Module: Telecommunications

By Rob Lowe; Cable and Wireless, Unit 1375, Aztec West Business Park, Bristol, BS12 4RY, United Kingdom.
Rob.Lowe@plc.cwplc.com
Goal: Toprovideanoverviewofcommunicationsoptions,andtooutlinethenecessarystepsforinitializingand
maintainingaviablecommunicationsnetworkwithintheHumanitarianAidenvironment.
Objectives:
ProvidebackgroundonthephysicalpropertiesofHF,VHFandsatellitecommunication.
Weighthestrengthsandweaknessesofavailablesystems.
Discussthecriteriathatdeterminethecommunicationsneedofacustomer.
Suggestmethodstoachievethegreatestutilityfromsystemsinplace.
Presentinformationoftechnologicaladvancesintelecommunications.
Outlinegeneralguidelinesforoperationforallnetworks.
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CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................................... 3
2.0 FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK.................................................................................................. 3
2.1 SECURITY...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
2.2 COORDINATION................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
2.3 SOCIAL...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
3.0 OVERVIEW OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF COMMS. SYSTEMS........................................................................... 4
3.1 HIGHFREQUENCY (HF) RADIO.....................................................................................................................................................................................4
3.2 VERY HIGHFREQUENCY (VHF) RADIO........................................................................................................................................................................4
3.3 SATELLITE INMARSAT ...............................................................................................................................................................................................4
3.4 CONVENTIONAL OPTIONS..............................................................................................................................................................................................5
4.0 DETERMINING THE REQUIREMENTS OF A PROJECT........................................................................................... 6
4.1 GENERAL QUESTIONS .....................................................................................................................................................................................................6
4.2 TECHNICAL QUESTIONS..................................................................................................................................................................................................7
5.0 EQUIPMENT AND APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE.................................................................................................... 8
5.1 HF EQUIPMENTAND APPLICATIONS............................................................................................................................................................................8
GLOSSARY OF TERMS................................................................................................................................................. 9
5.2 VHF EQUIPMENTAND APPLICATIONS......................................................................................................................................................................11
5.3 INMARSAT EQUIPMENTAND APPLICATIONS........................................................................................................................................................ 12
6.0 EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION............................................................................................................................... 13
6.1 HF BASE INSTALLATION.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
6.2 HF MOBILE INSTALLATION......................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
6.3 VHF INSTALLATION......................................................................................................................................................................................................14
6.4 SAT PHONE INSTALLATION ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
7.0 PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES........................................................................................................................ 14
REFERENCES: ............................................................................................................................................................ 16
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
Asthescaleofhumanitarianinterventionexpandstoincorporatecomplexemergenciesofallkinds,sodothe
complexitiesincommunicating. Thetransferofprecise,accurateinformationbetweenthevariouslevelsofan
agencyisvitaltothesituationinthefield. Anorganizationthatisunabletocommunicateefficientlyfacesgreat
difficultyinadaptingtosituationsastheymayarise. Inadditiontobeingabletocommunicatewithinitself,an
agencymustalsohavethefacilitiestocontactotheractorsinasituation.
Thetechnologythatallowsforlocal,regionalandinternationalcommunicationisevolvingrapidly,asadvancesin
informationtechnologyareappliedtocommunicationstechnology. Thebasicconceptsthatallowforlongdistance
communicationremainunchanged,buttheapplicationsthatarepossiblewithrelativelybasictechnologyare
expandingdaily. Itisnowpossibleto haveamultilayeredapproachtocommunicationthatprovidesemail,fax,
voiceandtelephonecapabilityfromremoteareasoftheearth. Itistheintentionofthismoduletointroduceallof
these.
Giventhatcomplexemergenciesoftenrequirecommunicationsnetworkstoexpandquicklyandsometimes
unpredictably,emphasisisplacedonsystemsthatallowformaximumadaptabilityovertime.
Thehumanfactorremainsthemostvitalinanycommunicationsnetwork. Themostadvancedsystemintheworldis
rendered uselessifonedoesnotknowhowtouseit. Modesandpossibilitiesforincreasingcomprehensionof
systemsinplacewillalsobediscussedthroughoutthemodule.
2.0 FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK
2.1 Security
Istheprimaryfunctionofanynetwork. Networksmustbeestablishedwiththesafetyandsecurityoftheteamatthe
forefrontofallplanning. Thisfunctionmayberequiredtovaryingdegrees,butitremainsthemostimportantfacility.
