Our 2017 New Year's Resolutions

After more than three decades of pioneering efforts as developer of one of the first web pages in the wireless communications industry, we have concluded that the web is not the place to build long term customer relationships.  We've tried it all,  multiple web sites for targeted user groups, on-line stores, eNewsletters, Blogs, Social Media, Ad words, you name it - we've done it.

It may work for the "I'll beat the other guys price" guys, but not so much for a small business with innovative ideas that others are always trying to steal.  So, I decided to do something different!  All through the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year holidays, I spent the majority of my time developing a simple business plan for 2017.

The objective was not to "beat" competition, win an Attaboy award, or even to make so much money I couldn't spend it all.  To the contrary, this business plan was one of identifying needs and serving the needs of those who could benefit. The idea is to provide creative applications of wireless technology based on a long term, mutually beneficial relations.  The plan is based on seven points.  Here they are:

1)  Give our customers a choice of better products at lower cost!

2)  Eliminate 2-way radio battery replacement and maintenance cost!

3)  Help you stay out of trouble with government regulatory agencies (EPA, FCC, OSHA, etc.)!

4)  Significantly reduce downtime for radio maintenance!

5)  Help to provide enhanced client services, and enjoy the added profits!

6)  Reduce operational cost by planned equipment replacement! 

7)  Enjoy the value of a collaborative relationship rather than a buyer/seller battle!

Now, having said all that, this is a farewell to copy cat price cutters, big name competitors who can crush free enterprise and user choice through unethical practises, and people who really shouldn't be in business at all.

This is a "Hello" to old and new customers who believe that all business should be conducted on the basis of mutual benefit, fair dealing, and development of long term relationships.  If this makes sense to you, please give me a call, personally, at 205.854.2611 or drop me an email to burch@falcondirect.com.  I would like to tell you how this new business plan works. I can assure you of one thing. You've never seen anything like it, by a dam site. See picture above😉!

  

On a closing note to those who have followed my personal comments, with not so much interest in business; you can continue an exchange of ideas by becoming friends at Facebook.com/Burch.Falkner. All the best to you and yours for 2017 and beyond!

Burch Falkner and all the Falcon Team

We are At your Service!

People at the their best.......

Some of our readers have never been to a City Council meeting.  I attend them on a regular basis as a part of the work I do.  Last night was special.  It started with the Mayor giving thanks to God for the blessings bestowed on the City of Brighton, Alabama.  This was followed by corporate prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance by all attendees.  Brighton is one of many small towns in  Alabama  that has been financially devastated by the closing of steel mills, heavy industry, and coal mines.

I was honored to be in the presence of people mostly forgotten by the rest of the world. The  community is mostly minority, and far below the poverty level.  One of the attendees, who spoke at the time reserved for complaints, was a local resident who sleeps in her truck to be more vigilant against those who would burglarize her home.  She is well educated, articulate, and a survivor of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, AL back in 1963. Some would judge her as being a bit eccentric, but given the freedom to be herself by a community that neither judges nor envies others. 

The City of Brighton was in the news recently.  A call came in and the police department couldn't respond.  The reason?  None of the police cars would run. The County Commissioner representing the Brighton district appeared before the council to inform them that she had reached out to others and found a donor to provide four new police vehicles.  When she made the announcement, there wasn't a dry eye in the room, including mine. 

My reason for being there was to help the city find a way to implement a new program called No Time for Crime. Falcon Community Services developed the program to combine the resources of business institutional, and governmental participants in working together to make cities and counties better places to live, work, and play.  Part of the program involved getting new communications equipment for the city along with an interoperability solution for better communications with neighboring communities as well as improved community service.  

It was a good evening.  It's good to have a job that can help others.  It's WONDERFUL to see and work with people at their best! Better yet, by listening to the needs of the City of Brighton, we were able to develop a brand new program that might be of benefit in YOUR city, county, or regional metro area.  It is called (you guessed it), The Brighton Plan! If you would like to know more about The Brighton Plan, give us a call, anytime, at 205.854.2611.

