15/02/2022
Background
The NSW state government has invested significant funds in building a brand-new public hospital in a major regional area, catering to the health service needs of the surrounding communities now and into the future.
The new hospital provided an opportunity to implement and embrace the latest available technologies in various areas including critical communications.
As such, RFI’s latest member of digital radio repeaters, DSPbR EDGE, was selected to provide radio coverage in critical areas of the building for public safety personnel. This is a crucial requirement to ensure that the health and safety of staff and patients are maintained while operational efficiency is improved.
The Challenge
As DSPbR EDGE is a newly designed product featuring several novel innovative technologies, it needed to go through rigorous testing and approval procedures before it could be implemented in a public safety setting. RFI worked closely with the government authorities to conduct the required tests.
One of the other challenges that RFI team faced was that the system had to be installed, commissioned and tested at the hospital in a relatively short period of time right after the Christmas break, therefore all the required materials had to be manufactured and shipped on time despite the holiday and Covid limitations.
Solution
RFI designed, installed, and commissioned an End to End system, comprising of the DSPbR EDGE as the active RF equipment as well as a passive distribution system including directional couplers, splitters, and combiners, indoor antennas, cables, and connectors, etc.
DSPbR EDGE is a channel selective, RF-transparent digital repeater housed in a compact IP rated enclosure designed to deliver coverage through in-building or in-tunnel Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS). DSPbR EDGE supports most common PMR technologies including but not limited to P25 Phase 1 and Phase 2, DMR and Analogue FM. When used to rebroadcast P25 Phase 1 and 2 networks, the optional innovative Trunking Extender (TRex) feature can provide unique coverage enhancement capabilities using frequency translation and control channel manipulation techniques.
The installation was complemented by the addition of RFI’s Antenna System Monitor (ASM) to provide further real-time monitoring capabilities for the installed DAS.
Results
RFI successfully procured the equipment, mobilised the installation teams, and installed, commissioned, and tested the system in the requested timeframe.
The system provides public safety radio network coverage in critical areas of the newly built hospital including the emergency department and the ambulance ramp.
Key Equipment and Services Used
RFI delivered a flexible and feature-rich coverage enhancement system, utilising a comprehensive suite of products and services, including:
Click to view the specific product pages.
RFI DSPbR Edge Channel Selective Digital Repeater
RFI Antenna System Monitor (ASM)
RFI Power Dividers and Combiners
RFI Side Mounted Dipole Antennas
Since 1980, RFI has been suppling mission-critical communication solutions to numerous emergency service networks and departments worldwide. We are the one manufacturer to keep our first responders connected - when it matters the most. Visit our Public safety offerings here:
