Two Way Radios

Closed Road Cycle Race

2011-06-14T11:24:00.005+01:00

On the 15th May we sponsored an 81 mile cycle challenge which took place on traffic-free roads among the stunning scenery of Highland Perthshire.

The event was open to individuals between the ages of 18 and 80. The race day was Sunday 15th May and the race started at 06.45am.

Etape Caledonia is Britain's first closed road race open to the general public and it offers the cyclists closed roads to cycle on in safety and has become Scotland's biggest cycling festival.

History on Etape Caledonia

Etape is the name for a stage in as in a stage of the Tour de France cycle race, Caledonia refers to Scotland - this is how the name came about for this cycle race and quite fitting it is indeed!

The Course

For those who want the marathon length equivalent course there is the 83 mile (134 Km) route which takes you from Pitlochry to Tummel, around Loch Rannoch, around the side of the majestic mountain called Schiehallion (the fairy mountain), down to the Loch Tay and along Strathtay back to Pitlochry.

Communication Equipment

We supplied the cyclists and event staff with Inter-linked digital repeaters via microwave links. Engineers arrived on site 6 days before the race to prepare the radio systems and check coverage to make sure full coverage is achieved before race start day. Through the next 6 days engineers had to challenge extreme weather and terrain conditions to achieve their goal.

View the Photo Gallery of this Highland Perthshire race

2010-12-07T14:16:00.003Z

The British Army Telemark Association is once again looming for the 2011 season, yet again Communication Specialists will be sponsoring this event with our equipment of 15 two way radios.

We sponsored the Combined Winter Sports which was held in Meribel, France on the 2nd - 6th February 2010.

The number of Telemark skiers across the Services is growing. Whilst many are „old hands‟ with arctic warfare experience, an increasing number come from pure alpine or ski-mountaineering backgrounds; whatever their history, they all share a passion for Telemark skiing.

The Army Telemark Ski Association (ATSA) was formed in 2007 to gather like-minded people together for racing and further development of the sport. Now in its fourth season, ATSA is the acknowledged heart of Army and Service Telemark skiing.

For the Alpine skiers, the Army will again be looking to exert their domination at team and individual level. Last year they were chased all the way by the RAF!

2011 Telemark Event Dates

Army Championships (Rauris, 8-19 Jan 11)
World Cup (Rauris, 21-22 Jan 11)
Inter Services (Meribel, 29 Jan - 05 Feb 11)

As usual, entry is also open to RN and RAF skiers and UK civilians. Novice telemarkers are welcome. BFBS Sport

The Championship comprises three types of races:

1. Classic. The cornerstone of Telemark racing: a course of up to 40 gates, with a number of features unique to Telemark such as the Reipeløkke, a jump and a skating section. Top racers will complete the course in around two minutes. One run only.

2. Sprint Classic. A shorter, more spectator-friendly, version of the Classic. Two runs.

3. Giant Slalom. A more traditional race format, with up to 40 gates and a jump. Two runs.

4. Mountain Race. A team or individual race, with a ‘Le Mans’ start. Racers use skins to make their way uphill (and off piste) around a turning mark and then back downhill via some control gates, to finish near the start.

Telemark turns must be made through all gates, except where there are yellow flags. Time penalties apply.

Reipeløkke: A banked 360° turn.
Skating: Flat or slightly uphill and roughly 1/3 of the race time.
Jump: 25-40m of ‘air’. Time penalties are awarded for failing to clear the distance line.

For further information about the British Army Telemark Skiing event please got to ArmyNet

Combined Services Winter Sports

2010-03-08T14:41:00.002Z

We sponsored the Combined Winter Sports which was held in Meribel, France on the 2nd - 6th February 2010. Our involvement was to provide communications for the whole event so the skiers, commentators and event management could keep in contact with one another, without costly mobile phone bills at the end!

Portable Motorola Radios

For the Alpine skiers, the Army will again be looking to exert their domination at team and individual level. Last year they were chased all the way by the RAF!

It is also a big year for the Navy who are hoping to give some of their young up coming skiers the a good test, in events they have struggled with over the past few years.

This time as well as the Downhill, Super G Giant Slalom and Slalom events there will be a fifth race the SC Slalom, designed to give the speedsters and slalom experts an equal chance of success.

The presence of the "Battle Back" competitors was also be much looked forward to. They are hoping to use the championships as a springboard for future Winter Paralympics ambitions.

Snowboarding continues to grow in popularity and a record number of forces competitors are expected in Meribel. The snowboard park in Meribel is one of the best dedicated tracks in the Alps and offers plenty of challenges for all the competitors. The main event remains the Snowboard Cross with thrills and spills of racing on the tight track. But another great attraction is the Parallel Giant Slalom held under the floodlights, which adds extra spice. The Slope Style is the final event, which allows the riders to show off their skills with the board to the full.

The event is over a course of 5 days.

Meribel is once again pulling out the stops for the top service skiers and snowboarders.

Go into any of the bars and restaurants here and the prices hit you between the eyes! One bar was advertising its prices on labels on the tables. A pint of beer 4 Euros, in Happy Hour! The shops are as friendly and helpful as ever.

A link to the whole event and the bloggers is listed below, we hope you enjoyed the event and look forward to next year!

BFBS Sport

Home Office Scientific Development Exhibition

2010-03-08T14:01:00.001Z

Communication Specialists and CommVert will be attending the Home Office Scientific Devlopment Exhibition on the 16th - 19th March in Farnborough. We will be on Stand U28 if you want to come and pay us a visit :)

Background Information
The HOSDB 2010 exhibition is the UK's only secure event for displaying the latest security equipment for law enforcement and public security. It focuses on the four key Home Office business areas:
Crime and Policing
Security and Counter Terrorism
Identity Management and Border Security

To meet the demand from exhibitors and visitors HOSDB 2010 is moving to Farnborough in Hampshire - just over half an hour away from central London by train and from Heathrow airport by road. The new venue offers a secure facility with ample on-site parking and local hotel accomodation.

In 2009 visitors from 44 countries attended, with 230 exhibitors. This year HOSDB and the organisers, A|D|S have joined forces with UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) to invite senior policing and government security representatives from around the world. They will be hosted on a formal government-to-government basis.

There will be around 3,000 security products in over 150 different categories on show with products ranging from microchips to body armour.

Senior government officials will be running a series of one hour workshops to provide briefing on key areas of government programmes - open to all exhibitors at the event.

In recognition of the increased level of formal overseas delegations the event will run for three days.

Because of the specialist nature of this exhibition, entry criteria is strict. Visitors must be employees or agents of the police service, government security and law enforcement agencies - plus military and some select providers of Critical National Infrastructure.

