TETRAFlash
Imtradex to launch
The sentiment in the
Safeguarding workers at
Aurelis Nexus
TETRA Communications
EMO Rotterdam
Industry
3 2012
TETRAFlash “Dragon House” Dragonweg 57 2 2 1 5 B N Vo o r h o u t The Netherlands Editor-in-Chief: Agnita Cheung PUBLISHED BY TETRA-APPLICATIONS.COM
1
What’s in
TETRAFlash
Edition 3-2012
Dear Reader, The storm season has started and the end of the year is already in sight.
02
This does not mean that business
More APD success in the United Kingdom
04
within our sector is slowing down.
TETRAtab presenting at the National Association of Police Fleet Managers
Over the last few weeks, we have noticed an increase of press releases and publications as well as a huge
05
increase of visits to our website. Part
Hytera and the Korean Electric Power corporation
06
of these visits where related to the
Safeguarding workers at EMO port of Rotterdam
fact that we included the DMR web portal in as a tab. By clicking on the
08
Mentura Group: A roadmap to Mission Critical Broadband
tab, it is very easy to toggle between the two technology web portals and
12
the third is yet to come! By analysing the publications related
13
Airwave at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games: The statistics
Xpro Finland presenting the Argos TETRA Air Analyzer
to the TETRA communications industry we found that the sentiment
14
within our industry is very positive.
Skymasts delivering broadband capability across the PMR band
We have created a market scan over the last two months, scanning;
15
Imtradex to launch the Aurelis Nexus PTT at PMRExpo
journalist blogs, Twitter messages,
17
publications, etc. A schematic
Safedispatch now!
overview of our results can be found on page 20.
18
From now on we will share our TETRA Industry Barometer with you
20
in each publication of TETRAFlash. Enjoy reading TETRAFlash! Agnita Cheung
TETRAFlash “Dragon House” Dragonweg 57 2 2 1 5 B N Vo o r h o u t The Netherlands Editor-in-Chief: Agnita Cheung
AIR delivers Digital Communications Solutions Conference in Togo
22
Monitoring the TETRA Communications Industry
The “Ready to Go” TETRA RF test set
23
Interview Stephen Wheatley: Speaking is Silver, listening is Gold
TETRAFlash - 1
White paper
More APD success in the UK
Functions into one site at York. There were several challenges associated with this. Not only did any proposed solution need to help the Force enhance its services with fewer resources; the end result also needed to demonstrate the best operational and cost efficiencies possible.
APD’s Control Room Innovations Boost North Yorkshire Police Effectiveness and Reduce Costs
As part of this process, North Yorkshire Police discovered they could deploy a relatively new piece of technology from APD Communications that could reduce the number of CCI (Communications Control Interface) Ports linking the control room to the national Airwave network. The technology effectively pools port resources, creating an opportunity for 'free-seating' in the control room. Freeseating allows operators to take calls and dispatch emergency resources from any workstation via any CCI port and thus use any combination of TETRA talkgroups. Sharing ports in this way allows staff to be deployed on demand, as circumstances require. The effect is to reduce the overall number of ports used, which both promotes operational efficiencies and can also significantly reduce overall costs.
In the past 12 months police forces around the UK have experienced budget cuts which are forcing them to look at new and innovative ways to use technology, leading to cost savings without jeopardising front line services. North Yorkshire Police has been no exception. The Force was required to reduce yearly expenditure in the Force Control Room by ÂŁ2.8 million; equal to a budget cut of around 20 percent.
North Yorkshire is the largest county in England and Wales. It was imperative that the transition should be as seamless as possible to preserve (and, where possible, enhance) the Force’s reputation for high service standards among its extensive, geographically dispersed community. In addition to overhauling its communications infrastructure, the Force looked at other areas where improvements and savings could be made.
In trying to achieve these savings, North Yorkshire Police decided to amalgamate all its Force Control Room
TETRAFlash - 2
APD Appoints Alex Sowden as Director Sales & marketing
APD Communications, announced that Andy Sowden has joined the company to take on the role of Director of Sales, Marketing and Product Management. Following service in the Royal Navy and Police, Andy has over 30 years experience in the Public Sector and Commercial IT Services, Applications and Solutions market as Consultant, Director and VP both in the UK and the wider EMEA.
Having worked with APD for twelve years, North Yorkshire already had the basic communications infrastructure needed for CCI port pooling in place. However, APD’s unique software-only VoIP solution was still relatively new to the market so before proceeding, the Force assessed the relative merits of recent CCI port pooling projects at other forces. Once North Yorkshire Police decided to move forward, the entire implementation process, from testing to going live, was accomplished within just two weeks. CCI port pooling is made possible through APD’s CORTEX software Integrated Communications Control System (ICCS). The software-based solution is relatively low cost and offers customers an easy upgrade path. APD’s unique software VoIP technology means that CCI Ports can be located anywhere – they simply signal their availability over the network. CORTEX supports CCI port ‘Categories’ or ‘Modes’, allowing CCI ports to be selected intelligently. Audio is automatically routed to the relevant location. Almost uniquely for an ICCS, CORTEX’s second-generation CCI pooling solution does not require the CCI ports to connect via a central switch, so there is no single point of failure. By allowing North Yorkshire Police to ‘pool’ ports and allocate them on demand, APD has enabled the Force to dispense with 20 Airwave CCI Ports, amounting to an annual saving of £110,000. The solution provides greater flexibility, allowing the Force to raise or reduce capacity on demand. The port pooling supports the retention of a fallback facility at Newby Wiske which retains CCI connections to Airwave thereby offering North Yorkshire Police continuity should the need arise. These can also be
With previous appointments including NICE Systems and Northgate Information Solutions, Andy will play a pivotal role in developing future growth within APD, being responsible for the strategic direction of the company in its drive to provide customers with efficient and cost effective information and communications solutions.
“APD has a first class reputation in the public safety market, and I am looking forward to delivering a set of strategies and product programs which will promote growth and enable us to continue our development of market leading solutions”.
