exhibition is almost here. With almost

100 exhibitors and hundreds of attendees

from all across the industry, it’s a once-a-

year chance to be informed of the latest

developments. Make sure you’re there!

Jonathan Nally, Editor

[email protected]

http://www.broadcastaustralia.com.au

4 RADIO COMMS - Sep/Oct 2013 www.radiocomms.com.au

on the cover

All material published in this magazine is published in good faith and every care is taken to accurately relay information provided to us. Readers are advised by the publishers to ensure that all necessary safety devices and precautions are installed and safe working procedures adopted before the use of any equipment found or purchased through the information we provide. Further, all performance criteria was provided by the representative company concerned and any dispute should be referred to them. Information indicating that products are made in Australia or New Zealand is supplied by the source company. Westwick-Farrow Pty Ltd does not quantify the amount of local content or the accuracy of the statement made by the source.

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Ph +61 2 9487 2700 Fax +61 2 9489 1265 Editor

Jonathan Nally [email protected]

Technical AdvisorMike SmythChief Editor

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These features provide an opportunity for analogue operators to futureproof their communications network by migrating their analogue network via the CM1039 series to fully compliant conventional or trunked P25 digital networks.

The CM1039 series has a large 1072 channels and 50 zones used for allocating channels or discreet talk groups in P25 mode or regional, hierarchy or geographic groupings.

The CM1039 excels when working on multiple networks, which is particularly important for mining subcontractors, where a

driver may need to operate on various mine sites using different technologies such as analog, P25 conventional, P25 trunked and even CB. The CM1039U model in 450-520 MHz will provide coverage on all of these networks in the one radio.

Innovative human interface controls include a high-contrast screen for fast recognition, with 11 alphanumeric characters and a continuous variable control backlight feature. An intuitive multilevel menu

structure reflects only dealer-programmed features, which means that no redundant or unnecessary information is displayed. Six soft keys can be programmed as special user functions or as short cuts to a specific location within the menu structure. The F1 key is colour coded as a dedicated alarm or duress key; however, it can be reprogrammed for other specific network features. All of these features are also incorporated into the new RH004 remote mount control head and the new MC526BC controller microphone.

The CM1039 series promises to become a serious contender in broad domestic and international digital two-way markets.

Standard Communications Pty Ltd

www.gme.com.au

The CM1039 series P25 mobile radio from GME is the outcome of a two-year research and development program in P25 technology, in

response to clearly defined customer needs.Powered by the Etherstack P25 mobile MSM,

the CM1039 is a testament to a joint engineering cooperation between Standard Communications Pty Limited (GME) and Etherstack Pty Ltd to produce an Australian-designed and -manufactured P25 terminal.

The CM1039 series is compliant to AS/NZS 4295, AS/NZS4365, ETS 300-086, TIA-603-C and FCC parts 90/15, RSS119, and is deployable in conventional, trunked or encrypted modes. Operational bands are 403-480, 450-520 and 136-174 MHz. A TX power level option sets the global maximum transmit power on up to four levels: 1, 5, 10, 25W. GME has also maintained key technical performance figures for the receiver: sensitivity of -122 dBm for 12 dB SINAD, a very low RX current draw of 170 mA on muted audio and 6.0 A at 25 W output on 470 MHz.

From the outset, GME identified that limiting the mechanical size of the radio was of crucial importance, resulting in what is possibly the smallest P25 mobile chassis available, which is of great benefit for installers working with modern commercial vehicles. In fact, across the series, GME has retained the same chassis size as the popular TX3820U/V, assuring owners of a range of installation options.

The CM1039 series is also backward compatible with analog equipment, including 5-tone selective call and MDC1200 signalling, with primary functions for PTT-ID and emergency call. Plus it has many programmable network functions, including: call alert, radio check, status, status request, message, remote monitor, stun and revive.


by Omnitronics

http://www.omnitronicsworld.com/reditalk


Tunnel vision

With over 460 stations, 277 of them underground, the New York City

subway is one of the largest in the world. It carries more than 1.6 billion passengers per year - that’s around 5.4 million per day on weekdays. Yet remarkably, until recently, this transit system in one of the world’s greatest metropolises was deaf to radio signals in its underground stations.

But that is changing, thanks to the efforts of Transit Wireless, a US company majority owned by Broadcast Australia Infrastructure Group (BAI). In a 26-year deal with the New York City Transit Au-thority, Transit Wireless is progressively rolling out mobile phone, Wi-Fi and public safety communications connectivity in all of those 277 underground stations through what is arguably the biggest distributed antenna system (DAS) to be deployed globally.

New York’s transit system can trace its history back more than 100 years. “It’s an incredible network. It’s a beauti-ful, old system that was built back in the early 1900s, and it’s really the lifeblood of the city,” says Chris Jaeger of BAI. “The subway really is what makes the city tick in a lot of ways.

“But they didn’t have wireless cover-age. Up until we launched the first six stations with 2G and 3G systems in 2011, there hadn’t been any wireless for public or business use.”

Jaeger is managing director of inter-national business, transit systems and large venues for BAI, and has been at the forefront of Transit Wireless’s efforts in New York. He joined BAI in 2005, having previously worked for Telstra in the 1980s, and then Radio Frequency Systems in Adelaide, which he ended up running for 18 years in Melbourne and Shanghai. With BAI, he worked on developing the international business, culminating in the acquisition of a Hong Kong company, Radio Frequency Engi-neering (RFE), in 2007. RFE specialises in radio communication networks in confined coverage areas. It has done its biggest business in subway environments, completing work on cellular, private and emergency services networks for the subway systems of Hong Kong, Singa-pore, Bangkok and Taipei.

“Hong Kong has really been the lead subway in the world when it comes to deploying those types of services for their ridership,” says Jaeger. “They’ve

been doing it since the mid-1990s. So if you go on the Hong Kong subway today, you’ve got 2G, 3G, 4G coverage through the stations and through the tunnels. RFE did a lot of that work for MTR, which is the subway operator in Hong Kong. RFE is still doing a lot, as there is still expansion going on in the subway itself, with more stations and tunnels being built. And they’re always upgrading the technology.”

In 2010, BAI invested in a New York business called Transit Wireless, with a view towards designing and installing a wireless system in the city’s underground subway stations. “Transit Wireless already had a licence with the New York City Transit Authority, but for various reasons the owners hadn’t been able to move ahead,” says Jaeger. “So we’ve come in and brought our business expertise, our ability to work on difficult projects, and our financing. Working in partnership with original shareholders we got the whole thing moving, and so far we’ve built out 36 stations in New York City.”

The contractIt seems amazing that a city like New York could be so far behind global cities

Going wireless ‘down under’ in the Big Apple

New York’s subway is finally being outfitted with wireless and public safety comms connectivity, through the efforts of Transit Wireless, majority owned by Australia’s BA Infrastructure Group.

Jonathan Nally


when it comes to providing comms in its underground stations. Why has it taken so long?

“Well I think it’s a combination of a number of things,” says Jaeger. “One was getting everyone to agree on the right approach, especially when working in a subway of such age and 24-hour opera-tion. We needed to design and deploy the most advanced equipment/technology to secure the quality of wireless services expected by our customers - in a very harsh environment. Another was having the financing for it. That’s the interesting thing in the approach that we’re involved with, in that we’re actually funding the rollout - amounting to some $200 million in capital costs to build out this network. We organised the financing, so there’s no cost to the New York City Transit Au-thority or their customers. Indeed, they have a revenue sharing arrangement with us, so when we’re earning revenues, they share in some of those revenues.”

Transit Wireless now has contracts in one shape or another with all of the ma-jor mobile carriers in the New York mar-ket (AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon). And as it builds out the network, those carriers will be progressively launching their services into the stations.

“And now 4G is a big part of that as well, so there’s LTE already running in parts of the network in Manhattan and there will be more of it,” says Jaeger. “There’s a very significant amount of LTE being deployed in the USA these days, being driven hard by the smartphone.”

The challengeThe New York City Subway is a very challenging environment in which to work, primarily because the transit system operates 24 hours per day. “We have to work late at night, because dur-ing the day the trains are far too regular. Late at night and early in the morning the trains can get down to 20-minute intervals,” says Jaeger. “So we can work for 20 minutes, then the train will come and we’ll have to clear the tracks - jumping over the third rail, which is the electrical system - and then the train will go through and we’ll go back to work.

“As you can imagine, it’s a very highly interrupted process, but it’s the only way of doing it. Sometimes they will close down some tracks late in the evening to do other work, and we can then piggy-back onto that. There’s a whole range of different ways of working, and it requires a very close relationship with the New York City Transit Authority, which we do have.”

Other challenges are the age of the subway network and the conditions encountered - heat, brake dust, high-pressure washing systems and so on - which mean the installed equipment has to be environmentally ruggedised. “The engineering challenge to build the communications network is substantial,” says Jaeger. “And everything has to be engineered to the nth degree to ensure reliability.”

Public safetyA prime aspect of the project is the provision of a number of public safety comms initiatives. First up is deployment of the 4.9 GHz public safety band, which is being used for help-point intercom, which is a public system being made available on the platforms. Each intercom is connected to a Transit Wireless’s 4.9 GHz access point, from where it joins a wireless mesh.

The same band can be used for closed-circuit television, so deployment of CCTV throughout the network is now feasible in a much faster way than it may have been before. “There is some CCTV there already, but the size of our new network means that the possibly of rollout becomes faster now that we’re deploying these other networks and the fibre-to-the-edge technology,” says Jaeger.

Also being deployed in the USA is 700 MHz LTE for public safety. Transit Wire-less’s network can facilitate that as and when the public safety authorities decide they want that coverage. The Transit Wireless network can facilitate bands from 600 MHz up to 6 GHz.

“When you talk about public safety, the other thing that is an important part of the New York deployment is En-hanced 9-1-1,” says Jaeger. “When a call is made from the station, the location of the call is detected by the networks and the emergency services can be deployed to the particular station from where the calls come.”

The networkThe network has three basic elements. Installed in strategic locations around New York City are base station hotels or data centres. This is where the carriers come in with their base stations and con-nect to Transit Wireless’s DAS. Those base station hotels have internet connec-tions into the cloud.

The base station hotels run out into the second main element of the network, which is an 864-count trunk fibre network throughout the streets of New York City that runs to all the

The Great Hall of New York’s Grand Central Station. Credit: Wikimedia/Alex Proimos.