For more information on visiting or exhibiting contact Ruediger Kanne of CommVert or call him on +44(0)1256 766 600.

Visitors may also register online for the HOSDB exhibition

Radio Communication Systems and Equipment

2009-12-07T13:57:00.005Z

It is a matter of fact that this world is fast paced. There are many things which are highly responsible in order to make this world reach that kind of pace. One such thing which has played a vital role in this case is the two way radio communication, which is possible with the radio communication systems and equipments. Well, actually speaking, we have to thank two way radio communication, as it will help us to communicate with people who are far away from us. In addition, you will also enjoy a kind of ease and clarity when you are communicating.

The two way radio communication has helped people or companies to be highly benefited. In fact, it has made a very complicated thing to look so simple, without wasting much money as well as time. The two radio communication systems and equipments will help all sorts of employees to be in touch with their fellow mates at any instant. The radio equipments are out there to set a milestone in world of communication. Since the radio communication system is enabled with two way radio communicating, employees can easily be in touch. In fact, you will find many huge industries, which are well equipped with radio communicating systems in order to guide as well as to manage their employees. Since the supervisors cannot afford to monitor and guide their employee being in the same place every time, the two way radio communicating will get their work done with the comfort of their cabin. Hence, it helps to get the task done without any sort of risks and tensions.

It is great to see that there are several companies out there both online as well as offline, which are offering these systems for hiring during the special events. You can look forward to hiring these systems for any special events. These companies will also offer amazing discounts for those willing to hire or purchase radio communicating systems. It is always advised to go through the online reviews of the companies offering these services in order to pick the right company. However, for those who are looking to get the radio communication systems installed to their office or homes in order to enjoy a great convenience, it is always advised to get them installed with the guidance of a systems expert. If you call them before and let them know the purpose of which system you are installing, they will choose a right system considering various factors such as the frequency required, power sources available etc. They will get started with the installation work as soon as you finalize the deal with them. Since they are also wireless, it will not be that difficult to maintain these systems.

In the security point of view, no provider will guarantee you that kind of security, which radio communication systems/equipments do. You can look forward to getting your business or house monitored 24 hours only by making the most of these systems.

Botswana: HF fixed radios

2009-12-07T12:52:00.001Z

Since its independence in 1966, Botswana is experiencing harmony, stability and excellent economic growth. The commercially exploited diamonds found in Botswana is a source of its economic and geological wealth. Many foreign investors and social workers have shown great interest in the growth of this country. The need for powerful networking and communication is thus the need of the hour in Botswana. HF fixed radios, and vehicle mount communication systems are of great importance to workers who have to go deep into the country side.

The HF fixed radios come in different models according to the usage and the need. In desert areas or in mines communication is impossible without the help of powerful network systems. Governments as well as private organizations are always looking for flexible, cost effective and reliable communication systems for remote access mostly during times of emergency. High frequency radios are preferred from normal networks for these urgent and reliable communication needs.

Instant voice, instant messaging, email, fax and GPS navigation are some of the features of HF Fixed radio and vehicle mounted communication systems. Community workers and miners who have to travel to remote areas in Botswana will find this HF fixed radio reliable and really very useful in times of emergency. The government and other organizations need the vehicle mounted HF radios to keep up the constant and consistent network for transfer of important data and messages.

Fixed base stations are used for controlling the mobile and portable communication networks. HF fixed radio network need minimum infrastructure and hence considered as best suited during times of disaster and emergency. The cost for this form of network is also very nominal when compared to other communication network systems. HF radios are very tough so as to withstand any extreme condition and are also very cost effective.

The fact that the military uses these HF radios shows that this communication system has secured and reliable networks wherein the data and the voice messages are encrypted and secured using the latest technologies. Simultaneous communication among a group or many operators is possible in HF fixed radios. This is one reason why it is said to be most effective for disaster control and management as it can easily and quickly connect with any number of operators simultaneously.

HF radio base stations can also connect to VHF and UHF radio systems. It can also work along cellular phones and land line telephones also. It is simple to operate and can be carried and operated at any place or location with less hassle. This is what has made the HF fixed radio base stations and vehicle mounted networks a necessity in Botswana. Economically developing country like Botswana can rely on such high frequency, cost effective communication systems for all its development and emergency needs. The government and the military will find it very useful during riot and disaster control. Local police and security services can use these HF radios to control crimes in the country.

Botswana Tourist Information

Command Control Systems

2009-11-17T13:59:00.002Z

Can you ever imagine a world without communication? Communication happens everywhere. Right from the mother earth to the animals, birds and humans, all communicate their messages in one form or another. Communication need not be in words or in a language. Any sound, data, form or character through which the message to be conveyed is transmitted is called a communication process. Today, human modes of communication have grown in leaps and bounds and hardly is it possible to set aside our mobiles or the internet. The whole human security today is based on the effective communication system like the command control systems used in the military.

What is a command control system?
What are the significant features of this command control system?
Global command and control systems are nothing but a collection of SOA systems. It was originally developed with the view to replace the worldwide military command and control system. It is used by US navy and Marine Corps, US army and Air force. Some significant features include intelligence analysis, combat operations support, radar and ground weapons analysis, targeting etc using the web services. It can also provide terrain and weather forecast. Further advance in this technology might enable chat, emails and newsgroups as well.

The command and control system uses IP based connectivity or NIPRNet, JWICS etc. this system can collect nearly 94 sources of different data’s. It is trusted as one of the best communication system for the enhanced security purposes. The nation’s safety lies in the performance of these control system as a slight fault might endanger the nation’s security. The data or message to be delivered must be confidential, fast and immediate. Thus an effective system which can provide all the three functions should be considered and the best. The military, air force and navy should also be able to co ordinate their action in times of war. So an effective system to combine and combat the three sectors is imperative.

High command officers always need to share high security messages or data. The quickest way to transmit these messages with minimal loss or theft is through the command control system. The system should be very strongly protected to face the threats from hackers and deadly viruses as the system uses the web services. It must provide accurate reports and the analysis should be true and dependable. If the chat and email options are provided then the communication within the army or navy is always open and inter connected for quick data or message transfer. It can easily identify the radar signals or the approaching security threat in no time. The message thus delivered will be very useful to protect the country and the people in it. The command and control system is thus dependable, reliable, trust worthy, highly rated for performance and can be used any where and every where. The communication systems are updated regularly and newer options and features are also introduced to keep in pace with the changing times.

Milipol Paris 2009

2009-11-10T15:33:00.006Z

The Milipol exhibition commences on the 17th November and completes 20th November, 2009. For the first time Communication Specialists Ltd will be attending the Milipol exhibition, presenting our new product range in the security sector. We will also be showcasing our two way radio product range that supports the needs of the Military, Police, MOD, businesses and the end user.

