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Electronics

Rick Casey

2011-03-01 11:31:00

Question: We are considering getting one of the Internet over TV services, but not sure which one is best. Can you give your take on what is available and a few high and low points?

Answer: While Internet over TV services have exploded on the market, the technology is really in the beginning stages of development. Internet over TV allows you to access the internet from the TV, combines searches and integrates media. Right now it boils down to four major services, each having a slightly different offering. Which one you choose really depends on what other media you are already using. There are many small differences but let’s run down the list of the ones that make or break it for most people. Google TV Google allows full web browsing. It is also flash enabled, so you can get a full web experience. Google TV comes with a selection of popular apps, and is best positioned for system expansion. Companies offering Google TV are those such as Sony Corp and Dish Network. Sony, which offers 4 models of TV, (24” to 42”) with Google TV built into set. They also offer a Google TV box with blu-ray player built in. This could be handy for customers that have multiple TV’s in the home with wireless internet. Dish Network offers Google TV by way of a Logitech Revue companion box to a compatible Dish Network receiver and your TV. Compatible receivers are the models Vip622 and Vip722 models. Usually, a $4.00 monthly fee from Dish Network would apply for services. Apple TV Apple TV is a clear choice for those that want to access their iTunes library through the internet over TV service. While the other services would support iTunes, it is unlikely that Apple would ever allow that, in order to keep their own streaming media player service competitive. Roku One of the biggest advantages of Roku is that you can access Hulu Plus, which is like Hulu but a more expansive fee based service. The other services do not, but may do so in the future. It also allows access to Amazon video, which has nearly identical offerings as Apple TV. It is the least expensive of all the systems but is actually regularly ranked much higher than all other services by users. Boxee Boxee has two major advantages. The first is that you can access your personal videos files and the second that you can add your friends and see their favorite files. It is easier to use than both Google TV and Apple TV, and a bit more affordable. Ultimately, it really depends on personal preference and the other devises and services to which you are already connected. For ease of use, affordability and compatibility, most people feel Roku has an edge.

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Electronics

Rick Casey

2011-02-01 14:24:00

Question: What exactly are the differences between DVD and Blu-ray players?

Answer: Differences between DVD and Blu-ray players: Home entertainment options are expanding, with the introduction of Blu-ray players in the High definition format. Regular DVD players are still available, although, the Blu-ray and even new 3D-capable models are making a huge splash. Blu-ray players are a good match for high-definition TVs, especially 1080p models, which can display all the detail contained on Blu-ray discs. All Blu-ray players can also play standard DVDs, upconverting the video to quasi-HD resolutions for display on an HDTV, so you can now use one player for all your discs. Many new Blu-rays can now stream video from the internet, providing instant access to movies and TV episodes from Amazon Video on Demand, Blockbusters on Demand, Netflix, Vudu, and other online services. Another exciting development: 3D-capable players, which let you enjoy three-dimensional entertainment on the new 3D TVs are now arriving in stores. Standard DVD players are still available. Almost all new standard players are progressive-scan models. When used with an HDTV, they can provide picture quality that’s better than that of typical standard-definition TV programming. Most are “upconverting” models that can convert the video contained on regular DVDs to pseudo-HD (when viewed on an HDTV). But, picture quality isn’t as good as true HD. The format’s name (Blu-ray) comes from the fact that a blue laser reads from and writes to the disc rather than the red laser of DVD players. Because of this format the standard DVD players are unable to read HD discs. (However the HD players are backward compatible and are able to read and play standard discs).

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Electronics

Rick Casey

2011-01-01 10:00:00

Question: We are going to take advantage of all the post holiday sales and get a new television. We want a flat screen but not sure if we want a plasma or LCD. Even after reading a ton of reviews, the information is pretty murky. Is there any real difference between the two in performance and longevity?

