Value Engineering the Design

It’s not unusual to receive a design for an Auxiliary Radio Communication System (ARCS) or Emergency Responder Radio Communications System (ERRC) that goes out to bid that will never work. The design is often provided to the client for free and created in a quick and dirty fashion. In the industry, this is called a “level-setting” bid design; in other words, it’s deficient. When we receive these types of designs, our RF Engineers use iBwave, a propagation tool that simulates how an in-building wireless system functions. The tool allows us to evaluate a design and optimize the in-building system, which rarely matches the level-setting plans.

It’s Like Using a Mack Truck Engine in a Volkswagen

It’s okay to use level-setting bids because plainly, you have to start somewhere. The trouble begins when there are assumptions that these plans will work. ARC and ERRC systems aren’t used to provide better cell service for business; they are used to save lives in a high-rise fire. Low-balling the design is not where a building owner wants to cut costs. Often, when insufficient models win the bid and are installed, they don’t provide full coverage. To overcompensate, the engineers may “turn up the volume” of the radio frequency in the building, hoping to fix the problem. This modification is like using the engine of a Mack truck in a Volkswagen, and it causes radio spectrum pollution. 

Turning Up the Volume = Radio Spectrum Pollution

As an example, we were recently asked to submit a bid for an ARC system for an eight-story 30,000 square foot building with a roof and bulkhead in New York City. The proposed design presented in the submission utilized a one-riser solution with four antennas that would never work as planned.  In order to propagate through multiple levels of obstruction, the antennas would have to be overpowered. This adjustment would inadvertently cause the signal to propagate outside the building (radio spectrum pollution), which is not permitted. RF Solutions’ enhanced design utilized an additional vertical riser, and more antennas at specific locations to control the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP), thus retaining the propagation inside the building while maintaining adequate coverage.

A Better Design is Also Cost-Efficient

Our design saves money, is more efficient, and easier to install because using two vertical risers within 2-hour fire-rated stairways allows us to eliminate horizontal cable runs through non-fire-rated pathways that would then have to be upgraded to provide 2-hour fire resistance. The cost for labor and materials for such fire rating is many times the cost of the additional materials and installation required to implement our design.

iBwave-Trained Engineers Produce Robust Wireless Designs

Propagation tools like iBwave are just that, tools. They are absolutely necessary, but they are also only as good as the user. Christophe Volckaert, a Manager of Customer Care for iBwave, says, “While iBwave Design is a powerful software that helps RF engineers design the best wireless networks, they can quickly become complex. With this in mind, we developed our certification program to enable engineers to get the most out of features available in iBwave Design. We believe well-trained engineers are more efficient at producing robust wireless designs that meet carriers’ KPIs.” In addition to iBwave training and certification, an effective engineer must have experience with in-building design and construction/installation standards and processes, something that all our engineers at RF Solutions possess. 

The Security Industry Picks up a Hammer and Goes to Bat for Kids in Need

People who work in the security industry spend their days keeping the rest of us safe and secure in the office and at home. What you might not know is that many of them dedicate a significant amount of their time and effort to Mission 500, a nonprofit organization that serves the needs of children and communities in crisis in the United States. Since its inception in 2016, they’ve helped produce over 40,000 meals, assembled care packs filled with essentials for 2200 families, and distributed more than 10,000 book bags filled with school supplies to Title One schools. 

Mission 500 has two important events this weekend in New Jersey. Saturday, volunteers will team up with Habitat for Humanity in Paterson, NJ to assist with the construction of a home in Paterson Habitat’s 4th Ward Focus area initiative. On Sunday, in Overpeck County Park in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Mission 500 will host its 5th annual softball charity event. The day-long event includes competition and family fun to help meet Mission 500’s goal of raising $50,000. This year, the funds will go to Habitat for Humanity in Paterson, and the New York City Firefighters Burn Center Foundation’s program that sends child burn victims to a special summer camp in Connecticut designed to facilitate their special needs.

On Sunday, the day kicks off at 9:00 am with a pro-am softball game between members of the FDNY and professional players. The featured event begins at 12:30 when the Protection Pirates take on the Security Sluggers, two all-star teams comprised of Mission 500 members from the metropolitan area. The day-long event is free and open to the public. For more information, please click here. To donate to the fundraiser, please click here. There are very close to raising the $50,000!

Nneka Nurse, RFS Project Manager by Day – Host of Prestigious James Beard House Caribbean Event by Night

At RFS, we value our employees for their accomplishments in the office, and we celebrate their exploits outside the workplace too. Last week, one of our Project Managers, Nneka Nurse, made her debut at the James Beard House, the “Oscars” equivalent in the culinary world. Getting an invite to host a meal at the esteemed house is highly coveted by chefs around the world, and is decided by a chef selection committee comprised of food and wine professionals, and gastronomic enthusiasts. They base their decision on many factors such as national or regional reputation, demonstrated excellence in a particular cuisine, and level of interest by their dining members. 

Bringing the Food of the Caribbean to a Wider Audience

Nneka was the host of the event, sourcing the menu and the participating chefs. Her project management skills apply not only to in-building wireless life safety systems, but also to the orchestration of a multi-course meal including dishes like Pudding-Souse shooters, Cassava Blinis with Plantain Puree, and Crab and Callaloo with Coconut-Baked croutons. Because of Nneka’s heritage of Caribbean descent, she’s been exposed to many ingredients and cultural dishes that others may not have had the opportunity to try. She felt it was time to highlight her love of the foods of the Caribbean, and bring them to a broader audience. “Hosting the event at the James Beard House, where chefs shared the food they grew up on to people outside of the diaspora was a humbling experience for me. Seeing the guests enjoy every course and anticipating the next, gave me confidence that the narrative of Caribbean cuisine only being categorized as “street food” is being fully embraced by all.”

Something for Everyone

Although it was her first time at the James Beard House, she’s had the privilege of sharing her passion for the food of the island nations in other professional settings, and was honored to host a Holiday Dinner series at the United Nations Delegates Dining Room. “I just love the flavors and how they marry together to create such amazing dishes that everyone grows to love. It’s very difficult to find someone who doesn’t like Caribbean Food. It has something for everyone, and each island has its own special meaning for me. I like Trinidad for the food on D’Avenue (Ariapita Avenue). It’s a strip of many, many food places to dive into! Jamaica for the provisions; salt pork and fried green banana – so yummy! In Barbados, they make the best macaroni pie – it’s a secret as to why it’s so good, but trust me, it’s delicious!”

Life Kicks In

“My first food memories are of the smells on Sunday morning of homemade bread baking. My aunt would bake bread from scratch, and my cousin is the one who taught me how to cook. I used to cook at home a lot, but then life kicked in, and I don’t get to do it as often as I like. Now I tend to cook more one-pot meals, like stewed chicken, stewed fish with vegetables, and macaroni pie.” 

For those that would like to try an easy recipe, evocative of the islands, Nneka recommends this one for Trinidadian Stewed Red Beans. She says, “It’s simple but very good! And I always keep a bottle of Matouks Ketchup and Green Seasoning (the Caribbean version of Sofrito) in my refrigerator.”

If she had to eat one thing for the rest of her life? Stew peas and rice. 

Nneka is redefining what the West Indian Gastronomy is, and you can follow along at http://bestdressedplate.com/