On his new appointment, Andy Sowden commented,
utilised at the Force Control Room, York for additional capacity. With the implementation of CCI Port Pooling, North Yorkshire Police is increasing efficiency and reducing costs year on year. “The Force Control Room is the hub for all critical policing activities and the move to a single, centralised Basic Command Unit operation makes this facility more vital than ever. High-availability was therefore one of our key requirements,” said Tim Madgwick, Temporary Chief Constable at North Yorkshire Police. “With its resilience, flexibility and cost-efficiency, the CCI port pooling solution from APD has certainly helped us to achieve our goal of 'doing more with less’. The savings made as a result of this project are helping us to secure a sustainable and successful future for North Yorkshire Police at a time when funding has decreased significantly.” Andy Sowden, Director of Sales & Marketing at APD Communications commented: “We are delighted that our innovative CCI port pooling solution has delivered such success for North Yorkshire Police Force and the communities it serves. The solution is inexpensive and quick to deploy, presenting forces with an immediate opportunity for significant savings. With police forces under such financial pressure, many are showing interest in this type of solution because it can help them maintain and improve the resilience, efficiency and flexibility of their operations, while mitigating any risk to front line services
TETRAFlash - 3
TETRATab presenting at the NAPFM TETRAtab was proud to be one of the companies selected to exhibit products on the Vauxhall Special Vehicles stand at the National Association of Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM) Show last week. With three vehicles on display, we were able to demonstrate some of the latest developments in invehicle mobile data, as well as showcase our demountable vehicle installations for both the C Series and the new T Series. Pride of place was our Vauxhall Insignia demonstration vehicle. This incorporates the comprehensive secure docking option for our C Series rugged tablet laptop. With our docking station fitted inside the Insignia glovebox, the TETRAtab computer can be locked away securely and discreetly, whilst still being easily removed for use away from the vehicle. The 'single click' dock not only provides power to the computer for charging, but also connects the computer through to the TETRAtab S Series 8" Touch Screen, installed into the dashboard. The vehicle also included our TETRAtab AK Series Secondary Rugged Keyboard, so
that users can enter information onto the computer without having to remove it from the glovebox. The docking connection provides a switching coax connection to the vehicle's external antenna, thereby providing the most efficient 3G signal available. In addition to the comprehensive dock, TETRAtab also offer a more simple docking option. This was displayed in a Vauxhall Astra with the C Series docking station mounted into the glovebox with charging only. With a simple to fit design, this requires minimal installation time and ensures that the tablet laptop is securely locked, out of site, constantly charged and ready to go. For the first time, we were also displaying our TETRAtab T Series 7 inch Rugged Slate / Tablet running on full Windows 7 Pro and being IP41 rated. The demountable tablet was integrated into the dashboard of a second Vauxhall Insignia. This proof of concept development allowed for the T Series to be locked into place and used in situ, or unlocked and removed for use away from the vehicle. Envisioned for situations where high data out, low data in is a priority, we are now developing this installation further for commercial release in the near future. The show was a resounding success for all involved on the Vauxhall stand, with a huge amount of interest from visitors and exhibitors alike. Feedback from visitors to the stand confirmed that TETRAtab products are changing the way people view mobile data. If nothing else, on at least one occasion, we also got to show that our claims of product durability in harsh weather conditions are justified.
TETRAFlash - 4
Hytera
and the Korea Electric
Power Corporation
Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), as the only state-owned power company in South Korea, was established in 1898 with more than 19,000 staff in total and an annual turnover of $87 billion. Kepco is committed to developing electric power resource. Taking electricity transmission, distribution and sales as its main businesses, Kepco contributes a lot to the development of Korean economy with stable electricity production and supply. The company serves not only Korean customers, but also global ones with the establishment of overseas offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Paris, New York and so on. With various systems like SCADA, DAS, ARM and DTMS, Kepco monitors and controls on-site equipments to deliver functions such as data acquisition, equipment control, measurement, configuration and signal alarm so as to construct a smart digital grid. At the same time, a TETRA communications network, the largest one in Korea, was established by Kepco to ensure timely, secure and effective data transmission. 107 stations have been set up so far to support the transmission of data in the electric system. Kepco hopes, in the course of transmission, that the TETRA MODEM could be used as the medium to transmit various highcapacity data to the control center timely, effectively, and safely; and the requirements for this are as follows: 1. SDS and PD are mainly used to transmit the data of different electric systems. 2. The products should be work under stable performance for a long period of time due to the data is for electric power network real time monitoring.
3. High timeliness is required as a result of the two-way transmission of data. If the data feedback is not processed in time, the data will be re-transmitted, which shall break the data transmission order and lead to errors like data loss. 4. The devices are required to be integrated with the electric equipments for the purpose of better deployment and implementation According to the detailed analysis of the customer’s requirements, Hytera proposed a professional wireless communications solution for the project.
1. Address customer’s requirements on software/hardware applications. When the MODEM is to be used in electric system, the primary challenge is its compatibility with data format and electric equipments. WOORI, Hytera dealer in Korea and also the supplier of electric communication device PAD, had improved the PAD product to make it compatible with Hytera MODEM products, thus the hardware compatibility had been realized. Morever, Hytera, in collaboration with WOORI, solved the problem of rapid response and stable data transmission for the client by optimizing the SDS and PD process after many tests and discussions.
rapidly to the requirements of data scheduling and process the various complicated data transmissions in a safe and stable manner. Thus, the monitoring and control of on-site equipments can be ensured, which provides a stable and effective platform for data acquisition, equipment control, measurement, configuration and alarm for the vast array of different signals. 3. Rapid response and first-class service has earned customer’s trust. During the development and implementation of the entire project, Hytera has always responded timely to the requirements from customer in each phase and considered more ahead of the customer from R&D to service.
Hytera TETRA modem
2. Efficient and stable device with excellent performance to guarantee system operation. The data transmission solution offered by Hytera to Kepco has passed strict tests and trials. It can respond TETRAFlash - 5
Safeguarding workers at EMO Port Rotterdam
USERS CHOOSE THE MTP3250 TO DELIVER SUPERIOR AUDIO IN A DEMANDING ENVIRONMENT EMO PORT How to install a communications network to operate in a port where salt corrosion, the weather and coal dust constantly challenge equipment? This was the task facing EMO, which operates Europe’s largest dry bulk terminal for the unloading, storage and onward movement of iron ore and coal for the continent’s power and steel industries. With EMO’s existing two-way radio system at life end, the company opted to install a new TETRA network and equip its users with Motorola Solutions’ new MTP3250 TETRA digital radios. The decision to go with the radio was made by a panel of users after they tested a range of handsets from different manufacturers. The panel was especially impressed by the MTP3250’s audio clarity and power, which the panel
found to be superior to competing models. In addition, the team found the radios to be lightweight, comfortable to wear and easy to use, while the robust design – complete with anti-corrosive properties – was deemed ideal for the environment. EMO’s teams now have access to flexible, durable and clear communications to operate safely and efficiently – even against the loudest background noise at the EMO site, messages are always heard. Users can also access up to 50 talk groups, and the digital technology provides delayfree voice calls. EMO is considering using GPS to locate users calling for assistance, and status messaging to improve work order management to drive even more value from its investment.
CUSTOMER PROFILE Organisation EMO Location The Netherlands Industry Port/logistics Partner Flash Services Motorola Solutions’ products l 255 MTP3250 two-way radios l 255 Remote Speaker Microphones (RSM) l 40 multi-unit chargers l 45 dual-unit chargers l 61 MTM800E TETRA mobile radios: 53 models for vehicles with touchscreen control via a PC and 8 desk models
“We depend on two-way radios to ensure safe and efficient operations. That’s why we chose Motorola Solutions’ MTP3250 TETRA radios. The radios are very durable and provide the peace of mind of continuous communications in extremely harsh conditions. It’s dusty here, open to the elements, and salt corrosion is a concern. And our user panel especially praised the fact that, even in our noisy environment, all messages are heard with a very high level of audio quality.” Jos de Kluyver, Applications Manager, EMO
TETRAFlash - 6
CHALLENGE At EMO’s Rotterdam port, machinery, the world’s biggest bulk shipping vessels, heavy goods vehicles and employees work in close proximity. To ensure team safety, the company relies on two-way radio communications. With its two-way radios coming to end of life, it moved to install new technology. It needed a system that’s very reliable, provides loud and clear audio, can connect talk groups, and can cope with the tough environment – salt corrosion is ever-present.
employees. A panel of users were involved in device selection, testing handsets from different manufacturers against a range of criteria including the clarity and loudness of audio, battery power/ speed of charge, build quality and ease of use. EMO was about to select an alternative radio when Flash Services secured a number of Motorola Solutions’ new MTP3250 radios to test. It proved to be a gamechanger; the 20-strong group of users unanimously voiced their preference for this radio.
