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Wireless News Aggregation

Friday — December 25, 2020 — Issue No. 940

Welcome Back To

The Wireless
Messaging News


This Week's Wireless News Headlines:

  • How to Fix Windows 10's PC-Breaking 'chkdsk' Bug
  • Earthlings and astronauts chat away, via ham radio
  • AM transmitter sites sold for logistics
  • How will you be told when it's your turn for a COVID-19 vaccine? It's complicated.
  • BloostonLaw Telecom Update
    • In lieu of holiday cards, BloostonLaw will be making a donation to Healthcare for the Homeless, a local charity program. We wish our clients a happy and safe holiday season! In observance of the holiday, our next newsletter will not be published until Jan. 6.
    • Our office will be closed Dec. 24 and 25. Our office will close at 2pm Dec. 31. Between Dec. 24 and Dec 28, please email or call the relevant attorney(s) directly.
  • Music Video Of The Week
    • “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”
    • Home Free — Featuring The Oak Ridge Boys and Jeffrey East

Wireless Messaging News

  • Emergency Radio Communications
  • Wireless Messaging
  • Critical Messaging
  • Two-way Radio
  • Technology
  • Telemetry
  • Science
  • Paging
  • Wi-Fi
Wireless
wireless logo medium
Messaging

NO POLITICS HERE

This doesn't mean that nothing is ever published here that mentions a US political party—it just means that the editorial policy of this newsletter is to remain neutral on all political issues. We don't take sides.


About Us

A new issue of the Wireless Messaging Newsletter is posted on the web each week. A notification goes out by e-mail to subscribers on most Fridays around noon central US time. The notification message has a link to the actual newsletter on the web. That way it doesn’t fill up your incoming e-mail account.

There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. Readers are a very select group of wireless industry professionals, and include the senior managers of many of the world’s major Paging and Wireless Messaging companies. There is an even mix of operations managers, marketing people, and engineers — so I try to include items of interest to all three groups. It’s all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology.

I regularly get readers’ comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the Paging, and Wireless Messaging communities. You are welcome to contribute your ideas and opinions. Unless otherwise requested, all correspondence addressed to me is subject to publication in the newsletter and on my web site. I am very careful to protect the anonymity of those who request it.

I spend the whole week searching the INTERNET for news that I think may be of interest to you — so you won’t have to. This newsletter is an aggregator — a service that aggregates news from other news sources. You can help our community by sharing any interesting news that you find.


Editorial Policy

Editorial Opinion pieces present only the opinions of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of any of advertisers or supporters. This newsletter is independent of any trade association. I don't intend to hurt anyone's feelings, but I do freely express my own opinions.


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Advertiser Index

Easy Solutions  (Vaughan Bowden)
IWA Technical Services, Inc.  (Ira Wiesenfeld)
Leavitt Communications  (Phil Leavitt)
Media 1
Prism-IPX Systems  (Jim Nelson & John Bishop)
Paging & Wireless Network Planners LLC  (Ron Mercer)
SALCOM
Wex International Limited

Service Monitors and Frequency Standards for Sale


Motorola Service Monitor

IFR Service Monitor

Efratom Rubidium Standard

(Images are typical units, not actual photos of items offered for sale here.)

Qty Item Notes
2 Late IFR 500As with new batteries
1 Motorola R 2001D  
4 Motorola R 2400 and 2410A  
5 Motorola R 2600 and R 2660 late S/Ns  
4 Motorola R 1200  
2 Motorola R 2200  
2 Stand-alone Efratom Rubidium Frequency Standards 10 MHz output
1 Telawave model 44 wattmeter Recently calibrated
1 IFR 1000S  
All sold with 7 day ROR (Right of Refusal), recent calibration, operation manual and accessories  
Factory carrying cases for each with calibration certificate  
Many parts and accessories  

Frank Moorman

fircls54@aol.com animated left arrow

(254) 596-1124


Leavitt Communications

leavitt

50 years experience providing and supporting radio and paging customers worldwide. Call us anytime we can be useful!

 

COM

 

UNICATION

 


Minitor VI

Leavitt sells and supports most pager brands. We stock Unication G1, G5, Secure and some Elegant pagers. Call or e-mail for price and availability.

Philip C. Leavitt, V.P.
Leavitt Communications
7508 N. Red Ledge Drive
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253

CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail: pcleavitt@leavittcom.com
Web Site: www.leavittcom.com
Mobile phone: 847-494-0000
Telephone: 847-955-0511
Fax: 270-447-1909
Skype ID: pcleavitt

WINDOWS

How to Fix Windows 10's PC-Breaking 'chkdsk' Bug

David Murphy
Tuesday 3:00PM


Screenshot: Dmitriy Domino (Shutterstock)

Who would have thought that one of the more useful troubleshooting tools in Windows 10—good ol’ chkdsk—would itself become wrapped up in a paralyzing bug that could brick your PC. Not me, that’s for sure, given the “Check Disk” command is typically used to scan for and fix errors with your file system (and related metadata).