Answer: There is a reason that the information out there on these two technologies is so confusing. They are similar and competing technologies, each with advantages and disadvantages and in the end, come up pretty evenly. The best thing to do is compare the strengths and weaknesses and choose the one that suits your lifestyle or preferences. Here are a few of the major points of comparison. Viewing Angle: Both plasma and LCD have the best picture when viewing from directly in front of the screen. Because LCDs are backlit, they experience more distortion when viewed from an angle. On-Screen Motion: Plasmas traditionally have had the upper hand in handling high speed motion, such as in sports. However, LCDs are significantly improving in this area. If you want a LCD, choose a model with 120Hz or 240Hz refresh rate. Screen Burn-In: LCDs, by nature of the technology, have the upper hand in this department. Although burn-in is a concern for plasmas, it is much less of one in newer and top rated models. Technology has improved so much in fact, that it is hardly a concern. Longevity: Plasmas and LCDs are pretty much even in longevity. Displays last, on average, 100,000 hours. LCDs use a florescent backlight which, in time may start to cause distortion. In some models, the light can be replaced although manufactures discourage this. Plasmas work by exciting noble gases that will glow different colors. There is no way to replace the gases, so, at the half life of the tv, it is more dim than when new. Price: Finally, affordability. While plasmas have enjoyed lower prices for years, LCDs are now very competitively priced. However, plasmas win out on the large size televisions. Over all, plasmas and LCDs are both excellent technologies that continue to improve. Depending on your viewing habits, one or the other might have a slight edge, but over all, fairly even.

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Electronics

Rick Casey

2010-12-01 13:20:00

Question: I am considering buying my husband a Blu-ray and/or a 3D TV for Christmas. Can you tell me a little about each? Will Blu-rays play DVD’s or will we have to buy an entirely new collection? Do you need the 3D glasses at all times when viewing? Is the picture different or distorted without glasses? Please help!

Answer: When looking for a Blu-ray player make sure it is 3D ready. This means it can be downloaded for the latest 3D firmware updates and can be used on any TV with composite, component and HDMI inputs. All Blu-ray players can play standard DVD’s, CD’s and Blu-ray discs. Standard DVD’s upscale video to almost HD quality with a special HDMI cable. In order to play a 3D movie, you must have a DVD marked “Blu-ray 3D” and a TV (LCD; LED; plasma) that has Total 3D on the box. This ensures the TV has a 3D transmitter plus 3D active glasses. If the TV has 3D already, the customer needs to purchase the 3D sync transmitter and glasses separately. Everyone watching the movie needs the glasses and extra glasses can be purchased. If viewing without glasses the picture will look slightly double vision. 3D TV’s can be used with all programming standard or High Definition.

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Electronics

John Rawson

2010-10-01 10:11:00

Question: Why digital two-way radios?

Answer: By migrating from analog to digital two-way radio communications, the communication needs of many organizations can have a strong technical foundation for adding new functionality to meet new needs in the future. Let’s explore how digital radio technology can support a more responsive and adept mobile team. Need: Improved fundamentals, including voice quality, privacy, battery life and additional features – Part 1 Professional two-way radio users depend on clear, unbroken, reliable voice communications. A missed call, user error, garbled message, or dead battery can mean lowered productivity, wasted time and money, unsatisfied customers, and lost business. Due to the inherent nature of RF physics, analog radio can suffer from several limitations that affect the range and clarity of voice. In an analog system, everything in the environment that disrupts or interferes with the signal itself directly impinges on the voice quality at the receiving end. Although it’s possible to boost and retransmit a degraded signal, there’s no way to reconstitute the original voice quality. The most common result of this degradation is an increase in static and artifacts that makes the signal increasingly unintelligible as the user approaches the margins of the radio’s effective range. Signal strength falls off exponentially as the distance from the transmitter increases, following the inverse square law. At the same time, the background RF “noise” level remains constant, so the signal-to-noise ratio declines by a factor of four with each doubling of the distance between transmitter and receiver. Environmental factors — such as line of- sight obstacles and RF interference — can also severely degrade performance, further shortening the effective range at which analog radio performs with acceptable voice quality. The only way to retain analog voice quality at the edge of the radio’s effective range is to boost signal strength. But this quickly becomes impractical due to the added battery size and drain, the risk of cross-talk and other interference, and regulations governing radio power and spectrum use in various applications. Moreover, techniques that are applied to the analog transmission — such as compounding or voice scrambling for security — alter the quality of the voice signal itself, coloring the sound and adding artifacts that can make it difficult to understand what’s being said. Digital systems, by contrast, incorporate built-in error-correction techniques that reconstitute the voice at nearly its original fidelity throughout most of the RF coverage area. Depending on the device design, digital systems can also improve field operations through longer battery life and additional features. For example, TDMA-based systems that provide 6.25 kHz equivalency in a 12.5 kHz channel use only half their transmit time to carry a single half-duplex conversation. Since transmitting RF signals is very power-intensive, this means digital systems place less drain on the battery than their analog counterparts. In fact, conversation-for-conversation, TDMA-based digital radios function about 40 percent longer on a battery charge than analog systems. Moreover, the two-for-one channel capacity of a TDMA-based system can be used to carry a second conversation, to provide dispatch data in parallel with verbal instructions, to enable enhanced call-control and emergency pre-emption, and for a variety of other existing and future applications. In the same way that digital technology is creating new possibilities for wired and cellular communications, digital two-way radio gives mobile workgroups flexible access to more kinds of information, so they can work faster and more effectively than ever before. Next month we’ll show you how Digital Radio can address these needs in Part 2. Information obtained from “The Future of ProfessionalTwo-way Radio: Digital” whitepaper by Motorola. Email us at sales@firstwirelessinc.com for the complete paper delivered as a pdf file. FirstWireless, Inc. specializes in the Sale, Service and Rental of two-way radios, accessories and applications.

