Motorola Minitor
Encyclopedia
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
Minitor is a portable, analog, receive only, voice pager
Pager
A pager is a simple personal telecommunications device for short messages. A one-way numeric pager can only receive a message consisting of a few digits, typically a phone number that the user is then requested to call...
typically carried by fire
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
, rescue
Rescue
Rescue refers to responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or prevention of injury during an incident or dangerous situation....
, and EMS
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
personnel (both volunteer and paid) to alert of emergencies
Emergency
An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or environment. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible and agencies may only be able to offer palliative...
. The Minitor, slightly smaller than a pack of cigarettes, is carried on a person and usually left on a silent "standby" mode. When the unit is activated, the pager sounds a tone alert, followed by an announcement from a dispatcher
Dispatcher
Dispatchers are communications personnel responsible for receiving and transmitting pure and reliable messages, tracking vehicles and equipment, and recording other important information...
alerting the user of a situation. After activation, the pager either remains in an "open" position much like a scanner
Scanner (radio)
A scanner is a radio receiver that can automatically tune, or scan, two or more discrete frequencies, stopping when it finds a signal on one of them and then continuing to scan other frequencies when the initial transmission ceases....
, and continuously broadcasts any audio transmissions on that channel until the unit is reset back into standby mode, or, in newer models, may return to silent "standby" mode (depending on programming selections).
Purpose and History
In the times before modern radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
communications, it was difficult for emergency services such as volunteer fire departments to alert their members to an emergency, since the members were not based at the station. The earliest methods of sounding an alarm would typically be by ringing a bell either at the fire station or the local church. As electricity became available, most fire departments used fire sirens or whistles to summon volunteers (many fire departments still use outdoor sirens and horns along with pagers to alert volunteers). Other methods included specialized phones placed inside the volunteer firefighter's home or business or by base radios or scanners. Electrotype receivers were very popular, but were limited to 120VAC or 12VDC operation, limiting their use to a house/building or mounted in a vehicle. There was a great need and desire for a portable radio small enough to be worn by a person and only activated when needed. Thus, Motorola answered this call in the 1970s and released the very first Minitor pager.
There are 5 types of Minitor pagers. The first was the original Minitor, followed by the Minitor II, Minitor III, Minitor IV, and the current Minitor V released in late 2005 (Manufactured for Motorola by Unication). The Minitor III, IV, and V used the same basic design, while the original Minitor and Minitor II use their own "squarish" proprietary
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
case design. Similar voice pagers released by Motorola were the Keynote and Director pagers. They were essentially stripped down versions of the Minitor and never gained widespread use, though the Keynotes were much more common in Europe because they could decode 5/6 tone alert patterns in addition to the more popular two tone sequential used in the United States.
Although the Minitor is primarily used by emergency personnel, other agencies such as utilities and private contractors also use the pager. Unlike conventional alphanumeric pagers and cell phones, Minitors are operated on an RF
Radio frequency
Radio frequency is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 3 kHz to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating currents which carry radio signals...
network that is generally restricted to a particular agency in a given geographical area. The Minitor is the most common voice pager used by emergency services in the United States. However, digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
2-way pagers that can display alpha-numeric characters can overcome some of the limitations of voice only pagers, are now starting to replace the Minitor pagers in certain applications.
Activation
Minitor pagers, depending on the model and application, can operate in the VHF Low BandVery high frequency
Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
, VHF High Band
Very high frequency
Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
, and UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
frequency ranges. They are alerted by using two-tone sequential Selective calling
Selective calling
In a conventional, analog two-way radio system, a standard radio has noise squelch or carrier squelch which allows a radio to receive all transmissions. Selective calling is used to address a subset of all two-way radios on a single radio frequency channel...
, generally following the Motorola Quick Call II standard. In other words, the pager will activate when a particular series of audible tones are sent over the frequency the pager is set to. For example, if a Minitor is programmed on VHF frequency channel 155.925 MHz and set to alert for 850 Hz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
& 1100 Hz, it will disregard any other tone sequences transmitted on that frequency, only alerting when the proper sequence has been received. The pager may be reset back into its standby mode by pressing the reset button, or it can be programmed to reset back into the standby mode automatically after a predetermined amount of time, to conserve battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
power.
