A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/729966
Both prod ucts will be updated for the EAD600 system. The draft versions will be available to support key site testing and the final versions will be available when the system is released nationally in December. NAS VOICE SWITCH (NVS ): Jon Shedden (ZFW) represents the NATCA membership as their Article 48 Rep resentative to the NVS project. His report is below. NAS Voice System (NVS) demo labs are currently running on Build 12A. Harris continues to focus on stability and fixing bugs as we lead up the FAA Stability Dem onstration. The Stability Demonstration is the precursor to the beginning of the FAA ' s Factory Acceptance Test (FAT). FAT was scheduled to begin in November 2016, but it has been delayed until February of 2017. Harris also continues to work on feature inte gration. Chris Lloyd (ZDC), NVS Training Lead, is currently participating in Task And Skills Analysis (TASA) for the controller, supervisor, and configuration specialist user roles on NVS. Mr. Shedden was in Melbourne, Fla., at Harris HQ Aug. 2 9 - Sept. 2 an d Sept. 12 - 16 to provide on - site support for development and defect detection. Next Generation Air - Ground Communication (NEXCOM) continues deployment of new CM300/350 V2 radios to terminal facilities across the country. Deployment is going well. Testing of a new RCAG at Houston Center (ZHU) has begun. This RCAG will replace the ARINC ' s VHF Extended Range Network (VERN) in Cancun. The FAA successfully replaced the Key West VERN last summer. These RCAG/VERN radios provide long - range directional radio coverage in the Gulf of Mexico. The area rep, Shawn Sharpless, indicates that initial testing shows the site works as well as the VERN in regards to signal strength and coverage. The issue where the controllers hear bleed over from Mexican ATC during incoming tran smissions has been resolved, and testing has resumed. Mr. Sharpless indicates tha t testing continues to go well. NAS Voice Recorder Program (NVRP) is the replacement for existing NAS voice recorders (DALR, DALR2, DVRS, DVR2). The Program Office will be pre senting to the JRC next week. Meetings will resume after. Key site for NVRP will be Seattle Center in the 2018 time frame. Plantronics was awarded the Headset contract so almost everything will remain the same. There will be a few headset models that will no longer be available under the new contract due to obsolescence. Mr. Shedden is working with the program office and LR to dev elop a briefing on the changes. The Headset Splitter final design has been completed. The splitter , which is designed to allow th ree or four headsets to be connected to existing voice switches , should be produced and deployed later this year. A SRM Panel was completed on July 19th and 20th. The splitter will also be a part of the headset contract and may be ordered in the same manne r as headsets. Air Traffic Services is attempting to obtain funding for deployment of the splitter. Grand Rapids Tower/TRACON (GRR) is reporting multiple issues with their aging voice switch. The Voice Switching t eam in Oklahoma City (AJW - 173) is working c losely with GRR to resolve their issues. There ' s also a radio coverage/spectrum issue being worked. The controllers have presented a list of issues to Tech Ops and AJW - 173. Air Traffic and Tech Ops continue meeting to develop a plan to a ddress the outstand ing issues. Waterloo Tower/TRACON (ALO) is reporting issues with the phone system used operationally in the tower. One of the issues has been resolved (inaudible phone) while the second one remains in work.