Come and visit us on our SESP Stand Number 13C004 and MIB Electronics stand Number 11.L.089 - see you there!

What is Milipol Paris?
At the end of the 70s, various French manufacturers supplying police equipment were worried that they had limited commercial contacts at international level. Contrary to the Aeronautics and Defence sectors, the Interior Security sector did not have any promotion and communications platform that matched its importance in France. As a result, the idea of organising a specific international exhibition took hold. EXPOL (EXposition POLice), the first private initiative, showed the way.

In 1984, the International Milipol Committee came to life as an association whose goal was the promotion of security techniques and equipment.

That same year, the first international Milipol Show was organised in Paris as the privileged information and public-relations tool, open widely to professionals in the field of security, including manufacturers, end-users, buyers and exhibitors of all nationalities. The quasi-confidential field of police, civil and military security equipment, virtually unknown to the general public until that time, was thus brought to light.

While the subsiding cold war still held centre stage, security services were already at work in the wings, fighting against such growing menaces as criminality, drugs, organised crime, terrorism, industrial and economic espionage. They expressed their latest requirements and needs for equipment, while investigating all the techniques available.

The Milipol Show evolved within this climate of expectation and demand. It broadened out to include the field of security which encompasses private and public communities, that of industry and businesses, the protection of populations, and internal State security.

Held annually during the 80s, the Milipol Paris Show found its cruising speed as of 1991, the year in which the biennial scheduling was adopted.

In 1995, it acquired new dimensions of considerable importance.

As it was now held under the aegis of the French Ministry of the Interior, the Milipol Paris Show became an official event, along the same lines as the international Eurosatory exhibitions for land armament, Euronaval for naval equipment and the Paris-Le Bourget Aeronautics-Aerospace Exibition.

Today, the international Milipol Trade Show compels recognition as a result of its professionalism and the quality of its exhibitors and visitors attending from around the world, all genuinely linked to the various security sectors.

The Milipol brand is owned by a group of companies - COFREXPORT, PROTECOP, THALES, VISIOM and CIVI.POL Conseil, a consultancy and service company of the French Ministry of the Interior.

The exhibition is organised by EDS Milipol.

British Army Telemark Skiing Association

2009-11-05T14:46:00.011Z

The British Army Telemark Skiing event will be taking place in Austria and will commence in January 2010. We will be sponsoring this event again in 2010. The Army Sports Association require communications for this event so we will be supplying them with 10 Motorola Hand Held Radios and PA system.

Motorola design, manufacture, sell, install, service analogue and digital two way radios as well as voice and data communications products and systems.

Buy Motorola VHF Hand Held Radios

The list below provides you with the dates of this event. It will be held in Rauris, Austria between 6th - 18th Jan 2010.

Mon 04 - Jan Committee Arrives
Tue 05 - Jan Set up day
Wed 06 - Jan Competitors Arrive
Thu 07 - Jan Training
Fri 08 - Jan Training
Sat 09 - Jan Training
Sun 10 - Jan Training
Mon 11 - Jan Training
Tue 12 - Jan Training
Wed 13 - Jan Development Telemark Sprint
Thu 14 - Jan Championship Giant Slalom
Fri 15 - Jan Championship Telemark Sprint
Sat 16 - Jan Development Telemark Sprint
Sun 17 - Jan Championship Telemark Classic. Prize-giving
Mon 18 - Jan Competitors depart
Tue 19 - Jan Committee depart

Those wishing to take part in the 2010 Army Telemark championships should read the DIN and complete the included entry form.

Many of you reading this may not even know what Telemark Skiing is, so, let's go back in time and give you some background history on Telemark Skiing and the British Army Association.

Where did the Telemark come from?
Telemark skiing was introduced in 1868 by Sondre Norheim of Norway, it is also referred to as free heel skiing which is a technique focused around the Telemark turn. This type of skiing has steadily regained popularity since the 1970s.

What is Telemarking?
The Telemark turn is a skiing technique that allows for fast, smooth and stable turns on a variety of surfaces. Telemark skiers have cable bindings, which allow the heel to rise during turns - hence the term 'free heel' skiing. Telemark skiing is therefore characterised by the 'telemark turn', in which the outside ski leads in the turn and the inside ski trails, with the knee bent and the heel raised. (By contrast, Alpine skiers' boots are fastened firmly to their skis and the inside ski leads in the turn.)

History of Telemarking Skiing
Telemarking Skiing has been called "the world's oldest new sport". Telemark has also been referred to as "the most rhythmic and flowing way to descend snow covered mountains". Telemark skiing is all about the stroke, sensation and the feeling of excited exhilaration that comes from getting into the grove of the tele turn. The true stoke of Telemarking is hard to describe. It can be an almost ethereal experience in those moments when everything comes together: form, function, time and space.

In 1868, Norheim and a group of skiers from Telemark travelled to the city of Christiania (now Oslo) to take part in the second annual Centralforeningen (Central Ski Association), a ski competition the object of which was to see who could ski most skilfully down a particular nearby slope in the city . At the time, nearly all skiers were straight running everything, and struggled to make any kind of turn. At the competition, Norheim and the other villagers shocked the city skiers, demonstrating skills that had never been seen before, including strong turns and precisely controlled stops.

Who Are the ATSA?
ATSA was set up in 2007 to provide a focal point for Telemark skiing at all levels within the British Army.

The Aim of ATSA:

Encourage new telemarkers to get involved
Run an annual Army Telemark championships in Austria. (This is open to Royal Navy, RAF, UK Civilian and other military competitors. In 2010 we will also host a world cup telemark event.)
Send a British Army team to the Inter Services Championships
Support GB Telemark - the focus for the British national team

Competing in this skiing event are the Army, Navy and The Air Force.

Transmitters

2009-10-12T09:12:00.004+01:00

Have you wondered where this world would end up without communication? It is very hard to even conceive what will happen to mankind when every mode of communication stops working. The very thought is frightening and the whole world will no doubt be in great chaos. Two way radio Communication helps in sharing or informing the latest happenings and the news around the world. It is used vastly for personal, commercial and security reasons. Hardly anyone leaves home today without his mobile phone. In order to have uninterrupted communication network effective transmitters are used.

What are transmitters and why are they considered so important in the world of two way radio communication? A Transmitter is an electronic device which with the help of the antenna broadcasts electromagnetic signals used for radio, television and telecommunication. To make it simple, a transmitter sends information to the receiver through objects like antennas, towers etc. We generally call our mobile handsets, receivers. The data which is transmitted from another form passes through a network of transmitters before reaching our mobile receiver.

