Nexedge

[PanJurekMrJerry]

Okay, I have heard of Ageis, Provoice, OpenSky, ESK, Motorola (All Forms), P-25, EDACS (All Forms), L.T.R., TETRA. Now comes NEXEDGE. What is it? How does this work?

 

[N_Jay]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=nexedge&aq=f&oq=

The very first hit is a good start.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/1139635/Kenwood-NEXEDGE-Digital-LMR-Overview

 

[N2DLX]

Okay, I have heard of Ageis, Provoice, OpenSky, ESK, Motorola (All Forms), P-25, EDACS (All Forms), L.T.R., TETRA. Now comes NEXEDGE. What is it? How does this work?

NEXEDGE is Kenwood's name for the new NXDN digital voice/data protocol that is capable of operating in only 6.25 kHz of bandwidth. Icom and Kenwood jointly developed the protocol and thus named it NXDN. Both Kenwood and Icom have their own terms for it, Kenwood again calls it NEXEDGE while Icom calls it iDAS.

NXDN uses the AMBE+2 vocoder from DVSI, which is better than the IMBE vocoder used in current P25 radios at suppressing noise in a loud environment. NXDN has many of the same signaling features as P25 like Selective Call (I-Call), Call Alert, Radio Check, Remote Monitor, Emergency Call, Status, Short Data Messages (free-form, they don't have to be pre-programmed), Status Polling and GPS.

NXDN also supports digital trunking, which Icom and Kenwood have gone in different directions with. Icom's trunking programs just like an LTR system, while Kenwood trunking requires a System Key and special software to activate the trunking. It's rumored that the trunking formats of the two companies are not compatible.

NXDN was designed to fill the gap and make digital radios available to smaller businesses who will have to meet the eventual FCC mandate for 6.25 kHz narrowbanding just like everyone else. Before NXDN and MotoTRBO digital systems, a small business would have no choice but to buy an expensive P25 (Phase II) system to be compliant. At about 1/3 the cost of P25, NXDN allows those companies to switch to ultra-narrowband without needing to get into P25. NXDN is not meant for public safety use, although it would probably work fine for small departments. NXDN and P25 are not competing with each other, P25 is just a high-end digital format for government use, and NXDN is a cost-effective format for business use.

I expect NXDN to take off rather rapidly as other manufacturers come out with equipment. I think Daniels Electronics is part of the NXDN Forum, so maybe we'll see some NXDN equipment from them?

 

[wa8pyr]

NXDN was designed to fill the gap and make digital radios available to smaller businesses who will have to meet the eventual FCC mandate for 6.25 kHz narrowbanding just like everyone else. Before NXDN and MotoTRBO digital systems, a small business would have no choice but to buy an expensive P25 (Phase II) system to be compliant.

Just to clarify the above... there is NO mandate to switch to digital as part of narrowbanding. It's merely an option; if a user wants to implement digital they are free to do so, or they could remain analog. If they choose to buy Nexedge or MotoTRBO or P25 over analog, that's purely their choice, no one is making them do it.

 

[n4yek]

Here is a thread already started on this subject:
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120674

 

[N2DLX]

6.25 kHz narrowband is not yet required, but the FCC made it clear that it will be required in the near future. So anyone planning on switching from 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz right now, should stop and think for a moment if they want to skip 12.5 kHz and dive into 6.25 kHz (to protect the investment), or gamble with a new 12.5 kHz system that might be useless in 10 years or less due to another narrowbanding requirement.

You have no choice but to go to digital if you want to be 6.25 kHz-compliant. Analog voice at 6.25 kHz simply does not exist. If you want to be 12.5 kHz-compliant, you can run either analog or digital -- your choice. However, digital formats like P25 Phase II, NXDN, and MotoTRBO will allow you to keep your radio system and be 6.25 kHz-compliant when the mandate does come.