Intimesofemergencyormedicalandsecurityevacuation,thenetworkmustbeflexibleenoughtoadapttoneedsas
theyarise
2.2 Coordination
Isthesecondfunctionofanetwork. Inordertoachievetheobjectivesofanintervention, informationregardingthe
projectneedstobedispatchedandreceivedasnecessary. Staffmanagement,datatransferandcollation,
monitoring,financialreporting,localandinternationaltravel,andallotherprojectrelatedissuesmustbetransmitted
effectively. Thisfunctiondeterminesthecapacityrequiredofanetwork. Forexample,aprojectthatrequiresdaily
transmissionsofextensivemedicalorfoodorsecuritydatawillrequireamuchgreatercapacitythanwouldasmaller
educationalproject.
2.3 Social
Contactisthethirdfunctionandisofindirectimportance. Afieldbasedteamthatfeelscutofffromtherestofthe
worldwillexperiencemorestressandfeelingsofisolation,thanateamthatwasabletocommunicate withthe
"outsideworld"theirworklevelsmaybeimpacted. Asystemneednotbedesignedwiththisinmind,butitprovides
avaluablelinkforfieldstaff.
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3.0 OVERVIEW OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF COMMS. SYSTEMS
3.1 High Frequency (HF) Radio
Highfrequencyreferstothesectionoftheelectromagneticspectrumthatliesbetween3megahertz(MHz)and30
MHz;thisequatestoindividualwavelengthsofbetween100and10meters. TransmissionbyHFisfacilitatedbyradio
wavesthatrefractofftheionosphere. Theionosphereconsistsoflayersofionizedgasesthatliebetween40and500
kilometersabovetheEarth. ThisrefractionmakesitpossibleforHFcommunicationstocoverlargedistances,in
theory,allofAfricacouldbecontactedfromaHFbasestationin Uganda. Becausetheradiowavesarerefracted,HF
alsohastheadvantagethatitisnotaffectedsomuchbythetopographyofaparticularlocationasVHFis.
AstraightforwardHFbaseunitwouldconsistofatransceiver,apowersupply,andanantenna. HFunitstendtobe
quitelargeandheavy,andthusarenotapplicableasportableunits. HFcanbeinstalledinavehicle. Thepower
supplycanbemains,generator,or12voltsDC. Therearemanypossibilitiesforantennamounting,dependingonthe
needsofthenetwork. Ingeneral,antennasareplacedoutsideandarein"theopen"asmuchasispossible,away
fromotherstructures,wires,etc. Wherepossible,antennasshouldbeelevated ashighasispossible. Advantagesand
disadvantagesofHFsystemswillbediscussedinsection5.1
3.2 Very High Frequency (VHF) Radio
VHFcoversthespectrumrangingbetween30to300MHz. VHFwavestravelinwhatisknownasdirectwave. Direct
wavespropagatethedistancethatonecansee(lineofsight),typicallywithanunassistedrangeofupto20kms,
dependingonthetopographyofthearea. TherangeofaVHFnetworkisheavilydependentontheheightofthe
antennas. However,giventhatdirectwavestravelinstraightlines,variationsinelevationandgeographicalfeatures
willaffecttherange. Forexample,ifanantennaismountedinavalley,itsabilitytotransmitbeyondthatparticular
valleywillbegreatlyreduced. InplanningaVHFnetworktohavegoodcoverage,closeattentionmustbepaidtothe
featuresoftheareaonewishestocover.
TherearetwopossibilitiesforVHFnetworks. Thesimplestisasimplexnetwork,whichhasalimitedrangebasedon
directwavetransmission. Themorecomplexsysteminvolvestheuseofrepeaters. Repeatersareautomaticreceiver
transmittersthatprovidegreatertransmissionandreceptionrange. Ineffect,thetwopartiestalkingarenotreceiving
directsignals,butsignalslinkedthroughtherepeater. AunifiedVHFsystemmaycontainbothsimplexandrepeater
channels. Auseristhenabletodeterminewhichchannelwasmostapplicabletousebasedonthedistancethey
werefromtheotherparty.
ThereareagreatvarietyofVHF unitsavailable,butingeneraltheylookslightlylargerthanamobilephone,witha
shortantennaattached. VHFbasesormobileunitsaresomewhatlarger,andhavehandheldmicrophonesconnected
bycoiledmicrophonecable. SpecificadvantagesanddisadvantagesofVHFsystemswillbediscussedinsection5.2.
3.3 Satellite - INMARSAT
InmarsatisanabbreviationoftheInternationalMaritimeSatelliteOrganization. Thispartnershipofnationshasabout
80members. Thememberstatescooperatetoprovideaglobalsystemofcommunication,originallytoandfrom
shipsbutnowalsobetweenvehiclesandaircraft. Servicesprovidedincludetelephone,telex,faxanddata. Although
originallyintendedforshipsatseatheserviceisnowusedextensivelyonlandbybusinesstravelers,journalists,
miningoperationsanddisasterreliefagencies. Serviceisavailablepracticallyallovertheworldexceptforthepolar
regions. Variousterminalsareavailabledependingonwhichserviceisrequiredthesearebrieflydescribedbelow:
The 'A' terminal
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Theoriginalanalogueservice,providingphone,telex,faxanddata. Callchargesrangefromabout5tonearly10
perminute.