According to Windows 10 update KB4592438, released earlier this month, an error introduced by said update could cause some perilous issues with one’s PC. As Microsoft described:

“A small number of devices that have installed this update have reported that when running chkdsk /f, their file system might get damaged and the device might not boot.”

If I had to rank typical computer problems by severity, I would say “a troubleshooting tool that actually bricks your system instead of helping you out” would sit toward the top of my list. Microsoft claims that it’s already fixing this issue, so make sure you’ve installed anything and everything that’s available to you within Windows Update to ensure you aren’t bothered by this really frustrating bug. After that, wait, as the official fix will roll out automatically to your system.


Screenshot: David Murphy

What if chkdsk already borked your system?

Assuming you’re staring at a system that refuses to start up like it normally would, don’t panic. Or, rather, you’ve probably already been panicking, so it’s good that you’ve gotten most of the stress out of your body already. There is a fix for the issue, even if you can’t get into Windows 10 to address it with any lingering updates. As Microsoft describes:

  1. The device should automatically start up into the Recovery Console after failing to start up a few times.
  2. Select Advanced options.
  3. Select Command Prompt from the list of actions.
  4. Once Command Prompt opens, type: chkdsk /f
  5. Allow chkdsk to complete the scan, this can take a little while. Once it has completed, type: exit
  6. The device should now start up as expected. If it restarts into Recovery Console, select Exit and continue to Windows 10.

Once you’re back into Windows 10, hang tight. Microsoft is deploying its fix for chkdsk over the next day or so, so I’d hold off on running chkdsk until the end of the week, at minimum.

Also, a word about that: Generally speaking, you should avoid running the specific command that triggers this bug—chkdsk /f—without taking a few precautionary steps. This command locates and fixes errors it finds. Were I you, I’d simply run a normal chkdsk [drive letter] command first to scan your system. If, or when, any errors are encountered, use a tool like Macrium Reflect to make a full image or clone of your drive (just in case). Then, try running chkdsk /f. If you don’t encounter any issues after that, great. If you do, you’ll still have your data and/or be able to restore your system to a more usable state.

As always, remember that you don’t need to run a chkdsk /r on an SSD, as it’s completely unnecessary due to the way data is stored versus a mechanical hard drive. And if you’re suspicious that your PC’s drive has a mechanical issue, rather than a file system issue, chkdsk won’t help much. Instead, consider checking out its health by running a SMART report.

David Murphy
David Murphy is Lifehacker's Senior Technology Editor. He has geeked out writing for The New York Times, Wirecutter, PC Magazine, Reviewed, Computer Shopper, and PCWorld. www.thedavidmurphy.com

Source: Life Hacker  

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DECEMBER 23, 2020

Earthlings and astronauts chat away, via ham radio

by Samantha Masunaga


Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The International Space Station cost more than $100 billion. A ham radio set can be had for a few hundred bucks.

Perhaps that explains, in part, the appeal of having one of humankind's greatest scientific inventions communicate with Earth via technology that's more than 100 years old. But perhaps there's a simpler explanation for why astronauts and ham radio operators have been talking, and talking, for years.

NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock was just a few weeks into his six-month mission at the space station when feelings of isolation began to set in.

Wheelock would be separated from loved ones, save for communication via an Internet phone, email or social media. At times, the stress and tension of serving as the station's commander could be intense.

One night, as he looked out a window at the Earth below, he remembered the space station's ham radio. He figured he'd turn it on—see if anyone was listening.

"Any station, any station, this is the International Space Station," Wheelock said.

A flood of voices jumbled out of the airwaves.

Astronauts aboard the space station often speak to students via ham radio, which can also be used in emergencies, but those are scheduled appearances. Some, like Wheelock, spend their limited free time making contact with amateur radio operators around the world.

"It allowed me to ... just reach out to humanity down there," said Wheelock, who interacted with many operators, known as "hams," during that stay at the space station in 2010. "It became my emotional, and a really visceral, connection to the planet."

The first amateur radio transmission from space dates to 1983, when astronaut Owen Garriott took to the airwaves from the Space Shuttle Columbia. Garriott was a licensed ham who, back on Earth, had used his home equipment in Houston to chat with his father in Oklahoma.

Garriott and fellow astronaut Tony England pushed NASA to allow amateur radio equipment aboard shuttle flights.

"We thought it would be a good encouragement for young people to get interested in science and engineering if they could experience this," said England, who was the second astronaut to use ham radio in space.

An almost-all-volunteer organization called Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS, now helps arrange contact between students and astronauts on the space station. Students prepare to ask questions rapid-fire, one after another, into the ham radio microphone for the brief 10-minute window before the space station flies out of range.