Cred

it: W

ikim

edia

/Mo

Riza

Transport & Fleet Comms



subway stations. “The fibre network uses 864-count fibre for the subway stations, even though only a handful of fibres are needed for each station,” says Jaeger. “But you can imagine that in a city like New York, the requirements for backhaul for a whole range of different applica-tions is huge - whether it’s the mobile networks, or stock exchanges, banks and so on - all these firms require quality fibre connectivity.

“So now that we’re building a fibre network, we can now also have a metro fibre business throughout the city as an adjunct business.”

The third element is the in-station network. The fibre runs into the station through a point of entry, and then there is a LAN - one part is a cellular DAS and the other part is Wi-Fi, with fibre-to-the-edge technology going right out to the ends of the platforms and mezzanines to ensure uniform coverage throughout the station.

“We call ourselves Transit Wireless, but basically what we do is a lot of wir-ing,” says Jaeger with a laugh. “A lot of fibre, a lot of coax and a lot of power wiring to ensure that wireless devices will work in these locations.”

CoverageThere is a dividing line between above- and below-ground comms. “When you go into the subway part of Grand Central Station, you’ll be connecting into our network,” says Jaeger. “Above ground

New York’s vast subway system includes 277 below-ground stations. Credit Wikimedia/Alargule.

Base station hotel equipment. Credit: Transit Wireless.

Antennas installed on the ceiling above a platform in one of New York’s subway sta-tions. Credit: Transit Wireless.



there’ll either be macro network cover-age, such as in the Great Hall of Grand Central Station, or there’ll be another DAS system. But once you go into any part of any subway station, you’ll con-nect through our network.”

Initially, coverage will be on the platforms, mezzanines, walkways and anything else below ground level, right to the edge of the platforms where people get on and off the trains. But tunnel cov-erage is not on the cards just yet.

“The complexity around getting cover-age in the tunnels is that New York has the only subway in the world that oper-ates 24 hours per day. And so being able to work in the tunnels is an extremely complicated logistical issue, made more complicated by the age of the subway network itself,” says Jaeger. “But we’re working with the Transit Authority and the carriers and looking at ways in which we can provide some tunnel coverage going forward.”

Transit Wireless is also deploying a high-quality Wi-Fi network, 2.4 and 5.x GHz bands into the stations at the same time as it’s installing the cellular network. “That Wi-Fi has multiple uses - it can be used to provide free Wi-Fi service for the riders, and it can be used for business-to-business applications in the subway environment, public safety, M2M and monitoring and control,” says Jaeger.

Once completed, the network will comprise some 7000 antennas, 5000 access points, 350 RF nodes and 200 kilometres of trunk fibre.

Hurricane SandyOne of the biggest challenges the project has faced so far was the impact of Hur-ricane Sandy. The subway was flooded in parts and the New York City Transit Authority headquarters was damaged - it was from there that a lot of the recov-ery work would normally have been managed, so they had to tackle it from other locations. For Transit Wireless, the flooding and other damage delayed the project by around three months.

“There were also all sorts of things that happened with our construction partners,” says Jaeger. “You can imagine the recovery work that went on in New York; there was suddenly a huge de-mand on labour to do all sorts of things. So they stopped normal work in the streets and the stations for a period of time while the civil recovery effort went ahead.

“But we got there in the end. What we’re doing now is keeping on going, building up the high-quality network.”

Transit Wireless is designing as much robustness into the system as it can. Ultimately it’ll loop the fibre networks to provide some redundancy. There’s already some redundancy in the station networks, and equipment has been hard-ened to such an extent that it can suffer an extraordinary amount of environmen-tal impairment.

“We futureproofed it in that way through the deployment of a lot of fibre, broadband antenna systems, through to coax and so on,” says Jaeger.

Results so farWith 36 stations under its belt, Transit Wireless is now building out the next stage of the project. This involves anoth-er 40 sites, including Grand Central Sta-tion and some other stations in mid-town Manhattan, plus 30 stations out into Queens. This phase will be completed over the next few months. The overall project will be completed in 3-4 years.

“Everyone’s very satisfied with pro-gress to date,” says Jaeger. “We launched Times Square and a number of other stations in April. It’s going very well.”

TorontoNew York has the biggest subway in North America; Toronto in Canada has the second biggest. BAI had been in discussions with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) for a number of years. Last year it was ultimately success-ful, winning the bid to finance, build and

operate over a 20-year period, a cellular and Wi-Fi system in 65 underground stations and all the connecting tunnels of the TTC subway, plus any new-build tun-nels and subway stations.

“We’ve formed a new entity called BAI Canada, based in Toronto, and we’ve got a small team there who are going to deploy the first two major stations by the end of this year,” says Jaeger. “The network in size and ridership is about 30% the size of New York City’s.”

Lifting into place, a generator that will power one of Transit Wireless’s base station hotels. Credit: Transit Wireless.



While some challenges are the same as in New York, there are some differ-ences. For a start, the network is not as old - it’s only about 60 years old. And it doesn’t operate 24 hours a day; it runs about 20 hours, providing windows of opportunity to work in the tunnels when it comes time to deploy that part of the network.

“In every other sense it’s a very similar challenge,” says Jaeger. “It still re-quires some very significant relationships to be developed with the TTC, with the carrier customers, with the contractors and the equipment suppliers, and the special design team we have in-house, to ensure that the systems are highly rug-gedised and highly reliable.”

Will services such as a 4.9 GHz public safety system be on the cards? “That’s not in play at the moment, but we’ve allowed for it - we’ve futureproofed for it,” says Jaeger. “The deployment of 4.9 GHz is not quite as advanced in Canada as it is in the USA, but we can see it coming, as I think it’s coming in Australia as well. So our ex-perience out of New York will be good.”

Other opportunitiesTransit Wireless is continuing to look for other opportunities in North America. “Chicago Transit Authority is looking to upgrade its system, it’s again smaller than New York, but we’d be looking at getting involved with that,” says Jaeger. “We’re still in discussions with Atlanta about the transit network there. And we’ve had some discussions in San Francisco.”

What about other such opportuni-ties around the world? There must be plenty out there. “Well, there are a few, but we’re very specialised - we’re good when the project is technically difficult, commercially difficult and requires financ-ing,” Jaeger says. “When it comes to other types of venues, there’s a lot more competition. There are not many who want to get involved with the significant financing and other risks involved with a transit project.”

The company is also looking at oppor-tunities in Australia, although there isn’t much subway here. “We’re also looking for other opportunities around signifi-cant venues, whether they are stadiums or very large complexes like shopping centres,” says Jaeger. “A number of city councils - for example, Perth, Adelaide, Liverpool and Hobart - are looking for CCTV/public Wi-Fi solutions around metro areas. So we’re seeing if we can use our expertise in all of those.”

Resources•transitwireless.com•ba-infrastructure.com•mta.info/nyct/•transitchicago.com•ttc.ca

Broadcast Australia

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V051

Inside the New York Subway. Credit: Wikimedia/The Eyes of New York.

Inside the New York Subway. Credit: Wikimedia/Jin Choi




http://www.rohde-schwarz.com/value


newproducts

Enhanced signal generators

Agilent Technologies Inc has introduced several key enhance-ments to its high-performance MXG and cost-effective EXG X-Series vector signal generators.

The enhancements are de-signed to improve measurement accuracy, accelerate research and

development, and provide in-depth signal simula-tion for even the most comprehensive receiver verification. These en-

hancements, coupled with the performance of Agilent’s X-

Series signal generators, make the systems suitable for component and receiver development in radar, military communications and consumer wireless applications.

The enhanced MXG and EXG X-Series RF vector signal generators enable users to apply channel corrections directly to their fixtures and devices under test. A proprietary ASIC, in concert with an Agilent USB power sensor, enables automatic amplitude and phase flatness corrections or equalisation. This ca-pability is suitable for engineers working on WLAN 802.11ac or LTE-Advanced transceivers and components.

Two new X-Series connectivity options enable realistic complex-modulated direct digital stimulus (output mode) and digital upconversion (input mode) using an N5102A digital signal interface module. This DSIM enhancement enables users to employ realistic complex IQ waveforms, which in turn enables faster verification of FPGA algorithms or digital-to-RF performance. It also helps minimise redesign by catching baseband subsystem problems earlier in the design cycle.

A power servo enhancement speeds verification by allowing automatic lev-elling for external RF amplifiers. The alternative - manually adjusting output power in the amplifier’s nonlinear range - is both tedious and time-consuming. With the power servo enhancement, users can quickly ensure they are at the exact power required for making power-sensitive measurements like error vector magnitude and adjacent channel power ratio.

Agilent says the in-depth signal simulation solutions provided by its signal generators now enable the industry’s most comprehensive receiver verifica-tion. Agilent’s N7620B Signal Studio software for pulse-building connectivity, for example, features robust radar verification tests designed to minimise field testing and offer highly accurate characterisation. Users can leverage the X-Series’ sequencing engine to obtain realistic 500 s radar antenna scan patterns. They can also reproduce highly accurate FM CHIRP radar signals by leveraging the X-Series’ factory channel correction for up to ±0.2 dB amplitude flatness and ±2° phase error across the full bandwidth support on both the MXG and EXG.

Agilent’s N7609B Signal Studio for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) software features an advanced Beidou real-time mode that enables users to perform real-time, multisatellite simulation for China’s Beidou sys-tem. Leveraging the X-Series’ advanced real-time baseband subsystem, users can simultaneously simulate a combination of 40 channels of satellites plus multipath for GPS, GLONASS and Beidou, with 16 additional channels for Galileo satellites plus multipath. With the system’s ability to model receiver trajectories and map antenna strength, users can also do more robust testing of multiconstellation chipsets for improved quality of service and performance.

Agilent Technologies Aust Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/U590

Power sensors

The most important features for accurate and simple power measure-ments are maximum measurement accuracy and speed, and easy opera-tion with a base unit or PC/laptop. The Rohde & Schwarz NRP family combines all these features with the NRP2 base unit, NRPV virtual power meter PC software and a wide range of USB-capable power sensors.

The company offers an extensive portfolio for power measurements from DC to 110 GHz, from -67 to +45 dBm, including: three-path diode power sensors with 90 dB dynamic range; wideband power sensors for performing accurate envelope power analysis; thermal power sensors for maximum accuracy; and level control sensors and power sensor modules for special applications.

