To continue the discussion on interop, PA is loaded with a
large mix of just about all bands there is. You don't really
need to interface exclusivly into just the state "OPEN SKY"
system. Rather I would be looking for a solution to connect
all the agencies around me. That more than likely will be low
band for fire and maybe police, some VHF with fire and police
and don't forget the UHF frequencies.
One of the more versatile interop units available is the RIOS
unit from Sytech Corp. Their unit has universal interface
ports. Any port can be used for any type of connection. It
can be a radio, telephone, sat phone, Nextel PTT, or what
ever. Their ports are software controlled. The other units
on the market require you to purchase modules that are
limited to just the type of connection you need. If a module
goes bad, your stuck. You can't just swap to another port.
Another feature of the RIOS unit is it uses a touch screen, so
you don't have to be stuck with a mouse. The Rios unit can
be used as a dispatch unit if you want to use it as such. It
has 16 ports as the basic unit. You have the ability to select
an entire network at once or just one radio channel.
There is an unlimited number of networks that you can
create with just a few pushes of the screen. You push the
talk group icon, then push the assets or radio channels or whatever for the network you want to create and then
push the talkgroup icon again. Your network is done and
working. It's just that simple.
You can link remote computers into the RIOS unit with an
IP network. What ever is going on will show up on all the computers. You can even use the IP network to intercom
between the computers and not have to rely upon a radio
or external telephone lines.
The best feature I have seen is the ability to remotely
display and change the channels on certain radios. In
other words, you cand be able to see the alpha numeric
display from the radio front panel right on your computer
screen. You can step the channels up or down. If the radios
has differeent groups or zones, you can also step those. Not
all radio models can do this, but it is a great feature to be
able to remotely have this ability.
This IP connection can be used over short or long distances.
You could have something going on in say Philadelphia and
you be located in say Atlanta. As long as you have the IP connection, you can do all this. The limiting factor is the IP
network bandwidth as to just how many different radio
networks you have running at the same time.
You can take a look at their web site at
http://www.sytechcorp.com
and click on the RIOS selection at the top left of the screen.
They have a simple display of the system there.
Jim