The 'B' terminal
Thedigitalsuccessortothe'A'service offeringthesimilarrangeofservicesexcepttelexbutatlowercost. Call
chargesrangebetweenabout3.20toabout9.50perminute.
The 'C' terminal
Astoreandforwardmessaging,data,telexandemailservice. Callchargesrangingfromabout2.00to4.20per
minute.
The M terminal
Adigitalvoice,lowspeeddataandfaxserviceusingcompact,lightweightequipment. Callchargesrangefromabout
2.90tonearly6.00perminute.
The mini M terminal
AverycompactsuccessortotheMterminalprovidingthesameservicesbutinasmallerpackage. Callcharges
dependonservicepackageagreementbuttypicallyamonthlychargeofabout16thatincludes5minutesof
airtimethereafterchargedatabout2.20perminute.
The P terminal
Afuturedevelopmentoftheservicetoprovideahandheldterminal,underdevelopment.
Iridium
SimilartotheInmarsatPterminalbeingdevelopedbyMotorolaandothers.
Globestar
SimilartotheInmarsatPterminalbeingdevelopedbyanotherconglomerate.
3.4 Conventional Options
InadditiontotheabovespecializedsystemsthatcanbeutilizedbytheERU,itisimportanttorememberthemore
standardoptionsofcommunicationsmayexist. Telephones, taxes,standardemail,localnetcellularphonesand
internationalcourierservices(e.g.DHL,FedEx,etc.)mayalsobeavailable. Costbenefitanalysisshouldbeconducted
attheplanningstagestoestablishwhichoptionwillbethecheapesttorunonadaytodaybasis. Financial
constraintsshouldnottakeprecedenceoversecurity,butfornonsecurityissues,allpossibleoptionsfor
communicationshouldbeexamined. Allofthesystemsmentionedintheabovesubsectionsrequireafairamount
ofequipmenttostartup,andpurchaseanddeliverycanbetimeconsumingandexpensive.
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4.0 DETERMINING THE REQUIREMENTS OF A PROJECT
Priortodecidingwhichcommunicationssystemstocommitto,thereisacertainamountofplanningthat needsto
beconducted. Routineassessmentsofthesystemshouldalsobeconductedinordertoreviewtheneedsofthe
projectasitevolves. Theneedsinthefirststagesofanyemergencyarelikelytobequitedifferentafteraweekor
two,andfurtherchangedafteroneyear. Someofthequestionsbelowwilldependonthesituation.
4.1 General Questions
What systems are already in place that can be accessed?
Theeffectivenessofnationalorinternationalcommunicationsalreadyin placeshouldbeassessedandfactoredinto
decisionsastowhatothercommunicationsnetworksmayberequired. Forexample,ifthereisapublicfaxwitha
workinginternationalconnection,theuseofthatsystemshouldbeconsidered. Noformofcommunicationis
completelysecure,butnoncriticalinformationmaybepassedviamorepublicmeans. Similarly,iftheUNispresent
inaparticularsituation,determinehowmuchaccessisavailabletotheirsystems.
What governmental regulations need to be followed?
Governmentsorthecontrollingforcesofanareaarelikelytoregulatetheairwaves. Theythemselvesprobably
dependonsimilarsystemsfortheirownneeds. Careshouldbetakentocomplywithallregulationsinplace,as
consequencesfornotcomplyingcanbeserious. Frequenciesmayhavetobeappliedforandlicensedbythe
government. Equipmentsuppliedorpurchasedshouldconformtopracticesinthezoneofintervention. If
programmableVHFunitsorsatellitephonesarenotallowedinacountry,thenthereisnopointsupplyingthem.
Greatsensitivityregardingcommunicationsshouldbeundertakeninareasofmilitaryactivity,asmilitaryunitsoften
useHFandVHFunitsfortheirpurposes. Itismucheasierforlicensestobegrantedatthestartofaprojectthanitis
oncetheprojectisunderway.
What is the minimum equipment required?
Therequirementsofeachprojectwillvary. Itisimportanttobeclearexactlywhatisrequiredineachsituation. This
willbeinfluencedbymanyfactorssuchasteamsize,politicalsituation,typeofproject,existingnetworks,etc. This
queryshouldbeaddressedpriortoprojectstart,ratherthanafterward,whenitmaybetoolatetorectifythe
problem. Forinstance,ifateamof10staffwilleachrequireaVHFhandset,thenthatmustbeconsideredpriorto
theirarrivalatthefieldsite.
