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Posts Tagged ‘Protonex’

Widget Wednesday:  Operating Unmanned Air and Ground Vehicles in Austere Environments

Wednesday, October 24th, 2018

Air and ground based drones continue to become more and more prevalent in military and law enforcement operations, often as ISR and EOD assets, and occasionally in a more offensive posture (as when the Dallas PD took out a cop-killer in 2016 with surprise package).

However, remote or undeveloped areas present significant challenges to keeping UAV and UGV assets fully operational because of a lack of wall sockets and dependable electric power grids for charging their batteries. Our portable power management solutions enable operators to draw power from any available source; such as a vehicle battery or DC outlet, a solar blanket, a field generator, or other batteries. UAV & UGV operators can use our systems to charge the batteries of platforms, control stations, and supporting comm’s equipment.

Thanks to our bi-directional, plug-and-play technology, UAV & UGV batteries can also be used as a power source for other electronic equipment – helping to simplify a team or unit’s energy logistics and battery burden.

Our power management solutions currently support the following UAV and UGV systems:
• Aeryon Labs R60 SkyRanger®  (R70 SkyRaider® in development)
• AeroVironment RQ-11B Raven (RQ-20 Puma in development)
• Endeavor Robotics FirstLook®, PackBot®, and SUGV
• Any system that runs on a standard battery or battery pack

For further information about UAV and UGV field charging solutions, visit www.PTXnomad.com or contact us through Team.Room@Protonex.com.

Revision Purchases Power Tech Company, Protonex

Thursday, October 18th, 2018

Essex Junction, Vermont (October 18, 2018) – Revision—a world leader in both soldier-worn and platform power solutions— has acquired Protonex Technology Corporation, a subsidiary of Ballard Power Systems. Protonex has deployed thousands of portable power solutions globally, and their products align well with Revision’s Nerv Centr® soldier power solutions.

The Revision® Nerv Centr® Power Management Systems are forward-thinking solutions for a wired battlefront, reducing weight burden and eliminating battery life uncertainty. At right is Nerv CentrSharePack™, an advanced lightweight, conformal lithium-ion power pack that integrates power provision and management into one unit. At left is the Nerv CentrSoloPack™, a rugged, high power density lithium-ionbattery offering high power density and state-of-charge display.

“In Protonex, Revision is acquiring an established player in the soldier power management solutions area. Their specialized product focus—particularly their power managers—perfectly complements Revision’s soldier power portfolio,” said Revision CEO Jonathan Blanshay. “With Protonex we are not simply acquiring their advanced technology, but also their talented workforce and engineering expertise. We will now be in an even better position to realize our vision of integrated power and data solutions to enhance warfighter survivability and lethality. Revision is a growth company that seeks complementary diversification; we’ve demonstrated this with expansion across every dimension of our business, but also through proactive acquisitions—including our purchase of MSA’s helmet business in 2012 and Panacis power systems in 2014. This is not just an opportunity to grow Revision’s power management capabilities; it’s also an ideal moment to invigorate Protonex’s established product lines.”

The Protonex® SPM-622 Squad Power Manager is a tough and compact device which weighs less than a pound and enables military units to optimize power for multiple electronic devices.  

In its history, Protonex has innovated in fuel cell design, invented the modern Intelligent Power Manager, and grown to become a leading provider of advanced power solutions for portable, remote, and mobile applications. Protonex’s commitment to providing solutions that overcome energy gaps for military, scientific, and commercial communities will continue.

For the immediate future, Protonex will operate under the Revision name as a stand-alone entity in Southborough, MA, under the continuing stewardship of David Long, General Manager. Current customer contracts and orders will be fulfilled as planned and Revision will take care to minimize disruption for customers and suppliers. Simultaneously, Revision will pursue business opportunities that leverage Protonex technology and know-how to provide increased capabilities and effectiveness to global warfighters.

 

Widget Wednesday – Extending Operational Capability

Wednesday, October 17th, 2018

Many electronic end-user devices in use today will only run for a few hours before their batteries need to be replaced or recharged. But no-one wants to carry a ton of extra batteries, and stopping for a prolonged period of time to recharge batteries isn’t always tactically feasible either.

With the PTX range of solutions our mission is to enable you to perform your missions more effectively by extending your electronic operational capabilities. We do this by enabling the Warfighter to reduce the amount of different batteries they have to carry, to repurpose the batteries they have across different types of electronic equipment, and to recharge those batteries when off-the-grid or in austere environments. Sometimes this involves a full kit of power management systems and accessories, sometimes this involves a simple smart cable that connects an end-user device to an external battery of higher capacity.

Speaking of external batteries, we have developed a range of cables, adapters, connectors, and pouches that enable end-users to connect radios, tablets, smart phones, and other devices to high capacity, wearable, external batteries and power packs such as the Inventus CWB 85 and 150, the SoloPack® and SharePack® batteries from Revision Military, the Li-80 and Li-145, the Ultralife LM-145 and M-1, the Goal Zero Sherpa®, and more.

Find out more about the wide range of equipment, applications, and mission sets we enable at www.PTXnomad.com

Widget Wednesday:  AUSA 2018

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2018

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Protonex will be exhibiting and demonstrating a broad suite of PTX power management capability sets at AUSA 2018 in Washington D.C. next week.

