Support of two-way radio systems

[M.Byford-Rew]

Question to my fellow, education based, IT associates on here. Do you have a remit to support two way radios in your schools?

 

To set the context, we are expected to pick this up but we are not specialists in the field - the assumption is that it is an IT responsibility.

 

#education #itsupport

[Guest Guest]

I sourced ours and made sure the license is in place, haven't had anything to do with them since

[DrCheese]

We (as in IT) source ours & deal with the Ofcom license. Swapped ours from analogue to digital ones last year.

[TechMonkey]

It is Estates baby, so they liase with the company we for them from. We sometimes help as there is a server running the backend but not often.

[Oaktech]

Yes... We maintain a signing sheet and we make sure everything is gathered and on charge at the end of the day. The radios are fudging expensive Hytera digital radio/cellular/wifi/PtP so we hunt down people who don't bring them back.

 

We got a system donated to us along with 5 years of running costs as a case study environment by the UK distributor. We couldn't afford it in a million years!

[psydii]

Its an IT thing here. It was a facilities thing, but the BSF LEP refused to own it despite needing it. It went to the Finance office, and then to local IT as soon as IT was brought back in house because it was more IT than Finance. It has a specific allocation within the 'IT Budget'.

 

We outsource the break-fix and ofcom licence renewals. We just track/purchase the assets, and ensure maintenance schedule is followed.

[paulkerton]

Sorry if I'm diverting the conversation somewhat, but has anyone explored Android devices without SIMs or iPod Touches and PTT solutions instead of two way radios?

It's something we're thinking about.

[DrCheese]

Sorry if I'm diverting the conversation somewhat, but has anyone explored Android devices without SIMs or iPod Touches and PTT solutions instead of two way radios?

It's something we're thinking about.

 

No, because I want it to work I don't want to be worrying about staff going out of range or roaming wifi APs when outdoors.

[psydii]

Yes. Its a terrible idea. The two way radios are completely independent of all other IT / Comms and *JUST WORK*.

 

Sometimes the LAN/Wifi is down

Sometimes the 'internet' (router/broadband) is down.

Sometime Android crashes or needs a reboot (updates etc)

Sometimes there are 4G/5G signal black spots.

Sometimes 3-5G goes down.

 

The two way radios *NEVER* go down.

 

Also:

Battery life

Device life (a decent radio will easily last 15 years+ if not too badly abused)

 

While their most common use here *could* be done with Android based PTT software... their role in an emergency situation makes higher levels of technology a risk not worth introducing.

 

Android (and iOS) are fundamentally unsuited to any real-time mission critical task, we all do it though. But when that "mission critical" task has lives on the line, the ability to seamlessly have independence from all other communication and technological systems in the event of an emergency is required.

 

 

*When I was taking over the two way radios, I thought about it, it seemed like a cool idea, and one with immediate cost savings. When Teams came along I thought some more. I sketched out how it would work, and realised that nothing was as good as the two way radios, and I didn't want the worry of how they system would perform in an emergency.

Edited September 13, 2021 by psydii

[Oaktech]

Yes. Its a terrible idea. The two way radios are completely independent of all other IT / Comms and *JUST WORK*.

 

Sometimes the LAN/Wifi is down

Sometimes the 'internet' (router/broadband) is down.

Sometime Android crashes or needs a reboot (updates etc)

Sometimes there are 4G/5G signal black spots.

Sometimes 3-5G goes down.

 

The two way radios *NEVER* go down.

 

Also:

Battery life

Device life (a decent radio will easily last 15 years+ if not too badly abused)

 

While their most common use here *could* be done with Android based PTT software... their role in an emergency situation makes higher levels of technology a risk not worth introducing.

 

Android (and iOS) are fundamentally unsuited to any real-time mission critical task, we all do it though. But when that "mission critical" task has lives on the line, the ability to seamlessly have independence from all other communication and technological systems in the event of an emergency is required.

 

 

*When I was taking over the two way radios, I thought about it, it seemed like a cool idea, and one with immediate cost savings. When Teams came along I thought some more. I sketched out how it would work, and realised that nothing was as good as the two way radios, and I didn't want the worry of how they system would perform in an emergency.

 

I'm going to agree completely at the price point most schools can afford - however it doesn't hold for all Android PTT radios. Our radios are monsters https://www.radiotrader.co.uk/shop/digital-hand-portables/hytera-pdc550-multi-mode-handheld-radio-dmr--lte-push-to-talk-over-cellular.htm and https://www.radiotrader.co.uk/shop/digital-hand-portables/hytera-pdc760-multi-mode-advanced-handheld-radio-dmr-lte.htm and can do LTE/Wifi and UHF. We have an on prem repeater station and 12 of these radios. We've not had a single OS crash, they only update when they're on the charging dock and they support our MDM!

Edited September 13, 2021 by Oaktech

[psydii]

Wow and there I was thinking we spent a lot on our radios. ::boggles::

[Oaktech]

Wow and there I was thinking we spent a lot on our radios. ::boggles::

 

We didn't... We're a year into a 5 year FoC case-study lease from the manufacturer on the understanding that we do press and they analyse our aggregate data and anonymised logs. They also randonly send us a few new devices and request certain serial numbers back for usage analysis, and a few other vagaries, but the inconveniences are minor. The only thing we have to be aware of is that we are liable for stolen devices.

 

Basically this came about because one of my friends works for a company implementing a large mesh wifi network to support a huge deployment of these on a military base, I happened to be in a car with him while he was talking to a rep from the manufacturer and I mentioned how useful something like this would be for the large school sites I support and now we're a case study. We had to pay £1000 to have an antenna installed and a power supply connected for the repeater station in an area of the school with no power. We had to pay £250 contribution to the Ofcom licence and we are liable for certain device-to-PSTN calls, as well as if the devices get stolen, but we get everything else for free.

[TechMonkey]

Ohhh you lucky devil! We have a repeater on site and the range is ridiculous as we are atop a hill. I live 25 minutes away and can use the radio just up the road, so about 12k as the crow flies. I do like the Hytera radios but do feel they are slightly overkill. And using a server that will only work with a dongle is a pain up the ass. Poor donkey.