The NRP power sensors can be connected to a laptop or PC via USB and controlled via the NRPV virtual power meter PC software. Up to four power sensors can be operated in parallel with a NRP2 base unit. They are also supported by virtually all of the company’s signal generators and signal, spectrum and network analysers.

Depending on the application, the focus of power measurements is either on measurement accuracy, measurement speed or the optimal combination of both. NRP family is said to offers the best characteristics on the market for all applications.

Rohde & Schwarz (Australia) Pty Ltd


http://www.icom.net.au


newproducts

Network troubleshooting software

Fluke Networks has announced Version 2 software for the OneTouch AT Network Assistant, which adds features making it easier for network technicians to isolate the root cause of end-user wired and wireless problems, fix or escalate those issues and validate performance and SLA (service level agreement) compliance after changes are made.

Network technicians are spending 48 to 58% more time dealing with emerging wireless LAN and bring your own device (BYOD) issues, according to a recent Fluke Networks customer survey. More than 37% re-port spending more time supporting VoIP compared to two years ago.

OneTouch AT has been updated with key features to help meet these new challenges. The first is BYOD Management, under which new automated Wi-Fi dis-covery capabilities (including 802.11ac devices) and Wi-Fi packet capture simplify smart device management and speed problem resolution.

The second is Network Performance Acceptance Test-ing, whereby new wired and wireless performance tests

automate the measurement and assessment of end-to-end path performance to prove that network projects were successfully completed and that the performance meets design objectives.

And the third is inline VoIP analysis, in which new inline tests provides visibility into IP phone initialisation and call control processes, and VoIP conversation quality to simplify troubleshooting of IP phone problems.

The OneTouch AT software update also includes a new Path Analysis test, a Multi-Port Statistics test, inline VoIP packet capture, and additional features for enhanced troubleshooting and management.

Fluke Australia Pty Ltd


Software defined radio

RF Technology’s Eclipse2 offers analog perfor-mance with a broad coverage range. Eclipse2 offers an affordable, real-world solution to today’s radio interoperability needs.

The IP Commander functionality offers drag and drop editing, al-lowing for an intuitive end-user experience. By clicking the apply button the features are enabled. Configurations can be saved to a file so that standard con-figurations can be easily programmed or sent to remote offices to ensure standardisation. A flexible channel program enables multiple profiles to be stored and recalled by scrolling down a list. The trace menu allows cap-ture of base station ac-tivity in text form, which can be forwarded to RFT for advance diagnostics.

Modes of operation include: Migration from analog to digital at your own pace with this base station + repeater; analog base; analog repeater; analog voting over IP; analog multisite; P25 base station; P25 voting over IP; P25 multisite over IP; analog IP console; SIP gateway. Coming soon are: P25 IP console and vocoder; DMR; P25 data; SNMP over the air; IP control of power amplifier.

RF Technology


LCR meter

Agilent Technologies has announced the E4980AL precision LCR meter with three cost-effective frequency options: 300 kHz, 500 kHz and 1 MHz. The meter options are a follow-on to Agilent’s E4980A LCR meter, which has long offered what the company says is the best price/performance and ap-plication breadth among basic LCR meters.

The Agilent LCR meter is mainly used for component characterisation at component manufacturers and for component evaluation at electronic equipment manufacturers. It is also used in material measurement applications typically found in research and development as well as education.



Titanium whip VHF antenna

SkyProbes has announced the SSP58 version of its long-range antenna for handheld VHF and UHF radios. With its highly flexible titanium whip, the company says the SSP58 pro-vides up to six times the range over the rubber duck antenna supplied with commercial VHF handheld ra-dios. Communication ranges up to 120 km have been reported. The SSP58 antennas are used by many US agen-cies such as the Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, as well as many state, police, local fire and ambulance services where reliable communications are needed.

The SSP58 is supplied with the re-quired connector needed to mate with specific commercial handheld radios.

SkyProbes


http://www.ni.com/vst


Comms Connect 2013Melbourne, 20-22 November 2013

Don’t miss the strong line-up of speakers and exhibitors from Australia and around the world at the nation’s leading radio and combined communications conference and exhibition.

Australia’s leading radio and com-bined communications conference

and exhibition, Comms Connect 2013, is only weeks away. The conference and exhibition will run over two days, 21-22 November, with industry sector pre-conference workshops running the day before, 20 November.

The world-class line-up of speakers will discuss technology developments, from apps to professional LTE, case studies in mining, energy, transport and more. And over 80 exhibitors will present the very best technologies and solutions from around Australia and across the world.

Comms Connect is in the unique position of being able to deliver to delegates and visitors the full range of solutions needed to make informed decisions.

At the core of the conference and exhibition is still radio communications, its uses, applications and benefits, but with the convergence of technologies being seen - from IP to mobile broad-band and more - the shift is a reflection that the event is no longer just about two-way radio, but a whole range of technologies and solutions, all of which will be found on the exhibition floor and discussed during the conference and workshops.

Speakers - Conference day 1The line-up of conference speakers is a veritable who’s who of the communica-tions industry, from representatives of manufacturers to government and non-profit organisation leaders.

A special keynote address will be giv-en by Len Ricardo, Operations Manager at NASA’s Canberra Deep Space Com-munication Complex, who’ll speak about the special challenges of communicating with spacecraft over distances of millions and billions of kilometres through deep space. This should be a mind-expanding presentation for everyone in the ‘terres-trial’ radio industry.

Of particular note will be a keynote address by Inspector Lance Valcour (Ret) O.O.M., Executive Director, Canadian In-teroperability Technology Interest Group (CITIG). Inspector Valcour, who spent 33 years in the Ottawa Police Service, will discuss public safety communica-tions interoperability in the Canadian/US environment and its relevance to the Australia/New Zealand landscape.

Greg Bouwmeester (Motorola Solu-tions) will speak on how public safety LTE can provide new standards of intelligence. Hannu Aronsson (TCCA apps working group) will explain how data and apps on narrowband networks

can improve productivity. Rob Hockings (Tait Communications) will speak about unifying critical communications and Gary Ertel (Data Over Radio) will talk about increasing productivity with digital radio.

Ben Pearce (Codan Radio Commu-nications) will speak about integrating HF into P25 systems, and Trish Messiter (Clarinox Technologies) and Anthony Lis-ter (Tait Communications) will speak on short-range wireless applications.

Daniel Oliphant (Zetron Australa-sia) will discuss command and control systems, Dale Stacey (SAT) will present a case study on an LTE mobile system, Don Kitchin will present a case study on remote repeater sites and Sameer Kaul and Moti Shalev (both from Axell Wireless) will present a case study on communications within Australia’s longest tunnel, the Brisbane Airport link.

Simon Lardner (Challenge Networks) will present a case study on LTE for mining projects and Ben Hamilton (Titan ICT) will discuss integrated communica-tions networks for coal seam gas opera-tions. Andy Grimmett (Simoco) will speak about M2M communications and the IP revolution in radio, Shane Murphy (KORE Wireless) will talk about GSM and satel-lite for M2M and John Yaldwyn (4RF Aus-tralia) will speak about high-performance, narrowband UHF SCADA radio.

Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition CentreWhen: Pre-Conference workshops, 20 November 2013; Conference and Exhibition, 21-22 November 2013Register: Early bird rate closes 18 October Web: comms-connect.com.au


Speakers - Conference day 2Day two will begin with a state-of-the-industry presentation by Hamish Duff, the new president of ARCIA. That will be fol-lowed by a keynote address by Peter Clemons (Hytera Mobilfunk) on how joined-up critical communications will cre-ate safer cities for us all to live in.

Tasso Mangos and Rick Hammersla (both NEC Australia) will make a presen-tation on ‘Radio is dead, long live radio’. Scott Geldard (Ergon Energy) will pre-sent a case study on the implementation of Ergon’s P25 system and Chris Jaeger (BAI Group) will present a case study on building a wireless network in New York’s subway. Another case study will be presented by Mohd Fauzi Bin Abdul Hamid (Malaysian Airports) on moving from analog to TETRA, followed by further case studies by José Martin (PowerTrunk) on TETRA in North America.

Phil Kidner (TCCA) will discuss possible paths to broadband/LTE for mission-critical communications, Henrik Jacobsen (Applied Satellite Technology Australia) will speak on extending close user group, David Atkinson (ITC Global) will discuss the merits of VS-ATs and Aaron Camp (dPMR Association) will speak on deploying dPMR.

The two final case studies will be: Steve Harvey (Commscope), speaking on

provision of P25 in Ausgrid’s underground high-voltage tunnels and Andy Reid (CSE-Transtel Australia) will speak on the TETRA solution for the Gold Coast’s rapid transit system. Roy Wittert (Cambium Networks) will discuss fixed wireless coming of age, Zsolt Remias (Titan ICT) will discuss considerations for RF planning and licens-ing and David Sheppard (Kordia) will speak on the delivery of in-building DAS systems and their sector-specific applications. Finally, Mark Loney (ACMA) will present an up-date on 400 MHz developments.

Industry workshopsThis year sees a big increase in the number and scope of training workshops offered in response to their limited intro-duction in 2012. The workshops will take place on 20 November, the day before the conference proper begins. The topics and presenters will be:

Infrastructure and towers - Steve Brimson (Flight Bros), Bogdan Klobassa (Times Microwave Systems) and Lawrence McKenna (Sinclair Knight Merz).

Advanced radio over IP - Paul Whit-field and Heinrich van der Westhuizen (Omnitronics), and Les Scott (Zetron) and Jason Cox (Tait Communications).

In-building distributed antennae systems - Leo Doherty (RF Industries).

Mobile broadband and LTE for

critical communications - Inspector Lance Valcour (CITIG) and Simon Lardner (Challenge Networks), along with numer-ous panel members from public safety and industry.

TETRA masterclass - Members of the Australasian TETRA Forum and guest speakers.

Implementing a digital radio sys-tem - Hamish Duff (Master Communica-tions and Electronics), Phil Sidebottom, Stuart Heath, Aldo Antolini (Motorola Solutions) and Chris Martin (TRBOapps).

Gala dinner and awardsRunning in conjunction with Comms Connect will be the annual ARCIA Indus-try Gala Dinner and Industry Excellence Awards presentations. These events will be held at the same venue, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, on the evening of Thursday, 21 November. Full details are available by visiting arcia.org.au.

