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What a month! We have been testing our new transportable satellite terminal, the T-100, this month. It is designed to fit in a briefcase and has it own battery and antenna. The case would also contain a laptop computer with messaging software. The idea being that many people would want something more for computing than just a handheld satellite unit (which has no computing power). Since they already have invested in a laptop computer, the T-100 would be a Win95 complement to their existing hardware and software investment. The Magellan handheld units will be out early next year, but the T-100 will give us a better product line. We need to make sure subscribers can use the system at home, work and play. We have been using these terminals at our home for a few weeks successfully and send/received a hundred messages, but we needed some field trials. So, I packed up the version 1.0 of the Win95 messaging software and T-100 terminal and went to camp for a week to try it out. What I did learn is that trees are a serious problem to someone trying to communicate 500 miles up to a satellite. Our camp was inside the woods, although I was able to pick up a couple messages from my tent, you could see the outages, deep fades, created as the satellite passed behind each large tree during its 6 minute overhead pass. Of course there are only two satellites now, compared to the 26 there will be next year, so my day was focused around the two high passes we got each day. The results for the testing were that you are better off in an open area (the parade field in an open valley) receiving a clear path to the satellite for a shorter time, than you are trying to locate on a tree covered hilltop getting a longer view of the satellite but suffering from fades from the trees during the pass. We were able to transmit and receive several messages in the woods though, one of which was a "daddy call home" which impressed many on lookers at the camp. We also have upcoming reports from one engineer who took a terminal on a four-week cross country drive in July and another who will be taking one a week long trip to West Virginia the last week in July. The ORBCOMM terminal messaging software is certainly going in the right direction towards user friendliness. ORBCOMM is also upgrading their message switch on 27 July, so I’m looking forward to big improvements in both areas soon. You can try mailing me at rickerson2@orbcomm.net, which is my Personal Satellite Station ™ address. My message switch software selection is coming along. The present package (the third one I have tried) has been stable for several weeks. I’m ready to start adding automated features and some networking. If you have sent any messages to don at skyhelp.net and I haven’t responded the message it was probably trashed while I was playing with the software, sent it again, I always give a response to messages. I have been trying an excellent self-study CD on Sign Language. This is a great way to learn. I have tried using books on sign language, but the video really helps. This CD will be added to the catalog and should retail for about $15. The SkyHelp trademark has made it through the government hoops and should be approved shortly. The Personal Satellite Network Logo is still in the works, I have to send a letter back with some more specimens of its usage. We still have two SBIR grants into the government. Results are due for one in August and the other this fall. Keep your fingers crossed.
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