First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 ELECTRONICS & INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS
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First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 i Table of contents List of illustrations List of tables Warnings and precautions Welcome to First InterComm system First InterComm system overview The First InterComm system in action Operating the First InterComm system Start-up Vehicle location Signal relay (hopping) Troubleshooting First InterComm system component descriptions The VCA100 unit Power-on-built-in test (PBIT) Mobile radio antennas Wireless antenna Appendix A VCA100 specifica
ii First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 Warnings and precautions Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Compliance — This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential environment.
First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 Warnings and precautions (continued) Electromagnetic interference/compatibility General precautions – DC power — Ensure power into the First InterComm system does not Nearly every electronic device is exceed 24 Vdc.
iv First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 First InterComm system quick-start procedure Arrive on scene At the incident scene, position First InterComm systemequipped vehicles within a maximum of a quarter mile clear line of sight (LOS) of each other at the incident scene. Power up Apply power to the First InterComm system with the cabmounted switch.
First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 1 Welcome to First InterComm™ system The First InterComm system allows first responders from different agencies at an emergency incident to readily communicate with one another, even though their radios operate on different frequencies (i.e., VHF, UHF or 800 MHz systems, both digital and analog).
2 First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 The First InterComm system in action Turning on two or more VCA100 units establishes an ad hoc wireless mesh incident area network (IAN). In Figure 1, the fire department, whose radios operate at 154.57 MHz, is talking to the police department, whose radios operate at 452.95 MHz. When a portable or mobile radio is keyed up, its voice transmission is translated into digital packets that are placed onto the IAN.
First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 As first responders arrive on scene and activate their VCA100s, the units automatically connect to one another. As the first responders are joined by other agencies (e.g., public health, disaster recovery, federal agencies, National Guard), their VCA100 units connect to the IAN, thus establishing cross-jurisdictional communication.
4 First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 As numerous first responders are online, overall coordination is essential. The incident commander can assume control of the IAN via any laptop computer operating with the Windows XP®1 operating system with Service Pack 2 and equipped with wired or wireless networking capability and First InterComm Talk Group software (Figure 3). The Talk Group allows the incident commander to: – Establish sectors by frequency in accordance with NIMS.
First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 5 Operating the First InterComm system Start-up 1. Apply power to the VCA100 with the cab-mounted switch. 2. Allow approximately one minute for the unit to initialize and connect to any other VCA100s in the area. 3. Switch radio equipment to the tactical channel on portable radio designated for First InterComm system interoperability. 4. Communicate using the applicable SOP.
6 First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 PUBS 07 F57-006 Heavy signal obstruction PUBS 07_F57-007 Poorer reception PUBS 07_F57-008 Optimal: clear line of sight Figure 4.
First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 7 Signal relay (hopping) Figure 5 shows a generalized urban incident site where there is no LOS between vehicles A and B. Figure 6 showshow positioning vehicle C enables the First InterComm system to overcome these obstacles by “hopping” voice communications (i.e., passing communications through the units that do have LOS). Thus, all units can communicate even though not all have direct LOS. A B PUBS 07_F57-009 Figure 5.
8 First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 Troubleshooting IMPORTANT – If the First InterComm system appears to interfere with incident site operations, immediately turn off every VCA100 unit and Talk Group software in use and return to normal operating procedures. – If Talk Group software or laptop computer problems occur, the VCA100 units will remain in their assigned talk groups.
First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 9 First InterComm™ VCA100 NETWORK LMR ETHERNET GPS POWER A www.FirstInterComm.com LMR GPS Ethernet Power Network Activity indicator Activity Indicator Two-way radio antenna connection, TNC Reserved for future implementation Factory use only Nominal 13.6 Vdc and 1.75A max On/off control is via cab-mounted switch toggle switch Wireless antenna port A, reverse polarity SMA connector Power on built-in-test indicator light Figure 7.
10 First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 Appendix A VCA100 specifications General Dimensions 2.5” × 8.5” × 8.5” (H x W x D) Weight 4 pounds Input voltage 9 to 17 Vdc (13.6 Vdc nominal) Input current 1.75A maximum (at 13.
First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 11 Appendix B Acronyms and abbreviations AEL AES DC DES DHS EMI FCC FM GPS IAN LED LOS MIL-STD NIMS P25 RF SEL SMA SOP TNC UHF VCA VHF VoIP Authorized equipment list Advanced encryption standard adopted as standard by U.S.
12 First InterComm™ system VCA100 user manual A29798 September 2008 BAE Systems contact information Telephone support 603-459-5643 E-mail firstintercomm.eis@baesystems.com www.firstintercomm.com Companion documentation First InterComm™ system Talk Group software user manual, document No.
For more information, contact: BAE Systems P. O. Box 868, PTP01-2218 Nashua, New Hampshire 03061-0868 Telephone 603-885-9605 Fax 603-885-3563 www.firstintercomm.com ©2008 BAE Systems. All rights reserved.
