Sepura’s STP8X- the toughest and most robust Intrinsically-Safe TETRA radio on the market

The radio's official launch in May 2011 fortified Sepura's leadership in the global TETRA radio market. It also extended the company's reach into hazardous "Gas and Dust" environments, such as fire, oil and gas exploration and opencast mining where Intrinsically-Safe ATEX/IECEx certified products are a critical requirement.

Mark Barnby, Senior Product Manager explained: "We paid attention to how real users around the world used their Intrinsically-Safe radios and their accessories in a wide variety of market segments.  Loud, clear audio, the ability to use the radio whilst wearing bulky gloves and a new level of ruggedness were all key attributes that were not yet present in the market.

The STP8X embodies all of these requirements, and more. It is the first IP67 submersible TETRA Intrinsically-Safe radio and is designed to meet the newly-clarified and extremely demanding ATEX and IECEx robustness tests".

Barnby added: "Safety and intrinsically safe radios go hand in hand. Since its launch, we added Bluetooth functionality to the hand-portable: this will be extremely beneficial in a variety of hazardous environments with moving machinery - such as oil rigs - where cable free accessories are increasingly becoming a vital aspect of operations".

In addition to offering a robust, rugged, feature-rich radio - all attributes for which Sepura has become renowned - the STP8X inherits a host of unique features normally only available with Sepura's flagship STP8000 hand-portable range.  These include missed event notifications, a Micro-SD image viewer - ideal for looking up hazardous material data - and a display which offers crystal-clear viewing under all viewing conditions, including harsh sunlight.  Extended battery life is a feature not normally associated with ATEX/IECEX radios, but is another key benefit that the STP8X inherits.  Sepura's market leading Man-Down application, capable of indentifying when a user has become incapacitated, notifying rescue crews via TETRA and sounding a local alarm to assist rescuers in locating their  colleague, will certainly be of interest to a wide variety of users.

Mark Barnby concludes "Naturally, the radio also comes with a range of high quality accessories, which meet a wide variety of user requirements.  The STP8X and its accessories provide a complete, body-worn communications solution for TETRA users who demand a high performance product which is designed and approved to operate in hazardous environments around the world".