AirPage XT. is an affordable and efficient in-building communications solution for churches, hospitals, manufacturing plants, restaurants, schools, and shopping malls. Unlike our original AirPage one-way paging system, the new XT version has two-way capability. Before reviewing our offerings, let us quickly review the technologies that were considered and found to be lacking for our required applications. Cellular phones The fact is that you can purchase a block of airtime and share the time between multiple phones. This idea has been discounted for several reasons, notably the cost of the individual phones (and airtime) and the fact that cell phones don t work well in buildings. Private wireless phones There are any number of solutions available including the popular EnGenius and Voyager long range cordless phone systems as well as WiFi based phones. Neither of these technologies is effective for large building applications either from the viewpoint of cost or efficiency. Systems such as InnerWireless and other systems of this type are well suited for large hospitals but the infrastructure cost is considerable and generally not a good choice for commercial use. FRS Radios FRS radios are great for short range use. They are affordable and efficient for personal outdoor use. Limited power, interference from other users, and the inability to extend range through the use of booster or repeater stations eliminates the use of these devices for the majority of in-building wireless applications. GMRS Radios Technically, GMRS radios are capable of providing good in-building coverage and repeaters are available. These radios are very affordable and well suited for personal use and that is the major limitation of this technology. GMRS radios can only be licensed by the FCC for PERSONAL use. A commercial enterprise which essentially constitutes any application where the user is paid or is associated with one who is paid can NOT use GMRS equipment for the conduct of their business or enterprise. On the following pages, we will take a look at what you CAN use for efficient and affordable in-building communications. AirPageXT.doc The Falcon Team At your service!
AirPage One-Way Paging The original AirPage is a one way silent wireless paging system specifically designed for use by church nursery to parent communications. Several variations of personal receivers are available with the $79 JPager shown at the left being our most popular model. Other models are available ranging in price from $99 to $189. Sending terminals range in cost from $439 to $895 with range extenders available for $549. Additional information is available on line at www.falcondirect.com/business/airpage. An FCC license adds $300. AirPage XT Two-Way Paging Two-way on-site communications requires a slightly larger user device. A typical pager receiver weighs around 3 ounces. A two-way device (we call them transceivers) weighs about twice as much. Two of our more popular models are shown at the left along with a sending station (we call the Stationary Radio Units or SRU s) at the bottom and a Repeater or booster station at the top used to extend range. Now let s take a look at the individual components of the AirPage XT system. It all starts with an FCC license. The best in-building coverage requires the use of UHF (450-470 MHz) frequencies. All 450-470 MHz UHF radios, with the exception of FRS require an FCC operating license. This is a process requiring preparation, coordination, and payment of applicable fees. Figure $500 for the typical on-site license which is good for ten years. Next, we set up a sending station or SRU. This is set up in your operations center. In a church, it would be the Nursery. In a hospital, it might be in the Emergency Unit, Intensive care nurse station, the Surgical Unit, the Maternity Ward, the Code Blue operations center, Transportation, Housekeeping, Maintenance, or Security as required. In restaurants, it would be at the Hostess Station, in plants at the Reception area, in schools in the office, or shopping malls at the Visitor Center. Our SRU has up to 45 watts of power and the ability to individually contact up to 512 transceiver units. The cost is $795. An antenna system is required with configurations ranging from simple mobile type magnetic base antennas to wide area outside antennas (See below).
A good antenna is the key to good communications. We offer three basic models that will meet the needs of the majority of those we serve. A 17 magnet base antenna with connector cable is great for office use. No installation is required. Price is $50. The antenna shown at the left is an 8 fiberglass model designed for outdoor mounting. A 100 cable kit with mounting clamps is included. Price is $500. For extreme situations, we offer a 20 high model with 100 ultra low loss cable kit for $1,000. Installation not included. Additional information is available on request. The Ritron Liberty Repeater extends the range of most UHF radios from a centralized location to provide greater operating range between users with handheld radios. Two models are available - both are under $1,000 complete. These units are for use with smaller systems. Larger capacity repeaters are also available with up to 45 watts of power for $3,000. Receiver voting systems are optionally available for special needs. There are many different configurations of the infrastructure required to provide effective communications to personal on site transceivers, but the above equipment will serve the majority of the requirements for those we serve. If you have special requirements, we have the engineering resources to plan and budget virtually any requirement. For now, let s consider a few sample systems. Let s assume a church nursery paging system, a remote parking lot wireless assistance system, and a restaurant wireless patron communications systems. Variations of these three basic systems can address a variety of other requirements. We will start with a review of the available personal on site transceivers. The TC-1600 is our most affordable 2-way personal on site transceiver. This unit is used for any application where the primary function is to summon assistance although it can also be used as a selective alerting receiver to call a specific individual as required. The TC-1600 has a powerful 1 watt transmitter with receiver in a compact 3.97 x 2.1 x 1.2 package weighing only 4.76 ounces. The TC-1600 is powered by a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery that can provide up to 8 hours of continuous operation before recharging. The price is only $99. Repeater compatible, PC programmable. The VL50 has essentially the same power and performance of the TC-1600 with the added capability of operating in either an audible or silent vibrate mode. It s a little more expensive - $175, but worth the cost difference for those requiring private alerting. The VL50 weighs in at just 4.6 ounces and measures 5.8 x 2.2 x 1.1. The VL50 can operate on any of 56 internally programmed frequencies. It is not compatible with repeaters.
