Radio Communications of Charleston, Inc.

Radio Communications of Charleston, Inc.
Your Professional Wireless Solutions Provider

Saturday, March 13, 2010

P25, Who needs it? Myths and common sense things you wanted to know.

Well by now everyone is involved somewhat in getting their radio systems "narrow-banded" and quite possibly could be migrating towards the P25 phas I protocol.   I'm going to assume that you are already familiar with the P25 Phase I Protocol and consideration of that technology is underway.
Well, what's next, you might ask?   What may I realistically expect my radio system to do that it doesn't already do?   Basically, I would imagine you may be looking for cost/benefit points.

In this posting I'm going to get beyond the origin of the protocol and will try to bring some of those cost/benefit things to make sense to every day radio users.

P25 is a major change and isn't compatible with any other protocol directly, even though the radio sporting the protocol may be capable of multiple protocols on the same or different channels.   Radio technicians will really perk up their ears when first testing P25 as it requires a completely different mind set and testing ability.   There are lots of changes.   So on to cost/benefit deals.

1) P25 is a digital protocol that responds to a different distance window therefore changing operational range somewhat.   While the same analog radio is fading to noise, the P25 radio is still corresponding at 100% but will avalanche to non-existence similar to what is shown to the right on the graphical representation.   Basically the user will experience a little better range and clarity while within range.

2) The user will get other nice operational benefits by seeing what radio is talking or what radio is having the emergency.   The radio ID can be either a number or an alias such as "chief" or "officer" or whatever name you can squeeze into the window during programming.   Some users are very skeptical or conservative about implementing this feature.  If implemented P25 programming in Full Alias mode, constant reprogramming may be needed or at least every time someone ebbs and flows into the system.   That can be a real maintenance nightmare.   But, overall, if implemented properly, radio ID represents a great benefit to the users.

3)  Historical documentation of calls received and made are available on some P25 radios via scrolling the display.   This cost/benefit function could have it's purpose.   One could only imagine.

4)   No your battery doesn't last longer because of P25.   You may think so but if it does, that may be a function of the radio.   As a matter of fact, it may last less.   So be prepared for this possible benefit or possible extra baggage coming along with the new P25 radio.

5)   Clarity of audio in high noise environments is a definite plus.   Most if not all P25 radios process their audio via DSP (digital signal processing) and the radio computer makes the audio decision on a bit by bit basis.   This spits out generally better, or more intelligible audio.   Sometimes your radio may sound like it is receiving "star war" signals, but those signals will be more intelligible.  

Well, I could go on with cost/benefits but they fade quickly.  Are you involved in narrow-banding now?   Frequency efficiencies are gained by narrow-banding and that modification to bandwidth protocol is mandated by the Feds with a definite date of conversion.   So, I ask.   When will P25 Phase I be mandated?   This author believes it will be mandated before long, maybe with a long window of implementation, but mandated never-the-less.

What about P25 Phase II?   Aha, another kick in the pants for your radios.   Your radios possibly won't be able to even do Phase II.   How about that for obsolescence and radio upgrade planning.   Just think, the radio you hold in your hand may not be able to do P25 Phase I much less Phase II.........!

Oh well, we gotta sell radios somehow.   This kinda reminds you of the computer industry.   Ironic coincidence.....yep your radio is a computer now.

Till next time......happy computing.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Tower Sites and their associated expenses

Who even thinks of tower sites anyway?  Most people don't.   But, us in the wireless business know what it takes to get radio signals from one place to the other.   And tower sites play a key role in making things like that happen efficiently.

I was in a county council meeting one evening several years ago and was told that everyone wanted to get more cellular phone coverage out in the rural country.   The conversation continued and I moved us to the subject to tower sites.   You would have thought I was rude or something, the way they reacted to that conversation about towers.   But, from their perspective they just wanted cellular coverage and thought somehow coverage just happened and that nothing really big had to be done.   Cellular coverage was just supposed to "happen."   The consensus among the audience seemed to be that we all drive around with telephone connections plugged into our automobile tail pipes and that any additional thoughts about how the radio signal gets there are discounted.   A lot was said about "visual pollution" and "I don't want that thing in my back yard" and other stuff like that.   Well, no one wants towers in their back yard, but everyone wants cellular coverage.   Mobile radio & cellular service engineering, necessitates that something must give in order to achieve everyones needs.
A little later the conversation lead to satellite coverage and why couldn't we just use those ominous things floating around in space for everything wireless.   Boy, that's a whole new conversation there for sure.
To put some wraps on this thought process I once heard from a truck driver that if you eat it, wear it or otherwise use it, a truck brought it.   That makes sense and is believable once you think about it.   Well, to further that thought towards our topic, if you talk on it, look at it or otherwise use it via wireless, a tower brought it to you.   That's right, somewhere in the path a tower probably brought it to you.   That's not to mean that towers are the only things wireless or comprise all the support you have.   But, they are important, very important.
We'll get into more details later when we shall discuss some of the mechanics of vertical real estate......towers
Until later.........

Friday, January 15, 2010

Industry changes and other technical considerations

I've always believed that the human being has an inherent, insatiable appetite to communicate.   We are communicating beings and will use any and all methods available to be sociable and to know and  to communicate with others of our species.
That's my perspective anyway.   And in the technical world it allows one to continually see the changes and improvements and innovations that drive the basis of our industry.
As of late, it seems that data is becoming more and more paramount in causing us to shape our communicating future.   The computer, like the one we're on now, is really getting infused into our mainstream.   Most of the equipment in our "two-way" radio industry is computer controlled and more computer than radio.   This is a huge change from the older years of ham radio and the days of analog telephones and now the dead paging industry.  
I can remember when we could fabricate our own antenna systems and build our own radios from the tubes and transistors of years past.   And to take that stuff and confirm a conversation from a distant ham radio operator?   Wow, what a rush.
I guess we could go on and on about how things have changed.   But, let's face it.   Our kids grew up with computers in their lives.   These complex devices are part of them, part of their lives and largely their future.
Hat's off to those that were born earlier and didn't have the good fortune of being raised with a computer in their hand.   Hat's off to those that taught themselves.   We had to try harder.   We're a dying breed.
Till next time......

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