A data from a two way communication network is transmitted from the one place to the satellite and again back to the place it is sent. In this case the satellites work as transmitters by receiving data and converting them and sending them back to the receivers. This transmitted data cannot be said as safe as anyone with little knowledge on hacking this data can easily steal them. This generally happens with highly secretive emergency communication by the armed, air or naval forces.

The security communication systems used highly powerful transmitters whose frequency cannot be reachable. Moreover many governments have introduced strict laws against this danger and the risk of highly secured data being stolen. Industrial sector uses transmitters for its process control. But these transmitters are used to convert the sensors measurement into signals. These measurements from sensors are sent through wires to distant receivers. It uses digital protocol to measure variables in a range.

Alexander alternator or mechanical alternator was used in the olden days for radio, engineering and frequency. Later, vacuum tubes were used as transmitters in the 1020’s. After a lot of advancement and evolution transmitters today are capable of handling huge volumes of data transfers and are encrypted and secured. These are fed from high voltage power supply to ensure security. The possible risks to transmitters are lightning and hence the transmitters must be well protected.

Without antennas the transmitters can be damaged so all steps must be taken to ensure the safety of the transmitters. Protection must also be provided from high voltage and correct voltage of current. During times of lightning the transmitters must be switched off immediately. At the same time the place or building on which the transmitters are set up are also very important. Thus for an efficient working of a high power transmitter proper safety and security measures must be taken. Transmitters are very imperative for all types of two way radio communication systems.

Transceivers

2009-10-12T09:05:00.005+01:00

The world has become a global village because of the advancement in the two way radio communication systems. Anyone living in the remotest part of the world can share his knowledge or information within seconds with the rest of the world. The electronic media is growing in leaps and bounds and we cannot even imagine what a life our ancestors have been leading, without electricity, mobiles or the internet. All these gadgets and gizmos have become a part of our lives so much so that our kids feel it is a very important part of their communications. Any form of communication medium needs a receiver and a transmitter. But a transceiver can do the job of both the transmitter and the receiver.

What is actually the job of the transceiver? How can it be useful with the two way radio communication systems? A transceiver combines into a common circuitry both the receiver and the transmitter, and this term came into process from the 1920’s. When the transceivers don’t have a common circuitry it is called transmitter-receiver. But technically speaking every transceiver must have part of both the receiver and transmitter. There are other similar devices like transverters, repeaters and transponders. One best example of a transceiver is the mobile phone wherein the whole unit contains the transceiver, whereas the normal telephone has wired receiver and transmitter in its handset.

A modem and cordless telephones are also best examples of the transceivers. Cable or optical fiber systems also use these devices. In a radio the transceivers role is imperative. The receiver goes into silent mode while transmitting. The switch of the radio connects both the receiver and transmitter to the antenna which in turn stops the transmitter from damaging the receiver. In this so called half duplex mode receiving signals is not possible while transmitting as both the functions are done in the same frequency.

In the full duplex mode the transceivers can transmit and receive signals at the same time, as they operate on totally two different frequencies. In this case both the signals do not intercept one another. This full duplex mode is what is used in cellular and cordless phones. Almost all satellite dependant communication systems use the full duplex mode of transceivers. In this case the transmitted signal to the satellite is otherwise known as uplink and the received signal from the satellite is called the downlink. Many different types of transceivers are being invented tested and used from time to time.

The cost of the transceivers depends upon its usage and capability to handle the amount of work transmitted and received. Whatever the price the role of transceivers in two way radio communication systems is imperative. Today most of the people cannot live without their mobiles and they find it hard to use fixed landline telephones. The telephone operators introduce cordless, wireless phones for customer friendly feature and this is best made use of by the customers. In today’s fast world transceivers enabled devices are user friendly, powerful and performance driven. Newer technologies will enhance the user experience more and more in future.

Secure Communications

2009-10-12T08:42:00.003+01:00

Today we use quiet a lot of two way radio communication mediums to share personal and business details. Are you sure this data or information shared is secure? Who can guarantee the security of the systems we use in our day to day lives? How can we secure our communication systems from possible hackers or virtual thieves? The answers to these questions depends upon the type of communication system we use, its purpose in our lives and the role it plays to help us do the work we intent to do using them.

Communication is imperative among humans and so it is among other living beings too. So man developed a language through which he started sharing his thoughts. Initially it was commuted through hand signals or actions. Then words, sentences and finally a proper fully fledged language were formed for communication purpose. This differed from region to region and from country to country. Still a limitation was existent as all people couldn't understand other languages and only the people nearby were able to commute. This started off the fire of communication which later evolved and is finally in a state today where even the remotest person living in Antarctica can call Japan in few seconds.

Coming back to secured two way radio communication, the more man depended on communication the need for its security also became imperative. When two people shared something important they expect their messages to be private and safe. So they started using security devices to safeguard the communication systems from being hacked by third parties. Normal everyday communication has some security and we do trust that no one is tapping our calls. When communication is done for more serious matters then special care should be taken to increase the security mode of the device that we use. Mostly commercial and military operations need secured two way radio communication systems. In recent years we hear so much about top secret messages from government or military sources being intercepted by terrorists. The same happens the other way too wherein the military or police intercept the enemy connections.

During the Second World War a highly effective secured communication was used between Winston Churchill and US President Roosevelt. This secured communication was called Green Hornet. Initially they were talking through radio phones which were easily overheard by the Nazis. It was then that the Green Hornet was introduced. Whoever tried to intercept would just hear white voices. The clear original message was heard only by the two users. Different types of security are, coded, encryption, steganography etc. other security threats include Trojan horses, spy ware and viruses. These can be easily taken care of by antivirus software, registry checkers and firewalls. These are generally termed as computer security. A well protected two way radio communication is stress free and the large institution and research centers can relax due to their safe communication network. Today virus attacks are common even in mobile phones. They are transmitted through Bluetooth file transfer facilities. Secure communication is no doubt imperative for all communication needs.

Mobile Tactical Communications

2009-10-07T19:11:00.004+01:00

Mobile tactical communications are communication facilities which allow people to get in touch when the usual civic communication channels are down. The ideal mobile tactical communications system will be jam-resistant, adaptive, mobile and secure. It would have multiple accesses, wideband mobile receiver, laser communication technology and ability to propagate the channel.

Military communications need to be integrated as there are many manned, unmanned devices working in tandem with the infantry and other units of the army – in the highly isolated areas like a battle field or a disaster affected area. Proper conduction of an operation requires effective communication. Making mobile tactical communications inevitable – this requires an interoperable system which works with tactical radios, local area networks and wide area networks. These systems are stand alone which can function with the help of the technology the mobile phones work on using the GSM, GPRS and satellite technologies or the humble two way radio which used the electromagnetic waves to convey messages. The Morse code though obsolete should not be forgotten.

