Mal: As you're familiar with both, please describe to the rest of us the difference in equipment cost and subscription fees for the two systems. Many seem have a problem paying $150US for the SPOT hardware and $150US per year for the service. I have seen how well it performs but have not seen what the other system costs. Thanks, Jim
--- On Sat, 6/6/09, Mal Bruce <[email protected]> wrote: From: Mal Bruce <[email protected]> Subject: [Aus-soaring] My "Spot" did not work in Sydney To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Date: Saturday, June 6, 2009, 7:54 PM The Globalstar network is crap. https://srt.glpconnect.com:2044/osat/ The Globalstar Network comprises 40 satellites operating at 1400km altitude, and a ground gateway infrastructure. The satellites are organised into 8 orbital planes with 5 satellites per plane. The orbital planes are inclined to the equator at 56 degrees which provides an approximate coverage within the latitudes 70 degrees North to 70 degrees South when ever there is co-visibility with a ground gateway. The Globalstar Network does not perform satellite to satellite cross-link switching and so ground connection in Australia is by 3 gateways operated by Pivotel. Outside of Australia there is a network of Globalstar partners who operate gateways that provide international roaming coverage. The Iridium Network comprises 66 satellites operating at 780km altitude, and the ground gateway infrastructure. The satellites are organised into 6 orbital planes with 11 satellites per plane. This ensures that each location on the globe is covered by at least one satellite at any one time. The satellites spin around the earth at over 26,000km/h or circle the earth every 100 minutes, and the orbital planes go over the poles. Each satellite is connected to four other satellites in the network. The two adjacent satellites in the same plane and two satellites in the planes either side. Through this cross-linking the satellites can route calls from satellite to satellite until it reaches one in view of the ground gateway. The ground gateway then connects the call to the Pivotel switching infrastructure. _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
_______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