"We try to think of ourselves as planting seeds and hoping that we get some mighty oaks to grow," said Kenneth G. Ransom, the ISS Ham project coordinator at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Typically, about 25 schools throughout the world are chosen each year, said Rosalie White, international secretary treasurer at ARISS.

"Not too many people get to talk to an astronaut," she said. "They get the importance of that."

The conversations are a treat for the astronauts as well.

"You're talking to someone and looking right down at where they are," NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold II said.

Over the last 10 years, ham radio has become more popular, experts say, with about 750,000 licensed amateur operators across the U.S. (not all of whom are active on the air). Helping to drive that interest: emergency communications.

"Ham radio is when all else fails," said Diana Feinberg, Los Angeles section manager for the American Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur radio. "Unlike other forms of communication, it does not require any kind of a switched network."

But for some hams, the allure is the opportunity to connect with people all over the world—or even above it.

During his 10-day shuttle mission in 1983, astronaut Garriott spoke with about 250 hams all over the world, including King Hussein of Jordan and Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona. Garriott died in 2019.

"From my perspective, even from a young age, it was very obvious how globally inspirational that moment was," said his son Richard Garriott. "People from Australia and America, just all over, had tuned in, and it clearly touched them. No matter what their station was, no matter where physically they were, they all became part of this global experience."

It's not surprising that Richard Garriott followed his father's example with a 2008 flight to the space station as a private astronaut. During his free time on the 12-day mission, the younger Garriott made contact with so many hams on the ground—including his father—that the two pieces of paper he brought to record contacts filled up during his first day on the radio.

"Any moderately populated landmass, without regard to time of day or night, you would find a bountiful group of enthusiasts who are ready to make contact," he said.

What drives this desire for contact? Amateur radio operators love a challenge, particularly when it comes to reaching remote or unusual locations.

"We're always, in amateur radio, talking to people we don't know," England said. "If we didn't enjoy the adventure of meeting other people through that way, we probably wouldn't have been amateur radio operators."

Amateur operator Larry Shaunce has made a handful of contacts with astronauts over the years, the first time in the 1980s, when, as a teenager, he reached Owen Garriott.

More recently, Shaunce, 56, made contact with NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor in 2018.

"Hello, this is Larry in Minnesota," he said after Auñón-Chancellor acknowledged his call sign.

"Oh, Minnesota!" she replied, adding that she could hear him "super clear" up in space and that he must have nice equipment.

"It's always exciting when you talk to somebody in space," said Shaunce, an electronic technician in Albert Lea, Minn. "You just never know. I monitor the frequency all the time."

James Lea knows that reaching the space station can be hit or miss. He and a friend once pulled over near a farm in Bunnell, Fla., as the space station flew overhead.

The pair sat in a truck with an antenna on the roof and the radio equipment in the cab. After a few tries, they heard Auñón-Chancellor respond: "Hey, good morning, Florida. How are you?"

Lea, 53, a filmmaker and engineer, recalled that he and his friend were "sitting in the middle of a cabbage field. The fact that she came back to him was kind of incredible."

Lea's daughter Hope has tried for years to reach the space station but has never gotten a response. She got her ham radio license at age 8. Now 14, Hope is thinking about becoming an astronaut and going to Mars, her father said.

David Pruett, an emergency physician from Hillsboro, Ore., tried to contact the space station using a multi-band amateur radio with a magnetic mount antenna, placed in a pizza pan to improve performance. Working from his dining-room table, he made many fruitless attempts. But one day, the space station got close to the West Coast, and Pruett again put out the call.

"November Alpha One Sierra Sierra," he said, using the amateur radio call sign for the .

Seconds of silence stretched after Pruett's identification: "Kilo Foxtrot Seven Echo Tango X-ray, Portland, Ore."

Then came a crackle, then the voice of astronaut Wheelock. At the close, both signed off with "73"—ham lingo for "best regards." Remembering that first conversation in 2010 still makes the hair on Pruett's arms stand up.

"It was absolutely unbelievable," Pruett said. "To push that microphone button and call the International Space Station and then let go of the button and wait, and then you hear this little crackle, and you hear Doug Wheelock come back and say, 'Welcome aboard the International Space Station'—it's just mind-boggling."

Pruett and Wheelock went on to have 31 contacts in all, one when Pruett was stuck in a traffic jam in Tacoma, Wash.

"I feel like I struck up a friendship with him," said Pruett, 64, who chronicled many of his contacts on YouTube. "I can only imagine that their workload is very tight, and they've got precious little free time, but I think it was very generous of him to donate as much of his free time to amateur radio operators as he did."

Wheelock remembers Pruett well.

"David was one of the early contacts I made," he said. "He was one of the first voices I heard as I was approaching the West Coast."