Mobile tactical communications came in handy during the various terrorist attacks like the 9/11 of the world trade centre when the commercial cellular lines were hit in the epicentre and the hurricane Katrina too. Mobile tactile communications can help connect to the outside world and save lives – when someone’s injured and requires hospitalization, as for help when completely surrounded by enemy, call for food and medicines for the people marooned in floods and similar situations.

Mobile tactile communications are not only the requirement of the army but also the rangers of the forests, the rescue workers of the areas affected by the natural disasters, police and other government officials, social workers, and the common man. When there are billions of dollars being spent on advancement and development of technology and other facilities the development of the mobile tactical communications will change the way we all communicate – it uses the radio the voice over the internet protocol and other intelligent and commonly available technologies.

When war-like conditions arise at a terrorist attack or a natural disaster all communication links get jammed then the mobile tactical communications are the answer to the need of the moment as these technologies will help keep in touch with loved ones. The cables, the communication hubs, the usual modes of communication could be affected or as the lines are jammed more communication options may be required or a platform to streamline the rescue or other operations may be required to instruct people and public in general at such times the high and multi-frequency mobile tactical communications would be very effective. The hurt and the injured may require medical attention – call for land and air ambulances, fire brigades, medical emergency vans and law enforcement agencies would be made easy and timely in the hour of need.

Mobile tactical communications are the need of the hour and should be posted at focal point throughout the cities to help communicate at the times when other communication devices have suffered damage or overload.

Military Radio Aerials

2009-10-07T19:02:00.004+01:00

Military radio aerials are transducers designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves which are converted into electrical currents and vice versa. These Military radio aerials are used in point-to-point radio communication, radars, wireless LAN and even in space exploration. These can be used in air, underwater, underground and even outer space. Satellites are used to send and receive data to facilitate this mode of communication.

Military radio aerials are wire of structure arranged such that it generates and radiates the electromagnetic waves when an alternating current is applied. Their size too differs according to the type of system being used; they are even mounted on bionic bugs to spy on enemies. Most military radio systems and military radio aerials give undeterred comm-links.

Usually amateur radios are used in military comms – these are mostly used for emergency needs. Amateur radio is not dependent on the local or terrestrial facilities as they sometimes fail. The military radio aerials improvise a signal which ensures a regular dependable performance and all times from any place on the earth as long as the frequency is known. This makes them ideal for use during disaster relief and other remote operations.

These can be used at the time of active war & terrorist attacks; they ensure safety from commercial and industrial espionage and safe communication to research institutions, etc. Military radio aerials are very powerful and can meet the diverse needs of the military forces and other institutions.

Military radio aerials are secure to use because as soon as war breaks out the enemies first target is to cripple the communication system as a part of the strategy to isolate the enemy. Aerials are stand-alone, light and portable. The difference between an antenna and an aerial is that an antenna is a large metallic structure, known as a transceiver as opposed to an aerial which is a wire which can be held in any direction to facilitate communication – in fact it can be adjusted to transmit and receive radio frequencies just like it elder larger cousin. There are different kinds of aerials – a single vertical aerial that transmits signals at 360 degrees or in the form of a sphere. There are mobile aerials on cars, truck, cell phones and radio aerials which transmit in different patterns due to which the different radio channels at different frequencies are possible.

Military radio aerials have different frequency receptions and capacities depending upon the type of communication system installed. The best communication system is when the signals are sent and received in an uninterrupted manner even in places like underground bunkers, through thick rocks and caves or other remote locations like the tops of mountains and deep cervices in the hills, on the high and deep seas in the submarines.

Generally huge reception antennas are used for the base stations but the military radio aerials are ideal for the operations on temporary or mobile bases as they are light weight, easy to carry and setup, thus very crucial for military ops.

Facebook Fan Page for Communications

2009-09-30T12:45:00.005+01:00

Last week Communication Specialists decided to join the World that is social media, this is all relatively new to us but as times move on and the internet evolves we must keep up and reach out to customers. Social Media is by far the superior way to achieve this.

A snapshot of our fan page is below, so you know what to look for! ;)

We have been sharing our events and news on this fan page, along with images of the communications that we offer.

We have also opened up discussions for you to join in and ask any questions you may have regarding "how to operate", technical issues you may be experiencing, perhaps you are not sure "how to programme" your communication system.

Our fan page will help with all your communication needs.

What can we offer you?
Motorola
Kenwood
Codan
Barrett
HYT
iCom
Entel
Vertex Standard
Tait

We look forward to seeing you on our fan page and helping you where we can.
Otto

Communication Systems: BGAN Satellite Phones

2009-09-30T12:37:00.005+01:00

Today we are bound to travel a lot all over the world because of the nature of our business. At times we might even end up in places where communication is not easily possible because of the remoteness of a particular area. However, we need to be in constant communication with people from around the world. It might be people from our work or it might be a family that we need to be in constant touch with. This is possible with the technology today which no longer relies on a particular provider or network to provide us with the connection. With satellite technology today we have access to communication systems and links from anywhere around the world to anywhere around the world. This is the biggest advantage of BGAN Satellite Phones.

These phones provide us with connections without any restrictions of area and border. Using the fundamentals of Communications Interoperability these phone help us to reach the people we want from around the world from which ever corner of earth we are on. The phones help us carry out our business without any interruption and let us keep in touch with our family even if we are stuck at some remote location of the planet or in the middle of the sea. This is most beneficial for people who travel a lot for their work. People who have jobs on ships have no account of where they might be tomorrow in the open sea. Therefore, in order to keep in touch with their relatives on shore they can make use of such phones that will connect them with the people they want all over the world.

There are many advantages of such phones with transportable communication systems and features that cannot be matched by any regular phones. Internet is one of the most important things in our lives today even when we consider our job that is mostly done with the help of the internet. Therefore to have internet on the move along with us in any part of the world is defiantly of great assistance to us. Therefore have an internet connection of 492kbps speed along with us when we are deserted in the middle of nowhere is of absolute help to us. With high speed data transfer and data connections, the BGAN Satellite Phones assist those of us who constantly moving around the world.

Since the connection is direct from satellite and not dependant on any local networks the signal is clear and the voice quality is exceptional. Also it is possible to encrypt calls and make discreet calls using this line so that privacy may be obtained for your calls. Video communications are also a major advantage of BGAN Satellite Phones. These video calls are useful for video conferences and other such video communications that are useful to many business people around the world. With the help of a secure dedicated line it is easy to have privacy and easy communication at the same time.

