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January 21, 2014Those of you who follow my adventures know that I can fly to wherever there's a communications emergency. Regular folks need a plane, and what do private pilots need? They need two-way radios, of course! A recent story on TodaysWirelessWorld.com explained how many private pilots wouldn't consider taking to the air without a backup radio. "Imagine what happens if an airplane's primary radio fails in flight," the story says. "You're thousands of feet in the air at the controls of an expensive aircraft with no ability to monitor weather and emergency channels or communicate with control towers, ground crews, and other pilots. Getting down safely suddenly becomes more theoretical than a sure thing." The story goes on to review some key considerations for a pilot using a handheld aircraft radio as a backup:
- Mind your power supply. "While rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries usually
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3M Peltor Accessories Analog Apps BearCom BridgeWave Call Boxes Cambium Networks Cell Phones David Clark Digital Eventide Extranets Facebook Firetide Icom America IMPACT Radio Accessories IP Kent Huffman LDV LinkedIn Mesh Networks Mobile Broadband Mobile Command Centers Motorola MOTOTRBO NeoTerra Systems NOC OTTO Panasonic Point-to-Point Bridges Preventive Maintenance Pryme Push-to-Talk Pyramid Rent Repairs Social Media Sonetics Sony Sprint Nextel TABLETmedia Today's Wireless World TurboVUi Twisted Pair Twitter Two-Way Radio Rentals Two-Way Radios Ubiquiti Verizon Vertex Standard Video Surveillance Walkie-Talkies Wireless WLAN YouTube Analog Technologies Motorola Solutions Two-Way Radio AccessoriesJanuary 07, 2014Some companies publish catalogs filled with little more than pretty pictures and glowing product descriptions. Not BearCom. Our 2014 Wireless Products, Services & Solutions Guide, which is headed to customers early next week, is filled with detailed information about BearCom's capabilities and scope, as well as updates on the latest innovations in wireless technology. "In this issue, we explore how digital technology is transforming two-way radios," said BearCom's Chief Marketing Officer, Kent Huffman, who oversees the annual project. "That section includes information on the benefits of switching to digital and how backward-compatible equipment makes an analog-to-digital migration smoother." Huffman added, "The guide also serves as a reminder of how BearCom's strong partner relationships and our 26 branch offices nationwide keep us positioned to offer wireless communications solutions of
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BearCom's 2013 Marked by New Products, Operations Center, Maintenance Plans, and the Motorola CP200d
December 31, 2013This first day of the new year seems like the perfect time to look back at all that happened at BearCom during 2013, a year that brought new products and solutions, an award for our BC130 two-way radio, a revamped online magazine, and a potential game changer from Motorola Solutions. It was just last month that we announced the opening of the BearCom Network Operations Center (NOC), which can monitor customers' Motorola MOTOTRBO systems around the clock. It provides system diagnostics, real-time visibility, and proactive response to any issues that arise. With the NOC, BearCom can offer our Constant Service Presence to detect any issues, evaluate problems, and even dispatch technicians. "Using the NOC allows us to collect metrics on such -
December 03, 2013Hiring happens on a mind-boggling scale at this time of year. Retailers will add up to 780,000 seasonal workers to handle the crush of holiday consumers. Many will have little experience, limited product knowledge, and no familiarity with store operations. How will they get answers? Through a two-way radio. Radios are being used in an increasing number of retail settings because they provide the one-to-many communications that result in quick responses to queries. One person sends the same message to the entire staff in a process that is vastly superior to one-to-one, phone-based communications. The more questions an employee has, the more he or she is helped by the answers. Retail employee groups as a whole become more efficient from these communications, and business owners find new efficiencies. Those savings inevitably benefit customers. Radio communications benefit retailers and consumers in a variety of ways:
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November 26, 2013Last year at this time, we told you how wireless technology saved the first Thanksgiving, improving communications and making for a festive celebration for the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians in 1621. Historians are just now learning about the struggles the new settlers faced in their second year in the New World, and how they were solved by digital two-way radios. Around turkey-laden tables across the nation, many families each year recall the now-familiar tale of the first Thanksgiving. They remember the leadership of Governor William Bradford, who had moved quickly to get two-way radios from BearCom. They will recall how he handed out the Motorola XPR6550, Motorola/BearCom BC130, and Motorola CP200 to the colonists based on their specific communications needs. As every child learns in school, Bradford used his Motorola MOTOTRBO radio to reach Squanto, who was in turn able to locate other Wampanoag tribesmen not yet