New Try Before You Buy Program!

Falcon Wireless is ready to PROVE to you
 that Hytera is your best 2-way radio value!

Anybody can say they have the best 2-way radio!  We are ready to PROVE that Hytera is your best value in VHF and UHF radios!  For a limited time, you can try ANY Hytera DMR radio with both analog and digital capability. Select the model of your choice from the list available by clicking here. 

Don't worry about the price - just pick the radio that you think best fits your needs, then give us a call at 800.489.2611.  We'll help you get the best radio at the best price and allow you to try it at no cost or obligation, PLUS we will introduce you to some incredible products available nowhere else.  If you do decide to keep (and pay) for your demo radio, we will extend a 30% discount on any of the special products available by clicking here! That's just one of the things that makes us a little different from any other 2-way radio supplier.  We give you the best products at the best price, the best reasons to purchase from us, and the best customer service in the industry!

Our New Look for 2016

We're Going Mobile!

Most everyone makes New Years resolutions.  Ours is to serve you better by making it easier to get faster, easier access to information on our products and services!  That means going MOBILE for our Smartphone and Tablet users plus adding video messages on our regular web pages. And, that's not all!

We are also forming alliances with key partners to combine capabilities to provide you with products, and services like you will find nowhere else!  The first of these alliances is with Birmingham Two Way, one of the oldest and  most experienced communications companies in the USA.  

The picture at the left is the mobile version for our SouthComm.us web site. We are doing some very unusual things as you will discover when you visit our mobile site by clicking here. If you prefer a web page optimized for desktop or laptop PC's, you are only a click away from the standard SouthComm.us web site. On this web site, as well as our regular Falcon Wireless and related web sites, you will be greeted by a short one minute video to give you an overview of what we do, how we do it, and why that may be of benefit to anyone seeking the best value in airtime free wireless communications.

Later this month, we will be "mobilizing" our Falcon Wireless web site as well as several other web sites which will be available shortly.  New products developed by key channel partners as well as a complete family of products of our own manufacture will be available to enhance the benefits of private wireless communications.  We believe 2016 is going to a great year.  All of us here at Falcon Wireless, and those who are working with us, wish you a very Happy New Year with our pledge to to do our best to help make 2016 YOUR best year ever!

Want an example of our commitment? One of our 911 customers called at 10.30 AM on New Years eve advising that a police repeater was down.  They are 100 miles away.  By 5:00 PM, they were back on the air and I still got home in time to see the Cotton Bowl, which unfortunately was not that good a game (at least for Michigan.....).

New CS Series Radios from Falcon Wireless

 We're guessing that you have NEVER seen 2-way radios as flexible, reliable, and affordable as our new CS Series radios.  Three great radios to fit the needs and the budget of every user.  The VERY affordable CS-STD (shown above) can speak for itself at the push of a button, talk on 800 MHz trunked radio systems (with an assist from our optional BlueBox), activate alarms and sirens, identify itself, and even duplicate the paging alert tone of Motorola Minitor pagers!  And it can do all these things for under $200, and that's just for starters!  Additional information is available by clicking here.

Motorola and Minitor and registered trademarks of Motorola Solutions

One of Alabama's largest Motorola 2-way dealers closes doors

After 70 years in business, McCord Communications of Anniston and Gadsden, Alabama is no more.  How did that happen?

We call it the buggy builder syndrome, a condition that reflects an inability to adapt to changing conditions.  The Internet, consolidation, foreign competition, and diminishing profits have changed the way business in a way unequaled in history.  

At the same time, change creates new opportunities for those who can recognize and adapt to new ways of doing business. Some adapt by consolidation, others by controlling access to critical infrastructure and technology.  