What are the project needs?
Dependingonthescopeofaspecificproject,andthenumberofteamandagencystaffinvolved,the
communicationsrequirementswillbedifferent. Alogisticsoperationinvolving40lorrieswillhavedifferentneedsto
anunaccompaniedchildrensprogram.Considerationoftheprojectvariableswilldecidetheneedsofthenetwork.
To what extent is sharing of facilities with other agencies an option?
Considerthepossibilitytoconsolidatethecommunicationsneedsofmorethanoneagency. Clearunderstandingof
whatisneededwillhavetobedescribedinorderforthistowork. Certainsystems(i.e. HF)willlikelyneedtobe
customerspecific,butotherfacilities.suchasfaxingoremailmaybemorecommunal. Customersmayhaveinternal
policiesregardingthiswhichneedalsotobeconsidered. Duplicationofexistingsystemsisavoidable.
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What volume of communications traffic is there likely to be?
Ifsituationsofhighinsecurityrequirehourlyorhalfhourlysecurityupdates,thecapabilityofthenetworkshould
allowforthis. Multilayeredsystems(i.e.VHFnetwork,HFnetworkandsatellitecommunicationallrunning
concurrently)alsodiversifytheoptionsforefficienttransferofinformation. Thishasprojectapplicationsaswell. If
detaileddataneedstobetransmitteddaily,thesystemsshouldallowforit. Communicationsshouldbeavailable on
an"asneeded"basisatanygiventime.
Who is responsible for evacuation?
Althoughthisquestionmaynotappeartofollow,timesofhighinsecurityand/orevacuationarebynecessitytimes
ofhighvolumesoftraffic. Individualsaregenerallyresponsiblefortheirownremovalintheeventofemergencyand
shouldhavethecommunicationsassetsonthegroundtoenableimmediatecommunicationwiththebaseoffice
andheadquarters. Ifplanesorvehiclesneedtocomefromotherlocationstoextractateam, thentheresourcesneed
tobeinplacefortheteamtocontacttheexternalplayersinthescenario. Greatemphasisisthereforeputonlong
rangeunitsthatcanbemovedastheteammovestoallowforcommunicationduringtheevacuation. Evacuations
thatwillbecoordinatedbyembassiesortheUNpresentadifferentsetofvariables,anddiscussionswiththerelevant
securitycontactpersonsshouldestablishwhatisexpectedfromtheagencyitself. Itisbettertobeoverprepared
thanunderprepared.
4.2 Technical Questions
What is the budget for communications?
Theresponsetothisquestionwillvarygreatlyfromoneprojecttothenext,butitwillaffectwhatchoicesaremade
regardingcommunicationsequipment. Whenproposalsaresubmittedtoagencies,thecostsoftheequipment
requiredshouldbewellresearchedandasaccurateaspossible. Acompletenarrativedescriptionwillalsohelpto
justifytheneedfortheequipment. Budgetaryconstrainsmaylimitthecapability,andawiderangeofpotential
solutionsshouldbeconsideredfortheamountofmoneyauthorized.
Who will design the network and provide on-site training?
Dependingonthesystemsinplace,itmaybepossibleforasinglememberofthelearnto installandprogramthe
systemthemselves,or,itmaybenecessarytoemploytheexpertiseofaspecialist. Iftheprojectisanextensionof
existingnetworkstheequipmentwillbegraftedontothatsystemusingstandardequipmentforthatregion. Ifa
brandnewsystemisbeinginstalledtheERUwillprovidenetworkdesignandoptionallypurchasetheequipment.
Afterthesystemisinuse,furthernetworkdesignorstreamliningmayberequired. Installation,commissioningand
trainingcanbeprovidedbyERUteamspecialists.
How easy is the network to maintain and service?
Simple'tweaking'andtroubleshootingdonotnormallyrequireoutsideassistance. Complexortimeconsuming
issuesshouldbereferredtoaspecialist.
At the end of the project, can the equipment be transferred?
Havingstandardequipmentwithintheorganizationmeansthatitsapplicabilitytoanotherprojectsiteisincreased.
However,incertainregionsitmaybeverysimpletotakeequipmentin,butimpossibletoremove. Inextremecases,
effortstomoveequipmentcanendangerstaff. Ifanorganizationisgoingtohavetoleavetheseassetsbehind,all
frequencies,codes,andinformationregardingtransmissionandprotocolsshouldbedestroyedtoavoid
compromisingthenetwork. Itisbetternottojeopardizethesafetyofthestaffbyinsistingthatitgo. Ifitispossibleto
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transfertheequipmenttoanotheragencyorhumanitarianfacilitythiswillbepreferabletohavingcommunications
systemsusedformilitaryorpoliticalpurposes.
