News for April, 2014
Interoperability in the News

We recently learned there was a significant surplus of unspent federal funds allocated for the construction of a nationwide interoperable data network for public safety users. Presumably, companies like AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon are incapable of building operating networks capable of providing service in times of emergency. Without further explanation, construction of these "hardened" networks were begun in our major metropolitan areas.  

As a citizen taxpayer, we thought you might be interested in seeing how your tax dollars are being spent. Click here for a very interesting article from the Sacramento Bee.  We'll be having more to say about interoperability later in this newsletter along with other information that we hope you will find to be of interest.

8.6 Billion in 2013 Grant Funds Remain Unspent

No Time for Crime Program Expanded!

Cooperative partnerships between law enforcement and the community make our cities safer from crime!

Working with local law enforcement agencies, we have developed a simple and affordable system that can reduce response time to less than TWO minutes!  Our newest addition to the program is a device known as HelpAlert III which works in conjunction with existing alarm systems. Additional information on the No Time For Crime Program (NTFC) is available by clicking here.

A variation of the NTFC program, known as the SafeCities program is now available for improved response time as well as a similar system especially designed for medical assistance.  Like the NTFC program, there is no charge to the first responder agency or any monthly charges to the user.  For additional information on the SafeCities program, drop us an email to ServingU@falcondirect.com.

America's Most Affordabe  DMR/Analog Repeater!

America's newest, affordably priced DMR repeater has been announced by Hytera. The RD622 provides both analog and DMR digital capability in a compact wall mount cabinet

The RD622 provides both analog and DMR digital capability in a compact wall mount cabinet and you can have up to 16 CTCSS codes in the analog mode to separate user groups. No need for an external power supply - it's built in! If you need a duplexer, that can be built in as well. For more information, click here!

The difference between Tetra and everything else!

TETRA is an interoperable wireless integrated work flow management system - Everything else, including Analog, DMR, NXDN, and P25 systems are just 2-way radios.

So why do we say this? Simple! Everything else was designed for voice communications! TETRA was designed for voice AND data communications with 4 to 1 channel efficiency versus 2 to 1 channel efficiency for DMR and Phase 2 P25. The features that cost extra in other systems, like GPS, and Man Down capability are standard with TETRA. Additionally, integration with SCADA and advanced touch screen dispatch consoles are available that follow, select, and administer individuals and work groups. More information is available by clicking here!

Everybody Ought To Own A BlueBox!

In a single day, two of our customers had a repeater go down. So, how did we get them back on the air? With a BlueBox!

The BlueBox is many things to many people. It can be a mobile repeater to extend the range of portables, a range extender to make up for lost coverage in rural areas, as a control link between widely separated base stations, as a cross band repeater to bridge VHF or UHF analog radios to digital radios (DMR, NXDN or P25), conventional or trunked, in the 150, 450, 700 or 800 MHz bands. And now it can serve as a repeater fixer!  More information is available by clicking here!

Odds and Ends

More news that didn't make the front page.....

March was the month when those of us in the wireless communications business make our annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas to learn what's new and attend endless bragging and BS sessions (some of which are actually informative).  Here's what's new for 2014.  Our business (private wireless)  was first attacked by Nextel which almost destroyed private mobile communications.  They were followed by the public wireless carriers with itsey bitsy pocket communicators which gave us a good slap in the head until folks learned that they didn't have good rural coverage and the monthly fees could be significant. Now we are in the sights of the defense contractors (actually, the term should be OFFENSE contractors).  This includes the likes of General Dynamics, Harris, Raytheon and of course, the ever present Motorola.

While they are killing each other in the marketplace (click here for a very interesting article), the offshore competition intensifies, and the government gets larger with ever diminishing accountability. 

We now have two new suppliers of voice pagers in the marketplace (We really needed that) and at least one manufacturer bringing us a duplex 2-way radio for use in the Wi-Fi band (Now THIS has some very interesting possibilities!).  The Chinese are continuing to drop prices and increase competition as the demand for their high capacity manufacturing drops world wide. 

Healthcare was a big topic.  It seems that most lower income folks can't afford the new lower premiums so they aren't signing up.  As we understand things, that means they will not have health coverage and they risk being fined for not paying for something they can't afford.

Other than the aforementioned news, everything is just great!

Thanks for visiting with us.  We appreciate you!
      Burch Falkner and all the Falcon Team

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