Base Antenna for Zello RoIP link

[treyboothe]

So our agency is going to trial Zello for public safety. Below is our configuration (simplified) if you're interested.



To get to the point. I'm looking for a base antenna for a VHF Motorola PM400, the frequency is 159.6. Below are the options I'm considering, any thoughts or opinions?

Laird FG1563 - Browning BR-6050 - Tram 1487

 

[mmckenna]

...for public safety...
Laird FG1563 - Browning BR-6050 - Tram 1487

Tram and Browning are Chinese knock off antennas. May be just fine for hobbyists, but they have no business being used in a public safety application where lives depend on it. I know Zello isn't public safety, but you may have higher ranking officers relying on it. Cheap Chinese antennas have no business used in that sort of application.
They may work fine, but long term reliability would be my big concern. I won't install knock off antennas anywhere, even to save a few bucks. The antenna is the most important part of the system, and cutting corners there is never a good idea.

Of the 3? Laird all the way.

 

[wowologist]

Wow ~ ZERO mission critical in that piecemeal setup...what jurisdiction is even thinking of doing this?

 

[treyboothe]

Tram and Browning are Chinese knock off antennas. May be just fine for hobbyists, but they have no business being used in a public safety application where lives depend on it. I know Zello isn't public safety, but you may have higher ranking officers relying on it. Cheap Chinese antennas have no business used in that sort of application.
They may work fine, but long term reliability would be my big concern. I won't install knock off antennas anywhere, even to save a few bucks. The antenna is the most important part of the system, and cutting corners there is never a good idea.

Of the 3? Laird all the way.

Thanks for the reply. Definitely agree zello isn’t optimal for public safety work. They were attracted to the $0 price tag.

 

[treyboothe]

Wow ~ ZERO mission critical in that piecemeal setup...what jurisdiction is even thinking of doing this?

None of this optimal, even down to the existing base station and radios. This is for a volunteer/part time paid EMS service.

 

[wowologist]

You might search for FED GOV grants...you will come up with a lot better stuff...and SAFER.

 

[cmjonesinc]

Thanks for the reply. Definitely agree zello isn’t optimal for public safety work. They were attracted to the $0 price tag.

So they are using the free zello with a radio gateway? Because the zello for work is definitely a paid per user subscription. Volunteer / part time or whatever.... Zello should never ever ever ever be used for anything life safety related. For a department wide BS and non critical announcement 'channel' I could see it. Hate to think my life is riding on a department that uses a free roip service to communicate. If you're paying per user at least lease space on a local system. That would be far more reliable.

 

[treyboothe]

So they are using the free zello with a radio gateway? Because the zello for work is definitely a paid per user subscription. Volunteer / part time or whatever.... Zello should never ever ever ever be used for anything life safety related. For a department wide BS and non critical announcement 'channel' I could see it. Hate to think my life is riding on a department that uses a free roip service to communicate. If you're paying per user at least lease space on a local system. That would be far more reliable.

Not exactly. Currently they use mobiles in all vehicles for the majority of their traffic, but no portables. A handful of the volunteers have purchased cheap Chinese radios that are even less reliable than Zello. Zello for work was free since they’re a emergency service.

 

[nick1427d]

For some zello has actually been very reliable. Not all places have the luxury of expensive “mission critical” equipment. I set this up for a department and they use it all the time.

 

[nick1427d]

So they are using the free zello with a radio gateway? Because the zello for work is definitely a paid per user subscription. Volunteer / part time or whatever.... Zello should never ever ever ever be used for anything life safety related. For a department wide BS and non critical announcement 'channel' I could see it. Hate to think my life is riding on a department that uses a free roip service to communicate. If you're paying per user at least lease space on a local system. That would be far more reliable.

I do agree it shouldn’t be for fireground and should not be primary or anything like that. We use ours as a response channel for volunteers coming from home & a backup/patch to the trunking system. We had areas of our district that had 0 trunking system coverage and we can’t get help fixing that. Zello worked fine in these areas. I had a gateway setup in about an hour and our problem was fixed. Does it matter if you had to pay for it or not? The zello for first responder program is free.

