IWCE: Daniels expands transportable repeater system

Feb 29, 2008 11:53 AM, By Glenn Bischoff

LAS VEGAS--Daniels Electronics announced the addition of a portable, collapsible antenna mast, solar panel and battery for use with its transportable repeater system, which was introduced two years ago.

“Based on talking to a lot of public safety people, they said, ‘This is nice, but the briefcase alone is not a full package. What I need is an antenna, power source and additional battery so that I can pull it out of my car and go fully operational,’” said Gerry Wight, Daniels’ title.

The external battery adds 36 hours of operation to the 12 hours of operation provided by the repeater’s internal battery. The 44 W solar panel recharges the batteries. A variety of antennas can be mounted to the collapsible mast, with heights varying from 2 to 15 meters (6.5 to 49 feet).

Ease of set-up is a key feature of the system, which has only two easy-to-connect cables, Wight said. In addition, the transmitter, Project 25 receiver, power amplifier and system monitor settings all are pre-configured in the radio shop by a technician before the repeater is shipped to the public safety agency.

“So any police officer can set up the system in less than an hour,” Wight said. “All he has to do when he opens the lid is flip a power switch. It’s that simple.”

Wight said the complete system lists for about $15,000, which he said compares favorably to trailer-based solutions that can cost upwards of $75,000.

In other news, Daniels is sponsoring a series of Project 25 road shows over the next six months, starting in March, which will hit 20 cities. Currently scheduled are Sacramento, San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, Louisville, Memphis, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Salt Lake City, Denver and Albuquerque. A complete list of cities and locations is available at www.danelec.com. The sessions are available free of charge and Daniels is providing lunch.

According to Wight, wants to try to “demystify” P25. “A lot of people don’t realize how far the standard has come in terms of what has been standardized, and many still believe there still is a lot of proprietariness, which has diminished,” he said.