Cruise Log Australasia (AUS), finally got out of the Amazon jungle and returned to Moscow. Throughout the entire journey, we, unfortunately, are not getting the information and pictures of our heroes. At the beginning of the route, in the Peruvian city of Ikitasa, did find an internet cafe, from which travelers took to the link and send us some material. Case that unexpectedly y expedition experiencing technical difficulties ...
What every zakon Fineygla reads: "If experiment succeeded something wrong here ..."
Of course, any new equipment must first be tested. If an expedition to the Himalayas Valery Babanov used plain old telephone Nera WordPhone, now on a journey leaves his powerful brother - WorldCommunicator, specially adapted for data transmission. Instead of 2400 bps is the miracle of technology is promised in 56, the flip side - increased demands on the level of the satellite signal.
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Tests on the transmission of data through a PDA Cassiopeia EG800 and satellite terminal Nera WorldCommunicator were held in a building on Leningrad Prospekt in Moscow. The transfer has worked with a satisfactory rate: picture taken camera Casio QV-4000, was moved to an expansion card Compact Flash memory in Cassiopeia and successfully sent over the air for about 3 minutes. It was experimentally confirmed that the data rate depends on the level of the satellite signal. Behind signal and its level seemed could not worry: by coverage map Inmarsat satellite located exactly above the place Americas where disembarked team AUS'a ...
What every zakon Chizxolma: "Bce, chto mozhet icpoptitcya, poptitcya ..."
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Kit communication practically identical to (page link Meru) that was verified in two expeditions Valeria Babanova in Himalayas suddenly stopped working on Amazon. Satellite terminal could not establish communication with the satellite. Signal level ranged 370-420 units that option WorldCommunicator called into question the telephony and data transmission is completely eliminated. It was decided until the mission is located in the cities, to transmit information on a regular phone. Specialists from Moscow tried to advise Dennis - connected expedition, but all his attempts to somehow increase the intensity of the satellite signal have failed. Replacing a short cable, which was inoperable for long virtually no results. The signal grew to 470 - 490, but it was also not enough. In open terrain, the antenna is almost horizontal with a slight slope to the north (toward the equator) was the maximum level of the signal - 540 units, which allows you to install telephone service, but still was not enough for data transmission. Photos from the expedition were sent to Moscow, according to Dennis, a simple "worker-peasant" way.That is, connect a digital camera connected to a desktop computer did not, and decided to use old, proven method. Get out of the ordinary film camera, go to your nearest Kodak Express ", scan photos and send regular e-mails from ordinary internet cafe. Why not regular mail or through the usual DHL? "In principle, - as Dennis said - the camera was a USB-cable for connection to a computer, but without any special software can work with it only on WindowsXP, and already on Windows 2000 and below it does not pass. On the CD, which comes with the camera (and Casio have given me as much as two such disks) found that in the folder with the appropriate software is just a text file with a description. I tried to download the software from the site of Casio, but there it was paid work. At the same time anywhere in the cities of Peru, I could not find a computer above WinMe or Win2000, basically the same - Win98 ».
Comment: User CCP, this problem would be resolved in 4 strokes. Even in the complete absence of any software, except embedded.
- The display digital camera to select the photos you want and write their names, which are displayed in the lower left corner.
- Remove the Compact Flash (used by IBM Microdrive) of the QV-4000 and install it in Cassiopeia.
- Cassiopeia connect to a PC using a serial cable (there was a mission) and downloaded from www.microsoft.com / pocketpcActiveSync.
- Transfer the files to a desktop PC.
But here we must make allowances for the circumstances in which Dennis took action: it was something in Peru, up to this point he had never worked with PDAs, satellite communications would work, but it does not work ... In general, things are bad and must be at least something to do.
Cledctvie of law Chisholm: "Everything that can go bad, spoil, too ..."
Upon their return travel to Moscow zakapriznichavshy satellite terminal was handed over to specialists for study firm PIEM Division, whose Owner and was rented for the expedition. Specialists to quickly determine the cause, the trivial to the offensive. According to the engineer "RIEM", the terminal was unable to establish contact with the satellite due to the fact that the antenna cable was simply flattened and bent in one place. It was a mechanical failure, no visible eye.