SOLUTION EMO elected to work with Flash Services to deploy a TETRA digital radio network following a review of available technologies. Flash Services was appointed due to its track record with similar deployments and its clear understanding of EMO’s requirements. The entire solution is covered by a seven-year rental contract under which Flash Services Netherlands will meet all EMO’s radio communication needs.
They found that audio was much clearer and louder against the noisy background of the port. Also, they appreciated that the radio’s design – with two control knobs – was familiar to their old analogue radios and that key features were easy to operate even when wearing bulky gloves. Accessories were tested too, with the users impressed by the quality of the optional remote microphone and the rapid release side connector that makes it easy to attach accessories. EMO also concluded that the MTP3250’s durable design and features – such as the corrosionresistant connectors – would ensure reliable operation.
TETRA was selected as it can support dedicated talk groups, it’s proven to deliver continuous communications in tough environments, and it offers greater capacity. In addition, although clear voice services were the primary goal of EMO, the company wanted the option of adding more services; TETRA’s data and GPS capabilities give this flexibility. A core component of the system are the two-way radios used by 255
BUSINESS BENEFITS Even against EMO’s loud environment, calls are clearly heard to enhance safety and help coordinate efficient operations. Safety is further improved as the
radios will support Motorola Solutions’ Call Out feature. With Call Out, messages are sent to users’ screens, and while talk groups and emergency features can be accessed, the message has to be acknowledged before the radio’s other features can be used. It’s an ideal way to check on the status of an individual, communicate fast with large numbers of people, and instigate emergency procedures. The radio provides users with access to 50 talk groups to enhance collaboration (e.g. with firefighters and maintenance crews). And the extra capacity of the two-channel network means that seven people can broadcast at once. The radios also provide battery power for over eight hours – longer than a typical shift – so users don’t need to return to base to recharge their device. EMO has total faith that the radios will provide continuous communications despite the demanding operating environment. And the system can be expanded to get more value from it. Using the GPS and data capabilities of both the network and radios, applications such as locating workers and status messaging can be offered – services that will further advance safety and enhance operating efficiencies.
Solution and applications l Push-to-talk: For immediate communications l Talk groups: 50 talk groups for communications between different teams l Emergency communications: Emergency messages can be broadcast to all users l Call Out: EMO will be able to alert users with radio messages that must be acknowledged l Simple interface: The radios provide a simple user interface l Accessories: With an innovative side connector, accessories such as microphones are easily connected
Benefits l Efficiency: Real-time communications ensure efficient operations l Improved operations: Group communications improve collaboration to enhance operations l Enhanced safety: Loud and clear audio communications ensure teams always receive messages l Improved emergency response: Emergency procedures can be quickly implemented if a problem occurs l Intuitive operation: Users can easily operate key features even when
TETRAFlash - 7
Mentura Group: A Roadmap to Mission Critical Broadband The mission critical world is becoming more and more data oriented. This is driven by the simple and overwhelming familiarity of networked applications, and the obvious benefits are desired for professional communications as well. The bandwidth-requirements are solved by different network technologies: TETRA, TEDS, 3G, 4G (both via commercial and dedicated networks). We at Mentura Group feel that the user need for data is the mandating factor, and the availability of “optimal” network solutions will follow if it can. Either in-time or late. In the meanwhile “non-optimal” solutions, i.e. commercial networks, hotspots, etc. are used. Mission Critical Applications should now and in the future be designed to be “lean” when it comes to network utilisation. Any bandwidth can be consumed by carelessly designed applications – users typically overfish the sea of “unlimited” resources, no matter
how deep. Mobile applications are exactly what the name implies MOBILE. They are by definition using a limited communications link and that will not change any time soon. A well-behaving application is designed bearing this fact in mind. Mentura provides Situational Awareness for both the Network, and Operations. The new broadband networks (and the capacity that is made free on the narrow-band-side) enable integrating more data sources to the full Context of Operations – pictures, video, telemetry, smart devices and rich media. Mentura’s solutions are designed to be open
for the future, and protect the organisation from difficulties when integrating new technologies and user requirements to operations. This goes for both the convergent management suite, and Mentura’s tactical data applications platform. That is why e.g. the TETRA Tracker solution is based on the Smart Object Integration–framework, allowing the organisation to include any devices, smart objects and data sources to the Context of control rooms and mobile units. That is what makes the TETRA Tracker more than an AVL system – it is a gateway to the broadband future, already now.
TETRAFlash - 8
NEWS Creowave overcame the tender for 50 TETRA Repeaters successful. State Security Networks Ltd. is a limited non-profit company which is owned by the Finnish Government. The company operates the world’s first nationwide TETRA network - the VIRVE network - which is commonly used by Finnish authorities. State Security Networks opened a tender for 50 TETRA Indoor Repeaters and their control- and surveillance systems in September 2012. Creowave quoted the band-selective TETRA Repeater (CWR 380 TI 2 EG) as well the surveillance software. For surveillance Creowave uses its
Motorola solutions to implement a new TETRA network for Ningbo port. Motorola Solutions announced it plans to implement a Tetra Digital Trunking Communications System for Ningbo Port, helping it with an upgrade to the existing communications system and providing related base stations and terminals to meet the specific requirements of Ningbo Port in corrosion resistance and ruggedness. This is the second contract for Motorola Solutions to deliver to Ningbo Port. Motorola will implement 800MHz
Hytera Mobilfunk showcases complete transport solutions at InnoTrans 2012. From September 18 to 21, Hytera Mobilfunk participated InnoTrans 2012 for the first time and showcased complete communications solution to the transport industry. The event, held in Berlin, is an international trade fair for transport technology, innovative components, vehicles and systems. Hytera Mobilfunk presented at this year’s event with complete solutions and products in the context of the traffic engineering industry and the transport services. Apart from the system elements of the proven ACCESSNET®-T IP TETRA system, Hytera Mobilfunk showcased the high-grade TETRA radio sets PT508H and MT680 as well as the DMR system solutions and mobile stations such as MD785/MD785G and PD785/ PD785G of the parent company Hytera Communications.
own Repeater Manager Software, CWRTR NMS. In early October Creowave finally got information of winning the tender. “This is once more strong evidence of our product reliability. Customers appreciate quality and choose us once again. We are naturally very pleased with this. As the oldest nationwide TETRA network in the world, we are honored to be chosen by Finnish VIRVE network and get to deliver the TETRA repeaters for them”, comments Jyrki Koski, CEO of Creowave. We are proud to say, these things are our areas of expertise. We will make the first deliveries this week, only three weeks after the official Purchase Order. Meeting and keeping up with the agreed delivery times is of high importance to the company”, continues Jyrki.
band Tetra Digital Trunking for Ningbo Port, and once completed the network will consist of one MSO exchange centre, six base stations and over 2,000 Tetra terminal stations. As a critical component for the wireless dispatching system for a port, the digital trunking acts as the communications platform for communication inside and between each dock. Every Motorola Solutions Tetra radio is designed to pass an accelerated life test simulating over five years of use and feature high water and dust ingress protection and a rugged and reliable outer design. The project is expected to complete in November.
Hytera Mobilfunk has been an established partner of the traffic engineering industry since 2001 with its TETRA systems and comprehensive radio-based solutions for the entire range of public metropolitan and suburban commuter railway systems, intercity rail traffic and railbound freight service partnering Siemens Transportation, Thales and Bombardier as well as numerous transport services in Germany, Europe, the CIS and Asia. In the course of the trade fair, new and regular customers as well as partners could see the capabilities of the Hytera products and solutions for themselves. In this way, the company emphasized its leading position on the global market as a supplier of the traffic engineering industry and the transport services and was able to convince the visitors present at the fair of the company and portfolio reliability.