In summary, if you’re involved with communications for a public safety or emergency services agency, in transport and logistics, mining and exploration, security, public utilities - or any other commercial or government enterprise that relies on critical communications - then you really need to be at Comms Connect. We’ll see you there!

Comms Connect 2013 exhibitorsThere’s been an amazing 20% increase in the amount of exhibition space booked over last year’s event, with many new exhibitors. Make sure you allow plenty of time to visit them all. (Free exhibition-only passes are available with prior registration.) Exhibition opening hours are 10 am-6 pm on Thursday, 21 November and 10 am-4 pm on Friday, 22 November. For more information on the exhibitors, visit comms-connect.com.au/pages/meet-the-exhibitors.

3M Peltor4RF AustraliaAgilent TechnologiesAirwave Solutions AustraliaAnritsuApplied Satellite Technology Aust.ARCIAAuria Wireless Pty LtdAustralasian TETRA ForumAvara TechnologiesAxell WirelessBenelecBlufi Wireless AustraliaCambium Networks CassidianCISTECH SolutionsCNE Custom CablesCodan Radio CommunicationsCRS AccessoriesCSE-UniserveData Over Radio

DMR AssociationdPMR AssociationDuonsExelis C4iFunkwerk Security Communications GmbHG Spotter AntennasGE Digital EnergyGlobal M2MGMG SolutionsHuber+SuhnerHytera CommunicationsICOM Australia Pty LtdICS IndustriesInnovative Energies LtdIP MobilenetJDSUJRD CommunicationsKenwoodKORE WirelessLAN1 Pty Ltd

Lightning Protection InternationalLogic WirelessLoop TechnologiesMadison TechnologiesMcKay AssociatesMiMOMax Wireless LtdMotorola SolutionsMTA SalesNational InstrumentsNEC AustraliaNexion Data SystemsOmnitronicsOrionPanorama AntennasPolar ElectronicsRF TechnologyRFI WirelessRohde & SchwarzRohillRojone Pty LtdSAF Australia

Schneider ElectricSecurity Solutions MagazineSepuraSiemens-RuggedComSimocoSpectrum Engineering AustraliaStandard Communications (GME)Survey Technologies IncTait CommunicationsTelephusTeleResources EngineeringTeltronicTRBONetTrio Test & MeasurementVertelVicom AustraliaWAVE1Wireless Data SolutionsWireless PacificZCG ScalarZetron Australasia


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In-vehicle and in-vessel electronic devices such as data terminals, screens, LED lights and monitoring systems require stable voltage to ensure equipment performance. Voltage fluctuations can cause electronic devices to shut down, reboot or corrupt data or, in a worst-case scenario, irreparably damage equipment during prolonged exposure to high or low voltages or voltage spikes from switching heavy loads or charging systems.

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Board-level design boost

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Power supply

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Spectrum analyser

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Timing kit

The Thunderbolt GPS Timing Kit from Step Global is ready for use in the laboratory and comes complete with: GPS-DO Clock (GPS receiver with double-ovenised oscillator and communications), power supply, active GPS antenna, connectors and extra power cable for wiring into test apparatus, enclosures, panels or racks.

The kit is supported by Trimble GPS Studio software - downloadable from the Trimble website - which offers complete control, monitoring and data logging and data conversion features. The logging functions can be used to produce audit records to support traceability and operating status, and the data can be made available to applications such as spreadsheets and databases, enabling integration into reporting and analysis systems.

Key benefits include: lower operating costs by eliminat-ing reference calibration cycle; increased revenue potential from improved CMC capabilities; enhanced customer service transporting lab-grade reference to customer sites; reduced capital expenditure by improving capabilities of existing equipment; no additional components required; and automated traceability documentation with Trimble GPS Studio software.

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newproducts

Rapid-deployment communications system

Simoco’s portable re-peater provides a self-contained, compact, ro-bust and easily deployable, fireground radio communications system. The portable repeater provides ex-tended communications coverage over a localised area such as a fireground, where mobile and, in particular, portable radios require greater range.

The repeater is designed for VHF or UHF and also accommodates the future APCO Digital P25 upgrade. The repeaters can also be customised and tailored to meet the specific requirements of individual brigades.

The company’s rapid deployment portable mast kit offers a quick and easy-to-assemble, non-permanent antenna structure in situations where a staging area, fireground or a field incident management centre has no existing antenna infrastructure. Coupled with the suitcase portable repeater and the improved coverage, it provides a brigade with a high-performance, temporary in-field communications system that can be quickly set up, improving situational awareness in critical situations.

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RF adapter modules

The NI 5792 RF receiv-er adapter module and NI 5793 RF transmitter adapter module with 200 MHz of real-time bandwidth extend NI’s

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20–22 NOVEMBERMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Government • Enterprise • Transportation • Utilities • Mining • Public Safety • Security

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION

CLOSES 18 OCTOBER 2013

Prize Draw Sponsor

Lanyard Sponsor

Digital Partner

Supporting associations & media organisations

Magazine Partner

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

In association with

Register online at www.comms-connect.com.au

In conjunction with the ARCIA Industry Gala DinnerVisit www.arcia.org.au to book your tickets

Inspector Lance Valcour (Ret) O.O.M — Executive Director, Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group (CITIG)Public safety interoperability: an international perspective

Anthony Goonan — Director, Network Commercial Engineering, Telstra CorporationA roadmap to deliver next-generation critical communications

Tasso Mangos — Chief Technology Officer, NEC AustraliaRadio is dead, long live radio …

Highlights

• Advanced radio over IP• In-building distributed antenna

systems (DAS)• Mobile broadband & LTE for

critical communications• Implementing a digital radio

solution• Infrastructure and towers• TETRA masterclass

6 New Training Workshops

Comms Connect – formerly RadioComms Connect – returns to Melbourne’s MCEC this November to deliver vital information to the mission and business-critical communications communities – the users, the dealers and industry.

COMMS CONNECT DELIVERS MORE FOR 2013

http://www.comms-connect.com.au


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RFID antennas

Unique Micro Design (UMD) has taken on the distribution of Times-7 SlimLine and Near Field RFID antennas. The company’s solutions enable customers to improve business outcomes, minimise risk and reduce operational expenses.

The SlimLine range is effective in a wide range of applica-tions such as: conference and people tracking; event and race timing, baggage handling; logistic and supply chain asset management; and retail and customer interaction.

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Cavity RF filter

The MiMOMax dual bandpass MiMO anten-na duplexer is a high-performance, tuneable cavity RF Filter. With low insertion loss and a com-pact footprint, the dual-channel format provides an economical site filter solution for congested sites where space is at a premium.

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Network newsUpdate on the NSW Government Radio NetworkJonathan Nally

Radio Comms Asia-Pacific spoke with the NSW Telco Authority’s director, Shaun Smith, to get an update on the NSW GRN and the infrastructure review.

With a coverage area of approxi-mately 266,000 square kilometres,

the New South Wales Government Radio Network (GRN) is one of the largest trunked radio networks in the world. It takes in around one-third of the state, including the high-population-density area of Sydney and its surrounds.

The GRN was established in 1993 and for around the past 18 months has been operated by the NSW Telco Authority, a new statutory body that also has respon-sibility for other aspects of state govern-ment radio communications in NSW, such as managing spectrum holdings.

In May 2013, following a competitive tendering process, Airwave Solutions Aus-tralia was appointed to manage the GRN, taking over from Motorola. Also this year, the authority completed a review of the state government’s mobile radio infrastruc-ture, with an eye to possible rationalisa-tion and improvement of service levels.

To get an update on developments with the GRN, as well as the infrastruc-ture review, we spoke with Shaun Smith, the Telco Authority’s managing director.What was the reason for letting a new contract for operation of the GRN?

The arrangement with Motorola as the network manager was an interim ar-rangement whilst we were going through a major network upgrade. As the OEM, they were best placed to manage risk by being the network manager as well. Over the last couple of years, we changed from an analog system to the new Astro P25 standard, and it was always the intention that at the end of that upgrade, we would go out to market and seek to competi-tively tender that process.How long is the contract with Airwave?

It’s three years, plus two one-year op-tions. We were really seeking two things. One was to improve the service level, and that was written into the tender specifica-tion. And the second was to give the end users more visibility in terms of where the network’s up to, where it’s going and what the day-to-day status of it is.When you say to “improve the ser-vice level”, does that suggest there were defects that needed to be fixed or is it just an ongoing process of improvement?

It's an ongoing process of improve-ment. We want to make sure it is the most reliable service possible. One of the things that will happen over time, coming out of a government decision about two years ago, under a premier’s memorandum, is that agencies will rely

Government Network



more and more on the services provided by the GRN. When we went out to tender for a new network manager, we actu-ally rewrote some of the service levels to ensure we get that level of reliability from our operator.So with the government memoran-dum, was this to say, “Okay, agen-cies out there, we want you to start using the GRN if you’re not using it already”?

In effect, yes. It’s premier’s memo-randum 2010-16, and it talks about the creation of the NSW Telco Authority and its more central role in radio communica-tion in NSW. We want to, and will, create an effective platform that exceeds expecta-tions.What is the background to the establishment of the NSW Telco Authority?

The Telco Authority has been around for about 18 months and the board has been in place for the last 12. It’s a new statutory authority that is responsible for the coordination and operation of radio services to government agencies in NSW. We also have responsibility for manag-ing the spectrum holding of the NSW government. Over time, the agencies that historically have been owners and opera-tors of their infrastructure will vest that infrastructure across to the Telco Author-ity and we’ll take care of it from there - we’ll own it, operate it and supply the service back.

Now that will apply where it makes sense to do so, but not in all instances. For example, we wouldn’t take over Syd-ney Trains’ signalling infrastructure because it is a highly targeted comms network.What about radio comms for the railways?

Because it is a specific operational environment, Sydney Trains are maintain-ing their own radio comms. They do use the GRN for general business, but they’re actually using their own radio comms for signalling.The list of users shown on the Telco Authority’s website ranges from defence down to local councils. Are there many others that you expect will become users of the GRN in the future?

I think one of the contextual things that’s going on is the increasing demand for spectrum, particularly in the high and medium population density areas. ACMA has actually created a harmonised govern-ment band of spectrum for the govern-ment users to make use of. That band doesn’t have the same amount of spec-trum as we currently use, so there will

need to be a rationalisation in any regard. Given that there is an infrastructure layer out there that is a shared service, we would expect that other agencies would make use of that going forward, rather than owning and operating their own infrastructure.Is there sufficient capacity to take on many more operators or users?

