Caribbean Aircraft Handling is one of the largest ground handling companies at the Grantley Adams International Airport. We have supplied their operation with radio communication for many years.
Recently they moved their operations office to a new building on the ramp to be closer to the aircraft. This building is one of the first things an arriving passenger would see. We could not put the antenna on the roof! The ICOM IC-A110E, which was used to communicate to the aircraft, was to be installed in the communication building some 500 meters away and controlled remotely from the ramp office.
At first we considered using a Radio Over Internet Protocol (ROIP) to do this. This option was quickly discarded due to the high cost.
Mobile and Marine Services designed a simple analogue system using 4-wire 600-Ohm connection. Both locations already had ample copper pairs and it was an easy job to link them together in the main distribution room. A two wire link could have been used but we choose to go with a 4-wire to minimize the possibility of cross talk.
Once this was done and tested we attached an ICOM OPC-871 Aviation headset adapter to the ICOM A110E. This is normally used to connect the radio to a Dick Clarke headset. We modified the jacks to ¼ inch size. These were used to connect the radio to a CPI Communications Inc. TTP1 Remote controller. Using in-band signalling the CPI TR10 remote in the operations office is able to monitor and talk to the aircraft 50Km or more out. This is especially important to ensure a quick turnaround once the aircraft has landed.
We have used CPI remote products for many years both as DC remote controllers and Tone remotes. This is the first time we have used it in an Air to Ground setup. Once installed the system has been 100% reliable.
[hr]
Based in Barbados in the West Indies, Mobile and Marine Services are one of the Caribbean’s leading professional private mobile radio communication solution suppliers and radio systems integrators. Mobile and Marine Services are sales, support and service agents for land, air and marine radio solutions from: Icom Radio Communications and Tait Radio Communications. Radio accessories from: Hustler – Antennas, Midian Electronics, Voxtech, W&W, and Zetron. Solar powered: Avlite aviation lighting and Sealite marine navigational aids and lighting. As radio systems integrators we operate throughout the Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, Virgin Islands plus Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname and Venezuela).
Mobile and Marine Services provide a comprehensive range of professional pmr services and radio systems integration. Backed by more than 40 years of experience enables Mobile and Marine Services to come up with solutions that incorporate 2 or more equipment suppliers in ways that other dealers may not think of. Many of our customers have come to rely on these solutions.
If you have questions, simply need more information, or, need to discuss specific requirements, please click on the Contact MMS to e-mail us.