TETRAFlash - 9
Air, Sea and Land Role for Zetron in Russian Oil Field. Advanced TETRA technology from Zetron is enabling the coordination of safety and operational communications in the remote Exxon Neftegas Chayvo oil field on Sakhalin Island, just off the east coast of Russia. The oil field’s production platform, onshore processing facility and oil terminal are each equipped with Zetron DCS-5020 Digital Consoles linked by E1 circuits. Zetron’s advanced digital consoles give operators control over all marine-band UHF, air-band VHF and MTM700 TETRA radios, as well as land-line telephony. In addition, Zetron Model 390 remote desktop controllers are deployed on the oil field’s production platform to give workers and safety staff fully-functional access to the TETRA network without the risk of localised RF energy causing an explosion. Sakhalin Island lies to the north of the Japanese island of Hokkaido, along the eastern coast of Russia. The island is 948 km long from north to south, and 27-160 km wide from east to west. It is a mountainous environment with a climate of extremes – minus 50 degrees C in the winter with up to five metres of snow and 40 degrees C with very high humidity in the summer. Oil was discovered there in 1880 and potential recoverable reserves from the north of the island where Chayvo is located are thought to be 307 million tonnes of oil and 485 billion cubic metres of gas.
Licenced mobile radio accessory market measured for the first time: Worth more than $1 billion. For the first time, IMS Research, has measured the market for licensed mobile radio (LMR) accessories and confirmed it is worth more than $1 billion. According to IMS Research’s recently published study, LMR Accessories - World - 2012, the market for LMR batteries, chargers, antennas, speaker microphones, headsets, tactical headsets and surveillance kits was worth an estimated $1.25 billion in 2011 and is the company forecasts the market to grow year-on-year to 2016. Deryn Evans, mobile radio market analyst at IMS Research, states: “Although it has been known to many of those in the LMR industry that accessories are a significant component of the LMR market, the accessories market has never before been examined and measured in its own right. IMS Research believes this to be the only study ever published that is solely dedicated to LMR accessories and has confirmed and quantified what has long been suspected: accessories for radios are a big business.
The supply and build-out of the communications network was carried out by Zetron integration partner SAGA whose engineers used the DCS-5020’s customisable displays to create a common desktop that looks and functions exactly the way Exxon Neftegas operators want. Through touch-screen virtual buttons the DCS-5020 allows control of conferencing, patching, memory dialling, alarm monitoring, alpha-searching of a directory, and emergency group calling. Widely deployed around the world across a range of sectors from public safety and transportation to heavy industry, the Zetron DCS-5020 enables operators to manage up to 30 different radio and telephone channels through a touch-screen display. The Zetron Model 390 Desktop Remote has the form factor of a conventional desk phone, but gives users access to Motorola MTM5400, 800e, 800, 700 and 300 functionality through a dedicated interface. Up to 15 Zetron Model 390s can be connected by conventional Cat 5 cable to a single TETRA radio located up to 600 metres away, greatly reducing deployment and installation costs, and enabling RF emissions be kept away from people, sensitive equipment and hazardous environments. Said Mikhail Rybachenkov of SAGA: “These two key pieces of Zetron technology have enabled us to deliver a very capable solution to Exxon Neftegas. Every day, this solution helps ensure the safety and efficiency of operations in this very challenging environment.”
function as a minimum and may also use additional audio accessories.” The study examined the use of accessories and uncovered the factors and events that are having an impact on the types of accessories used by each end user group and analysed the market in each country. The research suggested developments in the migration from analogue to digital LMR solutions; economic and social affairs; technology advances and user groups’ methods of operation are just some of the factors projected to have an impact on LMR accessory sales in the next five years. With a market that is set to increase, IMS Research expects to see this market “hot” up in the coming quarters as both international LMR manufacturers and localized specialist accessories suppliers look to increase their market share and capitalize on the impact of the latest trends.
IMS Research’s recently published report LMR
Accessories - World - 2012 assesses the market for licensed mobile radio accessories by providing detailed shipment and revenue analysis by country/region and vertical application area, and provides in-depth commentary of the factors affecting the market in each country.
”Such information is not unexpected, given the size of the LMR user base around the world. Each radio in this user base requires a battery, charger and antenna to TETRAFlash - 10
DAMM again successfull in Mining industry ATEL Telekomünikasyon has provided DAMM’s TetraFlex® solution to Ana Gold Mining at Çöpler Gold Mine, liç / Erzincan -Turkey. The mine is owned by Alacer Gold Corp. Canada/Australia. Alacer Gold Corp is an intermediate gold producer with a portfolio of long-life mines. Alacer’s operations produced a total of 421,204 ounces of gold in 2011. Production outlook for calendar 2012 is 385,000 to 403,000 attributable ounces. Çöpler Gold Mine is an open pit mine located 120km southwest of Erzincan, Turkey. With Current proven & probable reserves of 4,4 million ounces Çöpler Gold Mine is an important asset for Alacer Gold Corp. in Turkey. Processing environment and safety objectives The processing flow consists of crushing, pressure oxidation, leaching & refining, - thus representing a very tough working environment. Consequently, Çöpler Gold Mine applies the following overall safety objectives; 1. Respecting legal requirements and international standards 2. Creating and maintaining a safe, healthy and positive working environment
3. Educating, and training, employees in HSE best practice and procedures to develop the safety culture In order to respect the above guidelines, efficient and reliable communication is a must. TetraFlex® was selected to provide a rapid and professional radio communication system aiming at ensuring a safe working environment. The feature requirements set by Çöpler Gold Mine were as follows; • Private and secure voice & data access through all mining fields and operation • Workers safety; man down, emergency call features • Scada and telemetering applications • Data and security alarms • Blast Alarm with audible and text notifications • Operation of Base Stations in harsh environmental conditions with temperature ranging from -40 to +60C The complete system, meeting the demanding operational needs, is provided by ATEL Telekomünikasyon. The TETRA radio communication infrastructure, including Dispatcher applications, was provided by DAMM. Infrastructure provided by DAMM The TetraFlex® solution from DAMM was chosen due to its most rugged, reliable and easily scalable Communication System meeting requirements in open pit mining operations. Further, the compact and low weight TetraFlex® outdoor base stations allows installations direct in the antenna mast to provide coverage access all mining field operations.
field provides data through the TETRA network to the SCADA system and respective monitors placed in the centralised Command and Control centre. The system is further designed for group and private calls, DMO and TMO calls and emergency calls. The TetraFlex® Dispatcher application is in operation where the staff in charge monitors and dispatches the terminals via the GPS positioning feature. The staff in charge dispatches personnel & can easily track and optimise the movements of the mobile equipment within the mining area in real time. The TetraFlex® Network Management System provides easy access to configuration and surveillance of the entire network and all the subscribers (modems & terminals). Customer feedback Çöpler Gold Mine is pleased with the performance of the TetraFlex® System. Based on the current usage, Çöpler Gold Mine plans to add additional applications over the TETRA network as well as implementing TETRA for vehicles. Christian Bak, Area Sales Manager from DAMM comments: “With the Cöpler Gold Mine, DAMM provides another reliable and solid infrastructure for mining operations. Based on DAMM’s strong presence in the Australian mining sector & combined with an excellent reputation in the market place Alacer Gold Corp activities in Turkey underline our commitment to a demanding segment”.