It will be an evolving thing. So as we ingest new users, if they’re small us-ers there’s ample capacity. Obviously if we bring on a large user who has many, many end-user devices and lots of dif-ferent talk groups, then we will need to examine the capacity to make sure that it has adequate capacity for not just day-to-day operations, but also for peak events that would come out of emergencies, because obviously emergency services are some of our key customers.Is the Telco Authority funded by levying each user agency or does it get block funding out of the govern-ment budget?

It depends on the function. Where we’ve provided direct services in terms of

access to the GRN to the user agency, if it’s a small user agency it pays on a per-terminal basis, a commercially comparable amount. So IPART determines a monthly terminal fee for small user agencies. Then the balance of the operating costs are split amongst the four emergency us-ers that currently use the GRN, because they’re the ones who have the greatest requirements for coverage and capacity. Those are the two primary cost drivers.

For other functions, we have an emergency management function within the Telco Authority and it provides the interface between commercial carriers and the emergency services. If there’s an event going on, people need to be able to contact the emergency services agencies, and they do that through 000. If there’s a carrier outage where there’s a large number of people affected - because someone’s cut through a fibre or there’s been some other event that affects com-munity communications - then we’ll work with both the carriers and emergency services agencies to actually get services restored as quickly as possible.

Government Network


For example, if it’s in relation to a flood event, we might facilitate access by asking the SES to assist the carrier to get technicians to sites to restore services. Or if there’s a particular hazard that’s emerg-ing, we’ll make sure the carriers are aware of that hazard and we might assist them to take some preventative action where required. In order to do that, because it’s not related to the service that we provide as the GRN, it’s actually funded directly from the government.What is the situation with having the GRN and police radio currently sepa-rate? Is there an expectation that the two will one day be combined?

The premier’s memorandum that I mentioned earlier presents a policy posi-tion that articulates that the police and GRN should be integrated. One of the pri-mary drivers for that is spectrum availabil-

ity within the Sydney basin. There simply won’t be enough spectrum for each agency to maintain their own separate private net-work as well as operate a shared network within the high and medium population density areas.Is that because the spectrum alloca-tion is being squeezed or because of the number of users that are coming on to the spectrum?

The spectrum is effectively being squeezed by ACMA. When they deter-mined the harmonised government band, it was adequate for most jurisdictions. It’s just that NSW currently uses more spec-trum than has been allocated for govern-ment use.So what are the challenges in con-forming to that spectrum allocation?

It’s a fairly complex exercise. In NSW there are more than 50,000 government

end users across all the different net-works; 30,000 of them are on the GRN. As you change the infrastructure that supports those users, there are obviously some change management issues that flow through - you’ve got to teach people how to use new radios, new terminals. There’s an investment required in order to do that; a significant investment in certain areas. And it’s a complex planning issue, because you obviously need to maintain service continuity while you’re putting in place the new infrastructure. You can’t take down a network until you’ve got something else to replace it with. So there’s a whole careful transition that needs to happen over that time.Do you have any expectation of what that time frame will be?

There are some time frames set down by ACMA. We’re moving towards comple-tion of a large part of it by 2015-16 and an end date of 2018.What is the radio infrastructure re-view and what does it involve?

Historically, government agencies have done their own thing with regards to radio communications. What we wanted to do was get a central view of what was actually out there, what was owned by government agencies and what was currently in service. The idea being that over time, we’ll be able to consolidate some of that infrastruc-ture, increase the amount of sharing that goes on and release some funds that can then be used to improve services.Do you think the network infrastruc-ture will need to grow? Will we see more antenna towers? Are there comms black spots that need to be filled in?

As we identify areas where there are multiple lots of government infrastructure, you’ll probably see a reduction in the num-bers of comms towers out there because there will be more sharing of facilities. One of the things we’re promoting amongst ra-dio user agencies at the moment is sharing common tenancies, sharing common tow-ers and actually sharing of infrastructure.

You’ll probably see an overall reduc-tion in government presences across the state - they might be in slightly different locations as we take a more planned ap-proach to ensure that we’ve got cover-age in all the areas where the agencies need it. We’ve gone through a process of identifying the business requirements of each of these agencies - what do they actually need to operate their business - and then we can use the information from the infrastructure audit, as well as the business requirements from the agencies, to really plan services. This will lead to a

NSW GRN usersACT Buses*ACT Government*Ambulance Service of NSWAttorney General’s DepartmentAusgridAustralian Broadcasting CorporationCentral Table Lands CouncilChevra HatzollahDepartment of Corrective ServicesDepartment of DefenceDepartment of Juvenile JusticeDepartment of Premier & CabinetEndeavour EnergyFire & Rescue NSWHarbour City Ferries

*The ACT uses the GRN core infrastructure to provide a fully interoperable net-work that is seamless across the borders, which allows for mutual aid between NSW and the ACT.

Hunter Water CorporationICACMaritime Authority of NSWNational Parks and Wildlife ServiceNSW PoliceNSW Rural Fire ServiceNSW State Emergency ServiceRoads and Maritime ServicesSutherland Shire CouncilSydney Catchment AuthoritySydney Ports AuthoritySydney TrainsSydney WaterTransport for NSW

Government Network


reduction in the amount of infrastructure that’s required out there.As the GRN continues to grow, are there any vulnerabilities inherent in having just one network, or one ma-jor network, rather than a number of smaller networks?

It depends on your point of view to a certain extent. Historically, there have been lots of agencies doing things independently and the funding has been spread out quite disparately. Part of the process of ration-

alising these services and infrastructure is that it won’t actually cost as much to operate. We can use some of those savings to really improve the quality of service and provide that redundancy into the designs of the network. We may not necessarily end up with one statewide trunked govern-ment radio network - it will be based on what makes the most sense. For example, it may not make sense to build a trunked government radio network that covered 100% of the state right out to White Cliffs, as there’s just not the requirement for trunked services out there - there would be another technology solution that would be more appropriate in those kinds of scenarios.With savings from rationalisation being redirected to improving the system, what kinds of improvements could we see?

We’ll improve the quality of the network connections. Currently some networks don’t actually have active moni-toring - active monitoring will be part of the standard design going forward, so that when there is an issue we’ll know about it in advance. There’s a whole range of

improvements that will happen over time, such as filling black spots in certain parts of the state.

I think the primary thing in terms of what the authority is setting out to do is this notion of taking a holistic look across all of government. We want to establish what’s out there, who owns it and how is it operated, and rationalising that so we can release some of the value that’s held in it, and also improve the quality of the service at the same time.

Now, lots of coordination and centrali-sation initiatives are about saving money. The Telco Authority remit is actually about saving money and, importantly, re-using some of that to improve the services that we provide.Resources

NSW Telco Authority http://telco.nsw.gov.au/

NSW Government Radio Network

http://telco.nsw.gov.au/content/government-radio-network

NSW Telco Authority Corporate Plan 2013-14

http://telco.nsw.gov.au/content/corporate-plan-2013-2014

NSW Premier’s Memorandum M2010-16 Government

Mobile Radio Services http://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/

announcements/ministerial_memoranda/2010/m2010-

16_government_mobile_radio_services

Shaun Smith, managing director of the New South Wales Telco Authority.

Government Network

http://www.gmgsolutions.com.au


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True Portability newproducts

Digital two-way radios

Motorola Solutions has expanded its port-folio of digital radios with the unveiling of new Mototrbo models. The company says the new models provide more price points and form factors to users in markets such as

manufacturing, retail, hospitality, private security and services.

The DP3441 series is a small portable that delivers a full suite of Mototrbo voice and data features in a tough, waterproof package. Sized to fit in the palm of a hand, it has GPS and Bluetooth and is IP67 rated.

Also announced is the development of 800 MHz and 900 MHz versions of its SL Series, which will be available in

late 2013.Motorola has also introduced a

remote-mount control head option for the DM4000 Series radios, allowing separation of the control panel and the radio by up to 5 m and putting the radio within the reach of the driver in specialist vehicles.

Motorola Solutions Australia Pty Ltd


Base station

SOLO is a compact, fully featured single-carrier TETRA base station that has been specifically designed to meet the demands of users in sectors such as airports, pub-

lic transport, manufac-turing, public safety, oil and gas and other industrial organisations. It offers spectrum-efficient TETRA base station IP connectivity in a very limited footprint.

Easy to transport and install, this 25 W base station can be deployed either as a stand-alone single site or as part of a network. It is possible to use two SOLOs together, either by using their dual carrier capability to expand capacity or by using them in a redundant configuration to provide a back-up facility.

The base station provides good operational efficiency with a full range of management tools as well as good security capabilities. Its installation and maintenance is made easier by the absence of mast-mounting requirements.

Sepura PLC


http://www.vicom.com.au


INDUSTRY TALKING

Hamish DuffPresidentAustralian Radio Communications Industry Association

I am delighted and humbled to be named the president of the Australian Radio Communications Industry Association. Firstly, let me congratulate the outgoing committee members and in particular, retiring president Chris Kelly. Our industry is indebted to these fine people, who have given up countless hours to work on our behalf, purely on the basis that the work needs to be done. Their efforts have placed ARCIA in an excellent position as a respected representative of the industry. The association has a stable financial position thanks to the support of members and partners as well as prudent financial management.

The election also represents a minor change of the guard, as we now have an executive from three states alongside committee members from all over Australia. For me this represents the next challenge for our association - that is, to take the strong platform that was essentially created in Victoria and ensure that we are relevant all over the nation. Our members represent global manufacturers, small and large businesses, and individuals across many different organisations, technologies and geographies. I believe that we should strive to ensure that our association reaches all corners of the country and is able to engage with all aspects of the communications industry.

If you consider the importance of our industry to so many people and, indeed, the Australian economy, we are vastly underrepresented in our influence on government and policymakers. The only way we can change this is to pool our resources, get organised and to make our voice as strong as possible. This takes considerable time and effort, but with your help we can continue to advance our cause and become visible to the broader community.

Of course, one of the ways in which we have started to get that message out there is to have regular industry events, and the biggest one of all is the annual industry gala dinner. This year it will be held on 21 November at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, in conjunction with Comms Connect, an event that brings together our industry in spectacular fashion. If you have not added these events to your calendar yet, make sure you do, as there are many excellent reasons to attend: check out arcia.org.au or comms-connect.com.au for all the details.

