accessories “All Sepura original accessories are tested for full
compliance to international EMC and R&TTE directives”, stressed a spokesperson, adding: “All genuine Sepura audio accessories are tested to comply with acoustic shock regulations and incorporate H+SE [health and safety] guidelines on use.... All of our products are subjected to full environmental and mechanical testing to ensure durability and reliability.” However, many reputable non-OEM makers also make
sure their products meet a range of industry standards – while other makers, often from China, may push largely untested products into the marketplace with a low price tag.
Peace of mind If the end user wants total peace of mind in any accessory purchase, the OEM’s portfolio should certainly be considered, and this is certainly the point coming across loud and clear from Sepura: only the branded accessory can be guaranteed to meet all the exacting standards and, in turn, be suitable for the demands of its public safety customers. “Of course an OEM will promote its own brand in
such a way”, I hear you say. Well, for manufacturer whose customers operate solely in the public safety sector it stands to reason: no-one wants a battery or an earpiece to fail at a critical moment that could, conceivably, cost lives.
Building a solution At Motorola, Iain Ivory, senior solutions marketing manager for Motorola Solutions EMEA, offered this advice: “When purchasing accessories, users need to be aware that they are buying part of a solution – they cannot treat the accessory as a separate part, and that it will not affect the overall performance. To help put this into context, think about something as everyday as a portable music player: many of us have bought a new set of earpieces, only to find the audio poor. Do we blame the player, or the earpiece? “Top of the [TETRA] list are often audio accessories”,
he went on. “But we have seen items from well- respected third parties delivering poor performance, with the customer not knowing whether to blame the radio or accessory. For this reason Motorola runs its Application Partner Programme. Selected specialist suppliers work with Motorola to ensure optimal configuration of the radio, accessory and software settings, so the customer gets the best solution. “Another example
of how poor third- party accessories can impact a radio is batteries. Many companies can build a battery that fits a radio, but can it meet the demands of TETRA operation? Modern linear transmitters can
Issue 3 May 2011 TE TRA TODAY
draw large peak currents, for example when first keying up. Poorly-designed third-party batteries can mean that at these times the internal resistance of the battery reduces the terminal voltage to the point that a radio will reset!” And Ivory concluded, “Bottom line: original accessories
from the manufacturer are tested to work as part of a solution. If a market requires specialist accessories, often a third-party supplier is best placed to meet this need – but ideally they would be part of the radio supplier’s ‘partner programme’ to ensure best performance. If buying from a ‘low cost’, unapproved vendor, then the old premise of ‘buyer beware’ comes to mind.”
Providing a choice Nonetheless, having a choice is also important – which is where reputable non-OEM suppliers such as Axess International, which supplies to end users within public services, and Sonic Communications, a leading supplier of solutions for security users, play their part. “Customers tell us our strengths are in responsiveness
to their needs”, said Hari Sandhu, a director at Axess International. She explained that the company paid particular attention to product features such as cable length and type (e.g. straight or curly cables) and the comfort of ear hangers, offering more options on styles, sizes, tips, and hanger buds than OEMs. “Te most popular have proved to be acoustic tube accessories to bespoke cable lengths and choice of tips and ear inserts.” She added that staying ahead of the technology was also
important – her company being, for example, one of the first to introduce a Bluetooth headset. “We were the first supplier to offer the Nokia THR9 connector, offering this to the overseas market. On several models over the last 12 months we have been the first to develop the connector and offer it to both the PMR and the TETRA markets.”
Far East products In regard to how Axess’s TETRA products differ from the non-OEM products flooding the market from sources such as China, Sandhu said, “Most, but not all products, are produced and supplied by a handful of Far East suppliers. However, there are still top, middle and low-end ranges offered by these suppliers, so we are fully aware of our competition. We have been a UK distributor for products from the Far East, using the same supplier, for over 26 years, so we know that we have the best products, quality, expertise and service to
pass on to our customers.” Offering advice to end users looking for
accessories to go with their core product, Sandhu concluded that going the cheap and cheerful route from low-end suppliers, is simply a false economy. Investing in the correct accessories from the start, she said, avoids unnecessary costs and losing the confidence of users. She stressed the importance of discussing
Also from Axess, from its 186 Series, a two-wire semi- covert audio kit for crowd control and surveillance
33
From Axess International, a headset for covert operations – with microphone and push-to-talk switch cleverly disguised in the shuffle button
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