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Electronics

John Rawson

2010-09-01 13:38:00

Question: Why Two-Way radios?

Answer: By migrating from analog to digital two-way radio communications, the communication needs of many organizations can have a strong technical foundation for adding new functionality to meet new needs in the future. Let’s explore how digital radio technology can support a more responsive and adept mobile team. Need: Efficient Use of RF Spectrum For many two-way users, the most important benefit of digital radio is to make more efficient use of licensed 25 kHz and 12.5 kHz channels. The airwaves are becoming more and more crowded, and the old licensed channel structures — originally designed with the principal goal of serving a handful of broadcasters — are no longer adequate to carry the increasing broadcast and private radio traffic projected in the future. Regulatory agencies are responding to an impending crisis in RF congestion by mandating more efficient use of licensed spectrum. For example, in the U.S., the FCC is requiring manufacturers to offer only devices that operate within 12.5 kHz channels by 2011. By the year 2013, all users will be required to operate in 12.5 kHz — making it possible for twice as many users to share the airwaves as compared with today’s 25 kHz licenses. The next logical step is to further improve the effective capacity of 12.5 kHz channels. It’s only a matter of time before the ability to carry two voice paths into a single 12.5 kHz channel, also known as 6.25 kHz equivalent efficiency, becomes a requirement. But with digital radio, there’s no need to wait for a mandate. Devices that incorporate Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA) can achieve 6.25 kHz equivalency today — doubling the capacity of a currently licensed 12.5 kHz channel or quadrupling the capacity of a 25 kHz channel. That means many more people can communicate over an enterprise’s existing licensed channels, without worrying about interference. And because each TDMA “slot” works independently, these virtual 6.25 kHz channels can be used flexibly according to the organization’s needs. For example, two slots within one channel can be used to carry two separate and private conversations, or one slot could be used for data or priority signaling in conjunction with a conversation on the other slot. As application designers create new ways to use the additional capacity — for example, combining channels to support full-duplex calling or to increase the data rate — TDMA-based digital devices will be ready to adapt. In fact, well-designed digital radios can adapt to changing usage models on the fly, in the field. And even organizations that need only basic calling capabilities can benefit from the increased capacity of TDMA-based radios by getting two-for-one value for infrastructure such as repeaters and antennas. Digital radio offers: The ability to expand digital voice, data, and control capabilities that can be delivered over a given slice of RF spectrum. By choosing devices that incorporate the appropriate standards and technologies, organizations can get increased capacity and flexibility to support more users and new usage models. For example, devices that use TDMA modulation offer the flexibility to use a single channel for multiple two-way voice conversations, full-duplex conversations, separate voice and data transmissions, control and management capabilities, and more — flexibly switching between usage scenarios as needed. Lower licensing and equipment costs. 6.25 kHz-equivalent systems based on TDMA enable two virtual channels within a single 12.5 kHz licensed channel, providing twice the calling capacity for the price of one license. And because there’s still only one “real” channel, any supporting infrastructure does double-duty as well. A second call doesn’t require a second repeater, or expensive combining equipment to route both calls through a single antenna site. Next month we’ll take a look at the need for Improved Fundamentals, Including Voice Quality, Privacy, Battery Life, and Additional Features. *Information obtained from “The Future of Professional Two-way Radio: Digital” whitepaper by Motorola. Email us at sales@firstwirelessinc.com for the complete paper delivered as a pdf file.

