Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK -- Fern Communications has launched the FRX-1 ATEX portable radio repeater at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen, Scotland. The ATEX-certified product increases radio coverage both on and offshore by eliminating radio "black spots" that interrupt the flow of radio communications.
The system is approved for use by the European Union in hazardous Zones 1 and 2, gas group 11C and temperature-rated to T5, in accordance with ATEX Directive 94/9/EC. It is also ingress-protected to IP66, which makes it dust-tight and protected against powerful water jets and water dispersed by heavy seas, according to Fern.
The FRX-1 operates on VHF, marine, and UHF frequencies and is fully compatible with existing radio communications systems currently in use offshore. The four-position channel switch makes it possible to select one of four frequencies, which is very useful at busy sites where frequencies are often shared. Using CTCSS and DCS, users can also share frequencies with other radio users in privacy.
The output power can be set to between one and five watts, depending on the country and site owner's specifications. The system's high capacity Li-lon battery means that the FRX-1 can operate for more than 18 hours before it must be charged. For continual use, auxiliary batteries are available.
"Today's FRX-1 is the only system of its kind that effectively bends the radio signal around a solid structure so that it reaches its target destination: the receiving radio located on the other side of the structure," says Jennifer Cushion, managing director of Fern Communications. "For the first time, two-way radio communication is truly reliable, which bodes well for improving productivity, and enhancing health and safety standards."
9/5/2007
