Falcon Research
 18365 - 63A  Avenue
Surrey, B.C. V3S 8A8
Canada
Phone: (604) 576-8235 / Fax: (604) 576-8243
Email  phillip_eldridge@telus.net

Radio Equipment Rentals, Sales & Service.

VHF-FM Base / Mobile Radios VHF-FM portable radios HF-SSB Base radios VHF-FM Repeaters Technical Notes

Part of the comprehensive support package offered by Falcon Drilling is the Radio Communications rental and sales service.

Satellite terminals are available that will provide Internet access and email service as well as file transfer.  The Direcway terminals use a 98 cm dish and provide Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephony service that permits toll free dialing of 604 area code telephone numbers from anywhere in B.C. or the Yukon. Long distance calls to other area codes in North America are typically 8 cents per minute.  End User training is available to enable users to install their own terminals in remote locations.  Inmarsat TT3060A and Globalstar GSP1600 satellite telephones are also available for purchase or rent. 

Radio communication equipment includes HF-SSB, VHF-AM, VHF-FM  radios in both portable and mobile / base station configurations. Certain portable and mobile radios are field programmable and custom configuration to suit particular applications is a specialty. Secure voice encryption is available on certain VHF-FM radios. Field portable repeaters weighing only 20 lbs. housed in Pelican 1450 cases are available to expand local coverage or provide integration with VHF radio services. Rental radio packages include all required accessories such as antennas, leather cases, extra spare batteries and rapid battery chargers. Assistance with Industry Canada and USA Federal Communications Commission licensing application is available. The possession of a valid FCC license makes it a simple matter to legally import and use a transceiver in the USA. Details on some of this equipment are provided below. For an explanation of some of the terminology used refer to the Technical Notes.

Internet Satellite terminal systems:-

 

  The Direcway satellite terminal system provides Internet access, file transfer and email service to remote sites throughout most of Canada at very attractive rates.  The system requires 110 VAC supply and uses a 98 cm dish.  Most importantly the system offers a VOIP telephony service that provides toll free calling to or from any other 604 area code telephone.  North American long distance rates outside of 604 are typically 8 cents per minute.  With the addition of the supplied wireless router the whole camp can have Internet access!  Further information on the Direcway system as supplied by Galaxy Broadband and installed by Falcon Research may be found at www.galaxybroadband.ca.

Also available for rent and purchase are Inmarsat TT3060A Mini-M portable satellite telephone units that offer effective worldwide coverage .  Coming soon to North America is the new Inmarsat BGAN satellite telephone system that offers very high data transfer rates, full internet and email service and VOIP telephone voice service.  The service is already available in the Middle East and Asian region and the additional coverage of the Americas will make this a truly global high speed service.  The satellite terminal unit approximately the same size as the TT3060A terminal i.e. a notebook computer!

Dedicated VSAT terminal systems:-

 

   The three surrounding pictures show the C band 2.4 meter antenna system installed at Oromin Exploration's site in Sabadola, Senegal in February 2006 by Falcon Research Ltd.  This system provides very high speed access via the Newskies NSS7 satellite to the Internet, email and VOIP telephone service.  It also allows for the transfer of very large GIS and similar files.  The VOIP unit is a 604 registered telephone so all calls to the head office in Vancouver are toll free.  This is a dedicated VSAT system that provides guaranteed quality of service meaning that there is no degradation due to excessive channel loading such as is experienced with the smaller systems shown above. C band operation was chosen as it is less affected by heavy rain than Ku or Ka band.  The inside equipment consists of a wireless router with 4 Ethernet ports, an external wireless access point that will be used to provide camp wide wireless access and the 604 area code registered VOIP telephone unit.  Although the operating cost of this system is much higher than the Direcway or Anik F2 systems the guaranteed quality of service and bandwidth offer significant advantages in very remote but larger scale projects.


Globalstar satellite telephone systems:-

The Globalstar GSP1600 handheld telephone unit shown on the right is a handheld tri-mode satellite telephone that operates throughout the world wherever there is Globalstar coverage.  Refer to the Globalstar coverage map at  http://www.globalstar.ca/en/content.php?cid=300 for more coverage details.  The telephone unit incorporates a tri-mode system that can use either terrestrial cellular telephone service or satellite service. Voice mail and 9600 kbps data transfer options are available.

The Globalstar FAU200, the white box with dual antennas mounted on the middle solar panel as shown in the image to the left, is a more sensitive and more powerful satellite telephone that offers more sensitive performance in areas of reduced signal strength.  It can be powered from dual solar panels with a 12 volt battery or from 110 VAC when installed as a base camp system.  This unit accommodates up to three standard desktop telephone handsets that can be placed up to 500' away from the transceiver unit but note that only one handset can be used at a time. The illustration at left shows the system configured for use as a remote controlled mountain top satellite telephone repeater system.  The third solar panel powers the full duplex VHF radio system that provides the link from the mountain top down to the camp.