Wheelock's other ham radio contacts made similarly deep impressions on him—including a man from Portugal he spoke to so many times that Wheeler and his fellow astronauts once serenaded him with "Happy Birthday to You."

Wheelock also made contact with some of the first responders who worked to rescue the 33 Chilean miners trapped underground for 69 days in 2010.

"I just wanted to give a word of encouragement … to let them know that there's someone above that cares about what they're doing and what's in their path," he said.

During a six-month mission from 2005 to 2006, NASA astronaut William McArthur spoke via ham radio with 37 schools and made more than 1,800 individual contacts in more than 90 countries.

"That's just an infinitesimally small percentage of the world's population, but it's a lot more than I think I could have directly touched any other way," he said. "I wanted to share with people who maybe were random, who maybe didn't have a special connection or insight into space exploration."

It also allowed for some variety in his conversation partners. During his mission, McArthur's main crew mate was Russian cosmonaut Valeri Tokarev.

"I love him like a brother. We're very, very close," he said. "But still, it's one other person for six months."

Source: PHYS.ORG  

Paging Transmitters 150/900 MHz

The RFI High Performance Paging Transmitter is designed for use in campus, city, state and country-wide paging systems. Designed for use where reliable simulcast systems where RF signal overlap coverage is critical.

  • Commercial Paging systems.
  • Healthcare Paging systems.
  • Public Safety Emergency Services Paging systems.
  • Demand Response Energy Grid Management.

Built-in custom interface for Prism-IPX ipBSC Base Controller for remote control, management and alarm reporting.

  • Use as a stand-alone unit or in wide area network.
  • Mix with other transmitter brands in an existing paging network.
  • Adjustable from 20-250 watts.
  • 110/240 VAC or 48VDC.
  • Absolute Delay Correction.
  • Remote Diagnostics.
  • Configurable alarm thresholds.
  • Integrated Isolator.
  • Superb Reliability.
  • Improved amplifier efficiency.
  • Most reliable high-powered paging transmitter available.

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.


11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
Ph: 678-242-5290 Email: sales@prism-ipx.com
prism-ipx.com


IMPORTANT

“Is Paging Going Away?” by Jim Nelson

  • Click here for English.
  • Click here for German. (Berlin Revision: November 8, 2016)
  • Click here for French.

Here is an English PDF edit of this paper formatted with page breaks and suitable for printing.

Volunteers needed for translations into other languages.


Board of Advisors

The Wireless Messaging News
Board of Advisors

Frank McNeill
Founder & CEO
Communications Specialists
Jim Nelson
President & CEO
Prism Systems International
Kevin D. McFarland, MSCIS
Sr. Application Systems Analyst
Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Medical Center
Paul Lauttamus, President
Lauttamus Communications & Security
R.H. (Ron) Mercer
Wireless Consultant
Barry Kanne
Paging Industry Veteran
Ira Wiesenfeld, P.E.
Consulting Engineer
Allan Angus
Consulting Engineer

The Board of Advisor members are people with whom I have developed a special rapport, and have met personally. They are not obligated to support the newsletter in any way, except with advice, and maybe an occasional letter to the editor.


CAN YOU HELP?

Can You Help The Newsletter?

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You can help support The Wireless Messaging News by clicking on the PayPal Donate button above. It is not necessary to be a member of PayPal to use this service.


Reader Support

Newspapers generally cost 75¢ $1.50 a copy and they hardly ever mention paging or wireless messaging, unless in a negative way. If you receive some benefit from this publication maybe you would like to help support it financially?

A donation of $50.00 would certainly help cover a one-year period. If you are wiling and able, please click on the PayPal Donate button above.

 


  • LIVE response possible to any program with Media 1 Live app from Android or Apple stores, summed up immediately for producer on web site media1live.com
  • Propose LIVE broadcast on INTERNET with live response to reach youth with low cost quality education, seeking persons interested.
  • Contact: ewtexas@att.net

Page last updated on: Thursday, December 24, 2020

AM transmitter sites sold for logistics

Since 2000 nearly 400 AM radio stations have ceased operations in USA. Transport Topics says the transmitter sites are now valuable real estate for the logistics industry

The report says:

The familiar real estate adage “location, location, location” rings true these days for huge tracts on the outskirts of major cities — sites that for decades housed AM radio towers but that today command top dollar as e-commerce fuels rising demand for new warehouses and logistics centers.

Look no further than the $51 million sale of a five-acre parcel in Queens, N.Y., where an AM radio station will eventually abandon its existing tower and transmitter site, and move it.

New York radio station WFME’s owner, Nashville, Tenn.-based Family Radio, sold its AM transmitter site to Prologis, a San Francisco developer that specializes in building warehouses for companies looking to expand final-mile capability.

