World Heritage site upgrades to digital with Sepura DMR

Blenheim Palace, the famous World Heritage site in Oxfordshire that attracts more than 600,000 visitors each year, is one of England's most magnificent stately homes with over 2000 acres of parkland.

The estate, however, was in need of a communications upgrade and has recently had a Sepura digital mobile radio (DMR) solution installed by Sepura Channel Partner 2826 Ltd.

The Tier II system will help operational staff to provide the public with a memorable experience in a safe environment, replacing an ageing analog two-way radio system that offered limited site coverage.

Hampshire-based company 2826 Ltd was awarded the contract comprising an SBR8040 repeater, which provides site-wide and in-building coverage, and SBP8340 non-keypad radios with coloured fronts for easy talk group recognition.

The SBP8040 full-keypad/display management radios and an SBM8040 desktop display radio, connected to a SICS eXpress PC dispatcher application, which manages and records the system's messaging, call logging, emergency alarms and GPS mapping, also formed part of the DMR solution.

“We are delighted with our new Sepura DMR system and the first-class consultative approach and smooth installation provided by 2826 Ltd," said Heather Carter, head of operations for Blenheim Palace.

“We are very impressed with the Sepura features offered, particularly the audio clarity; long battery life; extra functionalities, such as the emergency button feature, which is linked to our building alarm system procedure; and, of course, the site-wide and in-building coverage that we've never enjoyed before."

Cliff Davies, business development manager for Sepura, said the contract win reinforces the company's increasing market share of the professional systems sector “where radio users require tough, dependable, highly featured radios that can be easily configured to add new system functionality" while also providing “lower cost of ownership over the life of their radiocommunications system".

Top image courtesy of Sheila Sund under CC BY 2.0