Motorola turbo-charges digital radios

Despite its attributes, which include a plethora of advanced features, digital radio so far has found application primarily in the public-safety and government sectors, largely because of the high cost of digital equipment compared with analog gear, which has proved prohibitive for profit-driven entities.

Motorola plans to change that by introducing at IWCE 2006 (May 17-19 in Las Vegas) a new digital platform dubbed MOTOTRBO that the vendor giant will market to the “professional” sector, e.g., construction firms, transportation companies and public utilities. Better yet, Motorola has pledged to work with dealers to hold the line, keeping prices for MOTOTRBO handsets close to what these customers currently are paying for analog devices, to encourage them to make the migration.

Previously, Motorola developed a digital radio platform called the DTR Series for the commercial tier — businesses largely in the retail and hospitality sectors, where users generally are confined to smaller onsite footprints. However, the professional sector needed a more robust product capable of covering a much wider area, said Craig Chenicek, director of Motorola Radio Products.

“Three or four years ago, we spent a lot of time and independent research to look at customers in the professional sector to understand why they were buying certain products and not others,” Chenicek said. “We found that they were most interested in spectrum efficiency, improved basics, new features, applications that would integrate into their businesses and a comfortable migration path.”

According to Chenicek, MOTOTRBO — built on the ETSI DMR Tier 2 standard — delivers improved performance typical of digital platforms when compared with analog, such as better audio quality, increased coverage, improved battery life and privacy. But where the new platform really shines is in the area of spectrum efficiency, he said.

Motorola built MOTOTRBO using a two-slot time division multiple access (TDMA) platform that creates two independent 6.25 kHz voice channels within a standard 12.5 kHz channel. “It doubles the efficiency using a single [repeater],” Chenicek said.

He added that use of two-slot TDMA also results in higher data throughputs. “You need the wide pipe to get data down it, and [with MOTOTRBO], you still have the full use of the 12.5 kHz pipe.”

A digital radio geared to the professional sector, particularly in large urban centers, is good news, said Mike Ishida, director of sales for Day Wireless Systems, a Motorola dealer in Portland, Ore. “We operate in 30 different offices on the West Coast, from small rural communities to big metro areas, and in the metro areas we’re seeing spectrum-efficiency issues where this digital product is going to bring us some opportunities.”

Other features include GPS capability — making it easier for dispatchers to deploy the closest field technician to a given situation to realize improved operating efficiencies and lower costs — and an integrated text-messaging function that lets dispatchers communicate with field personnel when voice communications would be inappropriate.

Also, because MOTOTRBO radios can operate in both digital and analog mode, they are backward-compatible, which should further aid the analog-to-digital migration, Chenicek said. “This allows you to migrate channels, talk groups or entire systems over time,” he said. “For example, if you were expanding your network and needed another repeater, you likely wouldn’t buy an analog repeater, but instead would buy a MOTOTRBO repeater and use it in the analog mode. Over time, you could switch it to digital.”

Although such flexibility is important, Chenicek conceded that cost would be the primary driver for MOTOTRBO to gain traction in the professional sector. “In the business world, it comes down to the economics of the tools that you buy,” Chenicek said. “Will they pay themselves off and can you justify adding them to the business?”

Dale Purvis, president of COMSOUTH, a Motorola dealer based in Hattiesburg, Miss., agreed, adding that the time is right for MOTOTRBO.

“Over the years, people have asked about [digital] and wondered why they can’t get it when it’s already in the public-safety sector,” Purvis said. “A lot of it is cost-driven. Public safety a lot of the time has millions of dollars to spend on radio systems. Hospitals don’t place that kind of priority on their communications systems. But if we had [a digital product] on a lower level … the [professional] market would embrace it.”

Motorola came to the same realization, which is why the vendor is pledging to help hold down prices, according to Chenicek. “This is an incredibly important step. Fundamentally, we would like to see them over time migrate their system, but we didn’t want to punish them financially,” for doing so, Chenicek said. He added that Motorola decided it was willing to “compromise our financial position” by taking longer than usual to pay off an investment he described as the largest ever made by the vendor in the professional sector.

