[App_rpt-users] Console Operation

[Brian Kassa]

Ron,

I have been having the very same thoughts for quite a while.  I am an old
dispatcher from way back and tend to still think this way.  There are a
number of IP Dispatch Consoles on the commercial market today.  This enables
1-n people to access a 1-n radio channels across an IP bearer.  There are
many added functions that would enable cross patching of channels and other
neat features.  Having this functionality as part of our solution would
enable many very interesting use cases.   Here is what I would do in my
community with this functionality:

1.  I have an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in a valley with several
multi-channel Remote Bases 2500 feet above on a tall mountain.  They are
currently controlled via link radios and DTMF.  If I add these to Asterisk
then I can have full control via IP from the EOC or the mobile EOC.  I need
simultaneous access to these channels.

2.  in the same area we have a very large Search and Rescue Community that
has in-town resources that coordinate resourcing for the field across
several different radio channels.  If i add these to Asterisk then those
in-town resources can monitor the field operations and communicate across
several different radio channels.

3.  I would like to take the new developments for voting receivers and place
these through out the area to listen for 121.5 ELT, EPIRB and PLB signals in
areas that we have routine turnoffs like small airports and fishing boat
terminals.  A dispatch console application gives me immediate access to many
receivers so that I can instantly know which channel.  I would also use this
to monitor the various channels in a voting system to determine location....

4.  An EOC  is typically in the basement with the radios on the roof.  A
cheap dispatch console cleans ups the EOC from an appearance and operational
perspective and allows the radios to be in another room, on the roof or on a
mountain top.

5.  We create a mutli-channel network that runs all the way around Mount
Rainer each July for a ugly bike event (10,000 of elevation gain).  This is
on a 4 channel network with two net control operators.  This means I need 8
radios in base camp to support the event.  I can reduce this to 4 with a
proper dispatch application and app-rpt.

The current application handles 1 channel.  In my use cases I typically need
2-5 channels.  You can buy this type of solution all day long for tens of
thousands of dollars from commercial vendors.  These are all low budget
volunteer run operations so funding is paramount.  Most of this is
Commercial so All-Star is not an option for linking.

Best Regards,

Brian
KD4WAV
Snoqualmie EOC Support Team
King County Search and Rescue

On Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 5:52 PM, Ron Simpson <n6gkj.cm98 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hello all!!
>
> How many of you are familiar with the M Centracom Gold Elite dispatch
> console? or the MCC-7500 Series Digital Console ?
> Basically the "Gold Elite" system is a big switch with some rather unique
> features when employed in a Trunking System... However Ham Radio is
> obviously conventional radio and I believe that the stuff we are playing
> with can be adapted to serve as a Dispatch Console talking to, cross
> patching with many or few Nodes (Conventional Resources). I am looking at
> creating a GUI that is operationally setup with config files similar to a
> DialPlan script. The new thin client looks very promising for this! Plus
> they are cheap! I talked with Micro Node today and got good vibes from Mark.
> At any rate, a thin client card can be tied to a mic, speaker and a
> footswitch. My concept calls for clicking an ICON on a screen, this action
> will automatically connect to the Node represented by by that ICON, when the
> footswitch is pressed, it initiates a transmission to that Node.
>
> This is all rudimentry thinking at this point.... but the flexiblitly of
> Asterisk and Allstar Link could make this a very doable thing!
>
> I have been playing with this for only a few days, and I am impressed,
> pumped up and cant believe how this is such a powerfull system!
>
> If anyone has thoughts, ideas or has already done it, feel free to give me
> a jingle!
>
> I deal alot with 911 Dispatch Centers on a daily basis....
>
> Those systems are very expensive when purchased new, overly expensive used
> and complicated, very hardware intensive and run on MS Operating Systems....
> total turn off!!
>
> This is a home grown solution that will cost a fraction at the most of a
> full commerical system from the M company.
>
> Anyone interested?
>
>
> Ron Simpson, 209 642-6559
> N6GKJ Amateur Radio
> ...................
>
> Have you ever noticed that when you are looking for something,
> it is always found in the last place you look?
>
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>
>
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