Mobile Satellite Internet Connections? 24
Anml4ixoye asks: "I am currently the webmaster for Hillsborough County, FL. Yesterday I had a meeting with the chief of Fire Rescue and they have a challenge. Our incident-command vehicle currently uses a cellular connection to the internet when a hard-line is not available (at the rate of 18c a min). They would like to switch to satellite internet, but need a way to automatically position the dish that is used. We're talking firefighter proof (as simple as possible). Any ideas on who to use, how to accomplish this, etc?"
go for the freebies! (Score:2)
Seriously, though, if you're talking about a mobile home-style command center, there are attachments to the directv dishes that make it pretty easy to aim them. I'd assume that holds for the DirecPC dishes too.
Nevermind - I just remembered that the direcpc system needs a phone uplink, so that won't work.
maybe just get a cheaper cellular connection? My Sprint one is much less than $0.17/min.
Re:go for the freebies! (Score:1)
Re:go for the freebies! (Score:1)
I don't know if there's any real technical reason behind this besides the hassle of constantly realigning the dish.
More information. (Score:1)
Many cell phones will act as a 14,400bps modem. DirecPC is supposed to be used with a 56k modem, but you could probably use it with the cell phone, if you don't mind diminished performance. There are automatic aiming systems for the DirecTV, but I haven't seen one for DirecPC.
Good luck.
Can satellite compete? (Score:2)
If you want automatic positioning- check out the satellite antennas that they put on boats- they have 3 axes of gimbal so that they will continue to point at a satellite while the ship is moving at sea- your problem should be a bit easier, since you probably don't need the connection while moving.
Iridium (Score:2)
I'd rather pay $1/minute then have my house burn down. The phones feature decent battery life, don't need to be aimed at all, could probably tie into a DC adapter into the vehicle.
Also I believe Inmarsat and other satellite data providers have similar offerings. Hope this helps.
Pat
Ham radio? (Score:1)
Disclaimer: I have no personal experience with ham radio except to see a demo at my college many years ago.
I've seen ham radio mentioned here a few times, and suspect it might be useful to look into what they have to offer. I have no idea of the geography of your area or how large the county is, but it might be possible to have a station at each fire station and link to that from the incident-command vehicle. Though the equipment would cost some money, there'd be no per-minute charge.
An idea: check the phone book for ham equipment, and I'd expect after a few phone calls you could get some pointers to any local ham clubs in your area. Hard to beat hands-on experience. Good Luck!
A little more info... (Score:2)
Unfortunately, due to the size and wierd shape of our county, Ham radios would probably be out. And, because we have 900mhz radio communications, relatively unnecessary. And Satellite Internet is being advertised here for 39.95 per month, which would be a substantial cost savings to the taxpayers. (Yes, we actually care about you all).
And maybe there isn't a system, but if anyone has creative ideas of how to build one, that would be appreciated as well. Thanks again!
Re:A little more info... (Score:2)
I know SprintPCS and other cell vendors are rolling out high-speed wireless networks in Arizona and new mexico.
I think the cost is alot more reasonable than normal cellular packet data too.
Otherwise depending on LOS and other issues, you might want to consider using microwave trucks like the tv stations use. I know a town near me (Bethlehem, NY) uses a van with a microwave transmitter to relay to HQ when there is some sort of problem on the far side of town near the river.
Best of luck.
Re:A little more info... (Score:1)
Well.. how fast do you need to go? You can run 56k or so on a 900mhz system. If you have any free channels on your comm system you could probably purchase radio data modems. The base then just needs an "always on" or dial on demand internet connection.
Or if you don't want to pay excessive prices from your radio supplier you can buy a couple of 9600bps TNC's from a HAM radio outlet.
Most of the inexpensive 2way satellite services require tricky aiming to get them working, probably beyond what your users are capable of. Automatic or aim free systems are expensive in equipment costs or services.
Starband (Score:1)
There is a 2 way satellite system on the market. (Score:2)
Worst case scenario is you buy one of their signal meters for aiming and spend 5 minutes with the trucks driver to teach him how to aim it in the general compass direction and then move it till the little arrow is as high as possible. Best case is MSN is able to devise a motorized system that auto tracks to the strongest signal. I'm no Electronics tech but I'm sure it can't be that hard to integrate a motor and small basic ROM to track the dish towards the strongest signal. Since time is not a factor it could spend 5 to 10 minutes to track the dish in every direction and then return to the strongest point, even faster if you integrate some logic to cut out obvious bad areas based on an electronic compass or relative signal strength in neighboring sectors.
