at sea
Marine kit: Sepura’s mobile and gateway products are
available packaged as a fully waterproof (IP67) TETRA communication system for fast
response, patrol and rescue craft. The kit is used by some UK police forces, and armies and navies in Europe and in Asia. A variety of accessories enable the installation to be tailored to specific requirements. All connectors are marine-rated
as well as speakers on the boats so the crew can hear the communications from shoreside without being drowned out by the wind noise. And when you’re in the North Sea this is a real issue! “Tis has actually been installed with
almost all the police and fire service rib boats and lifeboats around the coast of Denmark, and this tendency is also being followed in Sweden. However, this does not remove the need for these vessels to also carry analogue VHF radios in line with international maritime laws, so they can communicate offshore/at sea with other vessels and helicopters. “What we are seeing is that in sea nations like Denmark
it appears the Scandinavians are quite ahead of the rest in using TETRA. Te Danish and Swedish coastguards are using TETRA already and are very happy about the call quality.”
Installation requirements Carpio added that some Scandinavian coastguard forces have installed fixed mobile terminals in their boats, but these must pass a special interference test to ensure that there is no interaction with other equipment, especially the compass. Tey must meet the ‘Compass Safe Distance’ requirements. Water protection is also crucial, and here Motorola offers
one unit which achieves an ingress protection rating of IP67 without the need for an additional housing. Te first figure relates to the level of dust protection, and it is the second, the 7, which relates to water and is relevant to operations at sea. Equipment with a 7 will continue to work after being submerged for 30 minutes. Equipment with a lower rating may need to be housed by the installer in waterproof casings.
Some TETRA deployments So where is TETRA being used at sea? Norway In 2009, Zenitel delivered Motorola TETRA systems to the Ormen Lange gas refinery and field on the west coast of Norway, the second largest gas field on the Norwegian continental shelf. Te equipment initially supplied included Motorola’s Dimetra IP Compact TETRA infrastructure and ATEX TETRA radios with GPS positioning. Zenitel’s own repeaters, from its Zenitel Confined Area Solutions family, are being used to expand radio coverage. Its Radioteknik TETRA repeaters are available in many options to meet any the widest variety of applications, including offshore coverage. Denmark Movia, the country’s largest public transport agency, has operations which reach a population of more than 2·4 million in Denmark’s capital region, including Greater Copenhagen and Sealand. Responsible for buses and inter-urban commuter trains, Movia also manages Copenhagen’s marina ferry service (all of which are operated by subcontractors) and two ferries. Efficient radio communications between all subcontractors
providing bus, train and ferry services is essential for the smooth operation of Movia’s transport network, and a Motorola TETRA solution, including Dimetra IP infrastructure and 1200 mobiles, was deployed some years ago. It includes Vehicle Integrated Units for deployment on vehicles and ferries. Together the solution provides voice and data capabilities and an emergency button on the radio enabling contact with, and request for, police, fire or ambulance assistance. Tis TETRA network, operated by the Danish
One of the biggest problems in using TETRA radios at sea in fast-moving inshore ‘ribs’ and patrol vessels or lifeboats is the roar of the wind. Several manufacturers have addressed this with suitable audio accessories
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communications service provider Dansk Beredskabs- kommunikation, is now part of the national SINE (SIkkerhedsNEttet) network – the mission-critical public safety system for emergency services, which is owned, operated and managed by Motorola to provide coverage across all of Denmark’s regions. Terminals used on the network include equipment from EADS, Motorola and Sepura. Germany In 2010, Alpha Ventus, the first offshore wind farm in Germany, was commissioned. Located some 45km north of Borkum Island in the North Sea, its 12 turbines together generate 60 megawatts, capable of powering 50000 households. A TETRA system supplied to the operating consortium by 3T Communications links the turbines with an onshore operations centre in Norden. In addition, it provides communication with helicopters servicing the wind farm.
TE TRA TODAY Issue 5 2011
(Photo: Motorola)
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