E. F. Johnson Company
Encyclopedia
EFJohnson Technologies is a two-way radio
manufacturer founded by its namesake, Edgar. F. Johnson, in Waseca, Minnesota
, USA in 1923.
EFJohnson Technologies offers a wide range of equipment for law enforcement, fire fighters, EMS, and military. Products include Project 25 systems, portable/mobile two-way radios and radio encryption products.
and early radio broadcasters. During World War II
, the company devoted 100% of production to defense needs. After the war, the company introduced its Viking line of amateur transmitters, among them, the Viking, Valiant, Ranger and Pacemaker. In the late 1960s, a thriving land-mobile radio business replaced amateur as the company's core competency, and it became known for its CB and business radio products. EF Johnson was also the creator of the Logic Trunked Radio
trunking format that uses low-speed data on a system's repeaters to control the subscriber units on the system instead of using a dedicated control channel to pass data to the subscribers. LTR is comparable to the European based MPT1327. EFJohnson's discontinued Viking line of amateur radio transmitter products are collected, restored, and operated by a number of vintage amateur radio
enthusiasts.
In 1995, the Project 25 standard for interoperability was endorsed by APCO, American Association of Railroads, the National Association of State Telecom Directors, the Department of Defense, National Security Agency, National Telecommunications & Information Administration, and Department of Justice. EF Johnson signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop products that comply with the agreement. EF Johnson was purchased in 1997 by software manufacturer Transcrypt International. In 2005, its headquarters moved to Irving, Texas. The company changed its name to EFJohnson Technologies in 2008. In 2010, EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. was acquired by Francisco Partners.
Two-way radio
A two-way radio is a radio that can both transmit and receive , unlike a broadcast receiver which only receives content. The term refers to a personal radio transceiver that allows the operator to have a two-way conversation with other similar radios operating on the same radio frequency...
manufacturer founded by its namesake, Edgar. F. Johnson, in Waseca, Minnesota
Waseca, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,493 people, 3,388 households, and 2,219 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,215.6 people per square mile . There were 3,563 housing units at an average density of 929.5 per square mile...
, USA in 1923.
EFJohnson Technologies offers a wide range of equipment for law enforcement, fire fighters, EMS, and military. Products include Project 25 systems, portable/mobile two-way radios and radio encryption products.
(Recent) Product introductions
- 2010: Introduced the 51FIRE ES, the first portable radio engineered specifically for firefighters.
- 2009: Introduced Hybrid IP25, a Project 25 compliant wide area conventional system and a hybrid network intended to allow first responders to operate and interoperate between the conventional and trunked systems and eliminate the need for dispatchers to manually patch calls between the two systems.
- 2009: Introduced StarGate Dispatch Console, an IP-based dispatch console for first responders. StarGate was named the Hot Product by Public Safety Communications, the official magazine of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO).
- 2008: Introduced the Lightning Control Head, a mobile radio control head that incorporates electroluminescent technology.
- 2007: Introduced IP25 MultiSite, a switchless Project 25 trunked infrastructure system that is specifically designed for first responders. This Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) based system meets the NTIA mandates for narrowband operation in VHF and UHF frequencies as well as DOD mandates for Project 25 compliance.
- 2006: EFJohnson introduces the Enhanced (AMBE+2) Project 25 Vocoder in its entire radio product line.
History
The company began as a mail order business, selling radio transmitting parts to amateursAmateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
and early radio broadcasters. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the company devoted 100% of production to defense needs. After the war, the company introduced its Viking line of amateur transmitters, among them, the Viking, Valiant, Ranger and Pacemaker. In the late 1960s, a thriving land-mobile radio business replaced amateur as the company's core competency, and it became known for its CB and business radio products. EF Johnson was also the creator of the Logic Trunked Radio
Logic Trunked Radio
Logic Trunked Radio is a system developed in the late 1970s by the E. F. Johnson Company.LTR is distinguished from some other common trunked radio systems in that it does not have a dedicated control channel. Each repeater has its own controller and all of these controllers are coordinated together...
trunking format that uses low-speed data on a system's repeaters to control the subscriber units on the system instead of using a dedicated control channel to pass data to the subscribers. LTR is comparable to the European based MPT1327. EFJohnson's discontinued Viking line of amateur radio transmitter products are collected, restored, and operated by a number of vintage amateur radio
Vintage amateur radio
Vintage amateur radio is a subset of the amateur radio hobby, considered a form of nostalgia much like antique car collecting, where enthusiasts collect, restore, preserve, build, and operate amateur radio equipment from bygone years, most notably those using vacuum tube technology.Popular modes of...
enthusiasts.
In 1995, the Project 25 standard for interoperability was endorsed by APCO, American Association of Railroads, the National Association of State Telecom Directors, the Department of Defense, National Security Agency, National Telecommunications & Information Administration, and Department of Justice. EF Johnson signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop products that comply with the agreement. EF Johnson was purchased in 1997 by software manufacturer Transcrypt International. In 2005, its headquarters moved to Irving, Texas. The company changed its name to EFJohnson Technologies in 2008. In 2010, EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. was acquired by Francisco Partners.