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Electronics

John Rawson

2010-08-01 13:01:00

Question: Why Two-Way Radio?

Answer: Before we look at the advantages of digital, there’s a more fundamental question. With alternative and emerging technologies — such as cellular, push-to-talk over cellular, and Voice-over-WLAN–is there any reason for enterprises to stick with two-way radio at all? While there’s no single answer to this question for every organization, two-way radio offers certain advantages that make it the clear choice for the vast majority of mobile professionals who require an affordable, flexible, highly reliable solution — along with the power and range available only in licensed bands. Advantages of two-way radio include: •Low total cost of ownership. Two-way radio requires a small up-front investment, with no recurring monthly fees. A two-way radio solution can typically pay for itself in less than 18 months compared with cellular or public carrier solutions that require recurring monthly fees. •Customizable coverage and features. Two-way radio was developed and has continued to evolve to meet the specific needs of group-oriented communications and dispatch environments. The ability to tailor a two-way solution to meet the needs of businesses — with quick, reliable one-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-many communications — remains unequaled. Carrier-based solutions don’t provide comparable levels of customization and performance. •Simple, reliable implementation. On-site and in-the-field solutions often require no infrastructure at all. Users simply turn on their radios and talk directly to each other — for miles — using rugged devices designed for everyday use in the most demanding environments. For group voice calls, with coverage requirements measured in miles rather than feet, two-way radio will continue to provide simplicity and reliability unmatched by cellular, VoWLAN and other competing technologies. If you’re one of the tens of millions of professionals who rely on two-way radio today, it will continue to be your technology of choice tomorrow. And if you’re not a two-way radio user today, you owe it to yourself and your business to explore what two-way has to offer. Digital Two-Way Radio: A Modern Solution for Modern Needs Analog radio works well, and proves itself every day in countless deployments around the world. However, analog two-way radio has reached the limits of innovations. Virtually everything that can be imagined using analog radio has been already been attempted or achieved over more than a half-century of experimentation and innovation. Today, a new platform is required to break through to new levels of performance and productivity. Many enterprises are finding they need more than the fundamentals that analog two-way radio delivers. Perhaps their licensed channels are becoming crowded and they need more capacity. Perhaps they need more flexible ways to communicate with users both inside and outside the work team. Perhaps they need access to data in combination with voice to improve responsiveness and productivity. Digital radio provides a powerful, flexible platform that professional organizations can adapt to meet these needs and more. By migrating from analog to digital two-way radio communications, these organizations can fill many of these needs immediately and build a strong technical foundation for adding new functionality to meet new needs in the future. Next month we’ll take a look at each of these enterprise mobility needs in turn, and explore how digital radio technology can support a more responsive and adept mobile team. *Information obtained from “The Future of ProfessionalTwo-way Radio: Digital” whitepaper by Motorola. Email us at sales@firstwirelessinc.com for the complete paper delivered as a pdf file. John Rawson, Consultant, is part of the team of Wichita sales staff and RF radio technicians that is grouped with shops located in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. FirstWireless, Inc. offers client consultations and demos, service, maintenance and installation, radio rentals, FCC licensing, GPS tracking and warranty administration. FirstWireless, Inc. specializes in the sales, service and rental of two-way radios, accessories and applications. As a Premier Service Partner with Motorola, the trained sales staff and radio technicians keep customers up-to-date with the most current technical advances in radio systems and devices. Visit www.firstwirelessinc.com for more information or call at (316) 265-2290.

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Electronics

John Rawson

2010-07-01 12:39:00

hat is two-way radio?

Answer: Two-way voice was one of the first commercial applications of radio technology. In 1933, the first two-way mobile radio system was installed in patrol cars of the Bayonne, New Jersey police department. Since then, two-way radio has moved beyond the realm of public safety to become an invaluable tool for mobile professionals in a wide range of enterprises.

