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Sea rescue force’s inter-system interface


Connected via VHF radio and TETRA, the new lifeboat which has recently entered service at Kyle of Lochalsh, in the west of Scotland. Paid for by passengers travelling with a large cruise line, it bears the name Spirit of Fred. Olsen. Seen in the background is the road bridge linking the mainland to the Isle of Skye


operator Airwave to help in addressing a radio communications problem that has plagued one of its lifeboat stations in Scotland for several years,Matt Conder writes. Te station is located on Scotland’s remote,


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rural west coast in Kyle of Lochalsh, facing the Isle of Skye, some 100km west of Inverness. Surrounded by picturesque sea lochs (sea inlets) and steep, rugged mountains, the village lifeboat station lies in a challenging RF environment. “Te RNLI uses a non-secure, VHF analogue


radio system to communicate between the lifeboat station and the lifeboat”, explained Martin Benke, Airwave’s UK network services director. “Tis radio system is perfectly suitable for line-of-sight and point-to-point communications, but its location made for a difficult situation.” So difficult was it that RNLI crews have


had to resort to using mobile phones when they experienced gaps in communication. Te problem can become even more serious when the lifeboat operates in the area’s sea lochs. “When we go into areas such as Loch Alsh, Loch Long and Loch Duich, the lifeboat loses


UK rescue organization, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), recently called out public safety network


all forms of communications”, explained Alex Marshall, RNLI operations communications and information manager. “Tis is particularly treacherous as not only does the lifeboat station lose contact with the lifeboat, but the lifeboat also has no way of communicating with the coastguard.”


Secure connection Mr Marshall added: “In other areas where communications have also been poor, we have put in repeaters. However, they cannot always solve the issue due to the surrounding terrain.” At a meeting between the RNLI and Airwave,


it was decided to approach the Government to find whether it would allow the RNLI to be connected to the secure Airwave network through its existing VHF system. After working with the National Policing


Improvement Agency’s security panel, it was agreed that a back-to-back connection into the Airwave network would be the best option. Tis involved the installation of an Airwave terminal in the lifeboat station to convert Airwave calls into VHF transmissions, and vice versa. Alex Marshall designed the interface unit,


which was manufactured by PMR Products. Te equipment was installed at the station and on its Atlantic 85 Class lifeboat. “Te crew use the network through the


intercom system on the lifeboat”, Mr Marshall said. “Te concept of operation is that when they enter areas where communication via the Airwave network is required, they simply flick a switch to go to the Airwave radio – a new talk group has been set up specifically for this situation.”


This equipment at the lifeboat station connects the lifeboat service’s marine-band VHF radio with the UK’s national Airwave TETRA network


n Te RNLI also uses the Airwave systemin London to interoperate with other ‘blue light’ services on the RiverTames.


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Kazakhstan selects TETRA


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he Republic of Kazakhstan has upgraded its public safety radio


network from analogue to digital trunked TETRA technology, Matt Conder writes. Built on existing elements of


communications and radio systems in provincial towns and the main cities of Astana and Almaty, the network, deployed by infrastructure supplier Thales, will be supported by Sepura repeater and gateway technology to extend communications to areas beyond the reach of its base stations. Sepura radios will be used by police forces across the country to co-ordinate operations in a territory that rivals the whole of Western Europe for size. Over 1000 desktop and vehicle


SRG3900 radios, including gateways and repeaters, and more than 8300 robust STP8000 handportable TETRA radios have been supplied to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Interior (MoI) by Sepura’s local partner, Wellcomm. The radios’ numerous functions include GPS positioning, an emergency button, and motion-sensing technology for automatic man-down alerting. All terminals will incorporate bespoke online applications developed – using Sepura’s short data applications – by local systems integrator Agat. The contract, the latest in a series of


wins for Sepura in Central and Eastern Europe, represents the largest single order for public safety users in the region, and it was completed three months after being signed. Sepura’s announcement follows


a year of successful business in neighbouring Russia during 2011.


n Last year, Sepura collaborated with a Russian partner, RIC-Systems, to develop and launch the first TETRA radio compatible with Glonass (Global Navigation Satellite System), a system analogous to GPS, operated by the Russian Space Agency. Already it has received its first major order for Gamma-branded radios. RIC-Systems’ partner Radiotel will supply 1500 units to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.


TE TRA TODAY Issue 7 2012


Photo: RNLI/ Campbell Murray


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