5.0 EQUIPMENT AND APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE
Telecommunicationstechnologyisdiversifyingrapidly,anditisoftendifficulttokeepupwithadvancesandthe
variouspossibilitiesavailableonthemarket. Thedescriptionsthatfollowarebynomeansexhaustive. Theyare
intendedtoprovideanoverview,aswellastheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofeach. Priceswillfluctuate
dependingonthepackagepurchased.
5.1 HF Equipment and Applications
Advantages of HF
Shorttoextremelylongrangecommunicationpossiblewithoutrelaystation.
Lessaffectedbytopographicalvariation.
Messagestomultipledestinationscanbesentsimultaneously.
Constantmonitoringsimpletoperform.
Welladaptedforvehicleuse
Comparativelycheapcosttopurchase,nodirectlyincurredrunningcosts.
Easytonetworkbyhavingmultiplestationssharefrequency.
Relativelyeasytodiversifyfunctionsofnetwork(Sitor,Fax,GPStracking,Voice).
Requireslimitedmaintenance.
Possibletointegratewithothernetworks.
Selectivecallingfunctionproveslinkestablished.
Disadvantages of HF
Requiresregistrationandfrequencylicensinginmostcountries.
Fulltimeradiooperatorneededforadequatemessagehandling.
Trainingofstaffneededinordertotakefulladvantageofnetwork.
Voicemessageseasilymonitoredorinterceptedbythirdparties.
Networkssaturatedwithusers,bothofficialandunofficial,ifintegrationnotcontrolled.
Caninterferewithotherelectronicequipmentifnotinstalledcorrectly.
Transmissionstrengthvariesatvarioustimesofthedayduetosolaractivity.
IntermsofHFequipment,CodantendstobethemostcommonlyusedbrandofHFradio. Othermanufacturers
includeBarrett,Yaesu,andIcom. ThefeatureslistedbelowarereferencetoCodan/Barrettequipmentunless
otherwisenoted. Priceslistedareintendedonlyasaroughguide,andmayvarybetween20%and40%fromone
locationtoanother. Packagecostreferstothecompletekitrequiredforinstallingtheunit,includingpowersupply,
antennaandotherrelatedhardware(faxanddatamodem,GPS,software,etc.)
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Fax/data capable
Unitiscapableoftransmitting/receivingconventionalfaxesfromothersimilarlysetupHFstations. Datarefersto
Clover/Sitordatatransmissions,oremailcapability. IBMcompatiblecomputersarerequiredforthesefunctions.
E-mail
EmailoverHF,aswithfaxesandSitor, onlystationtostation. ThatmeansonecanonlydirectlyconnecttootherHF
modemswithinrange. Inordertohaveglobalemailaccess,acentralhubmustbeestablished,withastandard
modemandanHFmodemrunningconcurrently. Messageswouldthenpassthroughthishub,andthentothe
InternetorHFdestinationasthecasemaybe.
Sitor
Datatransmissionprotocolthatrequiressoftwareandconnectionwithapersonalcomputer. Canonlytransmitor
receivefromotherHFstationswithSitorlinks. Transmissiontimecomparativelyslow,approximately3charactersper
second. Messagescanbesentascompletedocumentsorin"chat"mode,sothatoneusercanrespondtoanother
immediatelywithlinesofwrittendialogue. AsimilarsystemisknownasPactor, whichhasahighertransmission
speed.
GPS
GlobalPositioningSystemsatellitereceiverTheseunitsprovidelatitudeandlongitudeinformationontheprecise
locationofaunit. WhenusedwithaHFunitwithapersonalcomputerwithtrackingsoftwareinstalled,detailed
mappingofvehiclemovementscanbetraced. Aunitwiththisfunctioncanbeinterrogatedbyanotherradiowithout
theuserbeingaware,suchthatifaGPSisinstalledinamobileitcouldtransmitdataasthevehiclemoved.
Two-way paging
Unitswiththisfunctionallowformessagesofuptosixtyfourcharacterstobepassedviathedisplayonthe
transceiveritselfNocomputerisrequired.
Remote diagnostic
Oneunitcaninterrogateanothertogetspecificdetailsontheoperationalparameters,suchaspoweroutput,signal
strength,batteryvoltage. Thisallowsfordiagnosisofpotentialimpedimentsbyatechnicianwhoisnotphysically
presentattheunit.
Emergency Call
Distressalertscanbeautomaticallysenttofourpreprogrammedstations,prioritizingforthereceiverofthecallthe
urgencyofthemessage.