The outputs of the existing analog gas sensors (6 units) in the mining TETRAFlash - 11
Airwave at the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games
The statistics Airwave was an official supplier to LOCOG, and was the first ever official Private Mobile Radio (PMR) services provider for an Olympic and Paralympic Games. Airwave built an independent communications infrastructure to deliver the PMR service for the Games, known as Apollo. It also kept the primary Airwave Network, used by the emergency services, running during one of the busiest times London has ever seen.
800 members of the Airwave team kept the Networks running – that’s 1½ times the size of Team GB
The first day of the Games was the busiest day for the Apollo Network – it was used
767,201 times
85,550 people used the Airwave Network – that’s more than the number of people who could fit into the Olympic Stadium
Representatives from six charities (including
Child Victims of Crime and SportsAid) attended the Games as guests of Airwave
9,000 police officers a day from 35 different forces came to the Met’s
Muster, Briefing and Deployment Centres (MBDCs). Airwave teams were on hand to offer advice on radio usage and help with technical questions
The day before the Paralympics Opening Ceremony Apollo was used
46,828 times in one hour – that’s 13 times a second
Airwave staff helping out volunteers at the park walked over
17,387 LOCOG officials and volunteers 2007 used the Apollo Network – more than the total number of Olympic and Paralympic athletes
7 miles a day each
TETRAFlash - 12
XPro Finland presenting the Argos Tetra Analyser Argos is a protocol analyser ! software which supports the acquisition and analysis of standard and proprietary telecommunication protocols, amongst which the Tetra AI (Air Interface), ISI (Inter System Interface), SS (Supplementary Services), LIP (Location Information Protocol), and a set of other Tetra related protocols. The Tetra AI analysis supports the Tetra Rel 1 and TEDS as well. The analyzer uses an open text, powerful yet simple XML protocol definition language to define all phases of the analysis: interfacing, data acquisition, analysis, presentation and post processing. The flexible interfacing allows data acquisition from file, clipboard, serial and IP interfaces, Telnet and SSH sessions, or to 3rd party equipments trough customisable plugins. The analyser can be connected to command and monitor mobile terminals, base stations, switches, software-only elements, or various devices in your Tetra infrastructure. Binary and text proprietary data formats are parsed and provided further for analysis. The analysed data is presented in fully customisable, multiple views, which highlights different scenarios of the Tetra signalling, speech and data flow. In the same view can be presented analysis from different layers of your proprietary and Tetra protocol stack. Each PDU can be further analysed to the last bit detail. Fragmented MAC and LLC PDUs are reassembled and can be analysed as complete message on all layers, like the IP content of the Packet Data (PD) messages.
Predefined and custom protocol and view filters can be used to narrow down the presented data and find problems more easily. Export to simple or formatted text, to customisable binary and text file formats makes sharing of the analysis results very easy and useful. Version support allows easy switch between versions of the same protocol. Support for automatic conversion from proprietary or C message definitions to XML, in seconds, keeps the analysis up-to date with the development. The Argos analyser can be used by different teams, during the Tetra product lifecycle, from the earliest stages of the software development, through module, integration and IOP (Inter-OPerability) testing, up to troubleshooting and maintenance. The Argos analyser is a recommended for companies who develop Tetra equipments or services, but not only. By adding the right XML definitions, it can monitor and analyse any other protocol, all of them at the same time. The analyser is specially recommended for companies who has a portfolio of various proprietary protocols, in different formats, integrates several standard protocols, and uses different tools, if any, to analyze them. You can integrate all of them into Argos and use only one tool to analyse them all. It will reduce development, maintenance and competence transfer time and costs, and increase the quality of your products. XPro can support you to optimally integrate the Argos analyser solution in your environment. You can read more about our Argos Tetra analyser on our web page http://www.xpro.com.
About XPro Oy ! XPro Oy is a privately owned, independent software company, established in 2008 and located in Espoo, Finland. It provides software and hardware solutions and services for Tetra, proprietary and other telecommunication protocols analysis.
TETRAFlash - 13
Delivering broadband capability across the TETRA PMR band Skymasts recently launched two new antennas. Both of these antennas are now in production and with the 750 available from early December and the 802 available from November 2012.
programme and Skymasts MD Carl Jones said “ Our significant investments in the development of new, high end, leading edge technology of wireless antenna and value added complimentary products shall continue. Skymasts has experienced significant growth not only in its home market but on a Global scale. We have a complete and deep understanding that Critical Comms is exactly what it means and its therefore absolutely
paramount that each and every antenna and complimentary product offers outstanding and completely reliable performance throughout its lifetime. Carl Jones went on to say. “Critical Comms product developments to us is like formula One Racing Car developments so much as these high end, leading edge technology developments are filtering through to our standard product portfolio which in turn offers significant advantage for our customers within other business sectors.”
According to Skymasts, the 802 has already received a significant positive feedback and a growing healthy order book demonstrating that Tetra indoor and DAS systems system integrators are demanding ever greater and higher performance products. Skymasts has a continual Tetra/Critical Comms product development
TETRAFlash - 14
Imtradex to launch the Aurelis Nexus PTT at PMRExpo From the 27th to the 29th of November when over 2,900 decision makers from governments, businesses and control centers meet at the PMRExpo in Cologne, Imtradex GmbH are again represented with a stand.
The presentation includes the Aurelis Nexus PTT, the new innovative, ultra-lightweight handheld microphone from Imtradex. It is in terms of digital communications, security and flexibility of the newest standards and is designed specifically for the fire brigade. Thanks to its extra-large PTT of aluminum, the short tracing path and the precisely defined pressure operation, the use with gloves is possible. In addition to the PTT button and the high-quality speakers, the 180 grams light Aurelis Nexus PTT – depending on the version – include an emergency button, a three-level volume control and a two-color LED. In addition the splash proof hand microphone has a Nexus socket which provides the connection for further accessories, and also provides an automatic switch to headset. The Aurelis Nexus PTT is compatible with analog and digital radios. Particularly practicable is the new Aurelis Bluetooth, which is presented as a further highlight on Imtradex stand. The new model can be connected wireless to radio or mobile phone - without loss of speak quality via the implemented Bluetooth interface. The microphone can, in its latest version, be operated across all devices of standard Bluetoothenabled mobile phones and digital radios. Depending on the digital radio the further integration of various data applications is possible.
With Aurelis Nexus PTT, Aurelis Bluetooth and OnGuard IV there are many new product highlights from the specialist for communication systems at the exhibition. "We provide the visitors at the PMRExpo a comprehensive insight into our specially tailored solutions to the needs of governments, businesses and dispatchers communications, and are available for questions and interesting discussions at our stand A05 in Hall 10.2," explains Ralf Kudernak, Managing Director of Imtradex Hör-/Sprechsysteme GmbH.
"Of course we will exhibit other new products on the PMRExpo. One example is the new addition to our OnGuard family: the OnGuard IV, for undercover operations, which we have recently launched on the market” so Kudernak is referring to the designed communication solution for police operation. The performance system is based on the same principle as Neckloop and includes an integrated microphone. The OnGuard IV can be mounted on the right or left shoulder, directly on the skin or on the T-shirt. The OnGuard IV is compatible with all analog and digital radios, and with all standard induction receivers. "Of course we will also have our solutions for control rooms at the exhibition, so that all decision-makers that arrive at Imtradex stand can have a look at different communication systems” announces the Imtradex CEO. TETRAFlash - 15
ZeniPol unique TETRA solution! Integrated TETRA, maritime radio & GSM phone in a very noisy vessel Environment in one solution! During our participation in the TWC Dubai many TETRA users were very interested in this application. Also for motorcycle, ambulance, snow scooter and other vehicles.
