Products take center stage at IWCE
In addition to its bright lights, one-armed bandits and “what happens here, stays here,” culture, Las Vegas is known for another icon of indulgence: the buffet.
Fittingly, exhibitors scheduled to appear at this year’s International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) at the Las Vegas Convention Center are planning a smorgasboard of product introductions in every conceivable category. Whether you are a public-safety communications offfical, enterprise IT manager or mobile radio dealer, you are certain to see something you haven’t seen before.
On the following pages you will find a small sample of the dozens, if not hundreds, of new items that will be on display at IWCE 2005. (Product descriptions and photos were provided by the exhibitors.) Due to space limitations, we couldn’t include every product that was submitted for our review; information on those items can be found at www.mrtmag.com.
Bon appetit.
Draka
New to the AirPerformance line are the RFA 7/8-inch-50 and 1-5/8-inch-50 coxial cables that offer air cable performance in a corrugated foam cable profile without the need for special connectors. This enables engineers to meet the demands of tighter link budgets and taller towers, reducing costs in the process.
www.drakausa.com
Genesis Group
GenWatch3 is a trunking system management monitoring and reporting software package that enables managers to monitor real-time data reflecting system activity, channel status and talk group activity, as well as emergency and busy information. The data can be archived for future analysis and to generate comprehensive reports on system usage, talk group airtime usage, call detail by radio ID, systems busies and system load. Its modular design allows flexibility and customization.
www.genesisworld.com
Peltor
The PowerCom PLUS integrated two-way radio headset is designed specifically for the forestry industry. It has a programmable 30-channel capacity between 462 MHz and 467 MHz and can transmit up to 2 miles in open environments. It also offers 38 sub-channel privacy tones (CTCSS) to avoid unwanted frequency chatter. Other features include a rechargeable Ni-MH battery pack, a puch-to-talk button on the back left ear flap and a noice-cancelling boom microphone.
www.peltor.com
RELM Wireless
The RELM/BK RP 3000 and RP 3600 are palm-sized portable analog radios designed as a middle-ground option between the company’s top-end BK brand and its business-grade RELM brand. The RP 3000 is available in VHF (145 MHz to 175 MHz) and UHF (440 MHz to 470 MHz ) versions and provides 16 programmable channels and a built-in pager. The RP 3600 contains 128 programmable channels in 16 zones, the built-in pager and voice storage.
www.relm.com
M/A-COM
The P7100IP and M7100IP are both IP-based public-safety-grade radios that are now availble in APCO Project 25 trunking mode. They are available in VHF, UHF and 800 MHz frequency bands with optional DES or AES encryption. Both radios are compatible with P25 trunking systems.
www.macom.com
NABC
The Pulse Power Charging System from North American Battery Co. is designed to lengthen the lifespan of two-way radio betteries. Battery life ranges from 300 to 500 charging cycles when conventional chargers are used, but the Pulse Power system uses a controlled negative pulse technology to charge batteries for as many as 2400 cycles. The system can simultaneously charge Ni-Cd, Ni-MH and Li-Ion batteries and protects against overcharge, overheating and discharge.
www.nabcorp.com
Comprod
Filter line includes VHF, UHF and 700/800/900 MHz models. The filters are capable of coupling one to 21 channels and are fully expandable using the company’s Xpandable Transmit Combiner technology. For example, Comprod can combine Tx-Tx with a 6.625-inch cavity in VHF at 75 KHz (minimum), in UHF at 125 KHz (minimum) and 700/800/900 at 250 KHz (minimum). A variety of standard multicouplers and duplexers are available.
www.comprodcom.com
Cape
The UC62-R is a tri-chemistry rapid-rate charging unit that can charge two radios or batteries at the same time. It also can be used to simultaneously charge a radio and backup battery. Three models are available in this series: a six-bank unit, a single-bank unit and a single bank DC in-vehicle unit. In addition, pods are available for most two-way portables and batteries. The UC62-R uses the same interchangeable cup system used by other chargers in the product line.
www.capeproducts.com
Mentor Engineering
The Ranger is a fixed-mount Windows CE in-vehicle computer for fleet operations that offers a color VGA touchscreen that eliminates the need for a keyboard and enables drivers to enter data quickly and fill out forms electronically. It offers built-in smart- and credit-card readers as well as onboard navigation tools. It also supports GPS mapping software. Integrated speakers enable voice prompts while external speakers can be added for noisy vehicle environments.
www.mentoreng.com
Citel
The P8AX Series of RF coaxial line surge protectors guard against both lightning surges and electrical transients. They employ a fast-acting gas discharge tube technology, offer many connector types — including F, N, BNC, SMA and 7/16 DIN — and are available for equipment consuming power from 1 W to 1000 W and for any frequency from DC to 4 GHz. They can be mounted directly on the antenna as a first line of defense or directly in front of equipment to provide two-stage protection.
www.citelprotection.com
Motorola
The DTR Series of digital two-way radios are designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. Target sectors include education, retail, hospitality, contruction, light manufacturing and property management. The radios offer 20% better coverage, 45% longer battery life and louder audio with less distortion compared with similar analog radios. The DTR610 offers one-to-one private call, one-to-many group call, Caller ID and SMS text messaging and battery life up to 19 hours.
www.motorola.com
RF Industries
The company’s RF Connector division will showcase its QMA Series connectors, which require no tooling for mating and un-mating. The connectors feature a snap-lock mechanism that works by sliding the shell back and releasing to lock both connectors in place, which eliminates the space needed for tooling. Once mated, the connectors can be rotated 360Þ, and they provide good electrical performance up to 6 GHz. A crimp-on attachment for several types of cable is available.