“We’re anticipating long-term gain because we’re confident that MOTOTRBO provides such increased functionality and operational efficiencies that people will want to move to digital faster,” he said.

HERE’S A SAMPLING OF THE PRODUCTS EXHIBITORS ARE PLANNING TO SHOWCASE:

Roaming software

Radio IP Software’s solutions let mobile users roam across a diverse range of public and private wireless network environments, including 802.11 hotspots, integrating all networks under a single interoperable TCP/IP standard.
www.radio-ip.com

Radio accessories

Cape International’s IMPACT line of radio chargers includes an AC/DC six-bank unit and a rapid desktop charger. The six-bank unit incorporates a self-switching, dual-voltage power supply unit inside the anodized aluminum casing. All chargers use an interchangeable cup system to support most radio models. Vehicle and wall-mount kits are available.
www.impactcomms.com

IP-based radio control solution

IP|J-Smart, part of Catalyst’s line of radio control over IP solutions, is compatible with EFJohnson 5300 Series and Motorola Smartzone and Smartnet radios. The solution lets dispatchers push-to-talk, change channels, change talk groups, make private calls and receive emergency notifications.
www.catcomtec.com

Encryption board for two-way radios

Cimarron Technologies QuikSync encryption board for two-way radios lets users encrypt and send MDC-1200 or GE-STAR ANI messages. It features more than 4.2 billion possible keys for secure, high-level encryption. It is available in three models: encryption-only, encryption with ANI encode, and encryption with ANI encode and decode.
www.cimtechcorp.com

P25-compliant trunked system

EFJohnson’s IP25 Trunked Infrastructure System uses IP technology to integrate repeaters, a Project 25-compatible digital dispatch console and system management. The system supports over-the-air rekeying of radios as well as advanced voice and data encryption to meet federal information processing security standards.
www.EFJohnson.com

Console dispatch system

Moducom’s UltraCom is an E911/radio dispatch console system with no software maintenance fees and free software upgrades. It is a Phase II-compliant system, providing E911, radio dispatch, mapping, interoperability/voice over IP and a CAD interface built into a single software application.
www.moducom.com

Narrowband portable radio

Icom’s 512-channel F3060 series portable radio operates in 6.25 kHz bandwidth. The radio offers built-in two-tone, five-tone, CTCSS and DTCS signaling. The LCD displays up to 24 characters on two lines. The F3060’s bridge-tied load amplifier increases the audio output, while the built-in compander provides clear, low-noise communications. The 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery provides eight hours of operation.
www.icomamerica.com

Paging encoder and repeaters

Pocsag paging encoders and repeaters from WiPath include a store and forward repeater for infill or range extension, cross-band and cross-protocol repeaters and alarm transmitters. A range of transmitter options is available from 100 mW to 5 W.
www.wipath.com

Encryption modules

Transcrypt International’s encryption models for Kenwood two-way radios have been tested by the vendor and found to be intrinsically safe, according to Transcrypt. Encryption is available for TK-2180/3180, TK-2170/3170/3173, TK-290/390, TK-280/380 and TK-480/481 portable radios. In addition, the TK-5210 P25/FM portable also may be fitted with encryption for FM mode. Modules are available in a variety of levels based upon the radio users’ security needs.
www.transcrypt.com

Cable and antenna analyzers

Anritsu’s Broadband Site Master S810D/S820D cable and antenna analyzers cover 25 MHz to 20 GHz ranges. They offer standard return loss, VSWR, cable loss and distance-to-fault displays for installing, maintaining and trouble-shooting cables and antennas. An optional GPS receiver is available for providing location information with archived data.
www.us.antitsu.com

Broadband amplifiers

The 15S5G7 and 30S5G7 are 15 W and 30 W amplifiers designed for the 5 GHz to 7 GHz frequency range. They are suitable for testing WiMAX components because the amplified signal produced is indistinguishable from a signal generator’s output, the company said.
www.ar-amps.com

