Sarantel, manufacturer of miniature antenna for portable and mobile wireless devices, has been awarded a contract to supply its GeoHelix GPS miniature antenna to Eurocom Telemunicazioni SNC.
Eurocom will integrate the GeoHelix antenna in its new APLS lapel-microphone, enabling users such as police officers and security guards to be tracked and located by central control during a call out or security alert. Eurocom is an Italian distributor and manufacturer of complementary products for Motorola PMR land mobile products and is a supplier to police forces and security services in Italy.
The new APLS lapel-microphone is a global positioning (GPS) assisted product for the PMR communications market. The Sarantel GPS antenna works with a GPS receiver in the APLS microphone to give the last known location of the user. This enables the police force or security provider central control room dispatcher to pinpoint the user to within 5m of their location, according to the makers. The APLS microphone can be used with analogue, MPT and TETRA radio systems. As the APLS microphone is worn on the shirt lapel of a user, Eurocom required an embedded GPS antenna capable of working in close proximity to the body. The Sarantel GeoHelix S antenna was selected, according to the firm, for its high beamwidth and very low near-field, which allows it to function close to signal absorbing bodies – such as living tissue – with no negative impact on performance.
What they say
Carlo Kowcun, Eurocom Senior Hardware Design Engineer, says: “Our customers work in harsh and challenging environments where their personal safety is often at risk. They need an APLS product that is robust and can be tracked under the most difficult conditions. The Sarantel antenna was the only option for our microphone because it is the only one able to give an accurate GPS reading in all positions – even upside down and when in close proximity to the human body.” David Wither, Chief Executive Officer for Sarantel says: “There is enormous potential for GPS in personal location and safety, but it can only happen where robust and proven technology is applied to innovative designs. We are pleased to have been selected for this demanding application, which will aid policing forces in their day-to- day job and hopefully play a part in ensuring their personal safety.” The parent company, Sarantel Ltd, is based in Wellingborough, with subsidiaries in USA and in Singapore.