We think the right way is to capitalize on experience and adapt to the new business opportunities brought about by change.  You can learn more about our thoughts on this subject with an explanation of the buggy builder syndrome by clicking here.  For additional information on the closing of McCord Communications, click here.
Photo courtesy of the Anniston Star

Join us in doing something really good for your community!

Teamwork is a good thing.  That is why we are offering the opportunity for others to work with us in making our communities better places to live, work, and play! There is room on this team for everybody - other dealers looking for new opportunities, small broadcast stations, retirees, municipalities, neighborhood associations, even volunteer groups (as in volunteer fire and rescue departments)!  Click here for more information.  Who knows? This could be the next big thing in your life!

Introducing the new ComFit Pro Audio Boom Microphone

Over the years, we have seen the prices of radios and audio accessories continue to decrease which is a good thing, UNLESS the quality, performance, and durability degrade at a similar pace.  The so called "surveillance headsets"(earpiece with lip microphone) are very popular with our church, gaming, hospitality, hospital, logistics, school, and retail store users.  Most are priced in the $30 to $50 range.

We have a new ultra lightweight headset that is priced in the SEVENTY dollar range (actually $69 for the popular 2-pin connector), and it's worth every nickel of the difference! It's called a ComFit Pro Audio Boom Microphone. We've got a short little video that will tell you more.  It only takes a few minutes to watch, and after viewing, we think you will agree, that cheaper is not always better.  Click here for the video. After viewing, give us a call at 800.489.2611. After you use the ComFit, we think you'll never go back to whatever you were using before! Models are available for most 2-way radios.  Give it a try - you'll see!

When you need help in a hurry, you need an AutoTalker!

Do you see that little orange button next to thumb on the hand at the right? Guess what it can do? That little orange button provides you with INSTANT notification to those who can provide assistance when needed, not ten minutes or more which is the typical call response time if you live in city, or MUCH longer in rural areas! 

That little button is used for emergency calls for assistance from a tiny personal 2-way communicator which we call the AutoTalker.  The AutoTalker can send a voice message at the touch of a button to a public safety dispatch facility, to the local law enforcement agency, to emergency response volunteers, or all of them including your neighbors! 

AutoTalker messages can be transmitted to VHF, UHF, or 700/800 MHz radios, analog or digital as well as by text messages to cell phones, or email to PC's or Smartphones and it can get the emergency message to those who can provide help instantly!  

Typically, response times are at are least five times faster than the typical call reporting time through a commercial alarm service and 911.Not only can AutoTalker send emergency messages, it can receive them as well, and AutoTalkers can talk with each other!  This makes AutoTalker the ideal emergency call system for business, churches, government offices, schools, even neighborhoods.  

Best of all, the support infrastructure cost ranges from nothing to minimal, and there are NO monthly charges! You simply have to see it to believe it! So the question is - What does it cost?  The answer - $249 when used with existing VHF or UHF 2-way radios or $199 when used with our Premise Notification Accelerator terminal! Want to know more?  Give us a call at 205.854.2611 or visit http://info4u.us/candice-help4u.pdf. 

People at their best

Some of our readers know about Police Chief Michael Kelly of Seminary, MS; one of God's special people, put here as an example for the rest of us.  Michael deals with family issues on a daily basis that are simply beyond the comprehension for most of us.  Yet, he has a great concern for his community and steps out to do extraordinary things to make his town a better and safer place for everyone.

We are proud to have served Michael in a variety of ways, one of which is the co-development of the SafeCity program.  The first phase involved church security.  Now, the second phase is being introduced to serve schools, and ultimately, the whole community. One of the truly amazing things about Michael is that he is not afraid to step out on faith as he is doing now.  

He needs $5,000. In the first 24 hours, he raised $100.  Do you think he is discouraged?  If so, you don't know Michael. Click here for more information on Michael's current project. As for me, my prayer is that one day I will have the faith, the strength, the vision, and the desire to help others, that is so evident in this very special man.  We are all blessed to be able to work with him.

Attaboy Award to the New Orleans FCC Field Enforcement Office!