Unit Information Details & Capabilities
9780 HF SSB transceiver
9780 Mobile PackageCost:USD3620
9780BasePackageCost(voiceonly):USD3450
Suitableformobileinstallation. Mid
rangeunit,notfax/datacapable. Backlit
display,10channelscan,emergencycall,
remotediagnosticfacility.
9360 HF SSB Transceiver Suitableforbaseormobileinstallation.
Sitor,fax/datacapable. Backlitdisplay,
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9360MobilePackageCost(voiceonly):USD4837
9360BasePackageCost(voiceonly):USD4439
9360BasePackageCost(Dataandvoice):USD5897
10channelscan,emergencycall,remote
diagnostic,twowaypagingwhen
connectedtoGPScanprovide
latitude/longitudeinfo,andtransmit
GPSdatatootherunits;ifusedwithGPS
trackingsoftware,providesPIN
protectedcompletemaptracking
system
9001 HF Fax and Data Interface
9001FaxandDataModemCost:USD5940
9360FaxandDataPackageCost:USD9807
Requires9360transceiverorequivalent.
Faxcapable,usablewithallstandardfax
machines,transmissiontime25minutes
perpage. SimilartoSitor,transmitsto
otherstationswithHFfax/datalink.
Applicablefornoncomputerliterate
radiooperator. Costoffaxtransmission
isfree,buttotalequipmentcostsare
high. With9012software,canalso
provideSitorlink(computerrequired)
9002 HF Data Modem
9002with9102modemCost:USD2152
9360BasePackageCost(Data):USD6985
Sitor/emailcapable. Transmissionspeed
is6000BPS. Spreadsheets,chartsand
financialinformationcanbetransmitted
astheywouldbeoverconventionale
mail. Equipmentcostishigh,
transmission&receptionisfree. Main
drawbackisthatunlessanexistingHFe
mailhubisused,installingsuchasystem
throughoutanorganizationisvery
expensive. ToaccessInternetaddresses
acentralhubwithanHFmodemis
required,and,astandardmodem
connectedinparallel,tomovemessages
fromHFtotheInternet. Compatiblewith
9360transceiver,ormodifiedtype8528.
Modificationsneedtobedoneby
technician.
GPS Location and Tracking Primarilydevisedformobileunits. Itcan
providepassiveoractivetracking
(passivemeansloggingpositionson
mappingsoftware;activeisautomatic
pollingofvehiclepositioning,
calculationofETA, etc.).Detailed
trackingrequiressoftwareand
computer. Mostapplicablefor
operationswithlargevehiclefleets.
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9360 MobilewithGPSPackageCost: USD6377
9360BasewithGPSPackageCost:USD4753
Requiresoperatorfor
comprehension/analysisofGPSdata.
HF Radiotelephone Interconnect IPC-500
IPC500TelephonePackageCost:USD3763
RTU282RadioTelephoneInterfaceCost:USD5066
TelephonefacilityviaHFradio,radio
callsareroutedthroughlocaltelephone
network. Canalsoreceivetelephone
callsdialedfromstandardtelephone.
Voiceconnectionwithotherstandard
HFunitsalsopossible. Requires
functioningnationaltelephonesystem
tobeused. Timingandfrequenciesof
nationaltelephonenetworksmaynotbe
compatiblewithInterconnect.
Q-MAC HF-90 Manpack HFradiofittedinto abackpack,foruse
onfoot. UnitconsistsofanHF
transceiverandcollapsible3mantenna,
weight6kg. Runsonrechargeable
battery,withapproximateusagetimeof
tenhours.Lesspowerfulthanmobileor
baseHFunits.
5.2 VHF Equipment and Applications
Advantages of VHF
CommonlyutilizedbyNGOsandUN.
Userfriendly;easytolearntouse,limitedmarginforhumanerror.
Portability.
Wellpositionedrepeaterscangiveextendedcoverageinprogramarea.
Handheldandmobileunitsarefairlyinexpensive.
24hourcontactwithusers,provideduserismonitoring.
Casingstronglybuilt;abletowithstandrigorousstresses(dropped,rainedon,etc.).
Disadvantages of VHF
Handheldunitsfrequentlylostor stolen.
Limitedbatterylife.
Dependentontopographyofgivenarea.
Channelseasilyjammedbythirdparties.
Inappropriatelyplacedrepeatersgreatlylimitutilityofnetwork.
VHFscannersarereadilyavailable,allowingthirdpartiestomonitor alltraffic.
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JustasCodanismostwidelyusedforHF,MotorolaisthemostfrequentlyusedmanufacturerofVHFequipment.
OthermanufacturersincludeIcomandYaesu. TheinformationlistedbelowreferstoMotorolaequipment,unless
otherwisestated. Pricesareballparkfiguresonly.
