https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Wireless Networks


Dotting Is and crossing Ts

Dotting Is and crossing Ts

System installation quickly can go south without program and project managers who stay on top of all the myriad details.
  • Written by Urgent Communications Administrator
  • 1st May 2011

Last month we discussed the essential elements of system installation. In this penultimate installment of our series on land-mobile radio, we will discuss the importance of effective program and project management. Program managers oversee multiple aspects of the project, such as budgets, resources, material flow, quality assurance and timelines. Meanwhile, project managers oversee the specific tasks that must be executed in order to bring a new system to life, such as site construction, equipment installation and system testing/optimization.

The program and project managers are responsible for the system deployment, from the time the contract is signed between the vendor and the customer to the moment that the customer takes possession of the system. The program manager controls the budget once it has been defined. The program manager also is responsible for the hiring and scheduling of all contractors needed for system staging, installation and optimization. This will require an understanding of local wages and work rules.

One of the first tasks is to create a program evaluation and review technique (PERT) chart, using Microsoft Project or similar tool. The PERT chart essentially is a project flow chart. Next, the engineers will determine the complete bill of materials. A support group that is part of the purchasing department will place the orders for all of the materials needed in the early stages of the project. The project manager will arrange for a secure place to store the material.

Not all of the material can be produced at the same time. It is essential then to identify items with long lead times so that these orders can be placed first; the goal is to have all of the material arriving at the staging and storage sites at the same time. As material arrives, the items should be thoroughly checked for any obvious damage incurred during shipping.

If a new site is being installed, then excavation, concrete pouring and foundation work will be required for the building and the tower. In addition, the electric power company must be contacted by the project manager and an order for power at the site must be placed, including individual meters for each tenant.
Also, regulatory approvals such as zoning and construction permits, and Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission authorizations will be required. The program manager is responsible for securing these items well before the start of construction.

There are eight main phases for a large project. These are as follows:

  • Contract negotiations
  • Design phase
  • Preliminary design review
  • Final design review and notice to proceed
  • Construction
  • Optimization
  • Acceptance testing
  • Reporting and documentation

Let’s now discuss each of these areas in greater detail.

The contract negotiation phase — which will establish project parameters, define the work to be done and specify the equipment that will be used for the installation — can last anywhere from a few weeks on a small project to multiple months for a large project. Meanwhile, the design phase includes the following areas:

  • Radio network design
  • Site selection and licensing
  • Permits and zoning
  • System architecture
  • Backhaul planning
  • Dispatch, command and control

Once the system has been designed and all of the components have been selected, a preliminary design review will be conducted within both the vendor’s and client’s organizations, to ensure that nothing has been overlooked up to this point. This review should consider the following:

  • Project schedule
  • System architecture
  • System coverage
  • Test plans
  • Site leases
  • Licensing, permitting and zoning requirements
  • Action items
  • Final design review plans

Once the preliminary design review has been completed, the next step is to repeat the process, which is called final design review. Upon completion of this review, the end customer will give the vendor the authority to proceed with the project. At this point, the construction phase can begin.

The first step will be for the project manager to develop a timeline for the remainder of the project. However, it must be emphasized that construction on the system cannot begin until all of the regulatory approvals have been obtained. These items include:

  • Zoning and construction permits
  • Civil-engineering certification by a professional engineer (including grounding and electrical)
  • FCC authorization (at least a conditional temporary authority)
  • FAA authorization (if required)

The first items to be constructed are the pads and/or foundations for the building(s) and tower(s), followed by the structures themselves. Once this phase is completed, the equipment can begin to be delivered. If a factory staging of the equipment wasn’t done, then a field staging must be performed. Regardless of whether the staging was done in the factory or in the field, a factory acceptance test will be conducted to ensure that all functions and features of the gear are performing as expected.

When everything has passed muster, the installation phase can begin.

In an IP network, a separate network design review must take place with the local IT department to obtain the required IP addresses and authorizations necessary for that part of the system to work. In all cases where IP addresses are used, the addresses used for testing will not work in the actual system. In fact, never plug an Ethernet connection into a system without first getting the proper authorization from the IT manager in charge of equipment addresses. You could shut down a critical part of an agency’s operation by failing to follow the proper procedure on this part of the installation.

During the system optimization phase, every adjustment and level is rechecked to ensure that they match or exceed what the design engineer had designated for the system. The RF and audio levels, for example, should be within 1 dB in almost every instance. If the levels are deficient in any way, the system will not perform properly and the design engineer will need to be consulted — and perhaps brought to the site — in order to correct the problem.

If the system involves a microwave path, the levels between the system design and actual measurement must be exactly the same or there will be a problem— such a discrepancy must be corrected before moving on to another part of the system. If IP and computer networks are part of the system, these also must be part of the system optimization. You will need to work closely with the IT department to develop and perform that part of the optimization. Finally, if the system is a simulcast or multicast, then optimization must be conducted at each site and throughout the entire system.

At this point, the system’s coverage area can be spot-checked, but note that a full coverage test will be performed as part of the final acceptance test. If site-to-site handoff is one of the operational features of your system, then this function also should be evaluated during system optimization.

Before you perform the final acceptance test — which is conducted in the presence of the customer — it is advised that you do a dry run during the system optimization phase. It is vital that this test confirms that 100% of the system is working as designed.

The final test should be detailed enough so that all operational features are verified. As mentioned previously, this includes the coverage area. If the new system is for public-safety agencies, it must have as close to 95% coverage as possible so that field units can communicate with their dispatchers in their normal jurisdiction. In addition, most public-safety agencies cannot tolerate service interruptions of any kind, so redundancy must part of the system design. Simply put, first responders can’t be effective if they don’t have a reliable radio system.