One of our customers, plus several others we discovered, were being interfered with by an unlicensed MotoTRBO user. The MotoTRBO user had a valid FCC license for analog operation.  Apparently his vendor forgot to remind him that moving up to digital had some legal responsibilities. Probably just an oversight huh?  Or do you think that maybe it might have been because the dealer knew that there was no way to get the system properly licensed at the power output sold due to the proximity of nearby  co-channel users.

Suffice it to say, that we found the offending licensee, contacted the FCC Field Office at 2:00 PM. By 3:00 PM the illegal user had been contacted and worked out a plan to QUICKLY resolve the issue. For all you folks that think the FCC isn't sensitive to illegal operation, let me tell you that they ARE, and they can, and will, act quickly.

If you are a MotoTRBO user, are you sure that YOUR license has been properly updated for digital operation? Guess what?  It's not your dealer's responsibility.  It's YOUR'S!  Would you like a free check to see if everything is OK with your FCC license?  Give us a call at 205.854.2611.  Who knows, maybe one day we can do some business together!  And as for you guys at the FCC office in New Orleans - Congratulations, you are the winner of the February Bouquet Award! Oh, BTW, the dealer who put this user in this position, and the trouble he caused other licensed users, and the time it took us to find the problem, YOU get the Brickbat award!

Motorola Solutions for sale?

Well now!  What do you think about this? Motorola possibly being acquired by Honeywell, General Dynamics, or other possible buyer!  Can you possibly imagine why? Wonder what the new company will be called? Maybe HoRola, or MoDynamics? Wow the possibilities are ENDLESS!

Click here for the full story. Photo courtesy of the Wall Street Journal

From Russia with love!

You gotta love those Russian programmers!  For only $149, including shipping, they can send you a scanning receiver board that reads both DMR and APCO 25 radio calls in the VHF and UHF bands - conventional or trunked!  

No 700/800 MHz versions are yet ready for shipment, but it can't be long now.  So all you folks who bought in on the story told by your friendly salesman the MotoTRBO and P25 radios could be picked up on a scanner may be now questioning the knowledge or honesty (or both) by the guy is supposed to have your back! Click here for more information

What In The World is a Super-City?

A Super-City is a place where the City Hall, Courtrooms, the Library, the Seniors Center, and the Utility office can be equipped to get assistance when needed really fast when needed.  A Super-City is a place where schools are made safer with affordable and efficient technology.  A Super-City is a place where churches can get the fastest possible response to all kinds of emergencies without the burden of a long term security services contract.  A Super-City is a place where merchants can do business with the peace of mind in knowing that their people, property, and premises can be protected with technology that can reduce response time from 10 minutes or more to 2 minutes or less.  

A Super-City is a place where neighborhoods are made safer and help, when needed, is available in a hurry.  A Super-City is a place where the high cost of emergency medical services can be significantly reduced while simultaneously improving response times.  A Super-City is a place where government, business, and the public work together to reduce insurance rates and improve the chances of obtaining federal grant funds for needed projects.  A Super-City is a place where people want to live.  

More people means more business.  More business means added tax revenues. Added tax revenues means lower taxes and better municipal services for the the entire community. A Super-City is ready for all emergencies with the infrastructure available to effectively coordinate first responders, both professional and volunteer.

A Super-City is a community working together with the common goal of making their city a better place to live, work, and play.  THAT'S what a Super-City is!  Your city can be one too!

Birmingham is in the planning stages. Evergreen, Gadsden, Greenville, Oxford, Piedmont, and Weaver have already taken the first steps in Alabama, as well as the City of Seminary, Mississippi.  Rochester and Monroe County, NY are well along the way to meeting full Super-City Status.  More info is available on the web at info4u.us/supercity.

Want to be a Super-City?  You can start at the level of your choosing or plan for a total community system possibly funded by federal grant assistance. Call us at 205.854.2611.  Do it TODAY!.  