ZeniPol is a reliable efficient wireless communications platform for Police Motorcycles & other vehicles. For more detailed informationTETRAFlash please contact:- 16 Lars.Nordstrand@Zenitel.com
SafeDispatch now! Already for many years, SafeMobile offers a world of wireless applications that help organizations better manage their mobile and fleet assets. Today all Safemobile products are designed with the customer’s business requirements in mind. SafeMobile solutions stand apart from any other technologies available on the market today, in that we offer our customers an exceptional level of flexibility to address their specialized monitoring and tracking requirements. Customers can select from several display alternatives that can be used as part of one seamless system. Data can be collected and transferred simultaneously via the two-way TETRA radios allowing our customers to translate various data into real business solutions. This flexibility has allowed SafeMobile to serve customers from varying markets by providing them with applications designed to address their specific monitoring and tracking needs. A global leader in communication solutions, SafeMobile has recently been awarded the 2011 Motorola Best Application Partner and Empower Circle award from Motorola. The award-winning
solution portfolio includes both client-hosted (SafeDispatch) and web-based (Safenet) software applications. Built modularly and available in thirteen languages, you can deploy SafeMobile application suites one at a time or mix and match them for customized solutions. SafeDispatch™ - Now with Direct IP Connection Routing for Dimetra TETRA SafeDispatch™, one of Safemobile’s solutions for TETRA provides a rich graphical user interface for the dispatcher and automatically plots vehicles positions using different mapping engines. The system can be accessed from a host PC at the client's office. SafeDispatch™ enables customers to locally host and manage a customized display solution on their own computer without reoccurring monthly charges as with online applications. SafeDispatch™ can be installed on one or more computers and is owned and operated by the customer. Recently the company announced that SafeDispatch™ now supports Dimetra Tetra systems by connecting directly to a controller over IP, with full support for all Tetra types: Dimetra IP Compact, Dimetra IP Micro and Dimetra IP Tetra. In addition, SafeDispatch™ creates a powerful GPS/AVL telematics and messaging data solution over-theair, using the TETRA SDS (Short Data Service) gateway, known as the SDR (Short Data Router). Available Suite Details: GPS - Optimize your radios with a variety of location-enabled features such as GPS/AVL
positioning, Alarms, Geo-fencing, Landmarks, and Historical BreadCrumbing with playback. Text Messaging - Two-way data communication between control room and responders. Enhanced Reporting - Complete and easy-to-use reports offer comprehensive dat interpretation. Ensuring secure information flows between control centers and teams in the field is a critical objective for a fast, efficient response. Using fully integrated TETRA technology, SafeDispatch™ offers a safe transfer of data, now via direct IP connection to the controller, to help dispatchers and teams take the most appropriate and immediate action.
Features •
Live Mapping interface and advanced features
•
Worldwide map coverage and multilingual capabilities (13 languages)
•
Modular suites for seamless integration with your radio systems
•
Deploy all modules or mix and match
•
Access to critical fleet data, improved data communications, and enhanced reporting
•
Available suites include GPS/AVL, Text Messaging and Reports. TETRAFlash - 17
TETRA in Africa
Impression of one of the workshops during the event
AIR delivering Digital Communications Solutions Conference in Togo This year’s three day event was addressed to both governmental organisations and industrial companies customers from Togo and the surrounding countries including Benin, Mali, lorem Niger, ipsum dolor met set quam nunc parum Gabon, Chad, Burkina 2007 Faso and Ivory Coast.
The meet, held at the Hotel Mercure Sarakawa in Lomé, was attended by over 70 participants who were introduced to the latest product and solution offerings from Motorola Solutions, AIR, Barrett Communications and Zetron, including Mototrbo, TETRA, and SafeMobile’s most recent release RadioPad and RadioPod.
We congratulate AIR and Motorola for having the initiative of hosting an event of such a scale”. Mister Aboubakr Lamana, AIR’s business development director for Central and Western Africa presented overall AIR and its channel partners’ presence in EMEA, AIR strategy, vision and success reference within African region.
Day one of the regional conference held 30 plus participants from governmental organisations in Togo with guests ranging from the director of transmissions of the Togolese Army Colonel Nolaki Kossi, to Navy, Gendarmerie, Police and United Nations Representatives. In its opening speech, Colonel Nolaki Kossi welcomed the guests by stating that “This event represents an opportunity for governmental institutions in Togo to discover the latest trends and technologies in the radio telecommunication market.
Lamana stated: “The main purpose of this event is to promote the latest digital two-way radio communication solutions that provide entities – particularly the army and police, construction companies, manufacturing firms and oil and gas companies - with clearer, more reliable communication and the necessary tools to improve functionality in the workplace.
TETRAFlash - 18
We are proud to be pioneers in bringing the DMR technology to Africa and we are committed to provide customers with product that is not just cutting-edge but also unrivaled technical support”. Agendas for the September 25th th and 26 th conferences mirrored one another with presentations focused on Motorola's MOTOTRBO, Trunking MOTOTRBO, Dimetra IP Micro and Dimetra IP Compact TETRA solutions, SafeMobile applications, Barrett Military Equipment/HF Professional Radios and Zetron Integrated Command and Control Systems, all solutions and technologies geared at driving communications to digital integration. Abou-bakr Lamana continued with an overall TETRA sales overview within EMEA, followed by the deep dive into Dimetra IP Compact and Dimetra IP Micro system offerings, benefits, and the comprehensive TETRA terminal overview.
and Barrett Communications did customized their presentations specifically for the industrial and commercial customers, while the reminder of the day focused on building and developing strong
their desire to join the AIR family. Maya Peshanova, AIR’s Sales Director for Africa and Balkans was pleased by the response to the meet. “Our channel partners have been critical to the success formula and we have always believed in growing together. Our company will continue to invest in business development, helping its partners in Africa with presentations, technical demonstrations, business advice and special offers”, concluded Maya. The event itself was successful at reinforcing AIR’s presence in Central and Western Africa and highlighting the benefits of various innovative products and solutions distributed by AIR, such as MOTOTRBO™, Dimetra IP Micro, Dimetra IP Compact, SafeDispatch®, SafeNet®, RadioPod and RadioPad, Barrett HF Professional Radios and Zetron Integrated Command and Control System.
THE SECOND DAY The second day of the event was dedicated specially to AIR’s current and future channel partners in Africa. Nearly 50 participants representing 15 companies from Togo, Benin, Niger, Mali, Gabon, Chad, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, attended this day of the seminar. The various presenters from Motorola Solutions, AIR, Zetron
business relationships with existing and new dealers in Togo and the surrounding areas.
Furthermore, the success of the event was mirrored in the continuous discussions afterwards between partners, key customers, AIR and vendors.
THE THRID DAY The third day of the event focused strictly on product technical trainings. Many new reseller partners were present at the event and expressed TETRAFlash - 19
Market Intelligence: Monitoring the Critical Communications Industry Monitoring the TETRA communications market is not easy. Many companies do not regularly issue press releases, send out messages or use social Media in their communications
Still we want to know what is going on within our industry. The only way to discover how the market really looks like, is to stay in close contact with all of these companies. As you might understand, this is a huge task and definitely not easy. Another way to analyse our market is to use business intelligence tools that allow us to monitor the whole market on the World Wide Web. However, automatically analysing this market is also not easy. There are a few steps that we want to take first before we we can collect information. First we have to make sure that related TETRA Communications messages are found by using a filter. Through this filter we are able to
distinguish messages related to TETRA Communications from messages that are related to TETRA Fish or TETRA Shed. Besides this filter, several another filters needs to be installed that allows us to search words like: TETRA Radio, C2000, Airwave, SIRESP, or mentioning manufactures like Motorola, Sepura, OTTO. The result is very interesting. When entering a proper search, we are now able to collect the right data (press releases, news messages journalist blogs, journals, twitter messages, white papers,etc.) and to analyse the market.
