ZCG are currently fulfilling our 5th contract for supply of custom RF solutions for counter R.C.I.E.D (remote control improvised explosive devices) for L3Harris and the Department of Science and Technology, our current contract involves supply of 45,000 units.

Australian Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Jason Medley installs a ‘Silvershield’ electronic force protection roof mounted antenna system, designed for the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces to counter radio-controlled improvised explosive devices.

In total ZCG will have by completion of this contract supplied +215,000 units for Counter I.E.D. applications for troops on the front-line.

A recent request for expedited assembly and delivery due to Covid-19 restrictions has been achieved by ZCG with a current 2-week forward advancement on supply of our RF antennas.

The Counter-I.E.D. system has successfully being installed into a wide range of military and transport vehicles utilised by both domestic and international troops. The system was also retro-fitted for used in a fixed location for polling stations during elections and vote collation.

Australian Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Jason Medley installs a ‘Silvershield’ electronic force protection system, designed for the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces to counter radio-controlled improvised explosive devices.

ZCG’s partnership with our defence department, universities and tier 1 suppliers is ever-expanding, and we are proud to work directly with our clientele to ensure troops are at the forefront of protection in the ever changing battlefield.

ZCG’s constant improvement policy has recently resulted in ZCG being re-accredited with ISO certification in Quality management systems ISO-9001:2015, Environmental management systems ISO14001 and Occupational health and safety management systems AS/NZS-4801:2001

ZCG prides itself on being accredited and compliant with ISO, so all of our customers can be reassured ZCG is holding itself to the highest domestic and international standards.

ZCG is proud to be re-accredited with the ISO 14001 environmental management system accreditation, and is striving to move to ever more environmentally friendly solutions within manufacturing. We as a company believe that its our responsibility to introduce carbon reduction in our manufacturing, energy usage as well as waste disposal and recycling to ensure minimal impact on our environment.

ZCG has invested in a solar panel installation to greatly reduce our usage of fossil fuel energy production, removed lead usage from our solder, and cadmium from our silver solder. We have invested and been using for years a water based, environmentally friendly, machine cooling fluid.

ZCG is constantly reviewing and investing in processes and products that will assist us in reducing our carbon footprint.

With the introduction of the new 4GX or 4G LTE mobile phone network, ZCG has created a range of 4GX/ 4G LTE specific antennas in a marine, vehicle mount and fixed position availability.

The new 4GX/ 4G LTE frequency works within the 700-788MHz and allows for an improved mobile phone coverage, in both CBD and rural areas, as well as a faster wireless data speed with Telstra quoting:  

 “up to six times as fast as our original 4G” – Telstra website (https://www.telstra.com.au/coverage-networks/telstra-4gx)

This results in faster streaming/downloading and access to a wider mobile phone network. ZCG has matched our antennas specifications to help boost the 4GX/ 4G LTE mobile phone network to ensure you are always connected, whether in the car, at home or on your marine vessel, ZCG has a 4GX/ 4G LTE antenna solution to suit your needs.

ZM18-4GX – Vessel Mount

Omni-directional Marine 4GX/ 4G LTE collinear, 700-788MHz, FME connector, 20 Watts, 8.1dBi – 1.8m.

CM1600-4GX – Structure/Tower

Omni-directional 4GX/ 4G LTE collinear, 700-788MHz, N-type female in mount section, 20 Watts, 8.1dBi – 2.4m

SG700-4GX – Vehicle Mount

Super gain vehicle mount 4GX/4G LTE and 3G collinear, 718-788MHz and 820-890 MHz, FME female, 5.1dBi – 1.1m

ZD8Z-XP-MIMO – Wireless Data Improvement

Telstra, Optus & Vodafone 4GX/ 4G LTE, 4G, 3G multiband panel, 698-960 & 1710-2700MHz, +/- 45 deg polarised,  2 x N-type females, 100 Watts, 8dBi – 310mm

Check your Telstra 4G LTE (4GX) availability:

https://www.telstra.com.au/coverage-networks/our-coverage#content_accordion

Check your Optus 4G LTE (4G PLUS) availability:

https://www.optus.com.au/shop/mobile/network/coverage?sid=mobilecoverage:from:4gplus:fy2018

Check your Vodafone 4G LTE availability:

https://www.vodafone.com.au/network/coverage-checker

To find your local ZCG dealer – click here

For more information on any ZCG 4GX/ 4G LTE products or our wider range of mobile phone and wireless data improvement solutions. Please contact your local ZCG sales consultant.

Do you want an all black vehicle mount to keep the stealth and aesthetically pleasing appearance of your vehicle?

Well ZCG’s all black range is now available!

With our sleek, stylish and stealthy all black design, combining black chrome and a black radome matched with our  already proven antenna designs and Australian manufacturing. ZCG’s all black range is your ideal all-black antenna solution.

Find your local ZCG dealer or contact ZCG for pricing and availability. 