2015 Sneak Peak Product!

Falcon Community Services today announced the introduction of the Companion high speed alarm reporting  accessory for use with virtually all commercial security systems or as an alternative to commercial services with no contract or monthly fees.

The new Companion provides direct reporting to participating public safety agencies, and/or to local user groups in rural areas with notification by VHF or UHF radio and/or through the Internet to send text/email messages to PCs, Smart phones and Tablets. The typical 7 step alarm notification process (Detect-Dial-Alarm Monitor Center-Verify-Dial-Dispatch/911-Radio call to Responder), the Companion completes the notification in one step – Message Transmit to Responder. The result is a reduction in alarm response from an average of 10 minutes or more to less than two minutes.

The Companion will be sold through a nationwide network of local area communications and security dealers. For additional information drop us an email to Companion@FalconCommunityServices.com.

Which Wireless Headset System Is Best For YOU?

Wireless headsets are increasing in popularity by a variety of users.  Traditionally, fire departments have been the major users of protective headsets, but needs are changing. Many need the ability to connect to 2-way radios.  Other simply want intercom capability and still others require hands free communications capability. After all the smoke (pun intended) has cleared, it appears that the two major contenders for providing wireless hands free headsets are FireCom (Sonetics) and Multi-Voice Radio (MVR).

Some users, such as Industrial Plants, Crane & Heavy Equipment Operators, Football Coaches, and large Wrecker operators have different needs than EMS, Fire and Law Enforcement SWAT team users. Each user group will have special requirements.  The trick is to pick the headset that is right for YOU!

To help you make the right choice, please visit falcondirect.com/MVR for an introduction to the only long range digital system that doesn't require a base station or WiFi connection.  The MVR system can be used as a stand alone wireless intercom and/or as a long range extension for 2-way radios. After reviewing the MVR capabilities, you can learn more about FireCom wireless headsets, and how they compare to MVR by clicking here.

Which wireless headset system is best for you?  That decision is up to you.  Our job is to give you the information required to make the RIGHT decision.  For additional information or a demonstration, just give us a call at 205.854.2611, or drop us an email to ServingU@falcondirect.com.

  

NEW PHOENIX SPEAKER-MICROPHONE RATED BEST IN CLASS!

YOU'VE TRIED THE REST, NOW GET THE BEST!

If you are tired of getting the best price, but not the best value; it's time to switch to the Phoenix speaker-microphone, an American made product tested to perform a minimum of 1,000,000 PTT activations, IP68 waterproof, and MIL-SPEC 810G military specification standards. The price is competitive and it's manufactured in the United States of America! 

Bedford County, Virginia is revamping their present LMR radio system with additional towers, new Harris XG-75 radios and Stone Mountain Phoenix speaker-microphones with the new patent pending CallCheck message store, record, playback and re-transmit feature. Two hundred speaker mic's have been ordered to date, with more orders coming in as outlying districts and departments are exposed to the Phoenix's audio performance, quality, features and rugged design. Click here for a video from Channel 13, WSET-TV in Roanoke, VA announcing the P25 upgrade with Phoenix speaker-microphones!  If you are involved with fire department communications, and planning to apply for 2014 AFG funding, you want to include the Phoenix speaker-microphone with the incredible new CallCheck capability!  Call us at 205.854.2611 for pricing, additional information, or a demonstration. You'll quickly see why others are switching from ordinary speaker-microphones to the Phoenix from Falcon Wireless! (Note: CallCheck feature is available for use with BK, Harris, and Tait P25 radios. Motorola to be available shortly). 

Don't forget, the 2014 AFG funding submission period ends on December 5th, 2014!  If you haven't yet filed an application, there is still time.  For some good ideas, click here! 

Have you seen our new school teacher radio?

Get our new teacher radio for just a little more than the cost of a battery!

And, NO BELT IS REQUIRED! That's because it comes with a free neck strap and it's about half the weight and size of the radios you are probably now using! (Click on picture for better product view).

