Vallen approached Hytera partner Commercial Radio Systems (CRS) with whom the company had an existing and trusted relationship to see if it could recommend a suitable solution. CRS offered to demonstrate some radio models including Hytera HP605 and HP685 Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) devices.

In the demonstrations, the Hytera HP6 series radios excelled in terms of resilience to inclement weather while on trial, thanks to their IP67 certification for waterproofing and dust resistance. The radios are compact, light, easy to carry and simple to operate. At the same time, they are still very rugged and robust as they meet the MIL-STD-810G standard for resistance to drops (up to 2m) and vibration.

The integrated BT5.0 technology provides flexible wireless connections for audio accessories, thereby enabling engineers to keep their hands free for their jobs, while still remaining in constant touch with their colleagues. The radios can also be operated easily with gloves, which is a major consideration in this heavy engineering context.

The radios also provided better voice quality than other vendor models, delivering clear and loud audio at all times thanks to Hytera’s latest AI-based noise cancellation technology - an important factor when communications have to be heard in noisy engineering environments.

The HP6 series also supports a far greater range in back-to-back mode when compared with other models the client had previously used. Another major bonus the client really appreciated was the long battery life of over 20 hours (5-5-90 standard), which enables users to work a full day's shift without having to recharge the radios.

The first batch of HP6 series radios was issued to the lead engineering team. This provided a valuable proof of concept demonstration to the organisation. This successful trial encouraged it to move the radio upgrade process forward and commit to expanding the company’s communications capacity.