A national fallback network should not need a foreign option code to switch on encryption.
Barrett and Codan both build HF that works without towers or subscriptions, and both say so plainly. The difference shows up in the options list, the export classification and who repairs the radio in year eight.
These HF networks are in service for civil defence, contingency and remote operations, running on compact transceivers that a local technician can repair rather than return. The design assumption is a bad day: no towers, no satellites, no billing relationship to keep alive.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratHF emergency communications | Barrett Communications (Motorola Solutions)4050ip HF SDR Transceiver1Australia | Codan CommunicationsSentry-H 6110-MP2Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure required between two stations12Freedom from infrastructure is a property of HF itself. It is not a differentiator between serious HF vendors, and we will not pretend it is. | None. No towers, no satellites, no subscriptions | None. The vendor describes HF and VHF as free to air with no recurring usage charges once the network is installed | None stated for HF operation; IP connectivity over Ethernet, Wi-Fi and USB is available where infrastructure exists |
| Frequency coverage12 | Not published for the network product; our HF transceiver line covers 3 to 30 MHz | 1.5 to 30 MHz, 1,000 channels, 500 contact entries | Transmit 1.6 to 30 MHz (1.5 to 30 MHz optional); receive 250 kHz to 30 MHz; up to 1,000 channels and 500 contacts |
| Transmit power12 | Not published for the network product; our HF transceiver line runs 4 to 25 W by platform | 10, 30, 125 or 150 W; 12 or 24 V DC nominal input | 30 W PEP, programmable in 1 W steps |
| Encryption and ECCM12 | Not published | Optional: secure call, digital voice, secure digital voice, frequency hopping | Optional: AES-256, CES-128, DES-56, ECCM frequency hopping, all enabled by vendor option codes |
| Automatic link establishment12 | Not published | 2G ALE and 3G ALE listed as optional features | FED-STD-1045 ALE standard; STANAG 4538 3G ALE optional, with proprietary LQA Rapid channel monitoring over 24 hours |
| How capability is added after purchase12 | Open architecture; the operator modifies and extends the equipment | Optional features ordered from the vendor's catalogue | Field-upgradable unique option codes issued by the vendor; features enabled if the mission changes |
| Repair model12 | Compact, field-repairable transceivers with open architecture | Global distribution and customer support network covering more than 150 countries | Three-year standard warranty; MTBF 116,000 hours; MTTR less than 30 minutes |
| Data capability12 | Not published | Digital Selective Calling standard; ARINC, GPS push and data options listed | MIL-STD-188-110A/B (STANAG 4539) data to 19.2 kbps with ISB; MIL-STD-188-110D Appendix C; 3G ALE file transfer up to 512 KB |
| Environmental qualification2 | Not published | Not published in the catalogue entry | MIL-STD-810G; IP68 to 2 m for 1 hour; operational -30 to +60 degrees C |
| Export classification stated by the vendor2 | Independent, non-aligned origin | Not published in the catalogue | ECCN 3A611.a under the US Export Administration Regulations; certain features may require ITAR approval when exporting from the United States |
| Ownership of the network design12 | Deployable as a standing national emergency network, operating independently of any commercial or foreign-owned infrastructure | Vendor-supplied network products for base, mobile and manpack roles | Vendor-supplied radio and software suite, including programming, key management and tracking applications |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
Everyone agrees HF needs no infrastructure. That is the easy part
Barrett puts it in its own catalogue: HF is free to air, with no recurring usage charges once the network is installed. Codan builds a manpack rated for 79 hours of portable use. On the core proposition, that communications keep working when the towers and the satellite bill both fail, all three of us are telling the truth. So the decision moves to what happens after the trucks leave: who can enable a feature, who can repair a board, and who has to approve a spare.
The options list is the real contract
Read the Codan datasheet as a procurement document rather than a specification. 3G ALE, AES-256, CES-128, ECCM frequency hopping, independent sideband and even a foreign-language interface are all transceiver-based options enabled by vendor-issued codes. Barrett's catalogue lists 2G ALE, 3G ALE, secure call, frequency hopping and digital voice the same way. A national emergency network built on option codes has a foreign commercial dependency at its centre. Ours is built on open architecture and field repair, which puts the dependency inside your own signals corps.
Where the incumbents are stronger
Barrett offers 125 and 150 W base configurations that we do not match on power, and support presence in more than 150 countries. Codan publishes MTBF of 116,000 hours, MIL-STD-810G qualification and IP68 sealing that we have not yet published equivalents for. If your tender scores those lines, say so early. Our case is the national network as a whole: no subscriptions, no option codes, no export classification written by a third country, and technicians who can keep the fleet alive without a foreign depot.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best alternative to Codan or Barrett for a national HF emergency network?
Both are credible HF houses and their datasheets are honest about what they do. The alternative case is structural rather than technical. Our HF networks use compact, field-repairable transceivers with open architecture, so a ministry can build, extend and repair the network with its own people. There are no option codes gating encryption or ALE, and no export classification issued by a third country. Where Codan and Barrett are ahead is in published power output, environmental qualification and reliability data, and a buyer should ask us for those figures directly.
How does an HF network compare with satellite on cost of ownership?
HF has no recurring airtime charge, which Barrett states plainly in its own catalogue, and no dependence on a constellation operator who answers to a foreign regulator. Satellite gives you bandwidth HF cannot approach. The sensible national posture is both, with HF as the layer that survives the loss of the other one. Our HF networks are designed for that fallback role: no towers, no satellites, no subscriptions.
Can a government run and repair an HF network without the original vendor?
That is the point of our open architecture. The transceivers are compact and field-repairable, which means a national workshop can hold spares and fix faults rather than shipping equipment abroad. Compare that with a model where features arrive as vendor-issued option codes and a repair means a warranty return. Codan's published MTTR of under 30 minutes is genuinely good, but it still assumes a supply relationship that holds.
Does an HF emergency network still work if the internet and mobile networks are down?
Yes. HF propagation depends on the ionosphere, not on infrastructure, so two stations and antennas are the entire system. That is why we position it for civil defence, contingency and remote operations, where the failure of towers, satellites and billing systems is the planning assumption rather than the worst case.
Sources
- 1. Barrett Communications, a Motorola Solutions company, Barrett Commercial Catalogue (BCPC4000/21) (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-31 · 4050ip HF SDR Transceiver entry, pages 6 to 8.
- 2. Codan Communications, Sentry-H 6110-MP Manpack datasheet, 12-20346-EN, Issue 15 (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-31