Read the full story at:
https://www.ttnews.com/articles/am-radio-transmitter-sites-now-valuable-real-estate-logistics-industry

Source: southgate  

SALCOM

 

SEA AIR AND LAND COMMUNICATIONS LTD
10 Vanadium Place, Addington
Christchurch 8024, New Zealand
Ph: +64 (0)3 379 2298
Web Page: www.salcom.com
Free: 0508 Salcom (NZ Only)
E-mail: sales@salcom.com

 


PRISM IPX Systems



Easy Solutions

easy solutions

Providing Expert Support and Service Contracts for all Glenayre Paging Systems.

The GL3000 is the most prolific paging system in the world and Easy Solutions gladly welcomes you to join us in providing reliable support to the paging industry for many more decades in the future.

Easy Solutions provides cost effective computer and wireless solutions at affordable prices. We can help in most any situation with your communications systems. We have many years of experience and a vast network of resources to support the industry, your system and an ever changing completive landscape.

  • We treat our customers like family. We don’t just fix problems . . . We recommend and implement better cost-effective solutions.
  • We are not just another vendor . . . We are a part of your team. All the advantages of high priced full-time employment without the cost.
  • We are not in the Technical Services business . . . We are in the Customer Satisfaction business.

Experts in Paging Infrastructure

  • Glenayre, Motorola, Unipage, etc.
  • Excellent Service Contracts
  • Full Service—Beyond Factory Support
  • Making systems More Reliable and MORE PROFITABLE for over 30 years.

Please see our web site for exciting solutions designed specifically for the Wireless Industry. We also maintain a diagnostic lab and provide important repair and replacement parts services for Motorola and Glenayre equipment. Call or  e-mail  us for more information.

Easy Solutions
3220 San Simeon Way
Plano, Texas 75023

Vaughan Bowden
Telephone: 972-898-1119
Telephone: 214 785-8255
Website: www.EasySolutions4You.com
E-mail: vaughan@easysolutions4you.com


GLENAYRE INFRASTRUCTURE

I would like to recommend Easy Solutions for Support of all Glenayre Paging Equipment. This Texas company is owned and operated by Vaughan Bowden. I have known Vaughan for over 35 years. Without going into a long list of his experience and qualifications, let me just say that he was the V.P. of Engineering at PageNet which was—at that time—the largest paging company in the world. So Vaughan knows Paging.

GTES is no longer offering support contracts. GTES was the original group from Vancouver that was setup to offer support to customers that wanted to continue with the legacy Glenayre support. Many U.S. customers chose not to use this service because of the price and the original requirement to upgrade to version 8.0 software (which required expensive hardware upgrades, etc.). Most contracts ended as of February 2018.

If you are at all concerned about future support of Glenayre products, especially the “king of the hill” the GL3000 paging control terminal, I encourage you to talk to Vaughan about a service contract and please tell him about my recommendation.


Click on the image above for more info about advertising here.

INTERNET Protocol Terminal

The IPT accepts INTERNET or serial messaging using various protocols and can easily convert them to different protocols, or send them out as paging messages.

An ideal platform for hospitals, on-site paging applications, or converting legacy systems to modern protocols.

Input Protocols: Serial and IP
TAP TNPP SNPP
HTTP WCTP SMTP
POTS (DTMF) DID (DTMF)  
 
Output Protocols: Serial and IP
TAP TNPP SNPP
HTTP HTTPS SMPP
WCTP WCTPS SMTP
FLEX (optional PURC control)   POCSAG (optional PURC control)

Additional/Optional Features

  • Database of up to 5000 subscribers.
  • 4 serial ports on board.
  • Up to 8 phone lines (DID or POTS).
  • Can be configured for auto-fail-over to hot swap standby.
  • 1RU rack mount unit appliance—no moving parts.
  • Easily secure legacy system messages leaving site for HIPAA compliance.
  • Only purchase the protocols/options you need.
  • Add Paging Encryption for HIPAA compliance on site.

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.


11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
Ph: 678-242-5290 e-mail: sales@prism-ipx.com
prism-ipx.com


Paging Data Receiver PDR-4

The PDR-4 is a multi-function paging data receiver that decodes paging messages and outputs them via the serial port, USB or Ethernet connectors.

Designed for use with Prism-IPX ECHO software Message Logging Software to receive messages and log the information for proof of transmission over the air, and if the data was error free.

  • Option—decode capcode list or all messages.
  • Large capcode capacity.
  • Serial, USB and Ethernet output.
  • POCSAG or FLEX page decoding, special SA protocols.
  • Receivers for paging bands in VHF, UHF, 900 MHz.
  • Message activated Alarm Output.
  • 8 programmable relay outputs.
  • Send notifications of a system problem.
  • Synthesized Receiver Tuning.
  • Selectivity better than 60 dB.
  • Frequencies 148-174, 450-470, 929-932 MHz.
  • Image Rejection better than 55 dB.
  • Spurious Rejection better than 55 dB.
  • Channel Spacing 12.5 or 25 kHz.
  • Power 5VDC.
  • Receiving Sensitivity 5µV at 1200 bps.

