DTC Communications PD2TX100S User Manual

Palladium II Digital

COFDM Transmitter

Model Pd2-TX-100 100 mW Output

COMMUNICATIONS

TELEMETRY

Palladium II

CHANNEL

VIDEO TX

how to contact DTC

For operator and troubleshooting information,
customers are encouraged to refer to the
details in this manual. For additional
clarification or instruction, or to order parts,
contact DTC.

Customer Service is available Monday through
Friday between the hours of 9:00 AM and
5:00 PM EST at:

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Website: www.dtccom.com

Email: [e-mail]

486 Amherst Street

Nashua, New Hampshire 03063

2

DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

copyright notice

Copyright © 2005 - 2008

DTC Communications, Inc. All rights
reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored
in a retrieval system or translated into any
language or computer language, in any form
or by any means, including but not limited to
electronic, magnetic, mechanical, optical,
chemical, manual or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of DTC
Communications, Inc.

disclaimer

The information in the document is subject to
change without notice. DTC makes no
representations or warranties with respect to
the contents hereof, and specifically disclaims
any implied warranties of merchantability or
fitness for a particular purpose. DTC reserves
the right to revise this publication and to
make changes from time to time in the
content hereof without obligation of DTC to
notify any person of such revision or changes.

trademarks

Trademarks of DTC Communications, Inc.
include:

• DTC

• MiniPIX

• SplitPIX

• DynaView

• Palladium

• ArmorNet

Other product names used in this manual are
the properties of their respective owners.

TM

TM

TM

TM

TM

warranty

DTC warrants its manufactured components
against defects in material and workmanship
for a period of two (2) years, commencing on
the date of original purchase.

Products manufactured by others that are
approved for use with DTC equipment are
warranted for the manufacturer’s warranty
period, commencing from the date of shipment
from DTC.

PN OP1920492 REV 0.003

manual conventions

NOTE: Describes special issues you should
be aware of while using a particular function.

WARNING: Calls out situations in which
equipment could be damaged or a process
could be incorrectly implemented, but in
which operator safety is not a factor.

TIP: Describes application hints.

RF EXPOSURE STATEMENT

NOTE: Unless specificaly designed for body­worn applications, the antenna must be kept
at least 20 cm away from the body of the
user.

NOTE: Do not allow the device to directly
contact the skin due to warm operating
temperatures.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Quick Start ............................................................................ 4-5

Accessories ............................................................................... 5

Introduction ............................................................................... 6

Operation ............................................................................... 7

Using your Palladium II Transmitter ............................................. 7

Changing your Transmitter Configuration .................................... 7

Components ........................................................................... 8-9

Programming ...................................................................... 10-17

System PC Controller Application Software .............................. 10

Transmitter Control Application ................................................. 11

Specifications ..................................................................... 18-19

Notes ........................................................................ 20-21

Warranty ............................................................................. 22

Contact Us ............................................................................. 23

DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

3

QUICK START

A1
R/M

A2
L

2

Palladium Transmitter, Top View

Camera

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3

CHANNEL

Complete these steps:

1 Connect the transmitter antenna to the SMA connector on the bottom of

the Palladium unit.

2 If you plan to use audio, connect one or two microphones to the Audio 1

and/or Audio 2 LEMO connectors. If using monaural, use Audio 1.

3 Connect power and video input via the Multi I/O cable to the 6-pin

Hirose connector:
a Attach your camera video input (75 ohm composite video source in

PAL or NTSC) to the Multi I/O cable BNC connector.
b Apply the necessary power to your camera (use supplied cable or

external source) and turn ON.
c Attach a 12 VDC power source (such as the supplied battery pack or

the AC power adapter) to the Multi I/O cable via the Molex connector.
The input voltage range is from 10 to 16 VDC.

Audio

WARNING: Do not apply power to the transmitter unless an antenna
or non-radiating load is connected to the Antenna SMA connector.

