Wireless Phone Headset?

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Spiffy50
Posts: 173
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 7:37 am

Wireless Phone Headset?

Post by Spiffy50 »

Hey guys, working on upgrading a small PSAP's telephone system. The customer requires a wireless headset which will be integrated into a Nortel 2616 KSU desk set. It would need to have the ability to have multiple headsets able to work with the unit (not at the same time, it would be one headset issued to each dispatcher - 5 in total). Looking to keep costs minimal, but don't want junk.

Thanks for any input you'd have!
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d119
Posts: 3532
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2002 4:00 pm

Re: Wireless Phone Headset?

Post by d119 »

Be advised that the Plantronics (and some other) headsets run on a 900MHz frequency that can be scanned with any old scanner. Theoretically someone could sit outside your PSAP with a scanner and monitor (and record) phone and radio traffic if they wanted to.

Be sure to research what is used for formats (frequency hopping vs. constant carrier) and purchase something that can't be picked up on a scanner.

Bluetooth units might be ideal for this.

We have an agency in our local area that discovered this and is now ditching all of it's wireless headsets because of the security issues (911 calls being broadcast, etc).
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xmo
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Posts: 2549
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2001 4:00 pm

Re: Wireless Phone Headset?

Post by xmo »

Plantronics may have the answer for your situation:

"The CA12CD is a cordless PTT (push-to-talk) headset
adapter designed to provide wireless communications and
PTT functionality for applications such as Public Safety
Dispatch."

"The CA12CD uses digital processing (DECT™ standard), and
operates in the UPCS band (1.92 – 1.93 GHz ) in North
America."

Nobody is going to be listening to that on any scanner.
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Astro Spectra
Posts: 668
Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2001 4:00 pm

Re: Wireless Phone Headset?

Post by Astro Spectra »

Bluetooth eavesdropping is pretty straight forward (sometimes called bluejacking) see: http://www.bluejackingtools.com/

DECT is slightly harder but still doable see: https://dedected.org/trac

If you have invested in securing your radio traffic using FIPS approved means, it doesn’t make sense to open a back door … And if you are handling secured traffic then a conversation with your organization’s security officer is in order.

If you traffice is not secured then as XMO points out DECT will be good enough.
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boteman
Posts: 69
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 2:20 pm
What radios do you own?: AudioMate 360

Re: Wireless Phone Headset?

Post by boteman »

Do those Plantronics CA12CD wireless headsets transmit audio full-time or only during PTT activation? I was assuming they only transmit while PTT is active to conserve battery power.

The application is with a console that can accept telephone calls as well, during which pushing of the PTT would be undesirable.

Thanks.
talviar
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2001 4:00 pm

Re: Wireless Phone Headset?

Post by talviar »

unit is able to work in phone environment, ptt is only for radio. If you are using the Base unit and wiring to a standard motorola 6 wire headset connector, it functions the same way as your wired connect does.
I have a few complaints with the CA12CD units, one is battery wear-n-tear. Keep spares available as when they start to fail they go from holding full charge to not holding a charge at all in a matter of weeks. (Purchasing turn around here is 6-8 weeks so we have to keep spares to keep up time)
There is no indication on the "remote unit" of when the battery is going weak.

Wire coming out of the top of the remote unit is fragile and some dispatchers like to put the remote in the charging base and ram them under the monitors, spin the remote by the wire, etc. . . . .
Other than that 4 years of operation and they have been working well for us.

Our operation-headset base unit plugs into the Motorola 6-wire jack connected to Motorola Gold Elite Console, appropriate wiring interconnect between MGE CIE and the HLIM for a Plant/CML ECS-1000 Phone System. Headset handles integrated radio/phone comms for our dispatchers.

As always this is my $2.25 (about to change that to $5.25 due to rising gas costs and inflation. . . . ) and YMMV!
Have a great one

Tony
mike m
Posts: 903
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2001 4:00 pm

Re: Wireless Phone Headset?

Post by mike m »

What about one of the Firecom headsets ?

http://www.firecom.com/products/wireless-headsets/

Their encrypted and the little Molalla Oregon firefighter girl in the ad is cute as hell.

Ok so they make neat headsets too but girls and radios with a wireless headsets, the only thing missing is if she had a gun in the ad then it would be the best, need I say anymore ?

Sorry for getting off track but it's cold and snowing here and my mind was drifting towards fire girls.
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