PMRExpo – news from the exhibition floor

Now that PMRExpo has closed its doors for another year, let’s take a quick look at the major announcements and new product launches.

Over on the Hytera stand, we got to see its next generation (new software, hardware & platform/circuit board) HP785 DMR IP68-rated portable radio (shown right), which is due to be released in 1Q20 and will replace the PD785. When holding it, we were impressed by its ergonomics (which owe a lot to its thinness) and its user interface is designed with the smartphone user in mind.

The company also presented its two new TETRA handhelds, the PT310 (screenless, no keypad) and the PT350 (small screen, optimised keypad), both of which are available in 320-475MHz and 806-870MHz, are IP68-rated and meet the MIL-STD 810 G standard for ruggedness. Both also have programmable buttons and a 3,800mAh lithium-polymer battery.

Hytera also presented its DTM-6000 data modem, which is part of the company’s SCADA over DMR solution. The DTM-6000 provides connections for two RTUs (Remote Terminal Units) for monitoring and controlling devices such as sensors, counters and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). Configuration changes and firmware updates can be done over Wi-Fi. Hytera also provides a range of installation options (wall mounting, rail mounting, flat mounted).

Airbus was displaying its TB4 hybrid base station, which combines TETRA and 4G/5G radio access in the same hardware platform. It has the same capabilities as the TB3 base station (including dual homing, air-interface encryption, and base station fallback) along with additional ones and lower power consumption, while being less than half the size. The TB4 is based on Nokia’s AirScale base station platform.

The TB4 hybrid TETRA 4G/5G base station – top right: The TETRA radio module is implemented on top of the 4G/5G platform; bottom: The baseband, again running TETRA and 4G/5G on the same hardware.

Over on Motorola Solutions’ stand we got to see a new analytics-based approach to monitoring lots of video cameras. Each hexagon corresponds to a different camera. Red means an alarm, blue with a smaller light blue shape means unusual behaviour & blue means motion.

Panorama Antennas’ technical sales & support manager, John Thomson, walked us through his company’s latest releases, including a MiMo 4G/5G Dome Combination Antenna, capable of supporting 2x2 MiMo 4G/5G and up to 6x6 MiMo for Wi-Fi and with optional GPS/GNSS with advanced B13/14 filtering. Thomson explained that it is designed to partner with Cradlepoint’s ESN-certified COR IBR1700-1200M LTE router and also supports Bluetooth.

Panorama was also displaying the SHKGU-7-38-Q24-58, a multi-function sharkfin antenna that supports 2x2 MiMo LTE in 450MHz (for Nordic countries and potentially those in Central Europe), along with 2x2 MiMo 5G/4G + 3G/2G, 4x4 MiMo Wi-Fi, GPS/GNSS. It can be equipped with a comms whip antenna to support PMR/LMR.

Look out for more coverage of PMRExpo in a special digital supplement and December's Land Mobile