Communication Systems: Microwave Receivers

2009-09-30T11:53:00.002+01:00

Buy Codan Digital Microwave Ethernet

Buy Digital Microwave Radio

There are simply a variety of receivers out there that has many uses. One receiver type that comes to my mind that I think I need to discuss is the Microwave Receivers, it is a common receiver that is used to amplify weak signals that antennas, radios or any communication systems gather. So, basically Microwave Receivers is all about gathering weak signals or in some terms weak frequencies to make ends meet in broadcasting. Most people take a swing at it because they claim that the name itself confuses them. Microwave Receivers can be a funny name for a receiver because we have the common knowledge that a Microwave is an oven that we use at home to cook meals and mixing it with a technical term like receiver paints an awkward picture on people’s minds. So, I am here to further discuss some few things regarding Microwave Receivers.

First and foremost as I have defined in the early parts of this article, Microwave Receivers are receivers that amplify or modify signals that it gathers from basic communication and broadcasting systems or gadgets. It gives the reception a stronger impulse thus making the signal or frequency stronger. Some people might not understand this but it is really a device which makes your signals stronger.

Learning more about Microwave Receivers, you also need to know more about receiver terminologies such as baseband frequency, or when the receiver uses a mixer, you need to know something about RF, IF and LO frequencies etc. Well, to tell you the truth it isn’t really required to study most of them as long as you have an idea what they are. Microwave Receivers is commonly used these days because most technology or communication systems rely heavily on signals.

The internet technology for example uses broadband connection, in order to make the signals stronger and more reliable, microwave receivers come in to play to amplify it, WiFi signals and others also require microwave receivers to help them have a better distribution of frequency or signal. It is basically an important part of today’s communication engineering. Most microwave engineers tackle the importance of knowing more about these receivers in order for people to further have a broad understanding not only about microwave receivers and also how it operates. The distribution of signals to most locations can be limited, like in broadcasting for satellite dishes it doesn’t really gives you a big clear picture once the signal is relatively weak, so what happen is microwave receivers comes to the scene to give you a clearer picture.

We all need to be at least aware on what microwave receivers do, so that we would be knowledgeable on how things work around our communication systems. The realm of engineering can be really broad depending on what you need to know. Microwave Receivers should not be taken for granted and/or snubbed. We need to make our own understanding in certain terminologies that affect our everyday lives and technology such as microwave receivers¸ we need to be well informed so that we know what we are dealing with in our own communication systems.

Two Way Radios: Message Encryption

2009-09-02T12:54:00.003+01:00

Basically when we hear Message Encryption we automatically think that it is about how to encrypt messages to send to other party. Well, it is literally correct but looking to it in a more technical way, Message Encryption is something far more important than just a simple encryption of messages in letters. In the techie side of it, Message Encryption it is the process of encoding data in an encryption to prevent unauthorised access from the outside and to have more security on the data that you are trying to send or keep. It basically keeps the message from being read by converting the content into cipher or scrambled letters or characters so that the privacy of the message can be kept. Message Encryption is a method in which the only one who can read the message is the recipient (Other than the sender). In which the encrypted or ciphered message will be deciphered by the recipient.

Any other attachments to the encrypted message are also ciphered but do not worry there is a way to decipher it or there are instructions for it to be deciphered. Message Encryption is one of the most used methods to continue and to preserve the security and privacy of the message being sent to the other party. In technology, especially in information technology, Message Encryption is being often used from the very basic emails to more complicated software encryptions. But it is more commonly used to pass messages and to send and hide important information or data in a server. Message Encryption can be commonly seen in websites that promotes security or to messages that has private content to it.

In a more vivid way, Message Encryption is used by administrators of websites in which codes the messages that they are trying to preserve, especially in shopping networks or websites, the use Message Encryption on credit card information or delicate user information and even website security as well. It is one of the safest ways to preserve the content of a website or in simpler occasion the messages itself. If you want to know and learn more about Message Encryption it is actually not hard at all, all you need to do is research more about Message Encryption and from there you can find basic ways and even downloadable software that allows you to encrypt and decrypt a message with no hassle.

Message Encryption is a very nice option for people who loves their privacy and for people who wants to have an exclusive way of sending messages to private people that they are doing businesses or just having private conversations with. To dig more on Message Encryption you can easily go to any search engines and type the keywords “Message Encryption” and from there you’ll see various information about Message Encryption that can thoroughly help you on your way to understand and learn more about Message Encryption, it is really a good thing to learn more about it and if you want to be in the know on these kinds of things, I suggest you get on your research hat and start getting valuable info about it.

Walkie Talkies for Schools

2009-04-24T14:41:00.002+01:00

Children of all ages are sent for their education to schools and thus they spend a lot of time inside the school campus. The safety and security of these kids should thus be the highest priority for the institutions, which in all ways is responsible for their safety inside the campus. Communication and co –ordination between the various staff and teachers is thus very imperative.

It is impossible to personally send or receive messages, especially when the school is big and covers many buildings or dormitories. At the same time fixing a telephone in each block or even in each class is time and cost consuming task.

Moreover, there is no surety that the lines will always work. The best form of communication in terms of time and cost is the Walkie talkie. Walkie talkies are hand held radio receiver, which can be carried by all within the vicinity of the school campus.

To help you decide what type of two way radio would be suitable for your school you have to take into consideration the distances involved as to which radio can be used. If the campus is not too large, then any license free radio will do, i.e., Kenwood TK-3201, Motorola XTNi (business type license free) or the smaller, cheaper “consumer” radios, such as Motorola XTR446, TLKR T3 or TLKR T7.

Normally we would advise the Kenwood TK-3201 or XTNi as these are very robust.

Alternatively, if the area is larger the school would need to obtain a radio license. Then it would be any number of radios, Motorola CP040, Motorola GP340, Motorola GP344 and so on.

Read more about the importance of walkie talkie for schools on our website

Codan Radios: Manpacks

2009-04-21T18:46:00.003+01:00

With communications becoming much easier and simple, organisations always strive for lower operational cost and flexibility in their communication systems. Codan Manpack transceiver is the ideal solution for all your portable and remote communication needs. A portable Codan Manpack will enable the portable transceivers to communicate with a central base station or any other transceiver.

What would you do when you are in a dire need of communicating in an environment which is accessible only by foot and isolated from any vehicles or power? The best possible answer would be to opt for a Manpack Radio. When you think about Manpack Radios, Think Codan. Codan has a variety of offerings which is suitable for any remote and portable communication need. Codan Manpacks come in both military and non-military versions.

