CommUSA’s Two Way Radio Blog

Global Positioning Systems, or GPS, have been in use since December of 1993, but was initially developed in the mid-1940s to aid in ground navigation issues. GPS technology was not fully put to use until 1957, when the Sputnik was launched by the former Soviet Union. This mission introduced us to the technology of satellites.

GPS was initially used for military purposes only. However, in 1983 an incident took place which altered the availability of GPS. A Russian plane shot down an airplane full of civilians which had veered off into forbidden Soviet airspace. All were killed on the plane, and it was determined that the plane had gone off course by accident. Because GPS technology could have prevented this incident, Ronald Reagan made GPS technology available to the general public.

Now used by civilians and military personnel alike, GPS is a navigation system supported by satellites. GPS completely changes the way we navigate with maps, as maps have become more interactive with GPS technology. Instead of looking at a paper with confusing legends and instructions, a GPS navigator detects your current position, estimates travel time, and gives remarkably accurate directions. GPS devices come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and they contain numerous features.

Motorola unleashed the MOTOTRBO series in early 2007. One of the numerous benefits is that it is equipped with GPS navigation. These units, like the XPR 6550, are equipped with a full display.

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The MOTOTRBO is gaining acceptance as Motorola’s top two way radio. As more industries are realizing the benefits of GPS, we expect it to push the CP200 as America’s favorite two way radio.

The Motorola HT1550 XLS is being cancelled. The last date to place an order for this radio is May 30, 2009. Recommended replacements for the HT1550 XLS are the Motorola HT1250 and the MOTOTRBO XPR6550. The major difference between the Motorola HT1250 and the MOTOTRBO XPR6550 are the digital features available with the MOTOTRBO series.

Integrated GPS is now a standard feature with the Motorola MOTOTRBO. Built in GPS functionality is one of the MOTOTRBO’s best features. With GPS, you can track vehicles and personnel without expensive external hardware. Most importantly, there are no monthly fees for using the MOTOTRBO’s GPS features.

The MOTOTRBO GPS models are the XPR6550 and the XPR6350. The difference between the XPR6550 and the XPR6350 is that the XPR6550 has a full display. The display allows you to send and receive text messages.

GPS functionality within the MOTOTRBO allow you to increase productivity. Certain applications, like HotSos allow you to use your MOTOTRBO to track work orders. When you combine those features with the MOTOTRBO’s water resistant casing, you have a very valuable communication tool.

CommUSA was pleased to hear that the Motorola MOTOTRBO two way radio system that we recently installed at a local pharmaceutical company, aided in assistance of an employee that was injured on the job.

The employee received minor burns when the acid that they were working with spilled. Quick work of the security team using the two ways alerted hazmat and paramedics to respond. The injured employee made a full recovery and the radios proved to be a valued asset in a situation where communication is essential.

The MOTOTRBO radio system is available in eight models, the XPR6500, XPR6550, XPR6300, XPR6350. The MOTOTRBO system also has mobiles: XPR4300, XPR4350, XPR4500 and XPR4550.

By popular demand, the Motorola MOTOTRBO special is back. Between today and May 1, 2009, you can take $1,000 off the purchase of 10 MOTOTRBO two way radios when you trade in 10 radios or push to talk cellular phones.

This special gives you the opportunity to try different MOTOTRBO radios, such as the XPR6500 or XPR6300. The differences between these MOTOTRBO radios are that the XPR6500 has a full display and the XPR6300 doesn’t. Motorola recently announced that they have sold 200,000 MOTOTRBO two way radios since it’s been launched in 2007. With the trade in special, now is a good time to see what all the fuss is about!

Motorola has extended the MOTOTRBO trade in special until December 31, 2008. To qualify, you must trade in any old radios or Nextel products. You can save up to $1,000 on 10 MOTOTRBO radios.

The IP connect feature for the Motorola MOTOTRBO is just around the corner. This MOTOTRBO feature gives the ability to connect the MOTOTRBO repeater to an IPv4 network to create a wide area system. The MOTOTRBO must be used in digital mode for the IP site connect to work.

In a nut shell, the IP site connect increases RF coverage area and connects two or more MOTOTRBO systems in different locations.  It can also enable voice and data communications between different bands (UHF and VHF). This is an excellent way to increase two way radio system coverage. It is important to note that the MOTOTRBO IP site connect system does not increase system capacity and is not a trunked system.

Another nice feature about the IP site connect is that it doesn’t require any new MOTOTRBO hardware and it is easy to upgrade the software via a flash drive.  The software upgrade is free!

When considering a MOTOTRBO IP site connect system, you should take into consideration bandwidth requirements. Adding a repeater at one site will increase the required bandwidth at all sites. Poor bandwidth can result in audio holes or dropped calls.

We look forward to the breakthrough’s in two way radio communication that the IP site connect features can produce.

When you think of life’s great pairs, you may think of:

• Ketchup and mustard
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen
• Homer and Marge

But the MOTOTRBO and HotSos? The two actually compliment each other very well. In case you have never heard of HotSos, it stands for Hotel Service Optimization System. It is a text messaging and service ticket application made by mTech.  HotSos allows a dispatcher to send a service ticket to a maintenance worker who is using the MOTOTRBO XPR6500.  That is the display MOTOTRBO.

Once the task is completed, the MOTOTRBO user simply replies to the ticket via the MOTOTRBO interface, and the ticket is closed. The dispatcher is able to track the progress of the ticket and see how long it took to complete.  HotSos offers advanced reporting capabilities to ensure that your hotel is operating at peak efficiency.

One of the best benefits of the integration between the MOTOTRBO and HotSos is that the service ticket is always routed to the right person using easy to read text messaging. The message can no longer be misinterpreted due to faulty radio signals.

HotSos has been working very well with the MOTOTRBO and we look forward to more unique ‘TRBO applications in the future.

Motorola recently released a case study pertaining to NASCAR’S use of the MOTOTRBO two way radio system. The NASCAR schedule is very grueling, and they needed an onsite communications system that would withstand the long days, loud environment and large number of talk groups. These different talk groups could be car drivers, pit crews, emergency personnel, food and beverage vendors, media groups and administrative staff.

The case study said that NASCAR picked the MOTOTRBO system because it was able to:

1. Coordinate large numbers of radios
2. Ensure absolute audio clarity
3. Maintain consistent, reliable communications.
4. Able to withstand a rough environment.

Since the MOTOTRBO system is a digital two way radio system, you can have multiple talk groups. This is a nice feature when you have different groups who need to communicate privately. Audio quality has never been an issue with the MOTOTRBO. It has noise cancelling technologies that make the signal sound cleaner in noisy environments. Although I’ve never been to a NASCAR race, you can imagine how loud it is at the track.

The case study ended by saying that NASCAR is satisfied with the MOTOTRBO SYSTEM.  NASCAR’S President said that fans are still able to listen to their favorite drivers because the MOTOTRBO supports both digital and analog communications. The drivers must still be using the MOTOTRBO in analog mode, because you can only use the MOTOTRBO in digital or analog mode, not both.