Power Option

1

Battery Pack

Typical Wiring Configuration

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DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Antenna

Palladium II

VIDEO TX

QUICK START

4 Set to the required configuration as indicated by the channel numbers.

Refer to the Programming section on page 10 for more information on
channel settings. Your Transmitter is now operational. Confirm its
signal with your Palladium Receiver.

Accessories

• 10 cell AA Battery Pack

• 12 VDC 2.5A Power Supply & AC Line Cord

• Microphone, Body-Worn, (2)

• Power & Video Cable

• Camera Power Cable (2.1 mm plug)

• DC Power Cable, flying lead

• Camera Power Cable, flying lead

• Programming Cable

• Antenna, ANT2A

• VidiWire on-body antenna system, VW-ANT

• Palladium II Configuration Software

• 16-Pin Data Chaining & Control Connector Cable

• Transport Case

4

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Palladium II

Antenna Connector

Palladium Pd2-TX-100 Transmitter,

Front View

DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

CHANNEL

VIDEO TX

5

INTRODUCTION

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Palladium II

VIDEO TX

CHANNEL

Palladium II

The Palladium II Series of digital video transmitters provide exceptional
video quality in high multipath environments. They are ideal for use inside
buildings, in urban areas, and in other applications where multipath
would normally cause video tearing or breakup.

All Palladium II Series transmitters offer three bandwidth modes: DVB-T
(6, 7, 8 MHz), Narrow (2.5 MHz), and Ultra Narrow (1.25 MHz) channel
spacing. DVB-T utilizes 2000 carriers to transmit video and two channels
of voice and data. Palladium II transmitters may be located on adjacent
channels without a guard band. AES 128-bit encryption ensures users of
secure communications.

The Palladium 100 is a small transmitter with a 100 mW RF power output.
This unit is ideal for concealments and shorter range robotic and UAV
applications. The package is only 4.2” x 2.6” x 0.65” (approximate
dimensions not including connectors). Power consumption is 7.5 Watts.
Operation time on a fresh set of Lithium batteries is approximately three
hours. All connections are conveniently located off the ends of the unit.
Many users will want to power this device with disposable batteries.

Palladium Pd2-TX-100

100-Milliwatt Digital Transmitter

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DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

NOTE: Use only Lithium batteries with this device.

Using your Palladium II Transmitter

Follow the instructions given in the Quick Start section on pages 4-5.
When power is first applied to the Palladium, the unit reverts to the
indicated channel and RF ON state. The Alarm LED may be ON, which
indicates that there is no active video input.

Changing your Transmitter Configuration

The Palladium Transmitter can store up to 8 different configurations,
which can be selected with the Channel Control. Each of these configura­tions can be programmed into the Transmitter with the supplied DTC
Programming Software and a Windows PC. Refer to the Programming
section on page 10 for more information.

To cycle through your preconfigured channels rotate the knob to the next
setting.

OPERATION

DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

7

COMPONENTS

Top Controls/Connectors

Multi-I/O Connector The Multi-I/O Connector is covered on page 9.

Data Chaining & Control Connector This connector is normally covered.

Audio 2 (left) and Audio 1 (right/mono) LEMO Conn. These connectors

provide the audio input connections to the transmitter. Either one or
two audio inputs can be used with the Palladium II Transmitter.

ALARM LED This red LED indicates a valid video signal is not

present.

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DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

COMPONENTS

Transmitter Antenna Connector (SMA) This connector

attaches to the transmitter antenna and carries the RF
output signal. Always ensure the transmitter antenna
is attached before operating the Palladium Transmitter.

Muiti I/O Connector (6-pin Hirose) This connector

provides connections for the DC Power Input, DC
Camera Power, Programming, and 75 Ohm Composite
Video Signal.

Video In 75 Ohm 6

RS232 In 5

RS232 Out 4

Palladium II

VIDEO TX

1 Ground

2 +V Power

10V - 16V

3 Camera Power Out 10V -16V

DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

9

PROGRAMMING

Getting Started

•Use the supplied programming
cable to connect the chosen COM
port of your PC to the transmitter
to be configured.

•Launch the application by double
clicking or using the
command.