The term "two-way radio" conjures up a variety of images. Many people think of public safety officers using expensive equipment and licensed spectrum to convey mission-critical information at the site of an incident. Others think of hobbyists and sales clerks using low-cost, low-power "walkie talkies" in the unlicensed spectrum to keep in touch over relatively short distances. But there’s a vast and growing market between these two extremes for professional users who need high-quality yet affordable equipment that takes advantage of the power, range and coexistence characteristics of licensed channels. In transportation, energy, government, retail, hospitality and many other industries, licensed professional two-way radio systems offer capabilities that no other mobile technology can provide. Unlike competing technologies, only two-way radio can offer professionals instant, private and cost-effective communication in virtually any environment — anywhere and anytime. With two-way radio, there’s no need to deploy supporting infrastructure in a field situation, or to rely on subscriber-based public networks that may be under-supported or even completely unavailable. For most of its history, two-way radio has been an analog medium, and to this day the vast majority of systems are still analog. But that’s about to change. In the same way that digital technology has transformed other media, it’s now revolutionizing the way mobile professionals communicate in the field. Like the digitization of music, TV and other traditionally analog media, digital two-way radio technology offers several advantages over the analog systems of the past. For example, compared to analog two-way radio, digital two-way radio can offer greater spectral efficiency for higher calling capacity, enhanced voice quality at the farthest margins of the RF range, and more reliable coverage — making it easier to hear and understand conversations, even at long range and in difficult environments. Digital two-way radio also offers many features and capabilities that analog simply can’t provide. For example, digital systems can: • Provide enhanced signaling for user-friendly operation and advanced features • Enable longer battery life in the field by requiring less transmit power, depending on the specific transmit methods and power-management technologies used in the device • Enable flexible privacy between individual users and groups, without degrading voice quality or requiring configuration of add-on hardware • Combine voice communication and wireless data applications in the same device, literally transforming the way field workers get the job done We will be presenting here a series of articles that gives an overview of two-way digital technology and the advantages it offers to mobile professionals in industries such as transportation, education, building construction and manufacturing, energy and utilities, private security, public safety and local government, and service-intensive businesses such as hotels, motels and casinos. We’ll explore unique needs of these mobile workers, and discuss the ways that digital technology serves these needs in ways that analog radio can’t. Next month we’ll answer the question, "Why Two-Way Radios?" *Information obtained from "The Future of Professional Two-way Radio: Digital" whitepaper by Motorola. Email us at sales@firstwirelessinc.com for the complete paper delivered as a pdf file. John Rawson, Consultant, is part of the team of Wichita sales staff and RF radio technicians that is grouped with shops located in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. FirstWireless, Inc. offers client consultations and demos, service, maintenance and installation, radio rentals, FCC licensing, GPS tracking and warranty administration. As a Premier Service Partner with Motorola, the trained sales staff and radio technicians keep customers up-to-date with the most current technical advances in radio systems and devices. Visit www.firstwirelessinc.com for more information or call us at (316) 265-2290.

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Electronics

Pam Tucker

2010-06-01 10:14:00

How do I choose the battery that’s right for me? There seems to be a lot of different kinds and it gets confusing.

Answer: Great question. This quick and basic review of batteries is geared toward rechargeable 2-way radio batteries, but it can go a long way for you to get the most from your battery no matter what you use it for.