Older Minitor pagers (both the Minitor I and Minitor II series) have tone reed
Reed (instrument)
A reed is a thin strip of material which vibrates to produce a sound on a musical instrument. The reeds of most Woodwind instruments are made from Arundo donax or synthetic material; tuned reeds are made of metal or synthetics.-Single reeds:Single reeds are used on the mouthpieces of clarinets...
s or filters that are tuned to a specific audible tone frequency, and must physically be replaced if alert tones are changed. For two-tone sequential paging, there are two reeds, the first tone passes through the first reed, and the second tone passes through the second reed, thereby activating the pager. Beginning with the Minitor III series, these physical reeds or filters are no longer necessary, as the pagers now feature all solid-state electronics, and various tone sequences can be programmed via computer software.
Newer Minitor pagers can scan two channels by selecting that function via a rotary knob on the pager; in this mode the user will hear all traffic, even without the correct tones being sent. If the activation tones are transmitted in this "open" position, the pager alerts as normal.
The range of the Minitor's operating distance depends on the strength ("watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
age") of the paging transmitter. A repeater
Repeater
A repeater is an electronic device that receives asignal and retransmits it at a higher level and/or higher power, or onto the other side of an obstruction, so that the signal can cover longer distances.-Description:...
is often used to improve paging coverage, as it can be located for better range than the dispatch center where the page originates from. Weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
conditions, low battery, and even atmospheric
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
conditions can affect the Minitors ability to receive transmissions. In fact, a remote transmitter hundreds, even thousands of miles away belonging to a separate agency, can activate a Minitor (and also block it) unknowingly if the atmospheric conditions let the signal propagate that far. This is commonly known as radio skip.
The Minitor is a receive-only unit, not a transceiver
Transceiver
A transceiver is a device comprising both a transmitter and a receiver which are combined and share common circuitry or a single housing. When no circuitry is common between transmit and receive functions, the device is a transmitter-receiver. The term originated in the early 1920s...
, and thus cannot transmit.
Features
Note - most all of the features below refer to the Minitor pagers III and up, the original Minitor and Minitor II pagers may not have some of the listed features- Newer generation Minitor pagers can simultaneously scan up to two channels and have multiple activation tones. This can be very helpful if a user belongs to several emergency services, or the emergency service has different alarms for different emergencies.
- Alert tones - The default, and most common alert is the continuous beeping (sounds like "beep-beep-beep-beep...etc.)". Other alarms can include a steady high pitched tones, and the newest Minitor V's can even have musical tones for general non-emergency announcements.
- VIBRA-Page - For silent alarm activation, most Minitor pagers can also vibrateVibrateVibrate may refer to:*Vibration*"Vibrate," a song by Outkast from their 2003 album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below*Vibrate, a song by Rufus Wainwright from his album Want One*Vibrate , the 2004 album by The Manhattan Transfer...
without sounding an alarm tone. This is particularly useful in churches, schools, meetings, etc. where a loud noise would be disruptive. This feature is known as "VIBRA-Page". - Voice Record - Many Minitor pagers can also recordRecordingRecording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
(up to 8 minutes, depending on the model and options) of voice/transmission after the pager activates. - Controls - Physical controls (specifically on the Minitor III) include an "A,B,C,D" function knob, a power/volume knob, reset button, voice playback button, external speaker jack, and an amber and red LED. Depending on the model, the selection on the function knobs may do different things.
- Control examples - For example, function A may be a normal standby mode, while function B is the vibrate function. Function C lets you hear one channel 2. D is the mode that is similar to a scanner. When the pager is turned on, eight short beeps are heard along with flashing of both LEDs. Holding down the resetResetReset may refer to:* Ramsey RESET test , a general specification test for the linear regression model* Reset , to clear any pending errors or events and bring a system to normal condition or initial state...
button in normal standby mode will open up the channel either sounding any transmission on that channel at that time or pure static as the squelchSquelchIn telecommunications, squelch is a circuit function that acts to suppress the audio output of a receiver in the absence of a sufficiently strong desired input signal.-Carrier squelch:...
is bypassed. - Field Programmable - Some models have field programmable options such as Non- Priority Scan, Alert Duration, Priority Alert, On/Off Duty, Reset Options, and Push-To-Listen. Many Minitor pagers can be hooked up to a computerComputerA computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
with a special cable and options changed. - Durability - Unlike older models, the newest Minitor V is "rainproof" as it meets "Military Standard 810, Procedure 1 for driving rain".