•Connection with a transmitter
should be automatic, but the user
can force selection of the correct
COM port using the drop down,
followed by the Connect button.

•Select the channel to be configured
from the unit’s front panel
Channel Switch.

Refresh in the application to

•Click
display the current configuration.

•Update the current settings in the
application, then click
save to memory.

Run...

Apply to

System PC Controller Application Software

Advanced control of the system is available by using the PC control
application software. Typically users may want to customize the default
configurations to control settings such as frequency, scrambling keys,
modulation parameters, and video resolution.

The transmitter is controlled by the application
(or higher) available on the CD delivered with the product.

A PC is required with an available RS232 Serial COM port to control the
transmitter.

Installation of the control program is as simple as copying the file from the
CD to a suitable location on the PC. No install shield routine is launched.
Note that the application generates its own log and initialization files, so it
is best to create a dedicated directory for these applications, perhaps with
links to the applications from the desktop of the PC.

PROGRAMMING CABLE to
PC SERIAL RS-232 PORT

Audio

CHANNEL

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DTC_tx_ctrl_v1_3.exe

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DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Power Option

Battery Pack

10 AA
BATTERY
PAC K

Antenna

Palladium II

VIDEO TX

Transmitter Control Application

Output Frequency (MHz)

The Output Frequency setting allows selection of TX output frequency in increments
of 0.250 MHz within the allowed tuning range of the unit. If the unit is set to a
frequency that is not an integer multiple of 0.25 MHz, the unit will be automatically

set to the closest frequency that is an integer multiple of 0.25MHz.

Modulation Bandwidth

Modulation Bandwidth is the actual channel bandwidth that the wireless video link
will occupy. The DVB-T compliant mode requires a bandwidth setting of 6, 7 or 8
MHz. The narrowband mode bandwidth is either 1.25 or 2.5 MHz. Narrower
bandwidths increase receiver sensitivity and extend the maximum distance of the
link, however video quality and latency will suffer. Normal default for good quality
video is 2.5MHz. The modulation bandwidth may be set to 1.25 MHz, 2.5 MHz, 6
MHz, 7 MHz, or 8 MHz.

Modulation Output

This control is used to turn ON and OFF the RF output. It must be ON for operation.
Turn the transmitter RF power ON by selecting ON and Apply from the application.

Narrowband FEC

Narrowband FEC sets the forward error correction rate in the narrow bandwidth
modes of 1.25 or 2.5 MHz. Tthe two rates are available are 1/3 and 2/3; the normal
default setting for good quality video is 2/3. Changing the FEC rate to 1/3 will
extend the receiver sensitivity by 2 to 3 dB at the
expense of degraded video quality and longer latency.

Narrowband Guard Interval

Narrowband guard interval is used in the narrowband modes of 1.25 and 2.5MHz to
adjust for varying multi-path delay conditions. The default is
1/16 however 1/8 can be selected if necessary to deal with extreme multi-path
delays on long links. Selecting 1/8 guard interval could cause a degradation in video
quality and latency.

Narrowband Modulation

Narrowband modulation is used in the narrowband modes to select between QPSK
and 16QAM modulation. For best range with good video quality, QPSK is used;
16QAM will give better video quality but will cut down the link range by
approximately 50%.

PROGRAMMING

DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

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PROGRAMMING

DVBT Service Name

DVB-T service name is a place to assign a name for the DVB-T configura­tion. Press Apply to save the new name.

DVBT FEC Rate

DVB-T FEC rate selects forward error correction rates in the wideband
DVB-T modes. Options are 1/2, 2/3, and 3/4, with 1/2 giving best range
and 3/4 possibly giving better video quality under certain conditions,
recommended default is 1/2.

DVBT Guard Interval

DVB-T guard interval selects guard intervals in the wideband DVB-T
modes between 1/32 and 1/4. Use the smallest guard interval that will
allow reliable low error rate communications, this parameter may need to
be adjusted when the link is relocated; the recommended default is 1/16.

DVBT Modulation

DVB-T modulation selects the modulation used in the wideband DVB-T
mode. Modulations QPSK, 16QAM, or 64QAM can be selected. QPSK will
give best distance and in most cases very good video quality and low
latency.