Need to know more about Codan Radios? Visit our Codan section on the website or get in touch and let us tell you what you need!

What is a Two Way Radio?

2009-04-15T14:03:00.001+01:00

Two-way radios, more commonly known as walkie-talkies, were originally developed for the Canadian government during the Second World War by Canadian Donald L. Hings. Similar designs were created for other armed forces, and after the war, two-way radios spread to public safety and eventually commercial and jobsite work.

Major characteristics include a half-duplex channel, where only one radio transmits at a time, though any number can listen, and a push-to-talk switch that starts transmission. Typical two-way radios resemble a telephone handset, possibly slightly larger but still a single unit, with an antenna sticking out of the top. Where a phone's earpiece is only loud enough to be heard by the user, a two-way radio’s built-in speaker can be heard by the user and those in his immediate vicinity. Hand-held transceivers may be used to communicate between each other, or to vehicle-mounted or base stations.

Finish reading this article on two way radios on our website

Tour of Britain 7-14th September

2008-08-21T15:32:00.005+01:00

Communication Specialists supports the Tour of Britain once again, now our 4th year running for this fantastic event.

We are now getting ready for another Tour of Britain which starts on the 7th Sepetmber and ends on the 14th September.

Once again Comm Spec are supporting The Tour of Britain and providing all the communication equipment and the technology to help the races communicate during this eventful Tour of Britain.

After a fantastic race in 2007 where British riders took three stage wins and three out of the four leaders jerseys on offer, the 2008 Tour of Britain grows another day longer this year, meaning more opportunities than ever to see the best of British and international pro-cycling on the roads of the UK. The 2008 Tour of Britain will visit a total of 15 host venues around the country, nine of which are completely new to the race, so if the race hasnt been past your door step, perhaps this is the year!

For the Tour of Britain this year spectators can watch the race on ITV4 and track the actual race in real time via the service provided by the Tour of Britain partners, Ordnance Survey.

The 2008 race is looking to be the best ever with Olympic medalists taking part and a host of other international teams and star riders.

Tour of Britain race manual - download here

All equipment will be prepared in our workshop (programming, testing, charging batteries) one week before installation. Installation of car/mobile units including motorcycles equipment is tested a week before.

Instructions on how to operate channels was given to all users.

So far all equipment and system works well. Comm-spec Team (Kervin Labrosse, Raymond Brooks and Slawosz Uznanski) is following the race in Tour Of Britain as a technical support for two way radio equipment and all communication system.

Tour of Britain route, are we in your area?
Stage 1: London Circuit | Sunday 7 September Stage 2: Milton Keynes - Newbury | Monday 8 September Stage 3: Chard - Burnham-On-Sea | Tuesday 9 September Stage 4: Worcester - Stoke On Trent | Wednesday 10 September Stage 5: Kingston Upon Hull - Dalby Forest 1 Thursday 11 September Stage 6: Darlington - Newcastle Gateshead | Friday 12 September
Stage 7: Glasgow - Dumfries & Galloway | Saturday 13 September
Stage 8: Blackpool - Liverpool | Saturday 14 September

What is HF SSB?

2008-05-19T16:10:00.007+01:00

Do you require Long Range Communications?

HF SSB is the answer

HF means High Frequency whereas SSB means Single Sideband

HF & SSB radios are capable of providing communication over hundreds to thousands of Kilometres.

Buy our high frequency Codan Products at Comm Spec

HF provides communication beyond the range that is possible with conventional VHF/UHF systems, which rely on the line-of sight between communicating parties. HF on the other hand, achieves long distance communication by bouncing its signal off the ionosphere (sky waves) as shown in the Diagram below. Until recently there had always been a dead space of roughly 70 -220 Km between the point where the ground wave terminated and the point where the first sky wave returned to earth.

Standard Base Station Antenna Propagation

This operational shortcoming is unacceptable and a solution has been found by using the NVIS System. Under this system, the antenna radiates a signal near vertically up to bounce down off the ionosphere, thus providing an uninterrupted footprint from ground "0" to a radius of 6,000 Km or more.

NVIS Base Station Antenna Propagation

Launch of Codan Radio Products

2008-04-07T15:58:00.000+01:00

Launch of CODAN High Frequency, Satellite and Digital Microwave radio products on our website.

In March 2008 we launched a range of Codan products to our Two Way Radio Communication website

Codan designs and builds the world's best communications equipment for High Frequency (HF) Radio, Satellite and Digital Microwave Radio applications. For almost 50 years, Codan has earned a reputation for unsurpassed quality and customer service in the most demanding environments on earth. Codan’s radio equipment has been used in the following markets and oganizations:

Humanitarian

United Nations Organisations

Red Cross & Red Crescent

Oxfam

International organization for Migration (IOM)

Care

Save the Children

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Public Services & Commercial

Fire and Emergency Services

Departments of Forestry, Post and Telecommunications, Transport, Health, Agriculture, Fisheries, Energy and Environmental Protection

Embassies and Consulates

Mining

Agriculture

Construction

Energy

Transportation

Shipping

Security

Police Forces

National Guard

Customs

Border Patrol

Coast Guard

Drug Enforcement Agencies

Private Security Firms

HF Military Products

Codan offers communication equipment for:

HF Radio Communications

Transceivers

Manpacks

Modems

Crosspatch

Supplies & Amps

Antennas

Good brands of Walkie Talkie?

2008-03-25T14:48:00.000Z

We keep being asked "What are the best brands of Walkie Talkie" - so we decided to talk about that and list the best Walkie Talkie brands on the market today.

On our website we list our walkie talkie manufacturers in the order of preference to our clients, this list is not what we 'think' is the best but what our customers think is the best.

Top Ten Walkie Talkies by preference

Motorola
Motorola radios are world leaders in two way radio Communications. Legendary quality and reliability. USA manufacturer.

Kenwood
Total solutions in the Commercial and Amateur Radio Communications markets. Manufactured in Japan.

Icom
A major Manufacturer of Radio Communications in the Marine, Avionics and Land Mobile Radio Industries. The equipment is manufactured in Japan.

Vertex Standard
Offering total solutions to the worlds commerical and public safety Radio Communications markets. Manufactured in Japan.

Tait
Very high quality Radio Communications and data equipment from this New
Zealand based manufacturer.

Entel
Professional radio communications equipment for land based, marine and radio telemetry applications.

Barrett
Barrett Communications is an international, leading manufacturer of long distance high frequency communications equipment.

Codan

Otto
A highly specialised Manufacturer based in the United States of America designing audio accessories specifically for the two-way radio market.