The final test will assure the customer that all parts of the system are working as desired. Each component within the system should be checked for functionality and the precise operating levels and parameters should be remeasured in front of the customer to show that the individual components have been optimized properly for that particular system.

Whether performing the role of program manger or project manager, you are responsible for the documentation of the system. This will include meeting notes, schedules, receipts, reports and everything else related to the project. If everything goes well, a deficiency in the documentation may not be noticed. If things do not go well, the deficiency most definitely will be noticed. Because you won’t know how the project will turn out until the very end, you must keep the reports up-to-date and accurate. It is common for a large project to have thousands of pages of documentation that is handed over to the customer at the end of the process.

This documentation also will be necessary for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the system. Next article will conclude this series by discussing what it takes to keep a system running properly once it is turned over to the customer.

Part 1: Class is in session: Basic LMR and FCC definitions
Part 2: Start at the beginning: Understanding LMR user needs
Part 3: The devil’s in the details: Conducting a user-needs survey
Part 4: Decisions, decisions: Understanding the LRM procurement process
Part 5: Let’s get started: System engineering begins with RF planning
Part 6: The lynchpin: Receiver planning and noise interference
Part 7: Connecting the dots: How to connect LMR sites
Part 8: The next piece of the puzzle: Understanding dispatch communications
Part 9: Now the real work begins: How to select a suitable LMR site
Part 10: The bane of your existence: How to deal with RF interference
Part 11: Winning the battle: More causes of RF interference
Part 12: Now the fun begins: Installing the LMR system

Ira Wiesenfeld, P.E., is a consulting engineer who has been involved in the radio communications business since 1966. He is a senior member of the IEEE and has been a licensed amateur radio operator since 1963. He can be reached at [email protected].

Robert C. Shapiro, P.E, is the senior manager-systems engineering for Cassidian Communications, an EADS Company. He serves on the TIA TR8 committee as TR8.18 vice chair and is a senior member of the IEEE. He can be reached at [email protected].

Tags: Wireless Networks

Most Recent


  • Verizon Frontline deploys 1,000 connectivity services for nationwide wildfire response efforts
    In response to almost 70 large fires that have burned 1,690,492 acres nationwide this year, the Verizon Frontline Response Team said it has deployed about 1,000 Verizon Frontline services to support wildland firefighters across 18 states. As of last week, the top five states for acres burned from wildfires include Alaska, New Mexico, Texas and Florida, according to […]
  • Dotting Is and crossing Ts
    Newscan: Verizon counts 5.1 million first-responder subs; AT&T has 3.7 million
    Web Roundup Items from other news organizations Verizon counts 5.1 million first-responder subs; AT&T has 3.7 million DHS researches overcoming occlusions in video surveillance for public safety Less-serious 911 calls put on standby due to Durham EMS staffing shortages Russian hackers get the headlines. But China is the bigger threat to many U.S. enterprises. One […]
  • Motorola Solutions logo
    Motorola Solutions seeks contempt finding, global injunction against Hytera for not paying royalty
    Motorola Solutions asked a federal judge to find Hytera Communications in contempt of court for refusing to make ordered royalty payment and to prohibit the China-based manufacturer from selling land-mobile-radio (LMR) equipment globally, according to a legal filing posted Wednesday. Hytera Communications did not make its first royalty payment as scheduled on July 31 to […]
  • Tepid demand, taxation fears drag at 2.5GHz spectrum auction for 5G
    There appears to be very little interest in the FCC’s newest auction of midband spectrum for 5G, based on the results of Monday’s second round of bidding. Gross proceeds in the auction – dubbed Auction 108 by the agency – so far total around $108 million. That figure is up just slightly from the $103 million […]

One comment

  1. Avatar Sharlene Raskin 5th February 2016 @ 8:38 am
    Reply

    Savvy ideas – I was
    Savvy ideas – I was fascinated by the details – Does anyone know if I might get ahold of a fillable DA 31 example to work with ?

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • The battle over connected cars drags on
  • UK officials revamp ESN plans again, target Airwave-to-LTE transition for end of 2026
  • PSCR: Dereck Orr highlights features of June 21-24 virtual event
  • FirstNet buildout on pace for March 2023 completion, AT&T official says

Commentary


LTE and liability: Why the fire service must move forward with digital incident command

  • 2
6th May 2022

Partnership and collaboration must be the foundation for emergency communications

18th April 2022

FirstNet success means no hypothetical ‘shots’ need to be fired, Swenson says

22nd February 2022
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

Coalition expresses urgent need to NG911 funding, wants more than proposed $10 billion dlvr.it/SWL5VW

9th August 2022
UrgentComm

APCO releases NG911 guide, quickly clarifies stance on NENA’s i3 standard dlvr.it/SWKcCY

9th August 2022
UrgentComm

10 malicious code packages slither into PyPI registry dlvr.it/SWKHxl

9th August 2022
UrgentComm

Verizon Frontline deploys 1,000 connectivity services for nationwide wildfire response efforts dlvr.it/SWKGpW

9th August 2022
UrgentComm

Newscan: Verizon counts 5.1 million first-responder subs; AT&T has 3.7 million dlvr.it/SW84Gv

6th August 2022
UrgentComm

Taiwan crisis another blow to the supply chain dlvr.it/SW7GSs

5th August 2022
UrgentComm

Motorola Solutions seeks contempt finding, global injunction against Hytera for not paying royalty dlvr.it/SW6Ldm

5th August 2022
UrgentComm

Humanoid robot explores shipwrecks dlvr.it/SW36fy

4th August 2022

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X