Backhaul — January 2020

25 YEARS AGO. The cover of the February/March 1995 issue of What’s New in Radio Communications featured the Philips PRP80 dual-mode portable radio and the PRM8040 dual-mode alpha head, both of which had been built to work with analog PMR as well as MPT 1327/1343 wide area trunking systems. Inside the magazine we reported on a team comprising GEC-Marconi and Telecom Australia winning a multimillion-dollar contract to refurbish the RAAF’s HF network, and separately, Stanilite Electronics winning a $1 million contract to design, supply and install a distributed antenna system for the RAN’s receiving station at Shoal Bay in the Northern Territory. Speaking of Stanilite, the company’s joint managing director, John Harriss, was quoted in this issue as saying that Australia had the potential to take a leading role in radio and telecommunications, but warned of a “dire shortage” of experienced and creative engineers that could be alleviated by companies taking more responsibility for training. Finally, we had a major feature article on the Jindalee Operational Radar Network, the antenna system for which was beginning to take shape in early 1995.

10 YEARS AGO. The cover of the January/February 2010 issue of Radio Comms Asia-Pacific featured Codan’s 3040 automatic HF whip antenna which, with a 70% reduction in height from its predecessor (the 9350), made it compliant with Australian Design Rules for vehicle bumper mounting. Inside this issue we reported on “Australia’s latest company handling public safety and emergency communications networks”, Airwave, which introduced its portfolio of products at the Radio Comms Connect exhibition and conference in Melbourne. We also reported on an RF and microwave electronic engineering course, run by AWR and James Cook University’s School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, being made available free of charge to other universities around the world. The course had been developed by Associate Professor Keith Kikkert.