ZCG All-Black antenna solutions available:

Mobile Phone Network Improvement:

SGDB-BLKR 

All-black super gain, Telstra, Optus & Vodafone 4G, 3G & GSM mobile phone spring base antenna – 825-960MHz & 1710-2190MHz – 900mm

SGLDB-BLKR
All-black lightweight super gain, Telstra, Optus & Vodafone 4G, 3G & GSM mobile phone spring base antenna –825-960MHz & 1710-2190MHz – 750mm

UHF CB Radio Communications:

 SG477-BLKR 

All-black UHF CB Radio, ground independent, spring base antenna, 477MHz, 2.1dBi, UHF Male – 900mm

SGL477-BLKR

All-black lightweight UHF CB Radio, ground independent, spring base antenna, 477MHz, 2.1dBi, UHF Male – 750mm

AM/FM Radio Improvement:

SG1100-BLKR

All-black AM/FM radio receive spring base antenna – 900mm

SGL1100-BLKR

All-black AM/FM radio receive lightweight spring base antenna – 750mm

ZCG also have a matching range of the above antennas in white or black fibreglass radome with a electro-polished spring base.

Find your local ZCG dealer or contact ZCG for pricing and availability. 

Original article by Critical Comms can be found here.

Article written by Jonathan Nally on 4th April, 2016.

Taking Australian technology to the world

ZCG Scalar has successfully carved out a specialist niche in both the domestic and export markets.

Antenna manufacturer ZCG Scalar was founded at Lindenow in Gippsland, Victoria, in 1970 by Gregor Cox, a ham radio enthusiast with the call sign VK3ZCG. Cox had identified a gap in the market for amateur radio antennas, but the business soon expanded its scope, supplying users such as the police force and emergency services, and essentially anyone else in the region who needed an antenna.

The business was bought by Garry and Sally Kelly in the mid-2000s. At that stage it still had a heavy focus on mobile antennas for land and marine vehicles, but Garry’s experience with broadcast and base stations meant that the company started getting a lot of work from the broadcasters. Although the business today still has a niche within the mobile antenna market, it is no longer reliant on it, having long since broadened is remit to cover broadcast television and radio, telcos, marine, backhaul, military users and other sectors.

Lindenow is located near Bairnsdale, about three hours’ drive from Melbourne. “It’s rural — if you came down here, we’re in the middle of Victoria’s veggie bowl,” said Trevor Small, ZCG Scalar’s general manager. “One of the reasons we’re here is that we get ‘clean air’ for antenna design and development and testing. We don’t get radio interference.

“Our test range fires out over 100 acres of vacant land,” he added. “We can spin the antennas and see what they do on a 360.”

ZCG Scalar’s head office and manufacturing facility at Lindenow, Victoria.

As well as the manufacturing base and head office in Lindenow, the company has warehousing and sales offices in Perth and Brisbane. It also has a technical services division at Lindenow, responsible for research and development, site coverage predictions and radiation exposure testing.

Despite its rural location, the company has built up an enviable reputation in the export market. “We’re certainly not exporting our mobile antennas; the market’s so flooded with cheap Chinese [antennas],” said Small. “But our specialised antennas are being used in South-East Asia, and we send products to Africa, Afghanistan and many other countries. Some of it gets used for military purposes, but it also gets used for mining communications, transportation fleets, tracking, taxi fleets and so on.”

Closer to home, Small said the company sells a lot of antennas into the agricultural sector, for instance for telemetry in vineyards. Vineyards are very sophisticated these days, with moisture sensors in the ground, taps that need to be turned on and off at certain times and so on. Data and commands are collected and sent wirelessly.

An unusual job was contributing antenna technology to a radio device that can counter the kind of improvised explosive devices found in hotspots such as Afghanistan. The two variants — Greengum for soldiers and Greygum for fitting to light vehicles — are seeing service on the frontline.

According to Small, one of the biggest constraints on antennas in this day and age is transportation. “Long, thin tubes are expensive and difficult to transport, so we’re always looking at how to make [our antennas] more compact for shipping,” he said.

When asked about where ZCG Scalar sits in the market, Small said, “We’re big enough to handle high-volume builds, but we’re small enough to do custom builds and do flexible designs for customers’ particular needs.

“A lot of companies can’t do that,” he added. “They’ll do it if you’re going to order 10,000, but if you don’t need 10,000 then [they’re not interested].

“[For instance] we did a custom antenna for a US warship. They needed it to ‘fit here’, and they needed it ‘this long’, and ‘this particular bandwidth’… and it bolted straight in, so they were pretty happy,” he said. “We’ve [also] made some prototypes for the ANZAC frigates. That’s the sort of thing we’re capable of, and that’s where ZCG’s niche is.”

“We have one customer who wanted an antenna that was just pretty much bulletproof, to put on the survey buoys that are around the top of Australia for tsunami warning and surveillance and tracking,” said Small. “And he said, ‘I can’t afford to have it fail. I’ve got a 50-nautical-mile journey out there in a boat, so I need an antenna that’s really bulletproof [and] I need a custom mount to fit on the buoys. Can you help me out?’ Two weeks later we had a design for him, and he said ‘You beauty!’ He said no-one else was going to be able to do that for him.

“We get a lot of those kinds of requests, and in most cases we can help them out.”