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November 20, 2013Our fleet of rental radios from Motorola Solutions—we've got 20,000 of them—has taught us a thing or two about preventive maintenance. All that experience and expertise helped us develop the BearCom Preventive Maintenance Plans, which officially launched this week. "A communications system is only as strong as its weakest link," BearCom President & CEO Jerry Denham said in a news release announcing the new offering. "With a Preventive Maintenance Plan from BearCom, our customers can avoid outages and unexpected repair costs, while ensuring their equipment is operating at peak efficiency. We are very excited to offer this service." A BearCom Preventive Maintenance Plan can be developed for any combination of portable radios, mobile radios, and repeaters, whether they are analog
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October 22, 2013I'm not the only superhero here at BearCom. We've got people with amazing levels of experience and expertise in two-way radios and other wireless solutions who every day solve complex and unusual challenges for customers. One of my personal BearCom superheroes is Product & Purchasing Manager Hugh Johnston, who recently told me about how he helped restore power to the mobile two-way radio in an unusual vehicle: a steam locomotive built in 1896. "My favorite attraction in my Texas hometown is the Grapevine Vintage Railroad and its crown jewel, the 1896-built steam locomotive affectionately called Puffy," Hugh told me. He explained how Puffy had been out of service for several years after one of her ancient steam cylinders, which power the driving wheels, disintegrated from age. "Spare parts for steam engines cannot be found at the local
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October 16, 2013All across the country, declining state and local revenues have caused budget cuts to numerous public safety agencies. Fire departments, with limited funds and the admonishment to do "more with less," are looking for two-way radio solutions with affordability as a major factor. Fortunately, there are options. In Los Angeles, the fire department's budget for the 2011-2012 year was $472 million, down from $561 million two years earlier. Last year, the city council voted to leave 318 firefighting positions unfilled. In Texas, lawmakers cut funds from $30 million to $7 million, forcing volunteer firefighters who were battling wildfires in 2011 to buy their own gear and even gas for the fire trucks. While the number of deadly fires has declined nationwide over the last 20 years, thanks to better construction and safety techniques, fire departments are increasingly called upon to answer medical emergencies, chemical spills, and more. Firefighters need reliable, versatile and sturdy wireless
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October 09, 2013The Motorola BC130 has been a winner for years, and now it's official. This BearCom-branded two-way radio has been recognized in the Contractors' Top 50 New Products awards made annually by Equipment Today magazine and ForConstructionPros.com. The awards are based on reader interest in earthmoving, road-building, lifting, demolition, transportation, and technology products. The Motorola BC130 was among four technology products honored, along with a rugged smartphone, a grade-control system, and an operator vision system. "We're always pleased to see our products recognized for their quality and utility, especially when the recognition comes from the people who use them," BearCom President & CEO Jerry Denham said in a news release. "This award is especially satisfying, because the Motorola BC130 is manufactured for us by Motorola Solutions and is available exclusively through BearCom." The Motorola BC130 has proven very popular with customers who want a device that is compact, lightweight, and easy to use. A rugged, die-cast chassis gives the BC130 greater protection, making it ideal for everyday and commercial use, both indoors and outdoors. It offers 16 channels and 5 watts of power. The BC130 has adjustable power levels, accessory connectors, and squelch levels that help minimize interference from weak signals. Each is sold with an antenna, spring belt clip, Lithium-Ion battery, rapid charger base, and power supply. The BC130 is one of three BearCom-branded two-way radios, and it remains the most popular, especially so when it comes to two-way radio rentals. It's a great choice for customers who need to rent a large number of radios and want to do so cost effectively. The BC130 also is popular with customers across a range of other industries, including education and security, and among companies involved
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September 11, 2013Innovations can dramatically influence the logistical needs of any industry. So when technological advances helped unlock natural gas and oil from shale formations, it meant growth for the petrochemical industry and an increased need for digital wireless solutions. As a result of the boom in shale gas, ExxonMobil has made plans to expand the capacity of its petrochemical complex on the Gulf Coast. The Baytown, Texas, complex will be tasked with converting ethane, a natural gas liquid, into the chemical building block ethylene, and from that to produce the plastic polyethylene. The company estimates the plant expansion will create 10,000 area jobs during its construction and $870 million of economic activity annually. In an article for TodaysWirelessWorld.com, Motorola Solutions' Dwain Lunau wrote that, "At ExxonMobil's