DVBT Spectrum Inversion

DVB-T spectrum inversion allows flipping the modulated spectrum to
compensate for spectrum inversion that may take place on the receiver
side due to high side LO injection.

DVBT 4 KHz Offset

DVB-T 4 KHz offset is not normally used but might improve BER in cases
where the TX upconverter I/Q balance is poor.

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DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Preset Transmit Mode

Preset transmit mode allows the user a convenient means of automatically
setting bandwidth, FEC, modulation and video frame rate/compression
based on link distance requirements. Options are: None (preset mode not
used), Short Range, Medium Range, Long Range, Ultra Long Range.

Output Power

Output power selects one of two output power attenuator settings; low
power or high power, typically the low power setting is the larger of the two
attenuator settings and is used, for instance, if a power amplifier is added
to the transmitter and the output power needs to be lowered substantially
to prevent overloading the input of the power amplifier.

Output Attenuation (dB)

Output attenuation (dB) is the high power attenuator setting.
This control can be used to make minor adjustments to the output power
level, but in normal operation should NOT be changed from factory
settings. (0 attenuation = full output power, greater than 0 attenuation =
reduced power in 0.25 dB steps.)

Output Attenuation low (dB)

Output attenuation low (dB) is the low power attenuator setting.

PROGRAMMING

DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

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PROGRAMMING

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DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Video Input

Video input selects the video format going into the MPEG video compressor.
Options are: OFF (no video input typically used when link is used for data
only), PAL, NTSC, NTSC no pedestal, S-Video PAL, S-Video NTSC, S-Video

NTSC no pedestal.

MPEG Mode

MPEG mode selects the MPEG compression being used, options are: MPEG2
or MPEG4. MPEG4 mode has to be used when in the 1.25 MHz bandwidth
mode since this mode uses a nonstandard frame rate that is not supported

by MPEG2.

MPEG4 Encoding Mode

MPEG4 encoding mode selects the characteristics of the MPEG4 compres­sion. Options are: low delay interlaced, standard delay interlaced, low delay progres­sive, standard delay progressive, and SIF. Interlaced scanning is what is used in
conventional over-the-air video. Progressive scan is available on some cameras and
involves scanning an entire frame in one pass rather than two in interlaced scan­ning. SIF is a bandwidth-conserving camera scan mode that cuts resolution in half

in both the horizontal and vertical.

MPEG4 Frame Rate

MPEG4 frame rate selects the frame rate used in the MPEG4 mode, full frame rate is
30 fps for NTSC and 25 fps for PAL a frame rate of 1/2 or less has to be used in 1.25

MHz bandwidth mode. Options are: Full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8. or 1/24.

Video Bitrate (status only)

Video bitrate is a status window that will display the video transport data rate, this
varies with bandwidth, modulation, FEC rate and guard interval. The rate will
increase with bandwidth and higher levels of modulation, it will go down as the FEC
rate and guard interval are increased. The video bit rate will also decrease as other
service options are activated such as audio and data channels. As a rule video

quality and latency improve as the bit rate is increased.

Horizontal Resolution

Horizontal resolution determines the maximum number of horizontal Pixels that can
be sampled by the video encoder. For optimal performance this setting should be set
to the first value that exceeds the horizontal resolution of the camera in use.

Options are: 352, 480, 528, 704 pixels.

Video Sharpness

Video sharpness is a filter that may be switched in to smooth out
blockiness in the video.

Audio Encoder

Audio encoder selects quantity of active audio channels (2 maxi­mum), sampling rate (8, 16 or 32 KHz) which determines upper
frequency response, and sampling bits (8 or 12) which determines
audio signal to noise. Options are: Off, 8 KHz 8 bit stereo, 16 KHz
8 bit mono, 16 KHz 8 bit stereo, 32 KHz 8 bit mono, 32 KHz 8 bit
stereo, 32 KHz 12 bit mono, 32 KHz 12 bit stereo.

