Monitoring practices for US Public Safety LMR systems vary greatly, from 24/7 live monitoring to simply relying on complaints from users. Darek Wieczorek looks at why this is, and how it needs to change.

When radio systems were relatively simple and isolated, system monitoring came down to the users reporting communications problems. While this may have been sufficient in the past, today’s systems are highly integrated, and depend on external computers, servers, routers, links, multiple software platforms, even people in different organizations.... Continue Reading

In the first part of this series, we explained the two main types of digital modulation,  Phase Shift Keying (PSK) and Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) with an example of each – Linear Simulcast Modulation (LSM) – a type of PSK, and Continuous Four Frequency Modulation (C4FM) – a type of FSK. We also compared the spectral efficiencies of LSM and C4FM. In this part, we compare the costs and effect of delay spread of the types of digital modulation.
Effect of delay spread
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Most digital radio modulation types are based on either Phase Shift Keying (PSK) or Frequency Shift Keying (FSK). Tait Principal Engineer Ian Graham is often asked about their relative advantages and disadvantages, so in this article he sets out to explore the subject.

To make it ‘real’, we will compare two actual modulation schemes: Linear Simulcast Modulation (LSM) – a type of PSK, and Continuous Four Frequency Modulation (C4FM) – a type of FSK. We will describe them, cover their relative advantages and disadvantages, then use an example simulcast system to show a practical comparison. Continue Reading

Just four days after commissioning a Tait DMR Tier 3 system in Canterbury, New Zealand, the region was hit by a huge storm. Electricity Ashburton (EA) Networks Network Manager, Brendon Quinn, tells us how Tait and EA Networks worked together to design and implement the Tait DMR Tier 3 solution and how the storm caused him to rethink his position on trunking.

Connection Issue 5 – Click here to read this article online

“Back in 2011, we had a single repeater part way up the mountains so coverage, particularly on the eastern... Continue Reading

Connection Issue 5 – Click here to read this article online

As communication networks converge, it is inevitable that there will be some friction and misunderstanding between IT and radio experts. And yet, cooperation is essential, with many issues to be worked through together.

  • How should responsibilities be decided?
  • Who does what?
  • How separate or interdependent should they be?
  • What skill sets do you need?

At the Tait P25 round table discussions in 2013, we talked to Public Safety radio communications experts on these, and many other matters. Continue Reading

Click to read this article in the Connection Magazine

Regulations and compliance play a defining role in the LMR industry. To understand their impact, Brian Emmett, Tait Compliance and Regulatory Manager, compares the LMR regulatory environments in two major jurisdictions: the United States and Europe.

In simple terms, regulatory compliance means obeying the rules set down by regulatory authorities. These regulations define expected outcomes and how they will be achieved. For land mobile radio communications equipment, the outcome is that the equipment will allow... Continue Reading

Click to Read the Full article in the Connection Magazine

Philip Mullins, Tait Solutions Marketing Manager, tells Connection what he sees as the biggest win for Utilities, as they move to digital radio networks.

Ask any Utilities network operator what their greatest pain point is, and odds-on, they’ll say it is managing operating expenses. Predicting an operating budget a year in advance is difficult enough. Mix in aging infrastructure, some severe weather, unpredictably heat waves or cold spells and some unplanned maintenance and what... Continue Reading

Click to Read the Article in the Connection Magazine – Issue 5

Trevor Textor, President of Text Corp, argues that treating communications as a utility will translate to better business efficiency and big savings.

Selecting telecommunications solely based on price is often a lost opportunity for businesses. Setting up telecommunications like Land Mobile Radio (LMR) as a utility may be more expensive initially, but the difference can be measured in more than just cash – it is measured in potential and... Continue Reading

Click here to read the article in the Connection Magazine

The Radio Club of America has had an enormous impact on the development of wireless communications over more than a century.

We recently sat down with RCA board members David Bart and Carol Perry and interviewed them to find out more about the club today.

Tell us about the Radio Club of America. What are you all about?

David: The Radio Club of America forms the bridge between the professional world, the amateur world, and the scientific community. The historical genesis of the club,... Continue Reading

Click here to read this article in Connection Magazine Issue 5

Radio over IP (RoIP) is a generic term that describes the application of Voice over IP (VoIP) on two-way radio networks. So all digital radio networks with IP connectivity use RoIP.

For radio fleet operators, RoIP can lower costs, improve reliability and increase interoperability in the following applications:

  • access to remote radios,
  • point-to-point, point-to-multipoint and cross-band connection,
  • radio-to-dispatch console links,
  • radio-to-telephone gateway,
  • by reducing cabling.

All of these applications utilize IP infrastructure – the IP backbones that make up both local and wide area networks. Continue Reading