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.


11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
Ph: 678-242-5290 e-mail: sales@prism-ipx.com
prism-ipx.com


Wireless Network Planners

Wireless Network Planners
Wireless Specialists

R.H. (Ron) Mercer
Consultant
217 First Street
East Northport, NY 11731

ron mercer
Telephone: 631-786-9359
www.wirelessplanners.com left arrow
wirelessplannerron@gmail.com left arrow


How will you be told when it's your turn for a COVID-19 vaccine? It's complicated.

Ryan W. Miller
USA TODAY
Published 10:53 a.m. ET Dec. 24, 2020 | Updated 8:44 a.m. Dec 25, 2020

Will you get a text from your doctor? Will you read about it online? Or will you have to check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website to know when it's your turn in line?

As COVID-19 vaccines roll out to limited groups of people across the United States, how people learn they are eligible to get their shots won't be as clear while supplies remain limited, according to public health and policy experts and state vaccination plans.

"I think it's going to be a little bit murky," said Katie Greene, a visiting policy associate at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy.

"I wouldn't be surprised if thousands of individuals get left out because of the information gap," added Tinglong Dai, a Johns Hopkins Carey Business School professor who studies operations management and business analytics in health care.

Vaccine rollout has largely been left to the states, and with an "isolated and decentralized health system" in the U.S., as Dai put it, people may not know when they're eligible to get their vaccine. And they may have to be proactive in finding where they can get one and in proving that they meet the criteria to be next in line. 

In Phase 1a of the vaccine rollout, health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities are prioritized, easy groups to reach because they're in distinct locations, Greene said.

During the next phase, people 75 and older and front-line essential workers should be prioritized, according to recommendations from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. After that, Phase 1c will include people 65 to 74 and people 16 to 64 who have high-risk medical conditions, along with other essential workers. 

Stay safe and informed with updates on the spread of the coronavirus

"These are groups that are much harder to reach," Greene said.

Dai expects there to be some confusion and inefficiency as distribution continues in late winter and early spring, when supply is still growing and more, but not all, people are eligible to get a vaccine.

"It's going to be a very complicated triage process," he said, adding that it won't be consistent across health care providers.

Federal officials with Operation Warp Speed hope that around 50 million people will have received their first of two shots of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of January, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said earlier this week.

Two vaccines, one produced by Pfizer and BioNTech and another by Moderna, have already received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A Phase 3 clinical trial for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has completed enrollment, and another vaccine candidate from AstraZeneca and Oxford University is expected to follow a few weeks later.

Azar has said the government should have enough supply so that every American who wants a vaccine can get it by summer 2021.

In the middle stages of rollout, state and local public health officials will have a lot of work to do to clearly define and communicate who is eligible, said John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital.

"At the state level, there are going to be important nuances in terms of eligibility," Brownstein said.

"Everyone wants to know their place in line. I think people will be tuned in."

Preregistration, eligibility websites and emails

The federal government has left it up to states to implement mass vaccination programs. Like many other policy decisions in the pandemic – from testing protocols to restrictions – states will have to tailor their vaccine rollouts to their specific needs, including how they communicate eligibility, Greene said.

State vaccine distribution plans submitted to the CDC earlier this year broadly cover how states will communicate with their residents, and the plans vary on how eligible people will be informed.

Right now, health care workers getting vaccinated find out through their employer, the facilities that are providing the vaccine. CVS and Walgreens are planning to go into  tens of thousands of long-term care facilities to provide initial doses to residents and staff.

Many states' plans say they will rely on traditional media campaigns and mention press conferences from governors, outreach to community groups, and text and email campaigns.

As vaccine becomes more available, New York's plan says its residents will also be to check a website for a "vaccine eligibility screening tool and a vaccine administration site locator." 

The health department websites in Colorado and Virginia have trackers that show they're still in Phase 1a of rollout.

In Maryland, residents will be able preregister for the vaccine through the state's existing immunization information system, the state plan says. The department of health will send targeted texts and emails to preregistered individuals who have not yet received their vaccine.

Greene said Maryland's preregistration plan is "a pretty innovative approach" but will rely on how many people can use the system.

Online systems for informing people of eligibility are only as good as the buy in, Dai said. For example, a hospital may be using a record system, like MyChart, to send alerts to people that they are eligible. But if a patient never set up their MyChart, they may not find out unless they reach out. 

"The central problem is we do not have a national waiting list for vaccination, and we do not even have that for individual states or counties," Dai said, comparing it to the national registry for organ donations.