 The FAU200 unit is particularly useful in locations where users of the GSP 1600 handheld telephone are experiencing a lot of dropped calls or difficulty making connection to a satellite.  Note that this unit provides only voice service.

 

VHF-FM portable radios - Motorola:-

Motorola GP300 - an extremely tough and durable 16 channel radio that covers 146.00 MHz to 174 MHz. Max transmit power is 5.0 watts in the VHF version and receive sensitivity is excellent at 0.22uV for 12dB Sinad. Weight is 18 oz and dimensions are 5.5" x 2.3" x 1.65". The radio complies with Mil spec 810C,D &E. Squelch level is preset at programming time. Each channel may be coded with two PL/DPL codes that allow flexible arrangements of talk groups. Each channel may be programmed with an individual Transmit power between 1 and 5 watts.

VHF-FM portable radios - ICOM:-

ICOM F30GT & F30GS - a 256 channel radio available in a field programmable (GT version) rated at 5 watts Tx power. Weight with battery is 15oz and dimensions are 2.125" x 5.5" x 1.5".  Both radios cover the frequency spread from 136.00 MHz to 174.00 MHz and can be programmed for 12.5kHz or 25 kHz channel spacing per channel as required.   Channel display is a large two line LCD.  These radios are supplied with a NiMH long life 1650 mAH battery.  Instructions for programming channel frequencies on the front panel of the F30GT are provided if requested.  All rental radios are supplied with 110 VAC rapid desktop chargers and leather cases to protect the radios.  All portable radios can be supplied with an automotive kit that includes a magnetic base 5/8 whip vehicle antenna and 12 VDC cigarette lighter adapter that permits efficient and transportable use between any vehicle.  This system greatly extends the radio range in critical situations such as logging roads.

ICOM F3GT - not shown - a 100 channel 5 watt radio that has numerous accessories available that allow it to be adapted to suit low power vehicular applications and still serve as a portable radio at the work site. Also front panel field programmable in terms of transmit and receive frequencies.  The battery of choice is a NiMH 1650 maH battery that provides a very long period between charges.

VHF-FM base & mobile radios - ICOM:-

ICOM F520 - This 50 watt radio may be configured for standard vehicular use or, with an additional 12VDC power supply and base station antenna it may be set up for use as a base station. All required accessories are provided as part of the standard rental package. The radio accommodates 256 channels within the frequency range of 136.00 MHz to 174 MHz, each channel can be set to either wide or narrow channel spacing, display is a 10 character LCD.  The transmit and receive frequencies for any channel can be front panel programmed msking it very useful when traveling on logging roads.   Max transmit power is 50 watts and receive sensitivity is 0.21 uV at 12 dB Sinad. Weight is 2Lb 6oz and dimensions are 5.5" x 1.5" x 6.75".

Other available radios are the ICOM F1020 and F320..

HF-SSB Base / Base transceivers:-

ICOM M700 - Traditionally HF-SSB transceivers have been used for medium to long distance communications and to a large degree have now been replaced by Satellite telephone systems. However for cheap and effective base to base communications over paths that are too long for VHF they are still a viable alternative. This radios is field programmable on all 48 channels and transmits at 150 watts PEP. There are several different antennas for specific applications. A 20 amp, 12 VDC powers source is required. Weight is16.0 lbs. Dimensions are 5" x 12" x 15".

VHF-FM Repeater systems:-

Designed for maximum portability the FR200 is used to extend the range of portable and mobile or base radios beyond the usual line of sight limitation. Utilizing a low power transmitter operating at only 5.0 watts ranges of 20 kms from portables to the repeater and another 20 kms from repeater to base are being achieved with the new design. The repeater requires a 12 volt lead acid battery which is maintained in a charged condition by the solar panel (if fitted). Several units can be operated in series to extend the range even further or to penetrate into difficult terrain as has been done in B.C. and in Labrador. Site selection procedures, installation and setup have been simplified so that clients can successfully install this system themselves and installation training is given at our Surrey office location. Industry Canada radio licenses are held by Falcon for operation of these systems throughout B.C., Yukon and N.W. T.. Several systems have been used in Alaska and our office will provide assistance in obtaining USA FCC radio licenses. The radio equipment is housed in a Pelican 1450 shock proof case and weighs 20 lbs,  the solar panel is 14"x48" and weighs 28 lbs.