For a limited time only, we will take your old radio in trade and give your a brand new Teacher Radio for just $89 net exchange! That's only about $20 more than your would normally pay for a factory original replacement battery! All we ask is that your trade-in radio be UHF, in working condition, with all accessories included (i.e. antenna, battery, charger, and clip).

This means your that your new lightweight (4.8 ounce) compact (3.94 x 1.89 x 1.06") radio can easily worn around your neck as shown above.  It's small enough to fit into a shirt pocket or clipped to your lapel.  It's always right where you need it, and you'll never drop it or knock it off your belt.

If you don't have anything to trade, pay just $149, still an OUTSTANDING value. Our teacher radio will last all day (up to nine work hours) before charging is required and a handy desktop charger is included! Complete specifications are available at info4u.us/TC-320.pdf. When you are ready to order, just give us a call at 205.854.2611 or drop us an email to ServingU@falcondirect.com.

Why buy a new battery when you can have a new radio for about the same cost?

CP Battery or CS Radio?

The Motorola CP200 has been one of the best selling radios in the USA for a long, long time!  So long, in fact that it is being discontinued.  Now you are faced with the decision to replace batteries and maintain what you have, or look at something new. We would like to offer a suggestion.......

A factory original replacement battery for the CP200 lists for $79. You can buy cheaper batteries, but you never know that you are getting original Motorola quality and performance. With that thought in mind, consider this.  For a limited time*, you can trade in any working CP200 radio for our new CS Series radio for a net cost difference of just $89 plus shipping.

The CS Radio is smaller and lighter than the CP200, yet it meets the same performance standards (5 watts VHF or 4 watts UHF with 16 channels and scan).  Both radios meet MIL-SPEC 810F but the CP200 is only IP54 rated.  The CS Series has the higher IP65 rating for maximum protection from dust and moisture. The CS Series has built in MDC1200 and 2-tone paging PLUS audible channel announce and TWICE the audio output power of the CP200!  Got some audio accessories like speaker-mics or headsets?  Here's some good news - Your CP200 audio accessories will work with the CS Series radios!

So the bottom line is that you can have a brand new radio with factory warranty for about $20 more than the cost of a replacement battery!  If you have anything to trade, you can purchase the CS Series radio (your choice of VHF or UHF with free programming) for just $149 plus shipping.  Want more information?  Want to try one?  Want references?  Just give us a call at 800.489.2611.  Don't miss out.  Call us today!

* Offer subject to cancellation without notice.

Ever been stuck on an elevator? This message may be just for you!

What's missing here?

Ever been stuck on an elevator?  NOT a good experience! Some elevators have emergency call buttons.  Some don't. Even the ones that have call buttons may have a problem if there is a power failure.  Even if the power is still on, how do your know where the call goes or if anyone is there to answer?

The fact is that in the event of an elevator stoppage, you want help, and you want it in a hurry, regardless of whether the power is on or off, regardless of whether or not your cell phone works or doesn't.  

How do you get the help in a hurry? The answer is an OuterCom wireless radio call box that connects directly to security and/or maintenance personnel on the premises equipped with VHF or UHF 2-way radios. That's a picture of a wireless call box on the right.  

They don't cost much - less than $500, and the installation requires no wiring.  It takes just a few minutes to become fully operational with no AC power required! The OuterCom emergency call box operates for up to one year from just six "D" cell batteries.  It even tells you when it's time to change batteries.OuterCom works with most analog conventional or trunked VHF or UHF radios.  

If you don't have 2-way radios, we can provide low cost portable radios that require no FCC license or we can set them up for use on existing 2-way radio systems.  Is the peace of mind of knowing that you can get help in a hurry and talk to those coming to your aid worth $500?  You'll have to answer that for yourself.  As for most of us, it could be a life saver - well worth the small cost. Additional information and/or a demonstration available on request.  Just give us a call at 800.489.2611 or email mailto:ServingU@falcondirect.com.