Side effects, differences and immunity: What to know about the COVID-19 vaccines in the US

As rollout expands, the CDC's playbook on vaccine distribution says it will also develop a screening tool for people to determine their own eligibility. That tool will then point them to VaccineFinder.org, an existing platform that connects the public to information about where they can get seasonal flu vaccines, vaccines for travel and other routinely recommendation vaccines.

Brownstein, who led the development of VaccineFinder.org, said the tool will play an important role in helping people find a vaccine once they learn they're eligible. He expects COVID-19 vaccine information will be available on the website starting in early 2021.

In November, the Department of Health and Human Services also announced that it would partner with pharmacy chains around the U.S. to provide vaccine as supplies become more available. That partnership is expected to cover 60% of pharmacies throughout the U.S., HHS said.

CVS said in a statement that the public will be able to make appointments to get the vaccine at their pharmacies online or via an 800 number once the vaccine is more widely available.

"We will be promoting availability and raising awareness through multiple channels as we get closer to the timeframe, and dates and prioritization are determined," Mike DeAngelis, senior director for corporate communications at CVSHealth, told USA TODAY in an e-mail. 

More:COVID-19 immunizations are going 'slower' than expected, officials say

'It's stuff we're going to have to figure out in a hurry'

As rollout enters the next phases, some states, however, may lag behind others, complicating the picture of who is eligible at a given time.

Vaccines are allocated according to the number of adults in each state, but that doesn't mean it will correlate with the number of high-risk people there.

USA TODAY analysis published this week found which states fare best because they have fewer residents in high-risk categories and which states may lag, still vaccinating health care workers as others move forward to a wider population.

Greene and Brownstein said it'll be on the state and local public health officials to define who falls into each phase to lessen confusion.

"There will be some gray areas and professions where it's not clear what group you fit into," Brownstein said.

Having employers facilitate the process will make those gray areas more straightforward, Greene said, but challenges may persist, especially in smaller work settings with less outreach.

Tips How to persuade someone to take the COVID-19 vaccine

Similar issues could arise as it relates to underlying conditions and comorbidities. Someone's age is easily verifiable for pharmacies and vaccination clinics, but an underlying condition that puts someone at increased risk for COVID-19 complications may not be, Greene said. 

Dai described a scenario where someone has received care in hospital system for an underlying condition but has since moved and plans to get their vaccine from another hospital. If those hospitals use different online records that don't easily communicate with each other, it could be on the individual to do their own outreach.

"There's going to have to be some level of expectation of some people not jumping the line," Brownstein added.

Whether someone would need a doctor's note to verify their condition would be a requirement that the vaccine provider would have to establish, but Greene said there would be a risk of increasing barriers and accessibility for people who may not have access to a primary care doctor.

"It's stuff we're going to have to figure out in a hurry," she said.

Who gets the vaccine first? Here's who the CDC recommends.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that phased vaccine rollout go to the following groups first:

Phase 1a: Front-line health care workers and people in long-term care facilities.

Phase 1b: People 75 and older and front-line essential workers, in the following categories:

  • First responders such as firefighters, police
  • Teachers, support staff, day care workers
  • Food and agriculture workers
  • Manufacturing workers
  • Correction workers
  • U.S. Postal Service workers
  • Public transit workers
  • Grocery store workers

Phase 1c: People 65 to 74, people 16 to 64 who have high-risk medical conditions, and other essential workers. The medical conditions listed are:

  • Obesity
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Heart condition
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Immunocompromised state from solid organ transplant
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Pregnancy
  • Smoker (current or with a history of smoking)

Workers in this category include:

  • Public health workers
  • Transportation and logistics workers
  • Food service workers
  • Construction workers
  • Finance workers
  • IT & Communications workers
  • Energy workers
  • Media workers
  • Legal workers
  • Public safety engineers
  • Water and wastewater workers

Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, Dennis Wagner, Donovan Slack and Aleszu Bajak

Source: USA TODAY  


Consulting Alliance

Brad Dye, Ron Mercer, Allan Angus, Vic Jackson, and Ira Wiesenfeld are friends and colleagues who work both together and independently, on wireline and wireless communications projects.

Click here left arrow for a summary of their qualifications and experience. Each one has unique abilities. We would be happy to help you with a project, and maybe save you some time and money.

Note: We do not like Patent Trolls, i.e. “a person or company who enforces patent rights against accused infringers in an attempt to collect licensing fees, but does not manufacture products or supply services based upon the patents in question.” We have helped some prominent law firms defend their clients against this annoyance, and would be happy to do some more of this same kind of work.

Some people use the title “consultant” when they don't have a real job. We actually do consulting work, and help others based on our many years of experience.