I’d like to thank our administrative staff, Alison and Madeleine, for all the work they do behind the scenes, particularly with the events, which require considerable planning. The results are a credit to their dedication and skill.

I am very pleased that the incoming committee is made up of a group of people from around the country with a broad range of experience to call on. I look forward to working with everyone as we plan and discuss ARCIA’s next moves.

newproducts

Ethernet tester

The EXFO FTB-860 NetBlazer 10G ethernet tester offers field techni-cians comprehensive yet simple test suites with full EtherSAM and RFC2544 capabilities. With simplicity in configuration set-up and navigation, the ethernet tester guides technicians through complete, accurate testing processes - including suggestion prompts, help guides and more. The ethernet tester is available to rent. The ether-net tester enables field technicians to perform RFC 2544 measurements and EtherSAM (ITU-T Y.156sam) for turnkey deployment, validation and troubleshooting of 10 Gbps access and metro ethernet services with ease in any environment. The unit features a large TFT screen with simple configura-tion via hybrid touch-screen/keypad navigation, as well as clear notifications for accurate interpretation of test results. Key features include: accelerate ethernet service activation with bidirectional EtherSAM (ITU-T Y.1564) and RFC 2544 test suites; multistream traffic generation; through mode; and bit-error-rate (BER) testing.

Other features include: GUI navigation; dedicated quick-action buttons; BERT, RFC, traffic generation and through mode; and IPv6 testing capabilities.

TechRentals


Design and test software

To keep pace with the constantly growing number of standards, NI LabVIEW graphical design software offers a set of tools for signal generation, analysis, visualisation and processing of standard and custom digital and analog modulation formats.

For example, with the NI GPS Simulation Toolkit for Lab-VIEW, users can create simulated global positioning system (GPS) waveforms for use with NI RF signal generators to produce customised and repeatable GPS receiver tests. The advanced API helps users create custom motion trajectories, adjust individual satellite power levels and incorporate real-time feedback from the device under test into their test system. With the GPS Simulation Toolkit, users can stream a simulated signal as it is created with the NI PXIe-5672 or PXIe-5673 RF vector signal generators and adjust signal characteristics during generation or create predefined scenario tests for up to 24 hours of repeatable test.

Engineers seeking a new level of flexibility and performance in their test systems combine LabVIEW with PXI RF modular instrumentation. These compact, high-performance measure-ment systems feature advanced timing and synchronisation and the latest PC technologies, providing high throughput for measurements from DC to 6.6 GHz.

National Instruments Australia



http://www.jdsu.com/test


The digital decadeBevan Clarke - General Manager, Radio Solutions, Motorola Solutions Australia and New Zealand

While the adoption rate of digital two-way radio in Australia and

New Zealand is among the highest glob-ally, analog systems are still dominant worldwide. A recent survey suggests that up to 80% of two-way radio users are still using analog systems, even though many of them are using hybrid digital systems.

Even so, more than 70% of those surveyed stated they were planning to migrate to digital in the next five years, and over half of those within the next two years.

While voice communications remains the number one application for two-way radio - both digital and analog - the drive behind the shift towards digital lies in data applications.

With parallels in the smartphone world, where data applications - or apps - have transformed the humble mobile phone into a portable computer, similar changes are afoot in the radio world.

Ironically, the ubiquity of smartphones has partly become a catalyst for radio’s metamorphosis, mainly because smart-phones have begun to overlap, and

sometimes supersede, the utility of two-way radio, adding significant cost (and risk) to companies with hundreds of field workers.

In some cases, apps have become mission-critical, making them indispen-sable to fieldwork. Given the complex, real-time interactions between field per-sonnel and those back at headquarters, radio technology has had to evolve just to keep up with demand.

Two-way radio appsTwo-way radio apps are increasingly being developed to suit specific busi-ness needs, as opposed to organisations working around standard apps to make them fit.

There are hundreds of two-way radio software application developers across the Asia-Pacific region alone, focused on developing business-specific applications for public safety, manufacturing, transport and logistics, security, hospitality, con-struction and mining organisations.

As these apps are being developed, two-way radio handsets are beginning to replace other proprietary devices that

A seismic shift is taking place in the radio world, shaping the future of how most of us will communicate in the years to come.

Going Digital


http://www.simocogroup.com


were previously used for the sole pur-pose of performing one or more special-ised functions - functions that can now be done by the radio and the app.

The history of two-way radio is a long one; so long in fact that analog radio has reached its innovation ceiling. Everything that can be done with analog radio - which by its very nature can only per-form one task at a time - has been done.

But analog radio’s longevity is also its strength: familiarity breeds ubiquity, and two-way radio has become almost as entrenched as a home appliance in many organisations. The transition to digital has taken off, with at least a decade of evolution in digital radio standards such as TETRA and Project 25.

If digital radio is to succeed, it first has to overcome the inertia of analog systems that are practically embedded in the lifeblood of field communications and, on the whole, still perform admi-rably.

The tipping pointThe shift towards digital technology began for entirely different reasons. Digi-tal introduced several advantages over analog systems that made a significant difference in the field.

For example, improved voice quality - and the partial elimination of background noise when converting the human voice to digital signals - had positive implica-tions in noisy environments.

Spectrum efficiency - the ability to use a single digital frequency for multiple voice and data streams - made digital systems far more scalable and introduced additional benefits, such as simultaneous voice and data streams to digital hand-sets that allow for, among other things,

sending and receiving critical information while engaged in a voice call.

Other benefits such as open standards between digital radio systems (allowing for mix-and-match handsets) and higher levels of encryption, critical to companies in the security industry, for example, have each in their own way fuelled the initial migration from analog to digital.

The marriage of apps and mobile phones turned the mobile world on its head almost overnight. Yes, apps were available on mobiles in one form or another long before the iPhone was even conceived. But no device prior to the iPhone made the app the selling point of a phone. From that point onwards, the smartphone market made the steep and rapid leap towards critical mass - a trajectory that shows no signs of abating more than five years later.

Now, a new generation of apps is about to tip the scales for digital two-way radio in the very same way.

Digital killed the analog starWe no longer live in an analog age. A new generation of consumers has been sensitised to data ubiquity - be it text, video, images or even digitised voice, often all at once.

This behaviour is rapidly spilling over into the workplace, with the smart-phone revolution the most obvious example. While smartphones have so far had limited utility in remote areas and for mission-critical tasks in the mining industry, for example, the data they can carry is of great importance. If anything, access to rich data in the field is trans-forming the workplace. New generation digital radio handsets are already adopt-ing smartphone-like functionality - picture

messaging, GPS tracking and internet access to name a few.

Let’s take applications being used in the resources sector as examples. Track-ing applications using the GPS tracking capabilities of digital radios have been developed that can easily locate the worker the radio is attached to, which assists in compliance with an increased focus on occupational health and safety regulations.

In addition, the two-way radio in a truck can signal whether a truck is speeding or in the wrong area, increas-ing productivity and efficiency and further ensuring safety.

The biggest challenge to digital radio is not analog radio, especially since many analog networks and devices will, over the next few years, reach the end of their useful life and will cost more to maintain than the cost of replacing them with digital alternatives.

No, the biggest challenge to digital radio is the other digital devices that may make radio - digital or otherwise - redundant.

Mobile networks are nowhere near the point of radio’s maturity, at least not for niche applications and in remote locations. But as mobile technology improves, and its reach extends outward via new-generation wireless and satellite networks, radio will continually have to justify its place.

Thankfully, it’s the tailored busi-ness - and mission-specific apps being developed (GPS tracking, visual and audio feedback and location services, among others) - that have already begun to move digital handsets into workers’ hands faster than at any other time in history.

Motorola Solutions Australia Pty Ltd


"If digital radio is to succeed, it first has

to overcome the inertia of analog systems

that are practically embedded in the

lifeblood of field communications."

Going Digital

http://www.hytera.com.au


The ubiquitous mobile phone works well for most of us, most of the

time. Occasionally we get a dropped call or two when coverage plummets, or the odd network outage means we can’t download emails or browse the internet. It’s frustrating, but rarely life threatening.

Put yourself in the shoes of a police officer or utility worker in a hazardous situation or remote area and reliable coverage becomes much more than a nice-to-have - it’s an absolute necessity. It’s critical to be able to function prop-erly and safely. That’s why it’s known as ‘critical communications’. While a chief information officer (CIO) wants to make

sure the people they’re supporting have reliable radio communications, the idea of operating a stand-alone radio network may not be immediately attractive, par-ticularly when all the other networks in their IT organisation are IP based. These are largely physically wired networks - local area networks (LANs) connected by a wide area network (WAN) - so they’re relatively straightforward to manage. But what about radio?

Well, radio technology has evolved significantly in the last few years. Today’s IP-based radio networks have much in common with modern IT systems and can increasingly interface with them. So it fol-

lows that there’s a host of benefits to be gained from managing them together.

IP radio networksAn IP radio network is similar to a physical network, where LANs are joined through a WAN. The radio network consists of multiple base stations serving a large geographic area, all connected through a WAN that can be wired, fibre or landline. This WAN may be a combi-nation of a private network and a com-mercial vendor’s network. The IP radio network supports voice and some data, although voice communication is usually still its main use. But this is changing.

John Emerson, Chief Information Officer, Tait Communications

Chief information officers have a responsibility to make informed and balanced decisions when it comes to implementing strategic radio network plans.

Hurricane Sandy wrought devastation in the USA. Communications coverage was severely affected. Credit: Jordan Balderas, Creative Commons.

Network Design

A strategic approach to radio technology


It’s already common for packets of data to be sent via radio networks. For example, sending the location coordinates of a public safety officer can be criti-cal to their personal safety as well as to the command structure. Sending a status request and then monitoring a radio user’s response can be equally critical. Similarly, gathering data elements from utilities field staff, such as their location, task ID and time can provide key input to workforce management systems.

IP data packets can be transmit-ted over shared lines, but careful radio network design is needed to maintain the quality of real-time voice communica-tions. However, there are potential cost savings because of the opportunity to share network resources.

Strategic fitThe CIO is responsible for making sure that all networks under their responsibil-ity (and all the devices on those net-works) will work together; information must be able to move seamlessly from one network to another, especially where public safety is concerned.

