Specifically for the expedition to measure the satellite phone was purchased Nera WorldPhone Norwegian production. This phone is a little box with a tube and the antenna, which works in the Inmarsat Mini-M. Positive qualities of the phone is the ability of communication almost anywhere in the world, and negative - in a fairly decent dimensions, three kilograms of weight and cost of air trehdollarovoy minutes.
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But nothing is impossible. If your phone is an AT-compatible built-in modem and serial port, then theoretically you can connect it to anything, having the same serial port and software for your modem. I must say that as an avid traveler, I have a weakness for projects related to travel, travel and other adventures of this kind in any form. Therefore, without hesitation promised to help and anything connected to the phone.
Telephone stayed with us, and I began to experiment. Began with a study of a telephone box. Nothing particularly remarkable. The device, the size of a small fax machine, look evokes memories of better times of domestic Oboronprom. Has a detachable antenna. There are several connectors for external equipment: RS-232 (female, 9-pin), two sockets for conventional telephone, fax, or an external modem.
To connect you need: tilt antenna and send it to the south, where they shall be in communication satellites. Satellites are hung in a geostationary orbit at an altitude of about 17000 km, so that each of them is always on the same point on the Earth's surface. After the phone antenna to rotate slowly from side to side until the display shows the found ray satellite. Another couple of simple manipulation, and in the tube hear a familiar buzzer: You can dial and talk. Because of the intense radiation to the antenna at the time of the phone stand is not recommended. Nera WorldPhone computer to connect via serial port. The modem is already built into the phone. For Windows, there is a special driver. No information about living together Nera and small computers could not be found.
Not the first time from scratch to understand here. What PDA to choose for the first test?
Perhaps, Palm IIIxe. It's a pretty good fit for the task of climbing - a light, fairly robust, unpretentious and reliable. Power problems are solved by a pair of additional sets of batteries (just fire).
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1. Crack. After reflection decided to use PaPiRus Lite 2.03. Familiar, reliable, serious bugs have been identified, encoding KOI8-R is available. Interface translation is not needed.
2. Mail. Naturally, MultiMail Pro. Working with attachments, printing, etc. not expected, so we put in a minimal configuration.
3. Backing up your data. MemorySafe I do not, so it remains to Flash Pro, plus additional "blotches" - FlashPak. This combination should allow the "chase" application in Flash, then make a hard Reset with data loss and restore everything back. Check this out.
Install all of the programs, configure MultiMail according to the memo satellite subscriber. Take a standard modem cable for Palm III series, and direct coupling. Plug and watch a message that the modem is not detected.
I will not describe their exercises with cables and adapters, as no effect could not be achieved. Using all available means, and collecting as a result of a complex system of several dozen cords and adapters, I have not moved a single step. It's time to take over the soldering iron ... Proring cable tester showed that the cord HotSync involved with 6 contacts, and dial-up and does
4. A phone that needs all the 9, according to the instructions.
Okay. Before you solder the cable, trying to deal with backup: zabekapit desired programs from a blank area on Flash-memory.
Hour exercise in this direction stole my every desire to give Babanova Palm IIIxe. That is nothing particularly criminal happened, except for chronic decline MultiMail after copying to Flash. However, I realized that I could not explain to a person the necessary sequence of actions to restore the data. Just so there is no consistency. Each subsequent trial Reset brought me some new surprises, things do not work like last time. Program FlashPro was rather mysterious, despite its apparent simplicity.
The man, who was holding the hands of Palm in at least a few days, figured would be easy. But our climbers Palm've only seen in pictures. And where one mistake can cost you the most valuable of all forwarding information to learn too late.
Okay, Palm'e world is large enough. We are a company multiplatform. I think more. That we have long runs on batteries? Psion 5 mx. In addition, our team of Sales Department managed to achieve some success in connecting it to the phone Nera. Normal cable PsiWin, null modem adapter, a terminal program Comms. Everything works, hooray. Got something to show at a press conference to which all of these tests almost too late.
At the press conference said a word about the importance of this project for the local mountaineering, about the complexity of the problem, about the intrigue of competition from the American group. We also gave the word, quite unexpectedly.
After the conference, the work began. Need to teach a person not too familiar with the computer desktop, learn how to use a fairly advanced feature on your computer pocket - e-mail. From the very first setup steps Psion Babanov imbued with respect to that device, and to us who have this miracle of technology to work. He watched the opening one after the other panel settings. "Yes, everything is simple, so click here and then opens up, then call this menus and set the box ..." - I kept saying, it is clear understanding that Psion will not work. All too confusing for a beginner.
Finally, the idea of using Psion buried mailer Message Suite. Instead of connecting to the server could obtain only a variety of error messages the modem. In this case, with a terminal program Comms satellite terminal worked perfectly, gathering room and connect quickly where necessary. Unfortunately, Psion, for all its multi-tasking is not able to connect to a server in the terminal mode, and then communicate with them via e-mail client. On the server automatically communicates itself mailer in accordance with her one well-known algorithm.
Torment about an hour and tried all possible settings, I was forced to retreat. We agreed to meet tomorrow for the day after tomorrow will be too late.
Remained the last chance. My eyes and ran down Cassiopeia E-115. Connect this PDA to the satellite terminal has not made the slightest labor by requiring only the cradle and null modem adapter "dad-dad." Determining the modem to the serial port and quickly configure your mail program, I have five minutes later sent a test message.
Letter into space and returned safely to the ground, finding in Outlook Express, my desktop computer.
Russian language is spoken, no problems found. Sending mail in the opposite direction was just as smoothly. Well. Mail goes. It remains to solve the most basic problem: how this color gizmo in the mountains of charge? Outlet somewhere in the Himalayas are not provided. Possible from the sun, you can take with a small diesel generator.
Solution came in the form of an external power supply for the Newton Message Pad, which craftsmen of our service for fifteen minutes turned into a charger for the Cassiopeia.
All ingenious is simple: the power supply unit established four penlight batteries, to provide the required output Kaskiv 5 volts, and then we can give the climber a box elements of AA and not worry about batteries. Naturally, the time of testing to do. Nothing. Check in battle.
Tuesday evening we again met in Babanov and made a second attempt to study, this time to use Pocket PC.
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1. Satellite Phone Nera WorldPhone.
2. Cassiopeia E-115 with cradle and null modem adapter.
3. Four fully charged spare battery.
4. External power unit and seven sets of AA batteries for it.
5. Description PDA Cassiopeia and general guidance on the use of Pocket PC. All of this was the day of departure is packaged in a small bag and is equipped with a specially written "reminder list".
It remains to deliver the equipment to the airport and transfer Babanov.
The road to Sheremetyevo almost was thus an insurmountable obstacle, which would have crushed all efforts to prepare. Successfully evading all the serious traffic congestion, I got to the Ring Road and found that the outer side of Ring Road blocked traffic police cars. I had to turn around and wade gardens. Carried on Parallel Ring Road side streets and lanes to the bridge over the Khimki Reservoir, I found on the Leningrad highway monstrous traffic jam. It does not come up with anything better than a half-hour block highway in principle, for entry into the Ring Road, and for direct travel to St. Petersburg.
In such situations need a helicopter. However, I was lucky. In less than five minutes as the fares have opened, and the tube started to move forward and shove one's way through. Fortunately, I was in the forefront, and move slowly succeeded.
When I got to the airport, Valera and his wife Olga have already passed customs, and transfer bags, computer junk occurred almost abroad without controls and knockouts.
They waved his hand and flew to distant India. Two days later we got the first email. The authors, translation:
Andrey Kuznetsov