The tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, were a turning point for public safety communications.
When the smoke cleared, the industry realized it was time to get serious about interoperability
and work towards standards that would enable our first responders to communicate
effectively across various agencies and disciplines. In an effort to move the standards
development process along more quickly, the federal government adopted the APCO
Project 25 protocol—already in the works for some time—as the standard
of choice for public safety communications interoperability.
Since 9/11, other events such as Hurricane Katrina have not only enforced the realization
that interoperability must be a priority, but also highlighted the fact that other
government agencies such as state transportation departments and local public works
agencies play a critical role in homeland security and first response and require
interoperability solutions as well. However, many public safety and service agencies
have found P25 interoperability solutions too costly or prohibitively complex to
implement en masse, creating an unexpected void between those that can afford purchase
all new P25-compatable equipment and others who must upgrade to digital over a period
of time.
Icom America has filled this void with an innovative line of radios that not only
meet the needs of users who are ready for a complete digital solution, but also
those who would rather migrate their equipment to P25 at their own pace, dedicating
money and resources as they become available. In this one line of equipment, agencies
actually have three options for achieving full P25 interoperability:
- For agencies choosing to implement a P25 solution right away, Icom offers transceivers
that are ready for digital programming “out of the box.”
- A second option allows users to purchase analog-ready radios imbedded with digital
hardware; agencies simply need to install the P25 activation software to enable
the radios’ digital capabilities.
- A third option allows agencies that do not have a near-term requirement for P25
to purchase and operate the radios in analog mode and simply install the DSP firmware
and P25 software when they are ready to convert to digital.
The IC-F70/F80 Series Portable Radios
Anchoring Icom’s line of P25-compatible equipment is the F70/F80 Series of
VHF/UHF portable transceivers. Icom designed the F70/F80 Series as a flexible solution
for any public safety agency, whether they are ready to operate the radios in digital
mode or upgrade for P25 interoperability at a later date. In the F70/F80 Series,
Icom has produced one of the smallest, lightest and most durable P25 devices on
the market today. The radios meet MIL-STD 810 specifications for high and low temperature,
shock, vibration, dust and other extreme environmental conditions.
In addition, they are completely waterproof, meeting the IEC IPX7 submersion rating
of 30 minutes at 1-meter depth. According to Icom dealer Luke Wheeler of Trueline
Communications in Jacksonville, Ill., it’s this feature above all others that
sells his customers on the F70/F80 Series. “They like to know that if their
radio were submerged in water, they could pull it out and it would still work,”
he says. He’s even had customers put the waterproof feature to the test —
unintentionally, of course. “With another manufacturer’s radio that
was not waterproof, more than likely they would be rendered useless. And because
of the water damage, the manufacturer would probably not cover the repairs.”
The F70/F80 Series features a standard 1,600 mAh lithium-ion battery providing up
to eight hours of operating time; a high-contrast alphanumeric display; a built-in
inversion type voice scrambler; a wide operating frequency range (136-174 MHz for
the F70 VHF radios and 400-470/450-520 MHz for the F80 UHF); and a large 256-memory-channel
capacity with 32 memory zones. Channels can be can be designated for digital use,
analog use or mixed use.
The F70/F80 Series also includes signaling capabilities such as built-in CTCSS,
DTCS, 2-tone and 5-tone. Up to 10 2-tone and eight 5-tone codes can be decoded on
a single memory channel, which is especially effective for professionals who require
multiple-district paging on a single channel. The radios’ stun/kill functions
enable operators to disable a lost or stolen radio over the air, eliminating security
threats from undesired listeners. And the power-on password feature prevents operation
of the radios by unauthorized users.
Other important features include a built-in audio compander; eight DTMF autodial
memories; normal and priority scans; a two-step power saver; busy, repeater lockout
functions; and wide (25-kHz) and narrow (12.5 kHz) channel spacing.
The IC-F1721/F2721 Series Mobile Radios
Icom has applied the same three-tiered
migration strategy to the F1721/F2721 series of mobile VHF/UHF transceivers. For
agencies desiring to implement a P25 solution right away, digital versions are delivered
P25-compatible, while those who choose to migrate over time are advised to deploy
analog versions and upgrade with the appropriate firmware/software when they are
ready to convert to digital.