What’s mAh? An ampere-hour or amp-hour (AH) is a unit of electric charge. One ampere-hour is the electric charge transferred by a steady current of one ampere for one hour. Milliampere-hour (mAh or mA•h) is one-thousandth of an ampere-hour, and is a technical term for how much electrical charge a particular battery will hold (storage capacity). Batteries used in two-way radios are often rated in milliampere-hours. As an example, two-way radio batteries with higher mAh values theoretically last longer without requiring a recharge. Terms such as "6 hour rate" or "20 hour rate" indicate that the battery is discharged steadily over 6 or 20 hours, and the Amp-hour capacity is measured by how much it puts out before reaching 80%. Two-way radio batteries range from 700-2000 mAh. What is NiCd, NiMh and Li-on and why does it matter? Much of the difference in battery "up-time" is affected by the chemistry of the battery. The three major chemistries used with two-way radios are: •NiCd Nickel Cadmium •NiMH Nickel Metal Hydride •Li-on Lithium-Ion Nickel Cadmium (NiCAD) batteries are the least expensive and most common battery. For optimum performance, NiCAD batteries should be completely discharged before being recharged, and then be recharged for a full eight hours at a time. Failure to properly discharge/recharge a NiCAD battery can lead to diminished performance (i.e. the "memory" effect). Having 2-3 extra charged batteries can make this process simpler. This chemistry is ideal for a user who needs a high-performance battery and who communicates under extreme conditions of cold and heat (-30C to +50C). Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries are less susceptible to the "memory" effect, allowing the user to charge their battery at their convenience. Motorola’s NiMH batteries can offer superior operation life between charges as the chemistry provides 30% to 40% longer operation time than NiCd. However, this chemistry does not operate as efficiently in extreme temperatures. Lithium Ion (Li-ON) batteries are also much less resistant to retaining a "memory," and normally provide a longer stand-by and talk time Their power to weight ratio results in a lighter and smaller power supply. Li-ON batteries are slightly more expensive than NiMH. For many users, battery maintenance will be the key to longer battery life and less frustration when using their two-way radio. Pam Tucker, FirstWireless, Inc. specializes in the Sale, Service and Rental of two-way radios, accessories and applications. Pam Tucker is part of the team of Wichita sales staff and RF radio technicians that is grouped with shops located in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. FirstWireless, Inc. offers client consultations and demos, service, maintenance and installation, radio rentals, FCC licensing, GPS tracking and warranty administration. As a Premier Service Partner with Motorola, the trained sales staff and radio technicians keep customers up-to-date with the most current technical advances in two-way radio systems and devices. Visit www.firstwirelessinc.com for more information or call us at (316) 265-2290. We are now on Facebook!

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Electronics

Pam Tucker

2010-05-01 14:25:00

Question: My workplace uses commercial grade walkie-talkies. How can I extend the battery life?

Answer: You’re absolutely right that much of what you do can control the battery life of your two-way radio. Many users don’t realize that having a proper battery maintenance procedure lengthens the time between charges--which translate into cost savings. 7 Tips for Better Battery Performance 1.Be sure the battery is not out of date. •To locate a Motorola battery’s date of manufacture, find the 3-digit number on the label. The 1st digit is the YEAR of manufacture; the 2nd and 3rd digits are the WEEK. So a battery with a code of 012 was manufactured in the 12th week of 2010. Other manufacturer’s have similar date codes. 2.Watch closely for outdated batteries. •Older batteries may not hold a charge as well as newer ones. Using an outdated battery can also lead to erratic operation, a short lifespan and impaired product performance. Discontinue usage when the battery: •Is more than 2 years old •Has been utilized for 18 months in a typical retail application •Was used for 12 months in a 2-3 shift industrial/warehouse application. 3.Change the battery when prompted (the indicator light reads "low", you get an audible alert, or a pop up indicates a low battery). •If you use the device until the battery has completely drained, it may lock up and appear to be dead. Many times, locked units can be reset without being sent out for repair. If this occurs, let the unit charge overnight. If the unit is still locked, the unit may require a cold boot. 4.Maintain 2-3 spare batteries per unit. •Keeping extra batteries on hand allows you to fully charge the others off shift. Here are what we recommend for increasing reliability & minimal downtime: •Retail user 1 to 2-shift use 2+ batteries •Industrial user 24x7 use 3+ batteries 5. Assign a specific terminal to each User. •Charging stations located throughout the floor/building/area, is a common practice. However, as their batteries become discharged, Users pick up a battery from any station – though it may have only been placed there 15 minutes prior. Have one person monitor a central charging location to help reduce device failure & confusion. 6.Associate specific batteries to specific charging units. •Think "One Battery--One Charger/Slot--One Adaptor". Assign each device (radio-battery-charger-adaptor) a number and/or name and label accordingly. This makes it easier in the future to indentify the actual source of any problem, which will save money on repairs and replacements. Most chargers and adaptors can be purchased separately. 7.Keep your battery contact surfaces clean. •Dirty contact points are a main source of charging problems. To clear dirt & residue, clean contacts with a soft cloth. Pure alcohol may be used to remove grease & other contaminants. *Information taken from Motorola’s brochure "Battery Management and Maintenance"