www.rfindustries.com
Comsource
Holsters designed for Motorola Professional Series two-way radios are avilable in five colors, designed for use in harsh industrial environments and can be used with a lanyard or should strap. The holster features a rigid front cover that protects against the elements and prevents damage to the display and keyboard. A unique retaining clip prevents accidental removal, while the holster’s design allows access to all side buttons and communications via the push-to-talk button, even when the cover is closed.
www.comsourceint.com
Kenwood
The TK-7160H and TK-8160H mobile radios feature 512-channel/128-zone capacity and dual priority scan. The company’s logic trunked radio is included for subscriber or private radio systems. Other features include a 12-character lighted liquid crystal display, programmable keys and a built-in voice inversion scrambler that thwarts casual eavesdropping. Also included is the FleetSync diautomatic vehicle location application.
www.kenwoodusa.com
Convex
The Model 2241A distribution panel distibutes audio and push-to-talk signals to as many as 24 base stations. In addition, the 2241A provides manual P2T override for individual transmitters while 24 lighted front-panel switches permit each radio to be keyed or disable. Manual P2T control can be used to install and manage radio networks and to align simulcast networks by enabling one transmitter at a time to measure delay.
www.ConvexCorp.com
Dataradio
The GeminiG3 700 is a high-speed IP-based mobile data radio modem designed for use in the 700 MHz band. It provides user-selectable data transport speeds of 64, 96 or 128 kb/s, and its Parallel Decode application uses dual receivers to capture and decode incoming messages, which are then meshed into a single packet. The result is an up to 10-times improvement in network performance and a doubling of the effective coverage area. In addition, the modem offers AES 128-bit encryption.
www.dataradio.com
NCS Radio
The NCS-C250 mobile multi-switcher provides interoperable communications for public-safety agencies by connecting up to four radios to a single microphone. While designed as an in-vehicle unit, it also can be used for dispatching. In addition, it provides cross-band repeating of up to four radios and the ability to multicast or simulcast. The NCS-C250 can be configured in systems to allow radios to be shared or configured in a series to provide control of eight or more radios.
www.ncsradio.com
Sinclair Technologies
The Optimized-Q cavity filters deliver performance similar to 10-inch cavities but use 25% less volume, enabling wireless base station equipment manufacturers to deliver more space-efficient solutions without compromising filter performance. The filters are available in band pass, notch Q and Pass-Thru configurations. The Pass-Thru line will support frequency separations down to 75 KHz in UHF and 50 KHz in VHF using 8.5 inch cavities.
www.sinctech.com
Radiall
Dual/wideband antennas are designed to cover 802.11a/b/g and 4.9 GHz applications. Antenna types that are available include omnidirectional ceiling, bi-directional ceiling, articulated swivel-mount dipoles and mast/wall-mount directional patches. Also new is a line of 4.9 GHz antennas designed for public-safety applications. Models include directional panels, radome omnidirectionals and mobiles. The line covers indoor, outdoor and mobile applications.
www.radialllarsen.com
Muliplier
The 4000 Plus Power System is an Li-Ion 7.5 V battery and charging system for Motorola XTS-3000 and XTS-5000 radios. Rated at 4000 mAh, the system lets users charge the 8.6 ounce battery and use the radio while receiving unlimited usage/talk time. It is available as an AC/DC charger or vehicular charger.
www.multiplier.com
ICT
The MOT11 power base station for Motorola CM200 and CM300 mobile radios from Innovative Circuit Technology incorporates an ICT switching power supply that is factory assembled with a base station cover. (The base station cover and power supply can be purchased separately.) The unit weighs 2.9 pounds and is availble in 10 amp, 11 amp and 12 amp models. Also available is the KEN11 base station for Kenwood TK7180 and TK8180 mobiles.
www.ictcorporate.com
Transcrypt
The KW21-4xx scrambler is designed for use in several Kenwood mobile and portable radios. The module simply plugs into the radio, eliminating the need to connect any wires for basic operation. Features include an automatic receive option that provides automatic detection of both clear and coded communications. Over-the-air reprogramming enables security codes to be changed remotely while the radio is in use, and a disable function makes lost or stolen radios inoperable.
www.transcrypt.com
Aeroflex
Aeroflex has updated its 2945 series of communications monitors with the 2945B and 2948B, both of which are designed for analog radio testing. Both provide a full span spectrum analyzer a tracking generator with full offset tracking and a frequency range from 400 kHz to 1.05 GHz. New features include greater tracking generator isolation, a seamless RF generator, flexible audio and demodulation filters, and an internal battery option that allows up to one hour of field use.
www.aeroflex.com
IWCE 2005 Basics
Dates: Technology workshops: Mon., April 4 to Tues., April 5; Conference and exhibits: Wed., April 6 to Fri., April 8
Location: Las Vegas Convention Center
Keynote: Adrian Cronauer, upon whom the movie “Good Morning, Vietnam!” was based, and currently special assistant to the director of the Pentagon’s POW/MIA Office, Wed., April 6 from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m.
Welcome reception: Wed., April 6, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. (located in the Las Vegas Hilton, Ballroom C)
Exhibit hours: Wed., April 6 to Thurs., April 7, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Fri., April 8, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Workshop hours: Mon., April 4; Tues., April 5, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Conference hours: Wed., April 6, 1:00 to 4:50 p.m. Thurs., April 7, 10:00 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. Fri., April 8, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
www.iwceexpo.com
on the web:
For more products that will be showed or introduced at IWCE, as well as for coverage of the show itself, visit our Web site:
WWW.MRTMAG.COM.COM