SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/680178
The Network Makes A Difference According to Talman, not all satellite networks are the same. Some utilize satellites that orbit from a farther distance from the Earth and are also located in the northern or southern hemispheres. "When you make a call, the signal from the satellite phone looks sends a signal to one of these satellites," says Talman. "If you're making a call from a country in the southern hemisphere, and the network you're using has a satellite orbiting around the northern hemisphere, there could be some connection problems, especially if you're in a canyon or have a limited view of the sky." While this may work well for U.S. Citizens visiting Europe, Talman recommends a different network for those folks who frequent Baja Mexico. "We use the Iridium Network because it has 66 low orbit satellites that can provide a constant and reliable signal." According to Talman, the Iridium Network also allows for various data capabilities, including push-to-talk broadcasting, texting, and data. "Once a satellite phone is registered on the network, your call sends a signal to the nearest satellite. The signal is then relayed down to the network's ground station, Iridium's is located in Tempe, Arizona. The signal is processed into a phone line and get's sent to the individual land-line or cell phone network to complete your call." Recommendations For Teams Although satellite phones and individual services can be very expensive to own, Talman knows that many SCORE racing teams often rent the phones and service for the time they are in Mexico. "Renting is probably still the best avenue for most teams," said Talman. "But with new services that are available, teams can also benefit from the same service in different ways." Push-To-Talk is one of the newest services that is now available in networks like Iridium. It works much like a push-to- talk radio, but with the reliability of a satellite service. "We're working with teams to integrate the push-to-talk satellite service into their existing in-vehicle radio systems," said Talman. "We did a lot of testing during the last SCORE Baja 1000 with this system. Team members and drivers were able to hyper interact with each other, especially with their pit-support crew. The teams utilized their existing intercom for in-vehicle communication but used the push-to-talk satellite phone for communicating with pit crews. Drivers can easily switch from radio to satellite communication using existing equipment." According to Talman, teams that utilized this satellite system SOME TEAMS CAN BENEFIT FROM A PRODUCT LIKE THE IRIDIUM GO, WHICH CAN PROVIDE A SATELLITE SIGNAL TO WIFI ENABLED DECIDES LIKE A MOBILE PHONE OR TABLET. 045 SCORE JOURNAL