The operating range of either the TC-1600 or VL50 for direct personal radio to personal radio communications is typically up to 200,000 square feet horizontally or 15 floors vertically*. Range is significant extended with the use of a Stationary Radio Unit (SRU) as well as a repeater (applicable only to the TC-1600). *Range estimates are not a guarantee of performance. Actual range will vary by location. A variety of optional accessories are available for both the TC1600 and the VL-50. Some of the more popular options include a multiple unit charger capable of charging up to six radios $149, a private listening earpiece for $29, or a choice of a speaker microphone or surveillance headset for $49. Spare batteries are $26. A $60 PC programming kit is available for the TC-1600. Now, let s look at a few applications. Church Nursery to Parent Paging/Communications For the last twenty years, churches have used wireless parent notification systems based on the use of one-way paging receivers and a sending terminal. The original systems used quality components designed for a 10 year life. Sadly, that is not the case today. The manufacturers offering quality products such as Motorola, Multitone, NEC, and Panasonic have given up the market to manufacturers and sellers intent only on providing the lowest initial cost possible. The use of Stationary Radio Unit with a basic magnetic mount antenna will generally serve the needs of even the largest churches when used in conjunction with the VL50 Personal Communications Device (PCD). Parents can still be selectively addressed and silently alerted with three additional benefits. 1) The parent can talk back to the nursery (after leaving the classroom or sanctuary) without returning to the nursery in a non-emergency situation. 2) Instead of replacing equipment every few years, the 2-way system is designed for a decade or more of performance. 3) Larger churches with full time administrative staff and/or schools can use the VL50 radios for administrative use during the week for increased use of the system. This provides a much greater return on investment. Prices are as follows: FCC License (good for 10 years) - $300 Stationary Radio Unit - $795 Basic Antenna System - $50 VL50 Transceiver (each) - $175 Multiple 6 unit charger* - $149 *Not required, but recommended One each for every 6 VL50 s in use Comparative Costs Assume a 25 unit system. A one way paging system such as our AirPage III system would have a cost of $2,714 assuming the $79 JPager, a $439 paging terminal, and a $300 FCC license. We would normally assume a three year life or a total 10 year cost of $7,542 which works out to an amortized cost of $14.50 per week not a bad investment! Now, let s look at a comparable 25 unit 2-way system as described above assuming the same 25 parent notification/communications units at $175 each, a sending station with antenna at $845, an FCC license at $300, four multi unit chargers at $596 for a total of $6116 actually $1,426 LESS THAN THE COST OF A ONE WAY PAGING SYSTEM!
