Additional Services

ENGINEERING

Many of the company’s projects contain an element of software and hardware integration. When this is the case, Long Wave’s Mechanical Engineers lead the hardware side of the integration.

Engineering at Long Wave can be separated into four main areas:

  • Software
  • Systems
  • Radio Frequency (RF) Engineering
  • Structural/Mechanical

Long Wave’s team of skilled software engineers and architects have hundreds of years of combined experience designing, implementing, and supporting various software solutions. The company specializes in providing customers with software solutions in three main areas:

  • Simulations Training Devices
  • Predictive Analysis Tools
  • Scheduling Tools
  • Clarinet Merlin Receiving System (CMRS)
    • CMRS is a shore based communications system that continuously monitors emergency transmissions from buoys launched from U.S. Navy submarines. The Long Wave specially designed digital signal processor (DSP) decoding unit is the nucleus of this improved communications system. Long Wave’s Clarinet Merlin Receiving System is designed with a high degree of equipment redundancy and innovative automation features. Each unmanned receiver site has software and hardware which automatically performs equipment self-tests at regular intervals.In the event of a failure, the software automatically isolates the failed equipment, places the backup component in service, and then notifies the remote operator of the equipment failure. Long Wave maintenance personnel are on 24-hour call to assist with any maintenance related issues. The CMRS system could be easily configured for aircraft applications.

 

In addition to our major focus areas, we offer a few areas of minor focus:

  • Database Architecture and Design
  • Natural Language Recognition and Processing

Long Wave performs systems engineering of complex systems, with customers across the DoD and commercial spectrum; successfully delivering practical solutions to complex problems. Many of these efforts have followed traditional DoD SETR processes and events, tracking the progression of the allocated, functional, and product baselines through deliverable documentation and presenting them at design reviews.

 

For software development, Long Wave has successfully incorporated the AGILE software development process with the traditional Systems Engineering Technical Review (SETR) process. Translating classic requirement derivation into AGILE User Stories and then conducting iterative tests while planning for integration testing and traditional acceptance testing. Long Wave is committed to building your system right, and building you the right system.

Long Wave’s RF engineering focuses on systems communications, power, signal processing, and noise studies. Many of the solutions provided to customers include hardware and software integration comprised of various RF engineering requirements. Available solutions that Long Wave provides to customers:

  • ACE
  • CMRS
  • Noise Studies

Long Wave’s structural engineers have a focus on telecommunications towers, covering all areas of the process from design and analysis to modification design and rigging plans.

 

Mechanical engineering at Long Wave offers diverse options. The main areas of focus are:

  • Drafting
  • Simulation console design
  • Telecommunications site layout
  • Specialized hardware manufacturing
CMRS

NOISE STUDIES

Radio noise and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) can cause significant problems for all receive sites and especially for fixed High Frequency (HF) sites designed to be electrically quiet. Long Wave has established a method for measuring and mitigating this noise using a team approach built on proven techniques. While this approach is highly effective, it depends heavily on subject matter experts being present in the field during measurements. In the past, Long Wave used measurement equipment that was no longer supportable and not capable of automation.

 

Long Wave modernized the hardware and software used for noise abatement, site integrity maintenance, noise surveys, and related areas such as signal intelligence and noise signature identification. We developed the Automatic Noise Analysis Tool (ANAT), which automates existing techniques so that the results are more accurate, in addition, the ANAT can perform most of the work automatically. The automation allows experienced experts (SMEs) to travel less, and spend their time concentrating more on analyzing the data rather than collecting it. This boosts the use of manpower, thereby improving efficiency, and reducing costs.

 

 

The Long Wave Automatic Noise Analysis Tool successfully eliminates key dependencies on the unsupportable test equipment, like the HP141T and Develco 7200B, that has blocked progress toward a more automatic system. Long Wave’s system can be programmed to work with any modern spectrum analyzer and provides data and analyzer settings to the noise abatement engineer. Our software automatically plots the data in real time, and in three dimensions showing the time history.