Communications platform

Infinimode Systems offers its InfiniMUX G4 communications platform in a transportable case. The platform supports up to four mobile radios, four portable radios and two public-switched telephone lines. Other features include cigarette-lighter sockets for portable battery eliminators, a generic mobile radio mounting system and an LED gooseneck light.
www.infinimode.com

Radio for harsh environments

HYT introduced the TM-800 Mobile Radio Series, designed to provide reliable communications under the harshest conditions. The radio is equipped with a built-in eight-segment numeric LCD, four programmable function keys and DTMF flexible dialing. The remote mount control head can be mounted on a vehicle’s dashboard without the radio chassis.
www.hyt.cn

Digital base station supports analog

Daniels Electronics’ Integre Base25 is a digital base station that supports analog communications for existing portables and mobiles. It can be upgraded to support Project 25 digital portables for encrypted, secure communications.
www.danelec.com

Instant-recall digital recorder

Eventide’s DIR911t is an instant-recall recorder with two or four channels of digital recording. It offers playback and recording capabilities in a stand-alone unit. It has two telephone/auxiliary recording channels, each with 60 minutes of recording capability, and comes with a built-in, 10-minute uninterruptible power supply. It also offers password security.
www.eventide.com

Broadband antenna

STI-CO’s Interoperable Mobile Antenna can be used with VHF, UHF and 800 MHz mobile radios without installing additional antennas. The broadband antenna mounts on sedans, SUVs or vans with a magnet mount or NMO roof mount.
www.sti-co.com

Multi-charger unit

North American Battery Company’s Pulse Power Charging System is a multi-unit charger that conditions, monitors and charges land mobile radio batteries. It uses a single-bay charging unit as its base, but users can add up to five additional charging bays to create a six-bay charging unit to charge batteries independently or simultaneously while sharing a single power supply.
www.nabcorp.com

Locking docking station

National Products’ RAM Locking Powered Dock is designed to hold the Panasonic Toughbook PC. The docking station comes with USB port, keyboard, mouse, microphone, speaker and an optional internal GPS engine.
www.ram-mount.com

Speaker microphone tracks first responders

PRYME Radio Products’ PTG GPS speaker microphone uses GPS satellites to send automatic reports on a user’s position. Location designations are then displayed at the dispatch location using a PTG GPS base station and a PC running a dispatch- or mapping-software application. The system can be used with trunked and conventional radios.
www.pryme.com

Battery backup device

Innovative Circuit Technology’s Battery Backup Series adds a backup component to existing 12 V power supply installations. The device is microprocessor-controlled and provides zero switchover time from commercial supply to battery power. The relay operation is supplemented with bypass diodes to prolong relay life.
www.ict-power.com

Tone remote controllers

Midian Electronics’ TRC Series of tone remote controllers are compatible with Motorola, Kenwood and M/A-COM signaling formats. Dialing and selective calling are supported using DTMF, five-tone, two-tone or pulse-tone formats. Options include customizable function, guard and monitor tones and line supervisor capability.
www.midians.com

IWCE 2006 basics

Location:

Las Vegas Convention Center

Technology workshops:

Mon., May 15 and Tues., May 16, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Conference sessions:

Wed., May 17, 11:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; Thurs., May 18, 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Fri., May 19, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Exhibits:

Wed., May 17, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thurs., May 18, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Fri., May 19, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Conference tracks:

Spectrum Utilization; Land Mobile Radio; Broadband Mobile Data; Emerging Technologies

Keynote:

Morgan O’Brien, co-founder and former chairman of Nextel Communications, Wed., May 17, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Networking reception:

Wed., May 17, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Spotlight sessions:

“Katrina — Prepare for the Future,” Thurs., May 18, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m.; “800 MHz Rebanding — Where Are We Now?” Thurs., May 18, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.; “State CIOs — A Sampling of Successful Communications Initiatives,” Fri., May 19, 8:30 to 9:45 a.m.

More info: www.iwceexpo.com

Exhibitor List