Two Way Radios and Cars

2008-03-11T11:21:00.001Z

Mobile radios fitted in cars require little maintenance if the radio and antenna are permanently installed. However our engineers find that in lots of cases when the radio is fitted in hire cars the radio/antenna has to be easily removable. This results in the use of magnetic mounted antenna and the radio fitted under one of the front seats. Because the wiring is not fixed it is likely to get damage and become unreliable.

The two main areas that cause the most problems are that aerial cable and the microphone cable. Damage to the aerial cable will reduce the coverage area, put excessive strain on the electronics of the radio and area of radio coverage becomes unreliable. If the cable is not repaired or replaced expensive repairs to the mobile may be also required. Unfortunately as the aerial cable is coaxial it is not simply a case of a visual inspection but needs to tested with calibrated test equipment.

Damage to the microphone cable is also hard to detect as the cable is made up of very thin flexible wire, if it is damaged it will result is intermittent communication until it fails completely.

Some customers have obtained magnetic antennas that have a small magnetic base and very thin aerial cable (coax) believing that this will solve problems with the area of coverage - wrong! an antenna that is used for two way communication needs to be adjusted to operate on the required frequency efficiently.

The magnetic base is too small to keep the antenna on the roof of cars when passing under such things height restriction bars in car parks. Two-way radios and base stations should be checked at lest once a year to ensure that the equipment is operating within manufactures specifications and licensing requirements.

The Phonetic Alphabet

2008-03-11T10:58:00.000Z

The Phonetic Alphabet is used by radio operators, to spell out words. It is useful when exchanging important and precize information (addresses, names, etc) especially during not clear transmission. This alphabet has been changed over the years and in different groups of radio users and different countries the alphabet varying from each other.

The NATO phonetic alphabet, more formally the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet, is the most widely used spelling alphabet. Though often called "phonetic alphabets", spelling alphabets have no connection to phonetic transcription systems like the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Instead, the NATO alphabet assigns code words to the letters of the English alphabet acrophonically so that critical combinations of letters (and numbers) can be pronounced and understood by those who transmit and receive voice messages by radio or telephone regardless of their native language, especially when the safety of navigation or persons is essential. The paramount reason is to ensure intelligibility of voice signals over radio links.

We have a list of the phonetic alphabet on our website that lists the words from NATO & International Aviation, British Forces, NY Police, French, German, Italian and Spanish!

Struggling to choose your two way radio?

2008-03-11T10:31:00.000Z

Many people would like to use two way radios in their business, to help cut the cost of mobile phone chargers. But, selecting the right radio can be difficult and choosing the wrong radio could become an expensive problem!

Communication Specialists have established several levels of professional support to help current and potential two way radio users get the proper radios for their situations, with 34 years of two way radio experience under their belt they can help you choose the right radio for your business or pleasure!

We can advise you which two way radios will serve you better in some of the following situations:

Family Use
Camping
Boating
Shopping
Parks
Skiing
Travelling - Motorbikes, Cars, Golf

Associations
Clubs
Churches
Theatres

Business Use
Restaurant
Hotel
School
Car Dealership
Farm
Warehouse

Industrial Use
Large buildings
Construction
Military
Air Force
Navy

For more personalised, detailed information and instruction, visit our communications website and talk to a technician on our live chat. Our experts will answer specific questions and will make specific recommendations as to which communication tools will work best in a variety of applications.

We will also come out to your site of choice and give you a free review - book with online chat now!

Tour of Britain Images

2008-03-11T09:59:00.001Z

A selection of images of the vehicles that were used to support the Tour of Britain.

We supplied a selection of two way radios and walkie talkies

Tour of Britain cars

Tour of Britain Vauxhalls

Comm Spec engineer working on vehicle

Tour of Britain Vauxhall

Tour of Britain Convertible

Tour of Britain

2008-03-10T15:00:00.000Z

Communication Specialists provide two way radio for the Tour of Britain

The Tour of Britain is a blue riband cycling event that returned to the British cycling calendar in 2004 after an absence of five years. Cycling is a hugely popular sport and British cyclists are among the best in the world, winning five gold medals in the 2004 Olympics and Paralympics.

The Tour of Britain has formerly been known as the Milk Race, the Kellogg's Tour and the Pru Tour of Britain. The aspiration of the Tour of Britain was to re-launch the event along the lines of the Tour de France, which has no title sponsor but a spectrum of public and private sector support.

The Tour of Britain has placed itself on a global platform alongside major races such as The Tour de France and Giro d'Italia by attracting a combination of national and international teams. Teams which are attracted to racing the Tour of Britain include Pro Tour Teams such as T-Mobile, Quickstep, Phonak and CSC.

The world governing body the UCI (the Union Cyclisme Internationale) granted the 2004Tour of Britain world championship ranking status. The Tour of Britain is determined in the future to become part of the UCI's elite Pro Tour calendar.

The Tour of Britain has four founding directors: Chief Executive, Hugh Roberts who also heads sporting marketing and events company Sweetspot Tony Doyle MBE, twice world pursuit champion Mick Bennett, double Olympic medallist Peter Moore OBE, former Managing Director of Center Parc.

The Tour of Britain is a not for profit organisation governed by a Board of Trustees with representatives from the sport of cycling, trade and industry and politics.

Communication Specialists are sponsors of the Tour of Britain and installed their radio equipment, their engineers Slawosz Uznanski, Raymoond Brooks and Maciej Korneluk were there that day to help install the required equipment on Thursday 6 September 2007.

For the Tour of Britain Communication Specialists supplied the following equipment:

60 + 6 car/mobile Motorola GM900 and CM140 radio units complete with fist mics, power leads and UHF 3dB collinear mag mounting antennas, installed in over 20 brand new 2007
Vauxhall Astra and Vectra cars
4 mobile units GM950 for motorcycles with autocom headset systems
80 + 30 hand portable Motorola radios with spare batteries and chargers

All systems work with 2 independent repeaters, located in the organisers cars, one in front of the cyclists group other one in the middle, to provide maximum coverage for all radio users.

All equipment was prepared in our workshop (programming, testing, charging batteries) one week before installation. Installation of car/mobile units was made on Thursday 6 September and Friday 7 September (motorcycles on Saturday). Giving out all hand portable radio equipment to the users was made on Saturday and Sunday.

Instructions on how to operate channels was given to all users.

Stage 1: Reading to Southampton - Monday 10 September
Stage 2: Yeovilton to Taunton - Tuesday 11 September
Stage 3: Worcester to Wolverhampton - Wednesday 12 September
Stage 4: Rother Valley Country Park to Bradford - Thursday 13 September
Stage 5: Liverpool to Kendall - Friday 14 September
Stage 6: Dumfries to Glasgow - Saturday 15 September