Moto new ASTRO GPS Based Personnel Location Tracking System

[MtComm]

Moto announced at APCO a new system which has a GPS receiver built
into a speaker mic and this reports the location via an XTS5000. Has
anyone seen this? Please confirm or reject the following:

1. The receiver is built into the new communicator speaker mic. This
does not work with the Public Safety Mics?

2. I told by a big Police Department that is interested in the product that
it only works with Smartnet not Smartzone which he has. Does anyone
know why this is true? Can anyone point me to a site that has the Astro
portable transmit data stream? I assume the location is sent in on the
reverse control channel?

3. Is the location sent on each transmission or when polled?

4. Where is the location data displayed?

Thanks for any info.

Mike

[Pj]

Rumor has it that the speaker mic is like $300+

Since there is no/limited information, I would imaging that you would need the ASTRO Data option in the radio, and it would be treated as any other data operation on the system. Since SmartZone is just an expanded Smartnet system, I wouldn't see why it wouldn't work.

But again, until the details are released...

[mr.syntrx]

Thales has a similar system for their VHF portable radio - cables to Garmin and Magellan GPS receivers are available now, and they're currently working on a speaker mic incorporating a GPS receiver. The radio transmits the location as P25 data.

[radioinstl]

The mic works with XTS-5000 on ASTRO 25 IVD systems, HMN4080A. if you look in the newest version on CPS you will see what it can do

[JAYMZ]

http://www.kc2kit.com/batlabs/rsmgps.pdf

There is a little bit on the Mic. List is $381 on it. You'll need to have host version 6.01 or higher in order to use it though. As well as version 6 CPS or higher.

[ASTROMODAT]

The Motorola announced system uses P25 Data 18 packets (thankfully, NOT Data 12 packets), and it really rocks!

On the other side of the spectrum, the Thales Rube Goldburg lash-up with the GPS outboard boxes deal is like Tait---way too little, and way too late.

[kb3jkp]

THAT kicks some SERIOUS A$$ .... just imagine an officer presses his man-down button and they have his EXACT location down to a few feet..... or someone "steals" a radio.. keys up and HAHA .. who's laughing now......

[ASTROMODAT]

From a Motorola stockholder's viewpoint, think of the GREAT $ potential here! It's all gravy!

Let's see now, how many cops are there, times almost $400 a pop, not to mention the infrastructure necessary for IVD, and all of those nice firmware uplifts that will all of a sudden be required?

UhYah!!!!

[kb3jkp]

yup.. then there's us "FUN" types that will put it to use on 144.39 .use the case/embedded GPS rx'er.. put in a mic encoder... poof.. instant APRS.....mmm..hamsexy...

[MtComm]

Thanks for the replys. Can anyone point me to a site
that explains how P25 Data 18 works? I assume the
GPS data get sent as packets on the inbound control
channel similar to how the unit id or emergency is sent?

Where would you pick the data off to determine the long
and lat of the gps unit. Does anybody know what that format
is?

The customer told me that Smartnet worked better
that Smartzone? Anybody know why that would be true?

Thanks for any additional information.

Mike

[mr.syntrx]

Thanks for the replys. Can anyone point me to a site
that explains how P25 Data 18 works? I assume the
GPS data get sent as packets on the inbound control
channel similar to how the unit id or emergency is sent?

It's sent over a traffic channel.

Where would you pick the data off to determine the long
and lat of the gps unit. Does anybody know what that format
is?

Probably NMEA0183. All modern off-the-shelf GPS modules support this standard.

The customer told me that Smartnet worked better
that Smartzone? Anybody know why that would be true?

Thanks for any additional information.

Mike

Eh? Work better how?

The two systems are designed with different situations in mind.

[/\/\y 2 cents]

What happens when the speaker mic can't see the sky? Last time I checked cops were either rolling around in their cars (not a convertible police car either) or under a roof 80% of the time handling a situation. I think the patrol car would be a much better place for the GPS reciever and RF modem/radio, and Motorola has lots of competition already in that department. The cop car almost always outside and the officer is always not far behind. If he is he can simply advise how far away over his radio. It would be way too spotty to rely on. They should MAKE the officers advise their position every time they make a move, like how a GOOD department dispatches. They are trying to compensate for LAZY, FORGETFUL humans who have no regard for procedure. The Cops who don't call in should talk a 400$ a month pay cut for improper use of their radio, I shouldn't have to pay $400 for every stinkin cop (as ASTROMODAT would want it) across the country (which would never happen.) I think the whole thing is pretty dumb to begin with. Making gimmicky products isn't how 1900 people are going to get hired back. Keep the damn things in the car and make them spend their money on more TX/RX sites. Thats what will really make things safer.

Steve

[mr.syntrx]

High sensitivity GPS receivers can be had that work very well in urban areas. Even my cheap Magellan GPS will get a good 2D fix in the Sydney CBD with less than 40 degress or so of sky visible.

You also assume every cop in a major city is in a vehicle. In a lot of countries, we've got something called a "beat patrol" - basically, it's a cop walking around town.

A really good application for something like this would be with land search crews.

[tom IL]

I think this would great in some situations. Take for example the cop the got out of their car on a foot case, is now dozen or so blocks from where he or she started and has no idea where they are because they went thru every back ally between here and their car and now they caught up with the person and need back up. Granted it is fairly costly and as yet unproven but it is at least a good concept.