November 10, 2009

Milipol Paris 2009


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.

November 5, 2009

British Army Telemark Skiing Association


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.

October 12, 2009

Transmitters


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


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


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.

October 7, 2009

Mobile Tactical Communications

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

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.