Parking lot assistance system A church nursery paging system assumes origination of a call from the nursery that is received by the parent. We call this a group call system - calls originate from a centralized point of origin (nursery) and are directed to singular individuals within a group (parents). Two way communications allow exchange of information without the parent returning to the nursery in non-emergency situations. There are applications where an individual initiates a call for assistance to a fixed point of response (Stationary Radio Unit). The devices change basic functionality in this scenario. The call originator is one with the Personal Communications Device (PCD). In this scenario, the lower cost TC-1600 PCD can be used as is reflected in the sample system shown below. The use of Stationary Radio Unit (SRU) with a basic magnetic mount antenna will generally serve the needs of most industrial plants, office buildings or shopping malls when used in conjunction with the TC-1600 Personal Communications Device (PCD). Users can still be selectively addressed and silently alerted with three additional benefits. 1) The user can initiate a call for assistance by just pressing a button. The user ID will appear on the SRU indicating a response to that user. If desired, the user can initiate a 2-way voice conversation with the SRU station 2) Larger systems may require one or more repeaters. We will assume for now that a simple system consisting of a single SRU and 25 TC-1600 PCDS for budgetary pricing. Prices are as follows: FCC License (good for 10 years) - $300 Stationary Radio Unit - $795 Basic Antenna System - $50 TC-1600 Transceiver (each) - $99 Multiple 6 unit charger* - $149 *Not required, but recommended One each for every 6 TC-1600 s in use Comparative Costs Assume a 25 unit system. This system would have a cost of $4,216 assuming the $99 TC-1600 @ $2,475, four multiple unit chargers @ $596, a $795 Stationary Radio Unit, a $50 antenna system and a $300 FCC license. We would normally assume a three year life* on an application of this type for a total three year cost of $4,216 which works out to an amortized cost of approximately $40 per week or less than $6 per day. *We would assume a shorter life expectancy on this system than we would on a church nursery system since the usage would typically be much greater. Restaurant and Waiting Room Notification System We ve all been to a restaurant or hospital waiting area where we were given a coaster pager to alert us when a table is ready or notification that news is available from the surgical unit or availability of treatment Great idea, but it only provides limited capabilities since it is a one-way device. A two-way device can be used to increase profits and enhance the patron and/or visitor experience. Here s how
When people are waiting to be served at a restaurant or called in a clinic or hospital, they tend to be a little restless. Giving them the opportunity to go outside, or out of the immediate area, gives them freedom from being confined to the waiting area. It also makes the task of notifying them a LOT easier with more privacy and less noise pollution! This is why many restaurants use wireless on-site paging systems. As good as these systems are, they can be improved. For example, the key thought in serving people is taking care of those you serve. In restaurants, the idea is to give better serve to get more patrons and keep the ones you have. The same is essentially true for hospitals and clinics desiring to provide similar services to patients and family members. A two-way device provides significant benefits over a one-way device in terms of greater flexibility, longer useful life, and reduced replacement cost. Flexibility Other than being seated, what is the greatest complaint about restaurants (we ll ignore bad food for the moment). The complaint is I can t get a server when needed! From the restaurant s point of view, the quicker they can respond, the more food (desserts etc.) they will sell and the more money per patron they will make. Additionally, the faster a table can be turned, the more income earned! The solution is to provide the patron with a 2-way device when they arrive. As a receiver to be notified when a table is ready, as a transmitter to allow them to call for a server with an instant response. One device provides BOTH functions! Longer operating life By any standard of comparison, we would consider the typical 2-way device to have a useful life of at least a third longer than a one-way receiving device. The reason is that consumer grade receivers are generally built to far less demanding standards than 2-way devices. Reduced replacement cost The size of replacement pagers, and the cuteness of coaster pagers with the flashing lights, vibration etc. makes them natural candidates to be taken by the user, either by accident or on purpose. 2-way devices are far less likely to be taken. For restaurant use, 2-way devices literally pay for themselves in additional revenues. In healthcare applications, it s all about service to those being served an incalculable value! Now, let s look at the cost of a system based on 25 PCD units and the sending station. The use of Stationary Radio Unit (SRU) with a basic magnetic mount antenna will generally serve the needs of most restaurants, clinics, or hospitals when used in conjunction with the TC-1600 Personal Communications Device (PCD). Users can still be selectively addressed plus the ability to initiate a call for service by just pressing a button. The user ID will appear on the SRU indicating a response to that user. If desired, the user can initiate a 2-way voice conversation with the SRU station Prices are as follows: FCC License (good for 10 years) - $300 Stationary Radio Unit - $795 Basic Antenna System - $50 TC-1600 Transceiver (each) - $99 Multiple 6 unit charger* - $149 *Not required, but recommended One each for every 6 TC-1600 s in use
Comparative Costs Assume a 25 unit system. This system would have a cost of $4,216 assuming the $99 TC-1600 @ $2,475, four multiple unit chargers @ $596, a $795 Stationary Radio Unit, a $50 antenna system and a $300 FCC license. We would normally assume a three year life* on an application of this type for a total three year cost of $4,216 which works out to an amortized cost of approximately $40 per week or less than $6 per day. Summary Obviously, we have not addressed every possible configuration of equipment type but we hope that we have provided an overview of the advantages of 2-way communications over 1-way pagers both in terms of features, benefits, and cost efficiency. The VL50 is used in hair care salons to allow the receptionist to let the stylists know when a client has arrived no fixed station required! These units can be alerted in the silent vibrate mode and are supplied with an optional earpiece for private listening by the stylist. It s a really nice and affordable package for all types of retail applications. There is another radio available for 2-way communications that is well suited for use by churches, parking assistance, and restaurant/clinic/hospital communications. It s called the DTR650 by Motorola. It s a little more expensive than our other personal 2-way units but it doesn t require a fixed station unit. Additional information is available at www.dtr2way.com. Check it out it may be the right solution for YOU! If you have any questions, or if we can be of service in any way, please drop us an email to sales@falcondirect.com or give us a call at 205.854.2611.