Any forward-looking organisation will understand the need to expand the use of their networks for closer partnerships between clients, partners and other enti-ties such as government agencies.

Technology that has been in operation for many years can hinder effective busi-ness functions. The business itself may change, or the technology can simply fail to keep up. As a result, the CIO must be sure that the technology can remain effective and efficient over a long period of time, so that business needs continue to be satisfied.

As well as technology trends, CIOs must keep current with the proposed product roadmaps of their key ven-dors. Vendors whose roadmaps are not consistent with the CIO’s organisation’s strategy are clearly a risk to be ad-dressed and managed.

Last century, proprietary standards were common, due to rapidly evolving technologies developed by companies using their own standards. These pro-prietary standards could be used to lock customers in to a single vendor for a long time, ensuring the vendor could maximise revenue from those customers. With the deployment and use of the internet, open standards managed by independent indus-try groups - such as the DMR Association or APCO - have replaced proprietary vendor standards, making it much easier to interoperate and to share networks, data and voice transmissions.

From a wider IT perspective, the ‘cloud’ has become the pervasive interoperability standard, using the TCP/IP communications protocol. Technology has converged on this standard, from radios, mobile phones, landlines (VoIP), traffic signals, security cameras, through to TVs and photocopiers. As a result, the CIO’s job and challenges have become a lot more extensive.

Coverage and reliabilityConsumer telecommunications companies place their mobile phone towers where they can make the most revenue from as many connections as possible. As a re-sult, poor, sparsely populated or semiru-ral areas may not have reliable coverage. Conversely, these are areas where public safety agencies and utilities typically oper-ate, and their communications require-ments must be based on radio coverage, using radio towers that can be easily reconfigured to ensure uniform coverage across an entire region.

In an emergency, such as a natural dis-aster, or even at peak times of ‘normal’ demand (like New Year’s Eve), cellular networks quickly become overloaded. In the Christchurch, New Zealand, earth-quake of 2011, the cellular network was immediately overloaded as members of the public sought to connect with friends and family. However, the radio network remained available to the public safety and associated agencies with a minimal interruption of service, and handled the much higher levels of public safety use. In some countries, terrorists have used cellular networks to detonate bombs via their mobile phones. As a result, one of the first things public safety does is to shut down the cellular network when a bomb is detonated in a public place.

While most networks are designed and deployed with built-in redundancy, the CIO must be absolutely sure that any new network vendor - and the proposed network being considered - must be at least as reliable as the network and the vendor they are plan-ning to replace. The most common way to check this out is to talk with other organisations that already use this ven-dor’s equipment and services, as well as ensuring high availability through the RFP process with clear requirements, specifications and in contracts. Another way to manage the risk of unreliable vendors or their networks is to insist on open standards, to make sure non-performing entities or components can be replaced quickly.

SecurityWith increasingly sophisticated and aggressive cyberattacks, security has become a must-have. Not only is ac-cess security important, but high-level encryption has also become essential. Radio networks have very high security requirements, due to high government use, and are usually private, ensuring others cannot access transmissions as easily as they can on the public cellular network. The level of encryption within P25 networks is specifically designed for the higher requirements of law enforce-ment.

As an example, the São Paulo Police Force’s effectiveness had been previ-ously limited by drug cartels intercepting their communications and disappearing before police arrived. The Tait P25 net-work commissioned in 2006 has yet to be cracked by the crime syndicates and São Paulo Police attributed the contribu-

Network Design


tion of the secure communications to a reduction in crime of 60% between 2006 and 2011.

ScalabilityWhile public safety entities may not be physically expanding, regional mutual support agreements are becoming increasingly common. New networks tend to expand and replace the older networks, so that all parties can com-municate by consolidating on one standard. Utility CIOs understand that their companies may expand by procur-ing other utility companies. Either way, a smart CIO is going to make sure that the communications network can be scaled up, to cover any eventuality.

Converging on the TCP/IP com-munications protocol, an organisation’s networks can be managed from one console, irrespective of the content of the TCP/IP packet (voice, data, etc). Such convergence has already occurred in locations from a 60,000-resident city, to the Los Angeles basin with 14 mil-lion residents. The communications can involve any device (including desktop PCs, servers, smartphones, radios, traffic signals, etc). Many regions have mutual support agreements among police and fire, partly as a result of budget cutbacks, but also to be able to project a larger response in the event of a local disaster. Integrated com-munications platforms are essential to support coordinated, multiorganisational responses.

ManagementTo perform consistently, any network requires ongoing support. User admin-istration, security, device monitoring and network monitoring are all key to maintaining network integrity and per-formance. CIOs will want an extensive network management tool to be able to perform management functions ef-fectively over the long term.

The same network management tools used for managing IT networks can be used to manage the TCP/IP-based radio networks. A network-addressable radio can be remotely checked for operational status, its location ascertained, software down-loaded to it and operational issues identified before the radio is rendered inoperable if required. These are the same remote management tasks that can be performed with a smartphone, providing the ability to manage all the organisation’s TCP/IP mobile devices in real time. Other functions that can be

performed include device security and network performance management.

Redundancy in an emergencyWhile redundancy is built into most modern networks, the critical nature of public safety and utility work functions benefit from having multiple networks that provide additional redundancy. As most organisations already use the local public cellular network for a number of functions, in the event of a disaster, key staff can be issued with a radio. The radio network is a very cost-ef-fective way to ensure the needs of an organisation coping with an emergency are met, without the cellular network.

CIOs know that demands for inte-gration will increase and that stand-alone systems are becoming rare.

As radios become more intelligent and IP-based, interfaces with other networks (eg, Wi-Fi) become common. Data interfaces with IT systems also become possible through these other networks. Any radio vendor not providing open-standard interfaces to other networks and IT systems risks losing sales, as po-tential customers walk away from prob-able vendor lock-in. These days, that is probably a career-limiting decision.

The TCP/IP-based radio networks can also be used as a ‘bridge’ to the organisation’s other TCP/IP-based systems from the open standards-based legacy radio networks. This may extend the life of the legacy networks and en-able the expansion of the newer TCP/IP radio networks at an easier pace, avoid-ing the risky ‘big bang’ approach.

Network Design


ConvergenceOver the past 30 years, IT systems and networks have both become more complex to the point where they can be very difficult to manage. Organisa-tions wonder why their IT departments can’t get anything done, when in fact IT staff work long hours to keep many different technologies going. CIOs are actively looking for ways to simplify their networks, systems and processes.

As can be seen in the comparison ta-ble, the commonality between networks is increasing to the point where network management tools can handle both inter-nal IP networks and radio networks on the same console.

Continual downward pressure on IT budgets and increasing demands for ser-vice can mean being the CIO is a thank-less task these days. Predictable cost is essential, as well as reasonable compo-nent cost, so that there are no surprises. As radio technology is built to last more than three times as long as cellular, cost can be spread over a much longer life cycle of 10 to 12 years.

Radio is relevantConverging technologies between IT and the critical communications that ra-dio networks support mean that radio is actually more closely aligned with the CIO’s domain than ever before.

Contrary to widely held beliefs, radio is by no means past its prime. Radio has evolved significantly and will continue to play an essential role in public safety and utility organisations that require mission-critical commu-nications across challenging coverage areas. When issues such as coverage, reliability, security, robustness and cost are fully considered, a radio network offers genuine business value to many organisations.

When a natural disaster strikes, commercial telecommunications compa-ny networks are immediately impacted. Cellular providers told the Federal Communications Commission that the day after Hurricane Sandy landed on 29 October 2012, more than 25% of mo-bile phone service went out in the 158 counties across the 10 states most af-

fected by the storm. Services worsened in many areas as generators serving cell towers ran out of fuel. Entire house-holds were without communication as their bundled services (mobile phone, internet and landline) failed completely.

In February 2011, when a Richter 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, with the third larg-est shock force ever recorded, the telecommunications networks were severely damaged and there was low availability within the city. The radio networks used by public safety agencies were quickly restored and continued to perform throughout the following aftershocks. These examples highlight the importance of having secure, highly reliable radio networks dedicated to public safety use, capable of integrat-ing with and operating across different technologies within a regional area.

Tait Communications


Network Design

http://www.techrentals.com.au


sepura.com

Looking for innovative and intelligent TETRA solutions? You can rely on Sepura to solve your operational challenges with rugged terminals, flexible systems and efficiency boosting applications.

For forward-thinking communications, trust Sepura.

Tomorrow’s critical communications, today

newproducts

RFID developer kits

Unique Micro Design (UMD) has wid-ened its array of SkyeTek RFID Developer Kits by introducing the Gemini series of NFC modules. The kits include RFID module(s) and antennas, sample RFID tags, device drivers, demo software, design guides and application notes.

SkyeTek’s SkyeModule Gemini is a low-cost, low-power, MIFARE and NFC reader/writer module. The Gemini module is based on 13.56 MHz HF technology using the ISO14443A and MIFARE standards. Other features in-clude a wide input power supply range (2.0-5.5 V), sleep mode current down to 10 µA, easy migration to and from the SkyeModule M2 and M4 and sup-ported host interfaces such as USB, TTL level RS232, SPI and I2C. The Gemini module connector uses the Common Blade Interface.

Unique Micro Design Pty Ltd


LTE base station tester

Anritsu has introduced the MT8220T BTS Master, a multifunction handheld tester that contains all of the capabilities that net-work operators, installers and regulatory authorities need

when measuring base stations. With this third generation of the

field-proven BTS Master family, the MT8220T has improved performance, including a standard GPS receiver, enhanced 2-port dynamic range, a faster LTE scanner and expanded spectrum analysis capability, in a design that is slimmer and lighter than previous models.

Combining a cable and antenna analyser, spectrum analyser and inter-nal power meter, the tester offers line sweeping, comprehensive wireless measurements, ultra-sensitive spectrum analysis and sophisticated interfer-ence tracking in a compact handheld solution. Providing multiple testing capabilities including comprehensive over-the-air (OTA) measurements to support remote radio heads (RRH) and MIMO, the tester is well suited for co-siting of new systems, such as LTE, with existing networks.