- Belt Clip - A spring-loaded clip is attached to the back of each Minitor to allow the user to clip the pager onto a pocket or belt. Also, carrying cases and covers are also made to protect the pager.
- Charging - Minitor pagers come standard with a charging stand and two rechargeable batteries.
- Amplified base unit - An optional "Charger/Amplifier" base can be bought. Bigger than the standard charging stand, the "Charger/Amplifier" base not only charges the pager, but has an external antenna for increased receptionReceptionReception is a noun form of receiving, or to receive something, such as information, art, experience, or people. It is often used in the following contexts:...
, an amplified audio out jack to drive a stand-alone speaker, and some models even incorporate a relayRelayA relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to operate a switching mechanism mechanically, but other operating principles are also used. Relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a low-power signal , or where several circuits must be controlled...
to activate external devices along with the pager. Some uses for this relay include: Turning on lights in a building such as a fire station, activating an external audio/visual alarm, etc. - Accessories - Official Motorola accessories for the Minitor pagers include (including some listed above): Desktop Battery Charger, Desktop Battery Charger/Amplifier with Antenna and Relay, Vehicular Charger-Amp with Relay, Earpieces, Extra Loud Lapel Speaker, and Nylon Carrying Case.
Disadvantages
The audible alarm on the Minitor lasts only for the duration of the second activation tone. If there is bad reception, the pager may only sound a quick beep, and the user may not be alerted properly. This can be changed by editing the codeplug's "Alert Duration" from STD to Fixed, the user can then set the alert duration longer than the second tone. The user must be cautious, however, as setting the alert tone duration too high may cover some voice information. Also, some units may have the volume knob set to control the sound output of the audible alert as well. The user may have the volume turned down to an undetectable level either by accident or by carelessness, thus missing the page. A factory option for "Fixed Alert" (the only option on the earlier Minitor I and II), however, lets the alert tone override the volume and sound at maximum volume regardless of the volume knob's position. It is possible to program the pager to always vibrate when an alert is received, giving the possibility of either a silent (vibrating) alert or audible and vibrating alerts. Minitor I and II do not have vibrating capabilities standard).The vibrating motor in the newer (IV and V) Minitor pagers is quite strong in order to be felt in varying conditions, such as when performing heavy work. It is not uncommon for the vibrating motor in a pager, placed in a charger overnight and left in vibrate mode, to "walk" the pager and charger off of a table or nightstand
Nightstand
A nightstand, alternatively night table or bedside table, is a small table or cabinet designed to stand beside a bed or elsewhere in a bedroom. It serves the role of a coffee table during nighttime hours, at a persons bedside....
.
Minitor pagers are powered by battery which will eventually run down if not charged (a flashing red LED and audible alarm is used as a warning of low battery power). As the Minitor is portable, its electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
aren't as sensitive as set top or base radios and are usually less able to pick up weak or distant signals.
See also
- MotorolaMotorolaMotorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
- PagerPagerA pager is a simple personal telecommunications device for short messages. A one-way numeric pager can only receive a message consisting of a few digits, typically a phone number that the user is then requested to call...
- Selective callingSelective callingIn a conventional, analog two-way radio system, a standard radio has noise squelch or carrier squelch which allows a radio to receive all transmissions. Selective calling is used to address a subset of all two-way radios on a single radio frequency channel...
- Radio receiver
- PlectronPlectronA Plectron is a specialized VHF/UHF single-channel, emergency alerting radio receiver, used to activate emergency response personnel, and disaster warning systems...
- RadioRadioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
- CommunicationCommunicationCommunication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
- Firefighting
- Dispatching