Online training: Radio basics and microwave masterclass

Two of last year’s highly successful Comms Connect online training courses will be repeated over the next couple of months, providing an opportunity for those who missed out the first time around.

The first course will be the Microwave Radio Masterclass. Presented by Trevor Manning, it will help unravel the mysteries of the many confusing standards, as well as simplify the complexities of radio design with its dependence on complex weather conditions, to equip you to know when, and how, to deploy microwave radio in current real-world networks.

Manning is the author of the Microwave Radio Handy Reference Guide and the classic Artech House book Microwave Radio Transmission Design Guide (Second Edition). You can read an extract of the former here.

The masterclass will cover the following topics:

• An introduction to microwaves
• Planning considerations
• Propagation
• Hardware types
• Antenna considerations
• Interference
• Link design and reliability
   

The Microwave Radio Masterclass will be spread across five, 2-hour sessions from Monday, 15 February to Friday, 19 February. The full course description and registration details can be found at https://www.comms-connect.com.au/.

Basics for beginners

The other course will be Radio Communications 101, which is designed for those who are completely new to the world of radio, and has so far proven especially valuable for non-engineers who work for communications companies or end users, giving them an insight into what makes communications networks tick.

One participant of one of the earlier courses said, “I have been looking for something like this since I started in a comms team lead role 2.5 years ago. There is no [other] introductory comms training out there. It has improved my understanding of my role and given me an even greater appreciation of my team of techs.”

Radio Communications 101 is presented by Chris Stevens, Managing Director of CartGIS Pty Ltd, an emergency management, GIS and mapping and communications consultancy based in Melbourne. Chris has extensive experience in land mobile radio network design, planning and implementation as well as GIS and mapping application design and commissioning.

The course covers the following topics:

• Introduction to radio communications, including use cases
• Radio frequency fundamentals, including licensing, spectrum, coverage, planning
• Radio types and systems, including analog, digital, TETRA, P25, DMR etc
• Antenna systems, including types, gain, bandwidth, polarisation, grounding, testing
• Transmission lines and feeders, including impedance, earthing and lightning protection
• Filters and multi-coupling, including choosing the correct types
• Towers and site, including co-location, licensing, safety, EME, pest control, engineering
• Power systems, including UPS, DC, AC, renewable and safety
• Earthing, including site, antenna and equipment earthing
• Interference, including mitigation strategies
• Data networks and linking, including IP basics, telephone circuits, point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, mesh, RoIP and cable
• Satellite communications, including LEO, BGAN and GPS
• Testing and maintenance, including acceptance testing, site testing and test equipment
• Standards and quality control, including Australian Standards, qualifications and vendor selection
   

Radio Communications 101 will be presented in five, 2.5-hour sessions from Wednesday, 14 April to Monday, 26 April. The course has been run several times over the past 12 months, and each time has ended up being fully booked. So don’t delay — get your registration in today by going to https://www.comms-connect.com.au/.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/kinwun