Is there a bluetooth equivalent to PAC-R/T operation?

[ElroyJetson]

I just got to thinking today, about radio, as usual, and it occurred to me that it would make sense if there was a protocol that allowed a portable radio user to connect a portable radio to a vehicle radio if he's within reliable range via a bluetooth link (or other wireless short range protocol) and have the benefits of a Pac-R/T system, using the mobile radio as the transmitter/receiver and using the portable radio only as a link to the mobile radio.

The advantage of the mobile radio's better antenna, reception, and transmit power and range are obvious.

Has any manufacturer implemented this concept? I haven't heard of it, but I'm quite sure there's a lot going on in the radio industry today that I am completely unaware of.

 

[mikegilbert]

Theres the RLN6551 long range BT mic

 

[GTR8000]

Motorola makes a wireless BT mic for the APX mobiles (not sure if it works with the XPR mobiles as well). There is no way to connect a portable to a mobile over BT.

 

[ElroyJetson]

Seems like they missed an opportunity, then. Or one that could be a new feature in the future. There are some pretty long range BT solutions on the market. I've personally tested units by... Pryme, if I remember right...that were good for a few hundred yards.

The advantage of having a portable radio that is serving as a relay via BT with a linked mobile radio could be quite significant. You get all the RF superiority of the mobile radio, as long as you're within reliable BT link range. And there's no reason that the portable radio (I'm thinking APX or other top tier radios) wouldn't be able to control the mobile radio if the system was designed for that. When in link mode, channel/talkgroup changes you made on your APX would change the mobile radio settings. The APX would literally be a remote control device for the mobile radio.

Alternatively, the link could be via wifi, in the 4.9 GHz pubic safety wifi band in specific, giving potentially greater range than BT.

This setup would be most effective in areas where mobile coverage is good but portable coverage is marginal or unsatisfactory.

Even better, an entire department or fleet could be provisioned in such a way that all the radios have authorized controller lists which would allow authorized radios to make use of whatever mobile radio is within range. A roaming function that does not require the officer to be within BT range of his own vehicle when another unit is close by.

 

[Thunderknight]

Motorola makes a wireless BT mic for the APX mobiles (not sure if it works with the XPR mobiles as well). There is no way to connect a portable to a mobile over BT.

Also works on XTL’s, but I think they need the newest firmware. I have one on an XTL and it works very well.

 

[jeepsandradios]

The long range BT Mic from MSI does work well. When I was an officer with the FD we had a few locations portable coverage was weak and I could use my BT mic instead at those locations. I would thro the mobile mic on the dash. Since then have switched to a DVRS.