Number of messages that are communicated about the TETRA communications industry including the mood status of these messages
TETRAFlash - 20
So, we now will be able to analyse these messages on content and understand what the mood status is of these messages as well as; • the destination of these messages • to understand in which languages these messages are published • to scan on tag occurrences. What is the content of the message? For example; is the messages related to TETRA and hospitals, or TETRA and a city, or event. • to scan on buzz events here we can find our how many messages are related to product releases, Mergers and acquisitions, criticism or employment change. Furthermore, to understand relationships in our industry, we use Trending topics, Kluout scores and we are able to understand the power of Twitter and the influence of Twitter on our network of contacts. Building a large Twitter Community Via Twitter it is very easy to build large communities. We are now able to build a large community of thousands of followers within months, instead of years. This will help you to approach the people that are interested in your products and services a direct way. We also can measure how important a certain tweet is, in relation to the person that is tweeting the message. So, in fact we now are able to understand our customer better as before and can act on any negative messages. One of the great examples is the airline company KLM/ Air France. Once someone has tweeted a negative message, the get in touch with that person in order to mitigate the damage... and it helps!
an influencer. We are now able to track the most influential sources so we can connect with them. It enables us to both monitor sentiment on a high level as well as read the individual tweets and blogposts. In this we we can easily filter out irrelevant buzz and focus on the most important messages. In fact, nowadays we can track whatever you want. Imagine you're running a brand awareness campaign. With our tool you can easily track - in real-time - whether more people are talking about your brand and whether the sentiment of their messages is positive. Being able to derive meaning by recognising patterns is a big advantage! However in our industry, it will take some time until these kind of tools are used. In most cases Social media is used to only post messages. In fact still many companies just post some tweets and do not even know what happens afterwards. Doesn't that sound weird? So, what are the advantages of such Intelligence system? Well, what you you think of; • discovering the latest information about a brand, competitors or industry?
• Explore results on different levels of aggregation and drill down to the original source. • Find relevant influencers in your field. Follow them and engage them to spread word of mouth. • Follow all that's being said that has topical importance and act on it. • Build your own Twitter community of thousands of people, within a few months When you are running a market driven business, you need to make sure all aspects of the business are dedicated to meeting needs or solving problems of customers. These aspects include market driven service provision, product development, organisation development, planning and communication. In our rapidly changing world this can be a challenging job. With better knowledge and understanding of what is going on out there you could make smarter decisions and get better results. But how do you get additional market intelligence quickly and at affordable cost? For more information please contact us: info@mcc-resources.com or +31642108561
Blogs - Blogs have also become democratised. Nowadays everybody that want to express themselves can start a blog and become TETRAFlash - 21
The “Ready to Go” TETRA RF Test Set Recently Piciorgros GmbH released the The TTS-1000. The TTS-1000 is a “Ready to Go” TETRA site survey test set that can be used to measure the RF field strength of a TETRA Infrastructure base station
simultaneously with all reported neighbor cells.
overlap can be easily checked, and in the unlikely event of a complete base station shut down the remaining coverage can be analyzed.
The test set is built into a compact Pelicase Suitcase and can be operated stand alone, without the requirement for an external PC. In order to make sure the test set is able to operate for a longer period, power is provided to the unit using either an in-car cigarette lighter lead, directly from the car battery, or optionally with a 12Volt to 24Volt power supply.
Once the measurements have been started, the GPS coordinates, the received field strength as a – dBm value, the number of reported base stations and the number of available satellites and the distance until the next measurement point are displayed. Up to 9999 measured data sets will be stored a standard csv-file, including a record number and a time stamp.
A number of accessories, such as cigarette lighter cable, GPS receiver, GPS receiver extension cable, magnetic antenna, memory stick and analysis software are part of the TTS-1000 package.
After completion of the survey, the data can be copied to a memory stick for later analysis on a computer using any spreadsheet program, or the data can be converted into a graphical site survey map based on Google Maps.
Device Operation After the TTS-1000 has been powered on, the TETRA network parameters and the operating modes can be configured using the touch screen interface. These include the TETRA network frequency, the number of scan channels, MCC, MNC, the device ISSI and the distance in meters between each measurement.
The TTS-1000 TETRA RF Test Set is build into a rugged and compact Pelicase suitcase that can easily be transported to any location.
As the measurement is not only taken from the base station the device is logged to but also from all reported neighbor cells, the cell TETRAFlash - 22
Speaking is Silver, but listening is Gold One of the most important things in our daily communications is to listen and hear clearly what someone is telling you. In the public safety environment this can be critical, just think about the “shoot”, “don’t shoot” situation between police officers.
Stephen: I often work from my home office as our west London Head Quarters is full of technicians and development engineers working on our solutions. I can
Speaking is silver, but listening is gold. But what happens when you can not hear properly yet you still need to send and receive communications to be able to do your duty? We recently spoke to Stephen Wheatley, Managing Director of LimitEar in order to understand the latest development in hearing technology that will help Public Safety officers, every day. During our interview it was made clear that to just limit the volume (sound pressure or db level) of noise to your ears is not enough. Which is why LimitEar is bringing to market a new hearing technology that significantly improves communications and protects your hearing from damage throughout the whole shift. The science is straight forward, you can damage your hearing in two main ways, firstly by exposure to very loud sounds – try talking to somebody who spent time in the military firing big guns, the chances are that they will be deaf, secondly more gradually by exposure to moderately loud sounds over long periods of time. Many Public Safety organisations have already taken steps to protect earpiece users against Noise Induced Deafness (NID), also known as Noise Induced Hearing loss (NIHL), by fitting low cost fixed, level limiters which limit the maximum volume of the earpiece to typically between 85dB and 93dB. These limiters only prevent the sound exceeding a predetermined level; LimitEar goes a great deal further. Basically it comes down to the fact that LimitEar measures the amount of noise that your ears receive from your communications over a period of 24 hours. We interviewed Stephen near his office in west London.