“If you would know the road ahead, ask someone who has traveled it.” — Chinese Proverb


WHAT IS 5G? 5G is the ext generation of wireless networks and promises a mobile experience that's 10x to 100x faster than today's 4G networks. We say the word promise because we're in the early days of 5G. When more smartphones and networks support 5G tech, it will have far-reaching consequences for consumers, from the cars we drive (or that drive us) to the food we eat to the safety of our roads to the ways we shop to the entertainment we share with family and friends. And that doesn't include things we haven't yet imagined because we've never had the capability to unlock those new scenarios. Today, 5G may seem confusing even as it's widely hyped. We're here to help you sort fact from fiction, weed through the acronyms and jargon, and figure out when and how 5G can change the way you live. And we'll keep you from getting caught up in hyperbole — and empty promises. [ source ]

Remote AB Switches

ABX-1 switches are often used at remote transmitter sites to convert from old, outdated and unsupported controllers to the new modern Prism-IPX ipBSC base station controllers. Remotely switch to new controllers with GUI commands.

ABX-1

ABX-3 switches are widely used for enabling or disabling remote equipment and switching I/O connections between redundant messaging systems.

ABX-3

Common Features:

  • RJ45 for A, B and Common connectors.
  • Manual push button or use Prism IP commands to switch one or more relays.
  • Single or Dual Port Control card for IP or Serial connection.
  • Form C relay—control local connection.
  • Power Loss Indicator.
  • Rear Panel Connector for controlling the switch externally.
  • Power Source: 5VDC for ABX-1; 12VDC for ABX-3.

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.


11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
Ph: 678-242-5290 e-mail: sales@prism-ipx.com
prism-ipx.com


Leavitt Communications

We can supply alphanumeric display, numeric display, and voice pagers.

We also offer NEW and refurbished Alphamate 250s, refurbished Alphamate IIs, the original Alphamate refurbished, and new and refurbished pagers, pager repairs, pager parts, and accessories. We are FULL SERVICE in Paging! Outstanding service is our goal.

E-mail Phil Leavitt ( pcleavitt@leavittcom.com ) for pricing and delivery information, or for a list of other available paging and two-way related equipment.

Phil Leavitt
847-955-0511
pcleavitt@leavittcom.com

LEAVITT COMMUNICATIONS
7508 N. Red Ledge Drive
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
www.leavittcom.com


BloostonLaw Newsletter


  BloostonLaw Telecom Update Vol. 23, No. 50 December 9, 2020  

Selected portions [sometimes more — sometimes less — sometimes the whole updates] of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update and/or the BloostonLaw Private Users Update — newsletters from the Law Offices of Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP — are reproduced in this section of The Wireless Messaging News with kind permission from the firm's partners. The firm's contact information is included at the end of this section of the newsletter.

In lieu of holiday cards, BloostonLaw will be making a donation to Healthcare for the Homeless, a local charity program. We wish our clients a happy and safe holiday season! In observance of the holiday, our next newsletter will not be published until Jan. 6.

Our office will be closed Dec. 24 and 25. Our office will close at 2pm Dec. 31. Between Dec. 24 and Dec 28, please email or call the relevant attorney(s) directly.


Law Offices Of
Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens,
Duffy & Prendergast, LLP

2120 L St. NW, Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 659-0830
(202) 828-5568 (fax)

— CONTACTS —

Harold Mordkofsky, 202-828-5520, hma@bloostonlaw.com
Benjamin H. Dickens, Jr., 202-828-5510, bhd@bloostonlaw.com
Gerard J. Duffy, 202-828-5528, gjd@bloostonlaw.com
John A. Prendergast, 202-828-5540, jap@bloostonlaw.com
Richard D. Rubino, 202-828-5519, rdr@bloostonlaw.com
Mary J. Sisak, 202-828-5554, mjs@bloostonlaw.com
D. Cary Mitchell, 202-828-5538, cary@bloostonlaw.com
Salvatore Taillefer, Jr., 202-828-5562, sta@bloostonlaw.com

This newsletter is not intended to provide legal advice. Those interested in more information should contact the firm.


 


Complete Technical Services for the Communications and Electronics Industries


Technical Services Inc.

Texas Registered Engineering Firm #F16945

“It's more than Push-To-Talk”

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Dallas, TX 75248-3112

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President • Principal Engineer
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WA5GXP

Cell: 214-707-7711
E-mail: iwiesenfel@aol.com
Toll Free: 844-IWA-TECH (844-492-8324)
Web: https://www.iwa-radio.com

Design  •  Installation  •  Maintenance  •  Training

THIS WEEK'S MUSIC VIDEO

“Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”

Home Free — “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” — Featuring The Oak Ridge Boys and Jeffrey East

Home Free

From our Warmest Winter Holiday Special, this is the live performance of “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” featuring The Oak Ridge Boys and Jeffrey East! ❄️ OUR NEW ALBUM, WARMEST WINTER, IS HERE! https://linktr.ee/HomeFree

Source:

YouTube

 


Best regards,
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