Tpety zakon Chizxolma: Lyubye ppedlozheniya people ponimayut inache, chem He Who THEIR vnocit ... "
Unfortunately, the PDA has not helped the expedition AUSa. Failure in the chain "Camera - PDA - satellite terminal - the Internet, to him at once lost interest, although realistically it is still very much in handy. True, Dennis checked several times on the site a bunch of "camera - PDA," and praised her work "in general, normal." "In general, as found some minor drawbacks. First - this is what IBM Microdrive card from the camera does not exactly fit the connector device.
Commentary: IBM Microdrive slightly higher than the standard CF card type 1. By jack Cassiopeia it fits perfectly, but protruding slightly from the slot (no more than half a millimeter). The second, more substantial - the camera QV-4000, posted on the Compact Flash card in addition to still photos and a certain amount of official information. When you install the CF card in the PDA to Displays some inexplicable set of files, including the need to find their own. File Name (eg 101_011902) camera generates itself based on the date and some additional technical information. It is important to not accidentally delete or damage any system file of the camera, as this could lead to its failure (at least, so it is written in the manual). In an amicable way, according to Dennis, the transfer of images would have to deal with special software, but it was not.
Comment: The real problem with the transfer of files between Cassiopeia and QV does not exist.
The second law Vyškovská: "Everything is possible to establish if the fumble for a long time ..."
In connection with all the ordeals described above, as well as the fact that the jungle had to move from 10 pounds overweight, Dennis is not very flattering praised the work of the PDA at all. Here are his words from an interview given after his return to Moscow. - I did not like to work on a PDA, but it is probably connected with a long experience on a standard PC. When a decision seemingly trivial tasks done through some strange place - it does not add to confidence in the work. Especially when there is an emergency situation, such as ours, that of a conventional computer, I would shake out his heart and soul, and then spread his hands helplessly. - What are "trivial problem" do you mean? - Well, eg, c files / directories. Browse the directory tree. For example, after entering into the folder My Documents, you're stuck with me back there, we can not get out - just repeated calls File Explorer. All tree My Device is not available.
Comment: RTFM??? Push the stylus on the words My Documents in the upper left corner of the screen and return to the My Device, or where to go. Uncomfortable and move files between folders (by right-clicking the file, you can move only in the pre-defined folders, move them into folders created by the user, have to do a Cut-Paste).
Comment: This refers to the folder created outside the folder My Documents. Of the applications are not seen only in File Explorer. Such is the strange logic of the Pocket PC, has already been mentioned-negotiation. I did not like, and preview. Unable to view files unregistered types, you can not open any file 'in the text', you can not see the picture more than 100Kb - too much open time. Impossible, by the way, and work simultaneously in more than one directory.
Commentary: Do expedition was a set of standard software that comes with the Cassiopeia. Apparently, the efforts of Microsoft Pocket PC as crammed with all sorts of functionality in the base is not sufficient. Either someone had to try out equipment before you leave, in Moscow and figure out what is missing and what you need to install additional software for comfortable work. Pocket analogue of the ordinary Ward works quite awry. Pocket Word saves files in its own, a format that is incompatible with the usual Ward, which creates problems when sending atachmentov. Of course, you can save them in the format. Doc, but then the file will not open on the PDA. Have their benefits for mail address, and then float to the problems described above.
Comment: The statement is simply nothing to argue. OPENS Pocket PC files to Word 97/2000. It saves and opens, and that's all. RTFM! Everything else, can not properly close the program. For example, if you accidentally clicked on. Jpg large volume, the Explorer will be opened "guzzle resources (and batteries) and interfere with the work, and therefore have to go into the settings.
Commentary: Microsoft better user knows that he covered. Repeatedly abused feature Pocket PC - can not close the application, except through the Settings -> System -> Memory -> Running Programs. Although, if figure out what was happening in reality, then stop loading large JPG file in Internet Explorer (which these files and open), it was enough to push the button "Stop" (a reds, with a white cross) on the command bar.
Axiom Kahn: "If nothing else helps, read, finally, user!"
Prior to his departure in Amazonia equipment was available to members of the expedition about two weeks. During this time, you could all learn to see the bottlenecks, formulate questions and get comprehensive answers. When detected failures - all quickly corrected. Or do not really like? The authors, translation:
Andrey Kuznetsov
Olga Gorbonosova