Unit Information Details & Capabilities
GR 500 VHF Repeater Package
GR500RepeaterCost:USD3923
IncludestwoGM350radios,repeaterinterface,
VHFduplex,antennaandlowlossantennacable.
Requirestechniciantoinstall/tuneandprogram
GM 900 VHF Mobile
GM900 MobilePackageCost:USD1241
Suitableforbaseormobilemounting.8channel,
comeswithpowercable,microphone,requires
antenna.
GM 350 Base
GM350BasePackageCost:USD1620
IncludesmultichannelVHFbase,desk
microphone,powersupplyandantenna.
Mountableinvehicleifroofmountantennaand
standardmicrophoneareused.
GP 900 Portable
GP900PortableCost:USD1033
Portable16channelhandset,withoptional
keypadfortelephonedialing. Scanoption,and
emergencycalloption. Includes1hourrapid
batterycharger.
GP 300 Portable
GP300PortableCost:USD442
Portable8or16channelhandset,withoptional
keypadandLCDdisplay. Scanoptionandlow
batterywarmingstandard. IncludesIhourrapid
batterycharger.
5.3 INMARSAT Equipment and Applications
TherearevariousoptionspossiblewithINMARSAT,butnotallareapplicable. Aspecialistwilldeterminewhichisthe
bestfortheneedsofaspecificproject.
Standard A
Thisisasystemofpracticalapplicationonlyinlargescaleemergencies. Itisabletotransmitvoice,fax,andemail. It
isavailableineithersingleormultichannelform. Thedistinctadvantagesofthesystemarethemultichannelfacility,
andthepluralityofservices. However,itiscumbersome,difficulttomove,andexpensivetopurchaseand
communicatewith. INMARSATAisbecomingsomewhatobsoleteasitisreplacedbyINMARSATB.
Standard B
StandardBprovidesessentiallythesameservicesasA,butatlessercost. Thetwosystemswillrunconcurrentlyfor
someyearsuntilStandardAisphasedout. Theadvantages anddisadvantagesarelargelythesameforAandB,
althoughBismoredifficulttoeavesdrop,asitusesdigitalencodingfortransmissionofvoice,faxoremail.
Standard C
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Thissystemistextanddataonly,anddoesnotproviderealtimecontactbetweenthetwoparties. Amessagesent
viathesatelliteisforwardedtothereceiver,whocanthenread,save,andprinttheincomingdata. Thissystemis
cheaperthanothersystemstopurchase,andiseasilymovable,butdoesnotallowforvoicetransmission.
Standard M (including "Mini-M)
ThisisthemostwidelyusedINMARSATsystem,andwhatisgenerallymeantbysatphone". Itispossibletotransmit
data,faxandvoice,andiscompactandhighlymoveable. FaxcapabilityispossiblebetweenanMunitanda
conventionalfax,butisnotcurrentlyavailablebetweentwosatelliteunits. Forsmallervolumesofvoicetrafficthis
systemisefficientandcheap. Datatransfertimeis2.4kbit/s. Therearemanytypesofhardwareavailable,
subscriptionratesvaryfromplacetoplace,asdoservicesprovided. WhatsetssatellitecommunicationapartfromHF
andVHFisthateachtransmissioncostsmoney,andisbasedonelapsedtimeratherthanquantityofdata
transmittedorreceived. TwoexamplesofMterminalsavailablearelistedwiththerespectivecosts. Dataandfax
functionsrequireexternalIBMcompatiblecomputersandstandardfaxmachines.
Unit Capabilities Battery Life Unit Cost Subscription Cost Cost per
Minute
Global
Mobile Phone
2000
Voice,data,fax.
2.2kg
2.5hourstalk
time,48hours
standby
USD5600 USD40 USD115
permonth
USD2.40
USD3.00,
purchased
in100
minute
blocks.
Nera
Worldphone
Voice,data,fax.
2.4kg
3hourstalk
time,50hours
standby
USD3850 USD300usersfee
plusUSD300
annualsubs
USD2.60
USD3.00
depending
onvolume
6.0 EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION
Mostinstallationswillbeperformedbyatechnician. Usermanualswillprovidedetailedinformationon
programmingandinstallation. Complexorlargescaleinstallationsaremoreappropriatetoaspecialistteam..
6.1 HF Base Installation
Thereareanumberofpossibleantennainstallations. Dependingontheneedsofthenetwork,varioussetupscanbe
used. ThemostcommonantennaconfigurationistheinvertedVdipoleantenna. Thisconsistsofapolethatstands
approximately10metersabovetheground.Whicheverantennaconfigurationisused,aclearareashouldbe
identified,asfarawayfromstructuresandanypowercablesaspossible.