Audio Input Level

Audio input level selects the audio preamp gain level, options are:
0 dB, 12 dB, 24 dB, 36 dB, 48 dB. Use 24 dB for DTC supplied micro­phones. Note: 3.5 VDC phantom power is at the microphone input for
powering electret condenser microphones.

Unit Name

Unit name allows the user to enter a name (up to 8 characters) for the
transmitter that will be stored in memory.

Sleep Mode

Sleep mode shuts down most functions in the transmitter except the
control functions. This can be used to conserve battery power and yet allow
the transmitter to become active again with a simple command.

Data

Data allows activation of the RS232 half duplex serial data channel and to
select parity mode.

Data Baud Rate

Data baud rate selects data channel baud rate, standard rates between
1200 and 115,200 baud are available.

PROGRAMMING

DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

15

PROGRAMMING

NOTE: Chaining is digital
signal input and output
through the 16-pin Data,
Chaining, and Control
Connector.

Chaining Input

Chaining input activates the chaining data port. This is not normally

used except in repeaters and high speed data transmission products.

Chain Number

Chain no. (not normally used) assigns a chaining tag number to the

stream associated with the transmitter’s video encoder. This can be

user-defined to 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Normally 0.

Chaining Output

Chaining output (not normally used) assigns the output of the video

encoder to the chaining port. Normally OFF.

Current Configuration

Current config indicates the preset that is currently being programmed or
viewed, this should be the same as the preset selected by the channel
switch.

Scrambling

Scrambling selects 3 different scrambling options: OFF (no scrambling),
AES128, AES256 (optional), or ABS (a proprietary 32 bit scrambling
algorithym).

Heartbeat Enable

Heartbeat enable activates a beating heart on the screen video graphic to
indicate that a link is still functioning even if there is no motion on screen.

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DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

File

Change Logfile – opens a standard Windows file save dialog box which
allows the user to change the path and name of the log file generated by
the application.
Exit – exits the control application.

Options

Timeouts – password protected access to change timeouts used during the
serial communications between the unit and the controller.
Engineering – password protected access to further diagnostic and
calibration features.
Write License Code – open a further password protected box for entering
license codes for future upgrade.
Change RS232 address – Changes RS232 address of configuration port,
which is normally set to 1.
Write AES Key – opens a dialog box for entering a customer-selected
scrambling key. A key is a combination of 32 hexadecimal characters (64
for optional 256-bit encryption). Hexadecimal characters are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, and F. The receiver and transmitter must have
identical AES keys.
Restore Defaults – restores factory default settings in the transmitter.
User should NOT select Restore Defaults.
Polling Enabled – selecting this option makes the control application
automatically refresh the data presented to the user every few seconds.
Polling Options – selecting this option opens a dialog box for entering a
customer-selected polling interval (in milliseconds).

PROGRAMMING

DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

17

SPECIFICATIONS

Physical

Unit Dimensions (approx.) 4.2” x 2.6” x 0.65” (not including connectors)

10.67 mm x 6.6 mm x 1.65 mm

Environmental

Operational Temp -10 degrees C to 50 degrees C

Power

Input Voltage 10 to 16 VDC
Power Consumption Fully Operational ~ 7.5 W, Sleep Mode < 0.5 W

Control

PC Control Interface RS-232.
Memory Eight user-programmable configurations

Video Encoding

Compression Standard MPEG-2 w/ non-DVB modes, MPEG-4

DVB-T Compliant
Chrominance Profile 4:2:0
Line Standard PAL 625 or NTSC 525
Horizontal Resolution 704, 528, 480, 352 pixels (528 as standard)
Vertical Resolution 576 (625 lines) or 480 (525 lines)
Video Bitrates 1Mbps to 10 Mbps
Video Latency End to end delay of 54 milliseconds

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DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Audio Encoding

Input Stereo or Dual Mono pair
Bitrates 28 kbps to 72 kbps depending on configuration
Sampling Frequency 32 kHz, 16 kHz or 8kHz
THD < 0.1% max
Response 20Hz to 15KHz, +/- 0.25dB depending on

configuration
Crosstalk > 55 dB min
S/N 60 dB RMS

Composite Video Input

Standards NTSC (with and without pedestal) or PAL
Specification Rec. ITU-R BT.470-4
Connector Hirose
Composite PAL and NTSC decoding Eight-bit comb filtering composite decoder

Analog Audio

Analog Audio Input +10 dBu
Nominal Level +4 dBu

Scrambling

Scrambling type Fixed key scrambling system

Algorithms offered include AES.