Anritsu Pty Ltd


http://www.sepura.com


CLEAN & RELIABLE OFF-GRID POWER

newproducts

Dual-802.11ac-radio access point

Meru Networks has announced the Meru AP832, which it claims is the market’s fastest 802.11ac access point. Meru attributes the speed to the Virtual Cell, a single-channel option provided by the MobileFLEX architecture and its support for the use of 80 MHz channels as outlined in the IEEE 802.11ac draft specification. Meru says that other wireless architectures largely restrict support for 40 MHz channels due to limited channel availability, reducing data rates to approximately half of the 1.3 Gbps-per-radio that the specification allows.

The Meru 802.11ac solution enables the use of three spatial streams over two 802.11ac radios on standard 802.3af power, eliminating the need for customers to upgrade their entire ethernet switching infrastructure.

Building on the Meru MobileFLEX architecture, the AP832 features two dual-band 802.11ac-supporting radios capable of simultaneously transmitting on the 5 GHz band. This enables users to overlay 802.11ac APs on 802.11n networks to solve capacity problems in high-density environments. The AP832 also enables the use of three spatial streams with only standard 802.3af power over ethernet (PoE), helping customers avoid forklift upgrades to their switching infrastructures. The AP832 access point enables customers to address the challenges created by high-density client environments and increased client diversity by leveraging the full po-tential of 802.11ac. It is also backwards-compatible to support 802.11n clients in both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.

Meru AP832 access points are designed to fit into exist-ing Meru AP332 (802.11n) mounting brackets, enabling quick and easy plug-and-play upgrades.

Wavelink


Portable PIM tester

Available from Vicom, AWT’s Portable PIM testers are powerful yet compact tools for

testing and analysing telecommunications net-work infrastructure.

The testers are ruggedised (IP66, closed), can withstand harsh environmental conditions and are accurate, reliable and very easy to operate; furthermore, they provide a number of features ideal for work in the field. Providing output power conforming to IEC 62037, the AWT S1P portable PIM analyser has operating modes including field diagnostics, analyser (PIM sweep, PIM vs time), VSWR, distance to fault and distance to PIM.

The portable PIM analyser provides the output power and measurement functionality to fully test for PIM in a functional portable package.

Vicom Australia Pty Ltd


http://www.powerbox.com.au


FREE SUBSCRIPTION!Radio Comms Asia-Pacific is FREE to qualified ICT industry professionals in Australia & New Zealand.

To continue receiving your free copy you will be asked to register every three years.

Quick registration @ www.RadioComms.com.au/subscribe

newproducts

Portable and mobile TETRA terminals

The Hytera TETRA Terminal includes the PT580H portable terminal which supports up to 3W RF output and the MT680 mobile terminal which supports up to 10 W RF output. Both units can help the operator save on investment costs, while providing high terminal RF output and a larger communications area. TheTETRA Terminal (including portable terminal and mobile terminal front panel) has IP67 dust and water protection. At the same time, they pass the strict test of US military reliability standard MIL-STD-810E/F/G, ensuring they can endure vibration, shock, salt-fog etc.

Service security is also of utmost concern for many end users, so Hytera TETRA terminal provides comprehensive security mechanisms including authentication, AIE Class 1/2/3, E2EE, enable/disable, mandown and PIN/PUK features. The ergonomic design includes a user-friendly MMI interface, colourful 160 x 128 LCD and 20 reprogrammable buttons.

Hytera Communications Co. Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T611

Dispatch system on tablets, laptops

Zetron’s MAX Dispatch system is now fully op-erational for use on tablet PCs and laptops, provid-ing the full functionality and features it provides at operator positions in the control room. This give the ability to respond quickly and deliver re-mote, temporary, backup or mobile dispatching quickly, securely and af-fordably. The company says the system supports a number of scenarios that are common to many command-and-control centres and public-safety agencies. For instance, if a centre has to be evacu-ated due to a storm, flood or other natural disaster, operations can be trans-ferred to a backup centre that uses MAX Dispatch on tablet PCs or laptops.

Backup centres can also be ready to provide additional dispatching support over tablet PCs or laptops if an event overwhelms the main centre, and supervisors can keep in touch with dispatch operations while moving throughout the building.

Zetron Australasia


6½-digit DMMs

Agilent Technologies has introduced the Truevolt Series digital multimeters. These DMMs offer several advantages over previous models. They help engineers see their measurement data in new ways, get actionable information faster and document their results more easily.

The Agilent 34461A DMM is a direct replacement for the industry-standard Agilent 34401A DMM. The Agilent 34460A offers engineers a basic entry point to the 6½-digit class of DMMs. Compared with the 34401A, the 34461A offers expanded current ranges from 100 µA to 10 A. Both the 34460A and 34461A have a temperature measurement function and expanded diode measurement capability to allow engineers to measure a larger full-scale voltage (5 V) so they can test more diode types, such as LEDs.

The Agilent Truevolt Series have a 4.3², high-resolution, colour display to view numerical readings, long-term trends (34461A only), histograms and statistical information. Engineers can set display preferences and pull them up automatically the next time they start up the instrument. Driverless easy file access USB file transfer provides simple connectivity between an Agilent Truevolt DMM and a PC. Engineers can drag and drop measurement data, instrument settings and screen images into PC applications without additional software.

The Digital Multimeter Connectivity Utility software lets engineers control, capture and view the Agilent DMMs on their benches. With a single click they can transfer data to a PC via USB, GPIB, LAN or RS232. Agilent Truevolt Series DMMs account for measurement errors created by real-world factors, so engineers can be confident in their measurements. According to Agilent, the Truevolt DMMs have less than 30% of the amount of injected current attributed to the meter compared with DMMs made by other vendors.

In real measurement situations, input currents create measurement errors, adding voltages to DMM results. Truevolt DMMs take care of input bias current.




newproducts

Digital radio test set

Aeroflex Incorporat-ed has introduced the 3920B Digital Radio Test Set for analog AM and FM,

digital P25, P25 Phase II, DMR, NXDN, dPMR, TETRA and TEDS technologies. The 3920B is the direct replacement for all versions of the Aeroflex 3900 Series.

The 3920B features a low phase noise RF signal generator providing enhanced spectral purity with SSB phase noise specified at -110 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset. This level of performance is achieved at an offset from the carrier that is significantly less than the industry standard for this type of specification, which is typically 20 kHz. The ability of the 3920B to achieve such low phase noise specifications close to the carrier makes the 3920B a suitable test solution for today’s digital nar-rowband or analog receiver testing where narrowband phase noise is critical.

The 3920B includes all the features and function of the 3920, including Aeroflex’s expanding library of Auto-Test II capabilities for automated test and alignment of a wide range of mission-critical radios. The 3920B provides Auto-Test II capabilities for Motorola APX, Motorola XTS and XTL Series as well as Harris, EF Johnson, Relm/BK and Kenwood radios, with support for additional radios coming in the near future.

Aeroflex Incorporated


Test cables

Exclusively distributed through Rojone Pty Ltd, Pasternack Enterprises has released a new line of SMA and N-Type test cables, suitable for testing applications requiring low insertion loss and operating frequencies up to 26.5 GHz.

These RF test cables are specifically designed for envi-ronments requiring highly durable test cables, but where expensive ultrastable cables are not required. The cables are available in both in-series and between-series configu-rations. They use male versions of SMA (26.5 GHz) and N (18 GHz) connectors, and Pasternack’s own flexible 141 semi-rigid coax. Each test cable is constructed with extremely durable, machined, stainless steel connectors and comes standard with a double-shielded coax and FEP jacket.

Pasternack’s SMA and N test cables are used for ap-plications including prototyping in test labs, production line testing and antenna range testing. These rugged RF cables are a cost-effective solution for various types of production testing, eliminating the need to buy more expensive versions. Test cables are available in 100, 150 and 200 cm lengths.

Rojone Pty Ltd


http://www.icsindustries.com.au


Farewell to Mike

Not too long ago, many thought the two-way radio market would die

a horrible death through the introduc-tion of mobile phones. Then came the awful terrorist attack on the London underground, which demonstrated that public mobile networks are ineffective in emergencies. That event, coupled with the horrific bushfires here in Australia, suddenly saw two-way became the flavour of the month again … and, of

course, it has remained, and will remain, the key instrument in responding to all emergencies.

Mike Smyth was one of those who had seen through the mobile mania, tell-ing anyone who would listen that two-way radio, especially HF, would remain essential for all public safety and critical communications operations. He was vindicated. This magazine, which some people also thought would be decimated by the mobile market, weathered the storm and is today stronger than ever.

Mike is unashamedly English. (How English? Well, there are rumours that he actually supports the England cricket team.) He spent much of his early work-ing life as the chief subeditor on a daily newspaper in Ipswich, a major town in the incredibly beautiful county of Suf-folk. After a time, he made the journey to Australia (rumours suggest he was deported, but we’ve been unable to con-firm that). He ended up editing a Sydney suburban newspaper before finding his way to Westwick-Farrow, the publishers of this magazine, 19 years ago.

Over the years Mike was at the helm of many of our publications - including Radio Comms Asia-Pacific, What’s New in Electronics, What’s New in Process Technology, What’s New in Telecommu-nications, What’s New in Scientific and Laboratory Technology, What’s New in Computing, What’s New in Pneumatics and Hydraulics - and assisted in editing and writing for every other magazine in the Westwick-Farrow stable. His long experi-ence, technical knowledge and passion for quality journalism were huge assets.

Mike is one of those incredibly strong planks that all good businesses rely on - there was no job he would not tackle; he would do everything he could to make the business the success it has been and still is today.

To some of his colleagues, Mike was affectionately known as Mr Grumpy - immortalised with his Grumpy page in What’s New in Electronics. But in reality, he was always ready to help and always the first to put up his hand when the wheels were falling off within the edito-rial department and a magazine or editor needed some help. There probably hasn’t been a single editor in the whole organi-sation who hasn’t turned to Mike at some stage for advice or a witty headline.

So Mike, from all of your col-leagues, past and present, and the tens of thousands of readers in many fields whom you have informed and educated throughout the past 19 years, we wish you a safe and happy retirement.

Westwick-Farrow’s technical journalist and editor, Mike Smyth, has finally decided to take on a well-earned retirement. We bid him a fond farewell.

Adrian Farrow, Janette Woodhouse and Jonathan Nally

End of an Era

http://www.idc-online.com


http://www.crsaccessories.com.au

radio comms asia-pacific sept/oct 2013

Documents

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radio comms network

state government network

tunnel vision16 comms

network news30

radio technology42 farewell

source company

motorola solutions