Wireless Wave - April, 2007
Jay’s Spot
SPC Expands Services and Service Area
At South Plains Communications we feel it is important that we stay as current as possible with radio communication technology, equipment and service. Being able to provide the people of West Texas with the latest technology and service is at the essence of who we are. It is foundational that our company continues its growth process. We are so excited about the work Jay P. and his staff are doing in our Amarillo office. His energy and dedication to bring about the highest level of equipment and service to the residents of Amarillo and the surrounding area is exciting.
Furthermore, South Plains Communications has recently expanded its 800 Trunking Service range to include Abilene and the surrounding area.
With three available tower locations in Abilene, SPC can provide 800 LTR users with Trunking service. The LTR, or Logic Trunked Radio, format is a multiple repeater system which allows all radio users access to all channels. There are several advantages to the Trunking system, such as:
* Quicker access to the system, wait for an open channel is eliminated
* The larger channel capacity translates into a larger user capacity
* Private Calls
* Cost Effective
* System Redundancy
We are excited to be able to provide 800 Trunking service to the residents in the Abilene area and look forward to meeting and working with you. For more information please call our Lubbock office at: 1-800-727-9798
Product Spotlight Kenwood TK-3140/TK-8180
TK 3140 UHF Portable Radio
* 4 Watt
* 10 Character Alphanumeric Display
* Conventional & LTR Trunking
* 32 System/250 Groups
* FleetSync Compatible
TK 8180 UHF Mobile Radio
* 30 Watt
* 12 Character Alphanumeric Display
* Conventional & LTR Trunking
* 128 Systems/512 Groups
* FleetSync Compatible
It’s that time of the year...
With the beginning of the spring season it is important to remember that it is a good time to take special precautions to protect your radio equipment and towers. The sandstorms, high winds and tornadic activity can, within a split second of time, damage or literally destroy anything it touches. It is important to protect the:
* A/C Power Line (110 volt A/C Line)
* Coax Line
* Phone Lines that enter from the outside.
Protection will only be as good as the grounding that it is tied to. The best scenario is to have your equipment and protection set up so as the lightning strike will hit and the power surge will be driven into the ground. Remember, it is not uncommon to have a power surge on the A/C or phone line even though the lightning strike hit several miles away. Even sandstorms can create enough static electricity to damage an ungrounded system. For more information on how to best protect your communication investment, call South Plains Communications.
South Plains Communications + John Deere Starfire RTK = An Investment that Goes the Distance
John Deere has developed the GreenStar Global Positioning System to provide farmers with a more efficient method for planting and maintaining crops. The GreenStar system includes satellite functions which provide accuracy within 3-4”. When the RTK, Real-Time Kinematics, base station is added, sub-inch accuracy is achieved because the GPS drift is practically eliminated. SPC works with farmers and John Deere dealers to enhance the range of the RTK unit through tower placement and the installation of high gain antennas at the best possible location. For farm operations that do not own and maintain their own tower, SPC can also provide space on one of their many towers.
The results speak for themselves. Jay Hurst with Hurst Farm Supply in Lubbock says, “The knowledge in the communications industry that SPC brings to the table has been instrumental in helping us set up the largest RTK base station network in West Texas.”
An Investment that… Goes the Distance
Let SPC help you customize a system for your operation by contacting Kent Leatherwood at 806-795-5823.
Technically...
Our technicians are frequently asked questions about the care and maintenance of radios, accessories and other equipment. This section of the newsletter will be dedicated to helping provide answers to some of those questions.
1) How will the narrow band affect my radios and business?
All of the newer radios can be programmed to accommodate the narrow band requirement. While moving to the narrow band width allows new channels on the spectrum, radio users can be assured that communication range and power will remain the same.
2) What frequency range is best for my business?
Low Band offers communication unit-to-unit, although high power mobile radios might experience skip interference in this frequency band.
VHF - Coverage is unit-to-unit or unit-to-unit with a repeater option. When using high power and medium power radios, some skip interference is possible.
UHF - Communication is routed through a repeater, this range is best suited for the high, medium and low power radios that are used in small businesses and industries.
800 - This is a protected frequency with very little to no skip interference for medium and low power radios. It is the ideal application for Trunking systems and large fleets.
3) What is License Free Spectrum?
This is the part of spectrum that the FCC does not require a license for. It is a shared spectrum for data applications such as SCADA, Microwave or Wireless Ethernet and Internet.
