Share your experience with DECT (wireless telephony)! 2

[doktor]

Fellows!

During the years I have installed several wireless telephony systems either integrated in to PBX'es from Ericsson, Nortel, LG/Goldstar or external systems like FreeSet from Ericsson or KIRK DECT systems.
Correct deployment (i.e. installation and location of DECT base stations)is a must! - this experience I have got through the years.
Problems and trouble with handover, radio coverage etc., I have guided and helped my colleagues to solve, through the years also. We have solved many strange cases!
So - what is my point with this thread?
Let us all know your special cases and how you solved it.
Like:
We had one customer, where most users were happy with the installation. Some users complained about call drops.
(i.e. handover faults), After a more carefull examination we found out that the persons were using roller scates (shoes with wheels on them) to solve their job. They were internal mail-men in the company in question.
Using their roller scates they were moving too fast - so the handover could not take place because of the base stations were too far away from each other. The overlap between two bases was too small. So we added one base to enlarge the overlap between the bases. Problem solved!
Maybe you can add some real stories like this one!
Best regards
///doktor

 

[doktor]

You can also see this problem when you costumers are using small "trucks" in a warehouse or storage room.
As loang as someone moves too fast (more than 3 km/h), problems like this, can occur.
Best regards
///doktor

 

[jon24422531]

I can't see many places having the problem with Roller Skating employees, but it could happen with fork lift trucks, so thanks for the tip Doktor.
Of course in the UK it now illegal to use a phone whilst driving, so I assume that will also apply to Fork Lifts.

Jonathan

http://www.telecom-stuff.com

 

[doktor]

We have had some problems when installing DECT base stations on metallic walls, because of the reflexions of the radio signals.
If you install a base station like the ones we use, where the radio emission has the shape of a sphere (ball), a lot of reflected radio signals will be emitted from the metallic surface. Reflected radio signals are bad to use for e.g. handover, so to avoid reflected signals, a wodden plate should be installed between the radio basestation and the metallic surface.
The wodden plate acts like an absorber for the reflected signals. The plate should be at least 5-10 cm wider and higher than the base, and the thickness should be 3 cm.
Only use wodden plates made of natural tree, not chip boards or similiar.
Hope that this info can be usefull.
///doktor

 

[doktor]

Let us hear other DECT related - maybe odd - stories about DECT behaviour. Sometimes these fault take months to solve.
It is sometimes difficult for the costumers and my boss to understand!
Anyway let's hear about your experience from the "radio" field...
///doktor

 

[intrigrant]

One common problem in a multicell DECT is the existence of other DECT systems ( wireless DECT Headsets ) in the same building.
If both systems are busy it may happen that both systems try to access the same channel at the same time.
This is quite hard to find in a survey if you only have the standard DECT phones.
The solution is to make sure your basestations are stronger as the other DECT system or remove that system.

 

[doktor]

Thnks intrigrant!

I had a costumer case with a problem like this.
In an building, where some companies shared the space we used quite some time to solve an issue with two DECT systems located very near each other. The DECT was of the integrated type installed in PBX'es from different manufacturers. The 10 DECT frequencies were "stolen" by the one system, som users in the other system had many problems with dropped calls and handoer that did not work.
The Solution was to paint the wall between the two companies with paint cointaing lead. In fact metal plates vere put up on that wall later to stop the radio signals from the other system.
Another issue we had at a customer site where their old DECT system and base stations were hidden in the building and everybody thought that the old system was switched off.
But it was not!
It took some time to find out.
After the old system was switched off - no problems!
DECT systems some times gives you a bit grey hair.
Best regards
///doktor