COFDM RF output

Output Frequency Band Dependent
Occupied Bandwidth 1.22/2.44 MHz
Power 100 mW
Connector SMA
COFDM Standard Proprietary, 2.5 MHz channel bandwidth.
DVB-T 1.25 MHz

SPECIFICATIONS

DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

19

NOTES

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DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

NOTES

DTC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

21

TWO YEAR WARRANTY

DTC Communications, Inc. (DTC) warrants its RF transmitting and receiving products to be free from

defects in workmanship or material for a period of two (2) years from the date of shipment unless

The liability of DTC, Inc. under this warranty is limited to replacing, repairing, or issuing credit, at

option, for any products, which are returned by the purchaser during such warranty period, provided:

DTC is notified and a Repair Authorization Number is issued by DTC Customer Service within 30 days

after discovery of such defects by Customer.

The defective units are returned to DTC with transportation charged Prepaid by the Customer.

Product damaged in shipment must be reported to and claim forms filed with the Carrier by the

Customer. In shipments to the factory, notice and claim procedures will be initiated by DTC.

DTC’s examination of such products shall disclose to its satisfaction that such defects exist and have

not been caused by misuse, misapplication, neglect, improper installation, improper storage, alteration,

The warranty shall not apply to material or accessories ordinarily susceptible to field damage or of a

disposable nature. Examples include batteries, antennas, microphones, headsets, cases, accessory

bags, etc. The warranty shall not apply to Engineering Prototypes or Customer requested modifications

This warranty does not apply to and DTC does not independently warrant items or systems sold by DTC

which are produced by other manufacturers. With respect to such items, the Customer shall look to the

warranty of the original manufacturer and DTC disclaims all warranty, expressed or implied.

Nothing in this warranty, or any statement, brochure, bulletin, or advertisement is to be interpreted as

establishing the suitability of any product for particular application or use. Applications of the product

and the determination of suitability for any application, is the sole responsibility of the Customer.

otherwise stated.

physical damage or accidents.

to electronic circuits.

Contact Information

CONTACT US

Nashua Main Office Numbers

486 Amherst Street
Nashua, New Hampshire 03063 USA
(T) 603 880-4411
(F) 603 880-6965
Toll Free in the USA
1-800 233-8639

REGIONAL SALES MANAGERS

Howard Rich

toll free [phone]
voice [phone]
fax [phone]
NY, MA, CT, RI, PA, NJ, MD, DE,
WV, DC
[e-mail]

Ed Bryant

toll free [phone]
voice [phone]
fax [phone]
CO, KS, OK, AR, NM, TX, LA
[e-mail]

Inside Sales

Law Enforcement
1-800 233-8639
Military
1-800 233-8639
OEM
1-800 233-8639

Joe Parkinson

toll free [phone]
voice [phone]
fax [phone]
CA, AZ, NV, HI, UT, AK
[e-mail]

Phil Desmond

toll free [phone]
voice [phone]
fax [phone]
NH, VT, ME, WA, OR, ID, MT,
ND, WY, SD
[e-mail]

A complete listing of Contact

Individuals can be located on our

website at:

www.dtccom.com

Gary Nichols

toll free [phone]
voice [phone]
fax [phone]
MN, WI, MI, IA, MO, IL, IN, OH,
KY, NE
[e-mail]

Frank Prioli

toll free [phone]
voice [phone]
fax [phone]
FL, GA, AL, MS, TN, NC, SC, VA
[e-mail]

COMMUNICATIONS

486 Amherst Street • Nashua, New Hampshire 03063 • 603-880- 4411

www.dtccom.com