Stephen Wheatley - Managing Director LimitEar
then focus on my key tasks, currently raising equity funding and working with clients, without disturbing them. I do visit the office a couple of times a week for meetings with colleagues, potential investors and clients. Since we met Stephen during the TETRA World Congress in Budapest back in 2011 much has changed within the company. Stephen: Lots of things are happening. Since we last met we have created a number of increasingly competent prototypes, not all of which behaved the way we expected! Now have our final prototype which has all the functions of the first product which we will manufacture and bring to market. We are very close to the end of the development process and in the process of raising money to complete the customer trials, third party accreditation and preparation for manufacturing before entering production. We expect our first product to be released within 6 months from now, sometime in Q2 2013. TA.com: So, how did all start? Stephen: The genesis of the idea comes from Steve Blincoe, who is a sound engineer in the broadcast TV business. Steve does the sound for coverage of large sporting events like the “Tour de France” and he noticed that he met a lot of people whilst working who were hard of hearing. Strangely the problem seemed most obvious with sports commentators and more specifically those who cover golf. There was clearly a problem so he decided to try and find a solution. TETRAFlash - 23
TA.com: And why commentators? Stephen: Because, I am told many of them, especially the golf commentators wear headphones for long periods of time, often all day. Blincoe thought there should be a better way to protect hearing for these people, so the first product we brought to market, AdaptEar is helping broadcasters and crew protect themselves against high levels of sound and also enables them to listen to two sources at the same time. AdaptEar has been well received in the broadcast sector but it quickly became clear that to be able to address the wider hearing preservation market we would need a more sophisticated product. TA.com: So what does damage the ear exactly? Stephen: Hearing damage is caused by either exposure to very loud sounds (back to the big gun again) and by exposure to moderately loud sounds over long periods of time. Let me give you an example, you will see lots of people on public transport listening to music from MP3 players with earpieces. If you can hear their music playing when you are a metre or more away from them they will be damaging their hearing if they listen at that level for more than a few minutes every day. But many of them will spend an hour or two a day listening at that level and they will damage their hearing over time. TA.com: So the amount of time you listen for is important? Stephen: Yes it is, we call the time you listen for the ‘exposure period’ and when coupled with the sound level for the period it becomes the ‘noise dose’. TA.com: So how is this regulated for people at work and especially within the Critical Communications sector? Stephen: There are regulations to protect all employees in the EU and many other territories from excessive noise dose. The EU regulations on noise agents 2003/10 state that, as an employee, you must not be exposed to more than an average of 85dB for eight hours in any 24 hours. So a steady tone of 85dB would be OK but perhaps quite unpleasant. For a situation where you might receive an average greater than 85dB in eight hours you would have to wear ear defenders. The problem comes when you start to wear earpieces. The employer simply can not monitor exactly what your noise dose is, the employees are in control themselves and that is the problem. TA.com: When you decrease or increase the sound level, what is the effect?
you increase the sound level by 3dB you are doubling the level of volume and if you reduce the sound level by 3dB you are halving it. As we have already discussed you can listen at an average not above 85dB for eight hours per day, so if you reduce the sound level to 82dB (that’s half the sound level) you can listen to for 16 hours per day, or if you were to increase it to 88dB (that’s twice the sound level) you can listen for only four hours per day. According to Wheatley many Public Safety organisations have already taken steps to protect staff that use earpieces by using low cost fixed level limiters which limit the maximum earpiece volume, whilst certainly better than nothing they only address part of the issue and may cause operational or even safety issues. So you and a colleague in the same organisation will have the same fixed limiter. But you and your colleagues listening experience will be different so the chances are that one of you will be under protected and the other overprotected on any give day. On a different day it could be the other way round. Most TETRA users in the UK are now using this kind of “one size fits all” solution. Stephen: So imagine that no car can go over 100 km/h regardless of what the conditions are. This causes operational problems. I will give you a real life example, in the UK we have Highways Agency Traffic Officers who patrol the motorway network and deal with incidents. Let’s say they get a call to an incident in one of the motorway tunnels. In the tunnel the officer parks his vehicle at the side of the road and proceeds towards the casualty on foot. You may be aware that on many occasions the background noise (also known as the ambient noise) in the tunnel will be close to or even higher than the maximum setting on his earpiece limiter so the officer can no longer hear communications clearly. Now this could just be an inconvenience, with the officer having to go to a quieter area to receive messages, but in certain situations it can be an operational or even a safety critical issue. I am sure that you can think of dozens of examples like this where you have higher ambient noise, oil platforms, airports, railway stations, sporting events etc. Wheatley says: “This appears to be a significant issue for all sorts of TETRA user, so in the UK we have demonstrated LimitEar to the health and safety advisers at The Police Federation (which represents the majority of police officers in England and Wales) and they are very keen to see LimitEar introduced as they believe it will prove very effective in enabling clear communication whilst providing hearing protection in line with the regulations, creating a safer working environment for their members.
Stephen: Good question, from a mathematical perspective the decibel scale (dB) is logarithmic; it doesn’t just go up in a straight line. So confusingly if
TETRAFlash - 24
TA.com: So how does it work, what does it look like? Stephen: When connected to an active source, LimitEar wakes up and starts to monitor the signals passing to your earpieces. It continues the monitoring doing nothing unless the listening level is likely to exceed your regulatory average noise dose. At this point LimitEar warns you, by means of an LED display, that you are at risk of exceeding your regulatory noise dose and that you may wish to turn the volume down, if you ignore the warning LimitEar will very gradually reduce volume to ensure your average noise dose is not exceeded. A key feature is that LimitEar provides you with good audibility in high ambient noise environments, an essential requirement for many environments – a feature not available from the low cost solutions in use currently. The device works like an average speed limiter, monitoring the periods above and below the average sound level and creating an average forecast for a 24 hour period. If at any stage you are listening at a level which threatens the achievement of the average it warns you to turn down the volume, if the warning is ignored the volume is reduced automatically. If you require more volume you can turn it back up again for a short period of time. TA.com: What happens when you have had the maximum level of noise during the day? Stephen: The device never lets you exhaust your noise dose; it always keeps some in reserve to enable you to have communications throughout your shift or duty tour. TA.com: We know you have been working on this product now for about 3 years, what do the police forces think of your solution?
from companies selling into the consumer market to provide protection for the MP3 user. TA.com: What will be the price of the product? Stephen: That is a good question, it is difficult to be precise about the price right now, it is very closely related to how many units are produced and these discussions are not concluded. What I can say is that to get the features we provide at the moment you would have to pay 500-600 Euros per earpiece or headset, LimitEar will be a fraction of this cost as we want to make it available for the largest number of users in the widest variety of markets. TA.com: What do manufacturers of headsets think about your product? Stephen: We have are in advanced discussions with 3 earpiece and headset manufactures in the UK who have all agreed to take part in the trials we have organised. A couple of them would also like to do trials with their own customers which is understandable. Furthermore Wheatley is positive about the result of the field trials and the future of the company, although the LimitEar product needs to be tested ISVR (third party test house) it is now the time to “fine tune” the product and get it ready for sale. We have only discussed one product, but apparently they have four more products on the drawing board. “Of course, at this stage I can’t talk to you about the details”. Finally according to Stephen Wheatley: “ It would be great if we can get the youngsters of tomorrow to shout out loud that it is cool to listen to music with earpieces that protect them from hearing damage!”
Stephen: The UK’s Police Federation (the police officers union) Heath & Safety group liked it! We expect that most forces will start using LimitEar in their specialist units, which represent some 20% of officers, and applications where clear hearing is important for their operations. . TA.com: Do you have already agreed more trails? Stephen: Yes, With the Police Federation’s support trials have been agreed with 4 UK police forces and a big ambulance service in the next couple of months. TA.com: What are the markets you are focussing on? Stephen: Working with TETRA we think the product will have a wide range of applications in the public safety and security area, so in addition to the police, ambulance and paramedics we believe that it will be of interest in prisons and private security applications. We have also had interest for non-combat military applications, airline operations, oil and gas in fact almost any application where TETRA is used with earpieces or headsets. If we are to supply the oil and gas sector we will need to develop an ATEX solution, so will probably have to partner with a company that has ATEX experience. However our biggest corporate markets are the public safety and security market, contact centres and professional audio. We are also starting to get interest TETRAFlash - 25
ASTRID User Days 2012 Fall 2011
PUBLISHED BY TETRA-APPLICATIONS.COM
TETRAFlash - 26