ACU-1000 ?
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ACU-1000 ?
Several around here are getting ACU-1000's. What have been your experiences with them? Is audio quality good? Are they easy to program and operate?
"The world runs on radio."
Audio Quality Good? Yes, about as good as you'd expect from an audio patch. However, the audio through the JPS can never be better than the audio coming into the constituent radios.
Easy to Program? That is quite subjective; some folks think that programming HT1000s is complex and some folks think nothing of creating a SmartZone XTS codeplug from scratch. The JPS is somewhere in the middle . It helps if you have some radio programming experience in general, and better yet if you are familiar with the concept of console operation.
Easy to Operate? Also subjective, and it depends entirely on the complexity of your base setup, the complexity of your desired patch, and whether or not you are using the PC-based interface.
In the real world, most of the patches most often used are common and can be predefined, in which case "operation" is as simple as invoking one of the pre-defined patches.
One of the things this device is not good at is ad hoc setups in the field. To be used effectively, the device should be permanently installed (in a dispatch room or a mobile command post), with all of its constituent radios permanently installed and properly programmed. This is not a day-and-a-half undertaking.
Easy to Program? That is quite subjective; some folks think that programming HT1000s is complex and some folks think nothing of creating a SmartZone XTS codeplug from scratch. The JPS is somewhere in the middle . It helps if you have some radio programming experience in general, and better yet if you are familiar with the concept of console operation.
Easy to Operate? Also subjective, and it depends entirely on the complexity of your base setup, the complexity of your desired patch, and whether or not you are using the PC-based interface.
In the real world, most of the patches most often used are common and can be predefined, in which case "operation" is as simple as invoking one of the pre-defined patches.
One of the things this device is not good at is ad hoc setups in the field. To be used effectively, the device should be permanently installed (in a dispatch room or a mobile command post), with all of its constituent radios permanently installed and properly programmed. This is not a day-and-a-half undertaking.
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The ACU1000 works but it is a little uninspiring. All it is is a Multi-Radio R.I.C.K. with a mixer board. What do you do when multiple patches in multiple places need to happen and there is only (1) of these beasts? What you wind up woth is an antenna far with very little serparation while multiple radios are TX'ing/RX'ing causing major desense and poor audio, hissing, etc. Better choices are out there. The SafetyNET system uses COR/COS and is quite capable in times of need if you have backup power. Check it out at http://www.criticalrf.com It's like a ACU1000 but you just maintain your own end for the agency. This way everything can be within talk-in range of the repeater/talkgroups you are patching. It really takes care of the point someone made about it only works as well as how clean the system audio is. Kinda like a de-centralized ACU1000. Works great as a day-to-day system for box-in's, multi agency event coordination, setting up perimeters, etc. You also dont need to buy all the radios of everybody around you who's audio you want to re-repeat/transmit.
There are other gateway interop units on the market. One of
the more flexible ones that I have seen is the one made by
SyTech Corp from Alexandria, VA. Their unit is a simple 3
step operation to make a network of radios. Push
the "TALKGROUP" button, select the radios from the
asset list on the top of the screen and press the "TALKGROUP"
button again and your done.
The ACU-1000 needs to have modules installed for the
application connection you need to connect. Like a radio
module for radios, a telephone module for telephone
connections and so on. The SyTech gateway unit is all
software defined. You get 16 ports to use any way you want.
The ACU-1000 will only allow you to make 7 indipendent
networks. The Syetch unit doesn't have any limit. Only the
amout of VOIP bandwidth if your remotely connecting them.
The Sytech unit can connect multiple units together via an
IP connection and share assets between the units to form
networks anyway you need to. One unit can be on the east
coast and another on the west coast as long as you have the
IP connection.
The ACU-1000 unit the last time I looked only allowed you to
have 2 remote users controlling it. The Sytech unit can have
as many as you have the licenses for. Again these connect
via an IP connection. Any of the remote clients on the Sytech system can control the assets of any of the gateway units connected. You do have the ability to set up password
limitations to control what goes on.
Before I planted my money, I think that I would check around.
I also found out that the Sytech Corp unit is on the federal
CEDAP givaway program and the ACU-1000 is no longer on
that program.
Their web site is http://www.sytechcorp.com if you are interested in looking at the unit they call a RIOS.
Jim
the more flexible ones that I have seen is the one made by
SyTech Corp from Alexandria, VA. Their unit is a simple 3
step operation to make a network of radios. Push
the "TALKGROUP" button, select the radios from the
asset list on the top of the screen and press the "TALKGROUP"
button again and your done.
The ACU-1000 needs to have modules installed for the
application connection you need to connect. Like a radio
module for radios, a telephone module for telephone
connections and so on. The SyTech gateway unit is all
software defined. You get 16 ports to use any way you want.
The ACU-1000 will only allow you to make 7 indipendent
networks. The Syetch unit doesn't have any limit. Only the
amout of VOIP bandwidth if your remotely connecting them.
The Sytech unit can connect multiple units together via an
IP connection and share assets between the units to form
networks anyway you need to. One unit can be on the east
coast and another on the west coast as long as you have the
IP connection.
The ACU-1000 unit the last time I looked only allowed you to
have 2 remote users controlling it. The Sytech unit can have
as many as you have the licenses for. Again these connect
via an IP connection. Any of the remote clients on the Sytech system can control the assets of any of the gateway units connected. You do have the ability to set up password
limitations to control what goes on.
Before I planted my money, I think that I would check around.
I also found out that the Sytech Corp unit is on the federal
CEDAP givaway program and the ACU-1000 is no longer on
that program.
Their web site is http://www.sytechcorp.com if you are interested in looking at the unit they call a RIOS.
Jim
The JPS can do (and should be configured for) COR use whenever feasible. Like most of these devices, it is not good for detecting "talk permit" when one of the nodes is a trunked system, so you teach your guys to pause longer than normal after pressing the key. The JPS can do multiple simultaneous patches, up to a limit that we have never reached, so I don't know what it exactly is.
Any of these devices has at least two inherent limitations. First, as someone noted, you tend to have a bunch of mobiles in a Winnebago all talking to antennas on a small roof, and if you're not too careful, life on the roof can get RF tough. Second, all of a sudden you have people talking to a much wider spectrum of listeners than they are used to during everyday ops on their own channel. Radio discipline becomes a premium (and is often lacking), and even then, folks have different codes, practices and expectations, and so in a fast-moving event (real or training), you can end up with something of a tower of Babel.
For this (and other reasons), I think it imperative that the JPS be served by a dedicated operator throughout the evolution. He can make and break patches, monitor how they're doing, and often serve as a dispatcher; sometimes it is quickly and better to have a message relayed from Net 1 to Net 2 via the dispatcher than it is to patch the two nets.
Any of these devices has at least two inherent limitations. First, as someone noted, you tend to have a bunch of mobiles in a Winnebago all talking to antennas on a small roof, and if you're not too careful, life on the roof can get RF tough. Second, all of a sudden you have people talking to a much wider spectrum of listeners than they are used to during everyday ops on their own channel. Radio discipline becomes a premium (and is often lacking), and even then, folks have different codes, practices and expectations, and so in a fast-moving event (real or training), you can end up with something of a tower of Babel.
For this (and other reasons), I think it imperative that the JPS be served by a dedicated operator throughout the evolution. He can make and break patches, monitor how they're doing, and often serve as a dispatcher; sometimes it is quickly and better to have a message relayed from Net 1 to Net 2 via the dispatcher than it is to patch the two nets.