Thetransceivershouldbewithin25metersoftheantenna,andasclosetothepowersupplyaspossible. Theradio
roomshouldbesecuredtoavoidtheftortamperingwiththeradio. Programmingoffrequenciesandestablishing
selcallscanbedonebyanyqualifiedmemberoftheteamifitissimplyanextensionofanexistingnetwork. Ifitisa
newinstallation,thenprogrammingshouldbeconductedbyaspecialist.
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14
6.2 HF Mobile Installation
Mobileantennasshouldbemountedonstrongbracketssecurelyfixed,possiblyweldedtothevehicle. Some
vehiclescomewithfactorymountedantennabrackets. Themosteffectivemountings tendtobeonthebumperarea
atthefrontorbackofthecar. Thepowersupplycablesshouldbeconnecteddirectlytothecarbattery. Thecontrol
headandspeakershouldbemountedoutofdirectsunlightasmuchaspossible,andnotonthedashboard. The
transceiverunitcanbemountedoutofsight,possiblyunderoneoftheseats.
6.3 VHF Installation
Priortoinstallingarepeater,theprojectareashouldbeexaminedfortopographicalvariationsthatwillaffectVHF
transmission. Therepeatershouldbeinstalledinordertoprovidecoverageofprojectareasthatwillnotbe
contactableonsimplexchannels. Asarule,thehighertheplacementoftherepeaterthebetter. Ifthereareexisting
installations,itmaybepossibleto usespacetoplacearepeater. Ifthisisnotpossible,thehighestpointavailablewill
generallybethebestpositioningfortherepeater. Forportablehandheldunits,batterychargersandsparebatteries
shouldbeplacedinstrategiclocations,sothat batteriescanberechargedwhenevernecessary. Allteamresidences
shouldhaveatleastonecharger.
6.4 Sat Phone Installation
MostsatellitesystemsinusewillbeMstandardunits,littlephysicalinstallationisrequired. Subscriptionandaccount
informationwillhavetobeestablishedpriortousingthesystem. Dependingonwhatfunctionsthesystemwillbe
usedfor(email,fax,voice),itwillneedtobeneartheperipheralcomponents,andapowersupplymustbeinplace
for allcomponents.
Satphoneshaveaspecificdirectionandangleatwhichtheantennareceivesandtransmits. Thesignalstrength
promptfoundonmostsatphoneswillclarifywhichdirectionandangleisbest. Duetononionizingradiation
hazards,satphoneantennasshouldbefacingawayfromofficesorresidences,andasafedistanceshouldbekept
fromtheantennaatalltimes,whethertheunitisinuseornot.
7.0 PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES
Inpracticethereisnotastandardradioprocedureandprotocolinthehumanitarianenvironment,itmaybe
appropriatetoadopttheprotocolsandproceduresoftheleadagencyonsite. Mostleadagenciesalreadyhave
protocolsinplace. Therearecommonrulesofthumbandgeneralguidelinesthatareused. Thefollowingare
standardproceduresinusethroughouttheworld. Mostarecommonsense,butdeservetobereiterated.
Thefundamentalruleofradiocommunicationsis:Clarity Brevity Security.Tothepoint,asshortaspossibleand
awarethatothersarelistening.
Nocommunicationissecure. Alwaysassumeyouarebeingoverheard.
Neverdiscussmovementorquantitiesofmoneyovertheair.
Neverdiscusstravelplansovertheradio.
Neverstatefrequenciesorselcalcodesovertheair. Insteadusechannelnumbers.
Ifcodesareinuse,familiarizeyourselfwiththem. Neverrevealacodeovertheair. Ifacodesystemis
compromised,alteritimmediately.
Priortotransmission,ensurethatthechannelisclearofothertransmissions.
Equipmentthatistunedoffisuseless. AlwaysleaveHFandVHFunitson.
Logbooksofincomingandoutgoingcommunicationshouldbekept,withwrittendetailsofallvoice
transmissions. Fordatatransmissions,ahardcopyshouldbekeptonfile,andbackupcopiesondisk.
Nounauthorizedpersonsareallowedtouseradioequipment.
Telecommunications
15
Confirmationshouldbemadeduringthecourseofeachtransmissionthatthemessagehasbeenunderstood. If
transmissionqualityispoor,itisevenmorenecessarytodothis.
Listsofallfrequenciesandcallsignsshouldbepostedatbasestationsandinmobileunits,alongwithselcalllists.
Butoutofviewofunauthorizedpersons.
Telecommunications
16
REFERENCES:
Radio communications manual,Oxfam,2ndEd. August1996
Telecommunicationsintegrationcourse,ICRC,(fad/si/crpmgu),Jan96
Security awareness, aide memoire,UNSCO,1995
Operators handbook - C&W ERU,1996