Ideas (Score:1)
Hillsborough is a tough area for wireless. CDPD would be fine in the built-up areas, but when you're out at a gasoline tanker spill in south county you're lucky to get a cell phone to work at all.
I know others mentioned ham radio. It's just not a realistic option for what you need. Yes, I know all about APRS, but look at the APRS map for west central Florida. There's a big gaping hole where Hillsborough is, except for the NWS in Ruskin.
Honestly, HCFR's best bet is probably to pack a standard consumer dish and other equipment. Pack spares of everything important. They won't have time to set it up right away, but if they're there for days, they'll have time.
Another option could be to do data over their existing EDACS radio system (which is an 800MHz system, not a 900MHz). I know HCSO does data on the system, but I don't think anyone is doing IP or web browsing over it. Companies like Nettech sell systems to tunnel IP data over radio systems. Nettech calls theirs Smart IP. Their website also appears to be dead (http://www.nettechrf.com/ [nettechrf.com]) but their phone number is 609-734-0300. Here's a link [google.com] to an old press release about Smart IP.
There are companies that sell systems that you're looking for (a self-contained, vehicle-mounted, auto-aligning satellite transceiver). NorcomNetworks sells a unit that is physically what you are looking for. It's a crock-pot sized unit that mounts on the truck. Inside, the dish automatically rotates and aligns with the satellite. Many utility companies use them. The problems are that I don't know if they provide a decent IP layer over that to browse the web and the cost can be a bit high. Their web site is down (http://www.norcomnetworks.com [norcomnetworks.com]) but their phone number is 703-262-0500.
Re:Ideas (Score:1)
Switching Cell providers may prove to be a bit of a challenge as well. The manufacturer of the vehicle specified CDMA phones, which is only used by Alltel/GTE/Verizon. AT&T (who a majority of our c-phones are through) does not have an interface for that.
It looks more and more like this is going to have to go to our telecommunications section due to the abundance of options out there. Thanks!
Re:Ideas (Score:1)
It might be interesting for them to also push this up to the state level. I know there are about 4 comm trailers / go-packs available throughout Florida, maybe through the Division of Forestry, though I'm pretty sure that they are only voice. It might be worthwile to push the issue of adding some data/internet capability to them or as a separate set of go-packs.
I would take a serious look at the idea of using Nettech's (or someone else's) stuff to do TCP/IP over the EDACS system. I know the radio shop guys (and probably Ericsson, Racom, or whoever is maintaining the system now) will resist it, especially given all the problems they've had with the system, but the impact on the system shouldn't be any different than the other data on the system. You take a normal EDACS data radio and the PC runs software that proxies/tunnels TCP/IP over the system. On the dispatch/server side, you just have another radio & PC to complete the other end of the tunnel. The expensive part is the software (I'm guessing $3k-5k for just the server and one client). Maybe it's worth somebody throwing that to the radio shop and having them determine if it's feasable.
Actually, I've never seen the vehicle we're talking about. Maybe it's a new thing. Every big scene I've worked has been run out of the back of a Battalion Chief's SUV. Maybe each of those should have a laptop and with a cell phone dialup / CDPD connection.
Building Infrastructure. (Score:1)
If the infrastructure isn't there, then work to build it. It's part of mitigation and preparedness for any future emergency situations.
Ask the boaters (Score:2)
I know sailboaters (see various races around the world) use satalite communication, and their conditionsare much harsher than what you need to deal with. They have equipment that can keep the dish pointed even in seas too rough to accually use the connection. I'm sure power boats have the same system though i've not heard of it.
Sorry I don't know more details, but at least this is a direction to look.
go to your nearest R.V. dealer (Score:1)
Not Just Yet (Score:2)
-Jeff
must be do-able (Score:2)
Measuring the amount of chopping gave the magnitude of the error, measure the phase of the chopping gave the direction of the error. Feed these error back through some electronic and drive a few servos on the mount and your done.
To use the system,
perhaps you can get an amature telescope manufacturer or amature astronomer excited with this idea in return for the potential sales, there must be a lot of fire-departments and other emergency services that need communtications such as Email or looking up an MSDS on a disaster site. My thaught is it may be impossible to do this on a mobile basis as in moving vehicle, but fairly easy to do on a mobile basis as a fixed location that occasionaly moves. Just have to start thinking outside the box here.