 

[nd5y]

Unless they changed recently you can't use a radio gateway with the free version.

 

[mmckenna]

Not all places have the luxury of expensive “mission critical” equipment.

That, we more or less, understand. Budgets can be tight.
But when it comes to antennas (the OP's original question), I have never, not once, found an application where cutting corners on the antenna has worked out well.
I've had to swap out a number of cheap antennas that were installed by someone trying to save a few bucks. The cost of the cheap antenna and my labor to replace it, cost more than if they'd just purchased the right antenna in the first place.

 

[cmjonesinc]

Not exactly. Currently they use mobiles in all vehicles for the majority of their traffic, but no portables. A handful of the volunteers have purchased cheap Chinese radios that are even less reliable than Zello. Zello for work was free since they’re a emergency service.

I'm not going to keep beating a dead horse. Those cheap Chinese radios have zero place on the system as well. That's a accident waiting to happen and a liability. If you're going to be hacking a roip system together at least get a professional grade antenna and coax to run it. If I were you I would wash my hands of the setup and make sure my name was nowhere close to it. Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

 

[treyboothe]

I do agree it shouldn’t be for fireground and should not be primary or anything like that. We use ours as a response channel for volunteers coming from home & a backup/patch to the trunking system. We had areas of our district that had 0 trunking system coverage and we can’t get help fixing that. Zello worked fine in these areas. I had a gateway setup in about an hour and our problem was fixed. Does it matter if you had to pay for it or not? The zello for first responder program is free.

This would be a secondary patch, not for primary use. I have pushed the agency to purchase 4 APX 4000s, but they still need capability for their specialty teams (water rescue, vertical rescue, etc.) to mark enroute from home. Should have specified that earlier. Glad to hear another department has used this with success.

 

[treyboothe]

Those cheap Chinese radios have zero place on the system as well.

Definitely agree with this. Hopefully they will move away from this setup once grant money is found and a bigger budget is allowed.

 

[wowologist]

As a secondary or personal link as long as the owning system puts ther blessing on its use, it's really up to tehm. But I tell ya, just as a contractor for public service agencies I have to pass through hoops quadruple deep sometimes and I understand that it's for an ultimate purpose and that's life safety and so I have to adjust my pricing accordingly...and I've also learned through experience that generally the word "free" does not go well with municipalities risk management depts. I mean I can see in kind transactions like temporary tool or tenting or AC units when heat waves occur, but once again if it's no cost..the cost usually ends up coming later when a tragedy occurs that could have been avoided if the word FREE wasn't utilized.

just my 2.1c - not my call, but you'll at least you will get an inkling from commentators on this site and possibly a usable outcome.
And I would def, once again register and get involved with grants.gov - you may find yourself a new official system or a grant to get onto someones already built out private EMS system that is already specced out and in use.

 

[jeepsandradios]

If you are planning to try Zello for Work I was told the rig blaster was not supported. Keep me posted as we are trying to do this for a local SAR team and wasn't going to spend $1000 on the gateway they wanted us to try.

 

[krokus]

This would be a secondary patch, not for primary use. I have pushed the agency to purchase 4 APX 4000s, but they still need capability for their specialty teams (water rescue, vertical rescue, etc.) to mark enroute from home. Should have specified that earlier. Glad to hear another department has used this with success.

There are phone apps for that, such as these two:

IamResponding (IaR) - Apps on Google Play

Companion app for the IamResponding.com system.

play.google.com

Active911 | Emergency Response Software

Active911 is a leader in emergency response and emergency coordination software, providing reliabilty and innovation to first responders.

www.active911.com

 

[sfd119]

Unless they changed recently you can't use a radio gateway with the free version.

Actually, you can. I use Zello free version to feed my home stuff. It's a matter of changing a config file.

 

[signal500]

https://www.tessco.com/product/150-160-mhz-6-9db-exposed-dipole-omni-antenna-88874