  • Performs the same functions of obsolete test and plotting equipment
  • Eliminates dependency on unsupportable equipment
  • Provides the capability to record noise measurement site data at a receive site for later analysis, paving the way for automated analysis and cost reductions
  • Provides the ability to automatically label plots for reporting (a huge time savings)
  • The interface unit can be programmed to work with most modern spectrum analyzers, enabling work at virtually any frequency, and enabling automatic control from remote locations
  • The unit is capable of continuous recording of time history data in a format that can be logged to memory and analyzed later, thus reducing – and in some cases eliminating – the need for the presence of a full-time operator, as is currently required
  • The unit allows for automatic labeling of the axis plot, thus eliminating this currently manual step
  • The unit continuously records time history data in a format that can be logged to memory and analyzed later that also enables the possible use of “artificial intelligence like algorithms” to sort the data flagging events of interest thus reducing the amount of labor required
  • A significant reduction in the size and weight of the more automated equipment makes the near-real-time deployment feasible during phase inspections, this helps maintain site integrity and is cost effective
  • As capability evolves via automation of the new system, a remote monitored measurement system may become feasible for use as a full-time site integrity maintenance system

CONSTRUCTION

Foundations

Long Wave has extensive experience installing foundation types that range from drilled pier foundations to simple slab foundations for shelters. Long Wave has installed 45-foot pier monopole foundations and guyed tower installations that include multiple anchor points and shelter foundations. The installation of the foundations includes skilled equipment operators who are proficient on excavators, backhoes, skid steers, bulldozers, and telehandlers. In addition, Long Wave’s team ties all rebar and frames out the foundations in preparation for the concrete pour. Before the pour, the team ensures that the fabricated foundation meets the specifications in the drawing package. Once deemed acceptable, the concrete is poured. It is critical that our team ensures all foundations are surveyed correctly to guarantee correct placement, as well as angles on anchor rods.

 

Road

Long Wave’s team is highly skilled in operating heavy equipment required to install and maintain access roads. The team has installed access roads on the Arizona/Mexico border, providing Customs and Border Protection access to its remote sites. Long Wave has also installed gravel roads leading to certain antenna locations in agricultural areas. These efforts include not only clearing the area, but smoothing the roads out to lay the Mirafi fabric before laying any gravel or road base.

 

Fence

Long Wave installs a variety of fence types depending on the customer’s needs. These range from chain link fences with barbed wire tops for high security areas, to simple RADHAZ fences that consist of concrete-filled PVC pipes with rope running through them. In addition, in locations where equipment is located on farmland, Long Wave has installed wooden fencing around tower bases to keep cattle away from that equipment.

Turn-Key-Site

SOFTWARE/HARDWARE INSTALLERS

Long Wave has extensive experience installing, configuring, and maintaining hardware/software at sites around the world. The company has a staff of highly trained technicians who cover installs from towers to software development environments.

 

Long Wave’s main areas of focus are:

  • Antenna towers
  • Simulation trainers
  • Software DevOps
  • Pre-Execution Environment (PXEL, an LWI product)
  • Communication devices (T-RECS, an LWI product)

 

Long Wave is centrally located in Oklahoma City, OK, allowing us to support the entire United States with shorter travel times and turnaround.

Installers

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE

As an operations and maintenance (O&M) Contractor for the Navy’s West Coast LF/HF site in Dixon California, Long Wave was responsible for two AN/FRT-72C Low Frequency (LF) transmitters, 24 High Frequency Global Communications System (HFGCS) transmitters, two 600-foot LF antennas, and more than 30 HF antennas. In addition to the mission specific systems and day-to-day operations, we maintained all buildings on site including: the transmitter building, two helix houses, the Emergency Power Plant and electrical power switchgear, and the generator enclosure and electrical power sub-stations.

  • Tower inspections
  • Full tower painting
  • Replacement of missing hardware – new hardware to ensure OSHA compliance
  • Corrosion control and weatherization
  • Correction of antenna verticality
  • Guy wire tensioning
  • Maintenance of proper ground connections
  • Maintenance of coaxial cable lines inside control facilities as well as buried
  • Confirmation of antenna functionality
  • Balun/BBIC maintenance
  • Replacement of tower bracings
  • Replacement of tower lighting systems
  • Replacement of bushings and insulators
  • Replacement of halyards
  • Replacement of guy wires
  • Repair/replacement of antenna arrays
  • Repair/replacement of motors and other electrical operations
  • Repair/replacement of GBSLP at the antenna and inside facilities
  • Repair/replacement of damaged coax cable
  • Repair/replacement of safety climb systems