U.S. Army Capt. Jonathan Page uses the end user device of the Capability Set-13 at Nangalam Base, Sept. 13. The Dallas, Texas, native, serves as commander for Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment. 3rd Squadron is part of 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, based out of Fort Polk, La. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class E. L. Craig, Task Force Patriot PAO)

Visit our booth (Hall B, #3038) to learn how our systems support more than 200 different types of electronic equipment – including:
• Military and commercial batteries (primary and rechargeable)
• UAV and UGV systems (platforms and control units)
• Portable and vehicle-mounted military radios
• Satellite communications systems
• Specialist EOD equipment
• Portable medical equipment (prolonged field care)
• GPS and laser marker / designator systems
• Smart phones and tablets
• Laptop computers
and more…

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From the NETT WARRIOR program to the RAVEN UAV system and beyond, learn more about the wide range of applications and mission sets that our systems enable at www.PTXnomad.com/Applications.

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We look forward to seeing you next week at AUSA, booth # 3038.

See Protonex at Modern Day Marine 2018 – Power Anything, Anywhere, from Any Source

Thursday, September 27th, 2018

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If you’re at MDM, be sure to check out the PTX range of power management solutions from Protonex – they can be found on the Protonex booth , number 1110.  The SPM-622 in-field charging solution for the FirstLook® lightweight, throwable UGV can be found on Endeavor Robotics booth, number 1017.

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For further background on the SPM-622 Squad Power Manager and its full range of capabilities, check out this online article from MILITARY TECHNOLOGY magazine.

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Protonex Exhibiting at NTOA 2018

Friday, September 14th, 2018

Protonex Technology Corporation, the leader in rugged, portable, intelligent power management solutions, will be exhibiting at the National Tactical Officers Association’s 35th Annual Conference and Exhibition from 16-17 September 2018 at booth #925.

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Visit the Protonex booth to get a hands-on explanation and demonstration of the full suite of capabilities provided by the company’s PTX series of power management systems, accessories, applications, and solutions.

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The core PTX product series includes:

• The ABC-812 Adaptive Battery Charger, which charges multiple different batteries simultaneously, faster, and more efficiently than other alternatives – enabling users to eliminate the logistical and financial burden of dependence on multiple proprietary, non-rugged, battery chargers.

• The SPM-622 Squad Power Manager, which dramatically reduces the number and variety of batteries users need to carry on operations – enabling users to recharge and repurpose their batteries anywhere, any time, and with power from any source.

• The VPM-402 Vest Power Manager, which packs full-size data and power management into a small, light, rugged solution for operator-worn communications and situational awareness systems – with the same in-field recharging capabilities as the SPM-622.

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Protonex is also pleased to be hosting Endeavor Robotics with their FirstLook® packable, throwable UGV system at our booth as well. Protonex recently partnered with Endeavor to create an in-field charging solution for the FirstLook® system.

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Visit www.PTXnomad.com for further information about Protonex Power Management Solutions.

Visit www.endeavorrobotics.com for further information about the FirstLook® and other UGV systems.

PTX Widget Wednesday – Alligator Clip Cable

Wednesday, September 12th, 2018

One of the most salient features of the Global War On Terror has been the proliferation of electronic devices at the individual and small unit level. These developments give our troops unprecedented levels of situational awareness (regardless of the time of day), the ability to communicate over vast distances (in any terrain), and the power to dominate the battlespace in even the most austere environments.

However, it also usually means having to hump a lot of extra batteries. For example, on a long patrol in Afghanistan, an Airborne Infantryman could carry as many as seven different types of batteries for 12 electronic devices – totaling up to 16 pounds in battery weight. That’s more than the weight of a dozen fully loaded 30-round 5.56 mags! (The need to continuously stop and replace batteries also causes disruption to operational capability and impairs mission effectiveness.)

With the SPM-622 troops are able to reduce their battery burden, recharge their batteries in the field, and repurpose those batteries to power other devices (the SPM automatically adjusts, balances, and/or converts power from any source to match a device’s power requirements). Initially, SPM kits included adapter cables for solar panels, solar blankets, vehicle ‘cigarette lighter” plugs, and generator power outlets. Feedback from special operations unit end-users working in a very austere environment led us to develop another rather simple-looking solution – jumper cable type alligator clips.

Their feedback was that it would be very useful to have the ability to scavenge power from the civilian truck, car, and motorcycle batteries prevalent in operational areas. And so the Alligator Clip cable was born. Although it might look kind of “low-tech”, our Alligator Clip cable is smart – the firmware embedded in the cable informs the SPM of the voltage of the battery it’s connected to, it also monitors the battery’s state-of-charge and tells the SPM to stop drawing power from it before it gets too low to start a vehicle.

This particular type of cable proved very useful for at least one team that used a locally-sourced motorcycle battery as a power source, and enabled them to complete a high-value mission despite a shortage of specific batteries.

For more information about PTX power management systems from Protonex, visit www.PTXnomad.com or contact us at Team.Room@Protonex.com

Widget Wednesday:  Supported Equipment

Wednesday, August 15th, 2018

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Over the past decade we have worked closely with Program Offices, Commands, and Units to develop a wide range of adapters and cables to bring true plug-and-play power capability to end-users.

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Our Power Management systems currently support more than 200 different types of electronic equipment, including:
• military and commercial primary and rechargeable batteries
• UAV and UGV systems (both platforms and control units)
• high-performance military radios
• military and commercial SATCOM systems
• laptop and tablet computers
• EOD equipment
• field medical equipment
• GPS systems
• Laser markers and designators
• Smart phones
• And more…

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To see the full list of equipment that we can provide solutions for, check out the SUPPORTED EQUIPMENT page on our website at www.PTXnomad.com /supported-equipment /.

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If you don’t see what you need, contact us at Team.Room@Protonex.com and we will lead you through the process of developing a bespoke solution.