Constructed to MIL-STD 810 specifications that enable the equipment to stand up
to the rigors of daily use, the mobile radios come in two distinct models: the F1821/F2821,
which feature a 10 keypad with large, backlit keys for text messaging and the F1721/F2721,
which incorporate a 4-watt speaker in place of the keypad and provides clear audio.
The 10 keypad transceivers come with either a large external speaker with exceptional
audio quality or a smaller unit that is easily installed in tight spaces.
Both radios feature a heavy-duty microphone that is designed to allow easy operation
even while wearing gloves and a high-contrast LCD that indicates operating channels,
tone and other settings. The dot-matrix display can accommodate up to 12 characters
on one line or 24 characters on two lines.
In addition to building compact, rugged and user-friendly equipment, Icom has gone
one step further with the F1721/F2721 Series to address a problem that plagues nearly
everyone who operates a mobile radio: space. A particularly unique feature of these
transceivers is the detachable front panel, which allows users to place the unit
in the trunk or other space, minimizing the impact of additional electronics equipment
in the cruiser, fire truck or service vehicle and yet maintain full operational
control of the radio with the remote mount kit.
“These radios are incredibly versatile out of the box,” says Curt Law
of Aksala Electronics, a two-way radio dealership on Alaska’s Kodiak Island,
who is especially fond of their remote control capability. “The fire department
wants as little electronic equipment in the front of their trucks as possible,”
he says. “The ability to put the main body of the radio in the electronics
bay and still operate the radio normally makes this equipment a whole lot easier
to deal with.”
The F1721/F2721 Series features a wide frequency range and 256 channels that can
be divided into 32 memory zones. The radios also have built-in CTCSS, DTCS, 2-tone
or 5-tone signaling, enabling users to establish talk groups, set up selective individual
calls and control a repeater. Up to 10 2-tone and 8 5-tone codes can be encoded
or decoded on a single memory channel. And to protect sensitive communications,
a built-in inversion-type voice scrambler comes standard.
The DRB-25 Base Station/Repeater
Rounding out Icom’s line of P25-compatable equipment
is the DRB-25 compact base station/repeater. Available in both VHF and UHF bands,
the DRB-25 has established a reputation as a high-quality, multifunctional unit,
making it a cost-effective tool for conventional radio networks. Built on similar
principles as Icom’s mobile and portable radios, the DRB-25 supports simultaneous
analog and P25 digital operation, and its cross-band VHF/UHF functionality gives
the DRB-25 its flexibility as a cost-effective tool for digital migration.
With a modular design, the DRB-25 functions effectively as both a stand-alone module
or within a conventional network using remote repeaters. In addition, the DRB-25
requires no field tuning. With its built-in PC Web server, users have the ability
to remotely control and monitor the unit to analyze system activity, perform diagnostics,
view signal levels and execute other important functions from anywhere a user has
access to the Internet.
The DRB-25 may be configured with one or two independent channels. Each channel
may operate as an analog and/or P25 digital repeater or may also be programmed to
sense the mode of a received signal automatically, and, thus be shared between analog
and digital users. With built-in P25 IMBE vocoding and P25 OFB DES encryption, the
DRB-25 may be connected directly to existing tone-based remote and console equipment
using 2-watt and 4-watt E/M circuits. The repeater also supports direct connection
to 2-watt telephone lines for analog and P25 digital calls.
Prepared for the Future
While Icom has delivered a complete line of P25 equipment to meet the needs of public
safety and public service users today, whether they are prepared for an immediate
conversion to digital or would rather migrate over time, the company has not forgotten
the long-term needs of its customers as the industry further develops the P25 standard.
Though it may yet be a few years off, a P25 trunking standard is on the horizon,
but agencies that are purchasing equipment today need an assurance that their investment
in conventional equipment will not be wasted. Icom plans to launch a trunking upgrade
program that will allow users who purchase conventional radios now, but would like
to upgrade with trunking equipment later on. They will guarantee in writing to apply
a percentage of what an agency paid for their conventional equipment to the purchase
of trunked radios.
While the industry awaits the development of technical specifications for a P25
trunking standard, Icom has come to the forefront with an innovative business solution
designed to reward its customers by maximizing the value their communications assets.
Like Icom’s P25 line of communications equipment, it’s a solution that
simply makes sense.
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