I have an application for a dispatch system that may exist only in my mind. Suggestions welcome as I do not know much about dispatch systems. The customer would like to be able to select radios, paging tones etc entirely through a touch screen (or maybe just by mouse-clicking). The dispatch room positions would be simply PCs and screens. In the radio room 30ft away would be a "black box" that takes serial data commands from the PCs and selects the appropriate radio, generates the correct tones etc. Ideally it could also select radio modems for mobile data but that is not a requirement.
Does this exist already?
Thanks.
I forgot to say they are using CMI software for CAD, but operating an ancient Zetron manually. They don't want another Zetron.
touch-screen dispatch suggestions needed
Moderator: Queue Moderator
touch-screen dispatch suggestions needed
"depending on your point of view, either the changing magnetic flux makes the electric field, or the changing electric flux makes the magnetic field- but you can't have one without the other"
-
fire-medic8104
- Posts: 727
- Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2002 8:06 pm
The only thing that comes off the top of my mind is Centracom Elite. Though not cheap by any means, but could do everything you are talking about.
We had it in the county I used to dispatch for, and we paged the fire/ems departments off the screen, switched talkgroups on a smartzone system, and could send individual data to MDTs.
The advantage (if your system you setup can support it) is you can patch two entirely different channels together to allow field units to talk to each other. For example your police could be on 800 and your fire on vhf and they could tlak to each other on a certain incident.
And everything can be on a touchscreen, making it very user friendly.
We had it in the county I used to dispatch for, and we paged the fire/ems departments off the screen, switched talkgroups on a smartzone system, and could send individual data to MDTs.
The advantage (if your system you setup can support it) is you can patch two entirely different channels together to allow field units to talk to each other. For example your police could be on 800 and your fire on vhf and they could tlak to each other on a certain incident.
And everything can be on a touchscreen, making it very user friendly.
Touch screen
Orbacom Systems inc. makes what you are looking for and I have lots of them in service...Tim
-
The Pager Geek
- Posts: 1250
- Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2002 10:31 pm
- What radios do you own?: Disney FRS
I think this link works..http://www.orbacom.com/tdm25.html
Orbacom is a nice system. we have 3 positions with a 4th coming soon with the DOS Version of Orbacoms software with 19 inch touch screen monitors. Pretty soon we are upgrading to the newer windows version with 19 inch touch screen flat panels.... In the past 4 years I have used the Orbacom there has only been a couple of minor glitches here and there. One of which was the paging encoder must've burped one night and created a bunch of error messages. That was the worst problem we've encountered.
I'd say "Go For It!!!"
I'd say "Go For It!!!"
JAYMZ
"Mom and dad say I should make my life an example of the principles I believe in. But every time I do, they tell me to stop it."
Calvin
"Mom and dad say I should make my life an example of the principles I believe in. But every time I do, they tell me to stop it."
Calvin
Console
I would check with MOD-U-COM, I have a 3 posistion system that has been running without any problems since 1997. It will do everything you have mentioned 
-
radiomidwest
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:45 am
console
Why don't they want Zetron? I have sooo many out there without a lick of problems. Even the touchscreen ones. They just keep on ticking. But there are some other good choices too.
Re: console
I wouldn't rule out a Zetron system. If they have a bad taste from the existing Zetron, it has to be due to the local service people. Have you tried contacting Zetron about any issues you have?
On a different note, what ever you end up with, don't forget to have a fall back way of dispatching. Once you get into all this fancy touch screen stuff, it is nice. Easy to use and the likes. Then along comes mother nature and the big bolt from the sky.
More than likely your using a tone remote system for keying all the radios. It wouldn't hurt to have a RJ-11 jack near the dispatch location with at least your main channels. This way if the system failed, you could go pull out from the closet the old tone remote box, plug it into the jack and continue dispatching.
If it's a repeater system, then having a portable or even a mobile installed in the console someplace is a good secondary system. If there is a fire department involved, NFPA requires that a secondary radio system be available. Don't forget to have a backup paging encoder as part of the fall back system.
Jim
On a different note, what ever you end up with, don't forget to have a fall back way of dispatching. Once you get into all this fancy touch screen stuff, it is nice. Easy to use and the likes. Then along comes mother nature and the big bolt from the sky.
More than likely your using a tone remote system for keying all the radios. It wouldn't hurt to have a RJ-11 jack near the dispatch location with at least your main channels. This way if the system failed, you could go pull out from the closet the old tone remote box, plug it into the jack and continue dispatching.
If it's a repeater system, then having a portable or even a mobile installed in the console someplace is a good secondary system. If there is a fire department involved, NFPA requires that a secondary radio system be available. Don't forget to have a backup paging encoder as part of the fall back system.
Jim
-
radiomidwest
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:45 am
console
I have backup at all of my dispatches. Control Stations at all of them. one BIG UPS at all of them. Don't rely on generators. The fanciest most expensive consoles won't work without good power (without the slightest hickup). Don't waste good money on console features that may NEVER be used. I can't tell you how many times the customer wanted some fancy feature that never, ever got used. Put the money into making the repeaters work better. And by all means, K I S S.
Jim is right. Zetron will make it right, if a local didn't do his job right. The 4210 system is a nice touchsceen. Use any PC you want. simple to setup and maintain, page, patch, instant recall ect.... I'm sure the rest of console companies have the same feature.
Jim is right. Zetron will make it right, if a local didn't do his job right. The 4210 system is a nice touchsceen. Use any PC you want. simple to setup and maintain, page, patch, instant recall ect.... I'm sure the rest of console companies have the same feature.
The control station at the console is a very good thing to have. However, you need to make it seperate from the console itself. Like, a Maxtrac rack mounted with a mic and speaker accesible to the dispatcher and an antenna on the roof. Not a Maxtrac with COR/PTT/MIC/SPK wired into the console and mounted in the back room. When the console dies, your backup won't do squat.
"I'll eat you like a plate of bacon and eggs in the morning. "
- Some loser on rr.com
eBay at it's finest:
Me: "What exactly is a 900Mhz UHF CB?"
Them: "A very nice CB at 900Mhz speed!"
- Some loser on rr.com
eBay at it's finest:
Me: "What exactly is a 900Mhz UHF CB?"
Them: "A very nice CB at 900Mhz speed!"
I checked and yes they are also looking at Zetron. I am not researching Zetron because there is already a dealer here.
The point about backup for encoders and radios is a good one, and I will keep that near the top of the list.
The point about backup for encoders and radios is a good one, and I will keep that near the top of the list.
"depending on your point of view, either the changing magnetic flux makes the electric field, or the changing electric flux makes the magnetic field- but you can't have one without the other"