PRODUCT BRIEFS

Kenwood plans P25 VHF radios

Kenwood Communications plans to introduce Project 25-compliant VHF portable and mobile radios. Portable handsets are slated for October 2004 delivery, while mobile radios are scheduled to be available in first quarter 2005. Three types of portable handsets will be available: a no-keypad, no-display version, a version with keypad and full display, and an assignable four-button version with full display. Each handset offers 512 channels, FM analog and P25 digital (conventional and trunked) capability and operates over the full spectrum range from 136 MHz to 174 MHz. The mobile radios will be based on the same platform as Kenwood’s 90 Series radio. Mounting brackets, speaker microphone and interconnection cables will remain the same, the company said. The VHF version adds to the company’s 800 MHz P25 offering.

Radio Waves adds 23 GHz antenna

Radio Waves introduced the Discriminator, a one-foot diameter antenna that operates in the 23 GHz band. The antenna has first side lobes 23 dB down from the main beam, which “greatly reduces interference” from other microwave transmitters when co-location is required, the company said. The antenna also meets FCC Category A requirements. Typically, operators in the U.S. need to utilize a two-foot antenna to meet category A in the 23 GHz band, Radio Waves said, adding that the lower profile reduces costs and improves aesthetics.

ZyXEL unveils ZyAIR secure outdoor WLAN solution

ZyXEL Communications announced the ZyAIR B-5000 outdoor access point and bridge, which provides outdoor wireless access with operating speeds of up to 11 Mb/s, suitable for organizations that want to extend a wireless LAN for outdoor-based employees, the company said. It also acts as a point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless bridge for high-speed, long-range links between buildings, the company said.

CML intros IP-based PSAP controller

CML Emergency Services introduced at the National Emergency Number Association trade show and conference its Patriot 2.0 voice-over-IP-based controller for public safety answering points. The Patriot is a software-based platform that resides on Windows-based servers and replaces traditional hardware-based controllers. The Patriot 2.0 platform is compliant with the FCC’s Phase II location identification requirements, is built on Cisco Systems’ CallManager, supports third-party products such as mapping and computer-aided dispatch, and provides automatic location information caching, the company said. Beta testing of the platform will begin in November 2004 with general availability slated for February 2005.

Elma unveils compact two-way line of radio switches

Elma Electronic announced a line of switches designed for use in handheld devices, including two-way radios that are 20% smaller that previous versions. The switches meet Six Sigma quality standards and work “well within specifications” after 20,000 switching cycles, the company said. The first product in the line is the C08 coded output switch, which is available in Hex or Gray codes (custom codes are also available) and in SMD and THT styles.

Interact public-safety portal enables data access

InterAct Public Safety Systems has unveiled its Public Safety Portal, which enables public-safety agencies using incompatible systems to access and view each other’s data by converting the data to the Global Justice XML Data Model developed by the U.S. Department of Justice. The platform also converts radio frequency signals transmitted from an officer’s in-vehicle laptop to Internet protocol format to allow interoperability between public-safety agencies using disparate systems. Data can be transmitted using a simple wireless air card, which enables transmission of still photos, or via an 802.11 wireless broadband connection, which enables the transmission of streaming video.

Klein intros bike patrol/racing headset

Klein Electronics has introduced the Razor-BP headset for bike patrol and racing applications. The Razor-BP includes a detachable ring finger P2T button, quick disconnect cables for safety, a noise-canceling boom microphone, a lightweight, behind-the-head design, and speaker rests on the ear for comfort, the company said.

Intrado unveils next-gen 911 network

Intrado has introduced the Intelligent Emergency Network for deployment in public-safety answering points. The IEN incorporates a secure, managed and private Internet protocol network and a “sophisticated” gateway to manage messaging that supports voice, data and video. It also regulates the flow of communication between a “broadened set” of authorized emergency response agencies, according to the company. Intrado said it is working with industry associations to establish standards to support the IEN.

TPL intros power accessory

TPL Communications introduced an accessory that houses as many as five power supply modules in a 5-1/4-inch high by 19-inch wide rack mount enclosure. Each power supply module includes a 5 Amp DC auxiliary terminal to power an exciter, as well as power-on and fault indicators.

Midian intros encoding module

Midian Electronics introduced the Intermod Calculator software, which predicts the possible occurrence of intermodulation products that may cause receiver interference. Users can enter multiple sites into the database and run reports for a single site or merge sites and run a report for multiple sites, the company said. The software then outputs an easy-to-read report displaying the predicted interference, according to Midian.

Aeroflex boosts signal coverage

Aeroflex announced it has increased the frequency coverage of its 3410 series digital RF signal generators to 6 GHz to address the need for testing 802.11a wireless local area network devices. The generators combine wide frequency coverage with high-performance vector modulation, an “ideal combination for testing wireless communications systems and components,” the company said. In other news, Aeroflex introduced the 2200 Series of fast switching frequency synthesizers, which incorporate a design enhancement that significantly improves mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) to 12,000 hours MTBF from 4000 hours MTBF. The 2200 Series also offers one microsecond switching speed and sub-microsecond level correction, coupled with superb spectral purity, the company said.

OTTO intros adjustable headband headset

OTTO Communications has introduced an adjustable version of its Breeze lightweight headset. The headset is designed for bicycle safety patrols and for personnel in the hospital, hotel, restaurant, hospitality and event management and entertainment industries, the company said.

Broadcom intros Wi-Fi router system on a chip

Broadcom Corp. announced the AirForce BCM5350, which combines 54g wireless LAN routing, Fast Ethernet switching, accelerated virtual private network security and a MIPS instruction set processor into a single system on a chip. The high level of integration eliminates the need for multiple components while delivering the performance and security previously available only from devices at twice the cost, according to the company.

Tait to unveil P25 solutions at APCO

Tait North America announced that it plans to introduce a new line of Project 25-compliant communications solutions at the upcoming Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International Conference and Expo in Montreal, Canada, Aug. 8-12. The Tait 9000 Series includes portables, mobiles and expandable infrastructure, the company said. In other news, Tait introduced the TM8110, a 10-channel mobile radio with a single-digit LCD display, 25 W output, reliable RF performance, digital controller design and a software option for an internal high-speed data modem.

Motorola unveils cross-platform P2T over cellular solution

Motorola recently debuted the Cross Technology push-to-talk over cellular (PoC), an IMS-based solution that enables P2T connectivity across and between GPRS, CDMA2000 1X and Wi-Fi networks. The network-based solution is aligned with Open Mobile Alliance standards, the company said. Motorola’s Cross-Technology PoC solution provides several advantages that can help operators broaden the availability of PoC service to meet the increasing interest from consumers worldwide. For example, it enables operators with networks on different technologies to offer customers on all their networks the ability to stay connected with the push of a button.