Thu 30 Apr, 2009 11:18 pm
Paul wrote:Within 12 minutes the registered contact person in Tasmania was alerted, from America, about the activation of the unit ( & giving long/lat references )
Fri 01 May, 2009 1:14 am
Fri 01 May, 2009 7:07 am
Sat 02 May, 2009 2:01 pm
Paul wrote:Hope this gives you a better picture of the incident.
Thu 07 May, 2009 7:22 pm
Sat 09 May, 2009 1:24 pm
Tue 01 Sep, 2009 12:16 pm
Tue 01 Sep, 2009 3:12 pm
Fri 04 Sep, 2009 7:38 pm
Fri 04 Sep, 2009 11:18 pm
Leader of what pack? This is just a PLB. It is not equivalent to the spot and doesn't provide home based internet tracking of the remote walker. The limit of the PLB is that it is a single use device.Brett wrote:Here is the latest on the KTI PLB that appears to be the leader of the pack once it moves into production some year behind the planned release date.
Sat 05 Sep, 2009 2:09 pm
Sat 05 Sep, 2009 6:23 pm
Orrr does someone need a hug!Brett wrote:Wow, feel the love.
Agree, but have been thinking about that and I think probably text messaging would be fine if it would save on the cost of the device and the ongoing communication cost. One just needs to be able to let those at home know one's plans have/haven't changed and all is well.Brett wrote:As I have said the ultimate is a phone(sat 3G)/mapping GPS combination with great battery life and waterproof casing
And there's the rub. If you have your PLB on you and are conscious, and can activate it - and the emergency service pick up the signal inside the 24 hr window. With "internet tracking" the person monitoring the system would be able to see the lack of progress and could try to contact you. Don't get me wrong, PLBs definitely work, but there are Pros and Cons for both approaches.Brett wrote:Hence this [PLB] is the cheapest option that can bring help when the wheels fall off assuming you are around to trigger it and can survive until help arrives.
You seem to be laboring under some misconceptions about satellites. As far as I know all GPS devices in Australia take their GPS reading from the US global positioning system which is a network of 24 to 30 orbiting satellites in six different orbital paths. Better GPS performance comes from the onboard chip not from a better satellite. PLBs all use the COSPAS-SARSAT system which uses 4 geosync satellites and 5 LEO satellites. GPS enabled PLBs get their position from the GPS network. One PLB does not have a satellite advantage over another. SPOT uses the GPS network too (for positioning), and the Globalstar LEO mobile satellite system which is comprised of 44 LEO satellites compared to the Iridium network which uses 66 LEO satellites.Brett wrote:When reading up on the SPOT about 18 months ago it was considered not good in getting a signal out. Sure as a tracker you can chose places with a good view of the sky but something tells me when you need help you might not be so fortunate to find such a spot.
We'll have to wait and see how many of their claims make it to market, but any advantage is marginal.Brett wrote:KTI PLB that appears to be the leader of the pack once it moves into production
Sat 05 Sep, 2009 8:03 pm
Sat 05 Sep, 2009 8:10 pm
Sat 05 Sep, 2009 8:46 pm
Sat 05 Sep, 2009 8:56 pm
Brett wrote:.....................................
Basically ten years minimum battery life and better than 24 hours (suggested 48 hours at least on one GPS site) for one of the cheaper prices gives it the edge. Just thing three more years compared to a GME and extra hours of transmission. Not so important if fixed in a spot but drifting with the current the extra time could save your life. ...........................
Cheers Brett
Sat 05 Sep, 2009 9:08 pm
Sat 05 Sep, 2009 10:16 pm
OK! Now I know you're confused. Very quickly, there are three main types of satellites. Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO). GEO sats must be equatorial and hence the problems you've mentioned. {There is also and elliptical (high) orbit called HEO that some tv sats use but that's another story.}Brett wrote:Basically satellite number and position is one of the key aspect of communication reliability and coverage. Tassie being low on the horizon means communication shadows happen with geostationary satellites which means north/south valleys not so bad as east/west valleys. The further south the longer the communication shadow caste by mountains and valleys. Also north/south shadows depend on where the satellite is (extreme east or west) so Tassie could be at the extreme edge thus getting dramatically reduce coverage compared to someone park immediately under the satellite.
Just because a network has more satellites does not mean they are all above Tasmania or all visible to Tasmania, and they are not all used simultaneously in one conversation. And more satellites in a constellation does not equate to a better cover over Tasmania. LEO satellites are spread all over the earth surface, and only one or two are visible at any given point in time - there needs to be some overlap. (e.g Globalstar and Iridium). You can see live tracking of the Iridium birds. Open all the links in separate tabs and you will see how many are close to Tasmania right now.Brett wrote:Ok the best is the network with more satellites overhead for communications thus we have to surrender the geostationary positioning ones and that is where number of satellites and how they orbit becomes critical. ...However, the signal going up works better the more satellites...
Sun 06 Sep, 2009 1:50 pm
Sun 06 Sep, 2009 9:36 pm
Mon 07 Sep, 2009 9:41 am
Tue 22 Sep, 2009 1:05 pm
Fri 25 Sep, 2009 10:49 am
ILUVSWTAS wrote: This is just my personal opinion but I contacted Telstra and was told Sat phones start at around $2000, on top of that you need to go on a plan starting around $30 per month. all that for something I'd hope to never have to use...
Fri 25 Sep, 2009 11:08 am
Fri 25 Sep, 2009 11:45 am
Brett wrote:photohiker wrote:
As far as a satphone phone plan is concerned, your Telstra contacts may have misled you. Once you have a phone, all you need is a casual NextG sim from Telstra. 'Casual' means that you can stop the charges and restart them when required. Minimum Casual plan is $10 per month. So it is feasible to have a working Sat Phone without breaking the bank.
Can a "normal" Telstra Next G card work, ie the one in my phone?
Cheers Brett
Fri 25 Sep, 2009 2:42 pm
Wed 30 Sep, 2009 7:52 am
Wed 30 Sep, 2009 12:23 pm
Wed 30 Sep, 2009 12:45 pm
photohiker wrote:Brett wrote:photohiker wrote:
As far as a satphone phone plan is concerned, your Telstra contacts may have misled you. Once you have a phone, all you need is a casual NextG sim from Telstra. 'Casual' means that you can stop the charges and restart them when required. Minimum Casual plan is $10 per month. So it is feasible to have a working Sat Phone without breaking the bank.
Can a "normal" Telstra Next G card work, ie the one in my phone?
Cheers Brett
I haven't tried many, but every NextG sim has worked so far, so I'm guessing that it would work.
Mon 19 Oct, 2009 4:37 pm
Brett wrote:KTI Mini-Sat / KTI Mini-Sat-G Personal Locator Beacon.
These products are currently in the COSPAS-SARSAT approval process which must be completed before they can be sold. Our current outlook is for stock release November 2009.
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