mark@drd.UUCP (Mark Lawrence) (09/01/88)
We have a customer who wants to do some mobile data communication. He
has a car phone, see, and a computer and a modem and he wants to
telecommunicate using his modem and carphone much as if he were at his
desk. One problem -- this is in the boonies of western Canada and the
carphone he has is a radio mobile phone, not the dial-type cellular
phones we get spoiled with in metro areas. Seems it works more like a
CB than a phone.
Question: does anybody have any pointers as to how to use a modem in a
situation like this? Are there special products (which don't require
the leasing of a satellite channel and special video compression
equipment or some such hi-tech nonsense) that handle datacomm in this
kind of situation? Any experiences and pointers to vendors or
consultants would be appreciated.
Mark
--
5506 South Lewis | [uunet!apctrc,romed,tulsun]!drd!mark
Tulsa, Ok 74105 (918)664-9010 | mlawrence@jarsun1.ZONE1.COM
"Any Quantum Mechanic in the Service would give a month's pay to get his
hands on one of these babies..." -- Forbidden Planetlemke@Apple.COM (Steve Lemke) (09/03/88)
In article <249@drd.UUCP> mark@drd.UUCP (Mark Lawrence) writes: >We have a customer who wants to do some mobile data communication. He >has a car phone, see, and a computer and a modem and he wants to >telecommunicate using his modem and carphone much as if he were at his >desk. One problem -- this is in the boonies of western Canada and the >carphone he has is a radio mobile phone, not the dial-type cellular >phones we get spoiled with in metro areas. Seems it works more like a >CB than a phone. > >Question: does anybody have any pointers as to how to use a modem in a >situation like this? Are there special products (which don't require >the leasing of a satellite channel and special video compression >equipment or some such hi-tech nonsense) that handle datacomm in this >kind of situation? Any experiences and pointers to vendors or >consultants would be appreciated. Well, you might try something like a packet-radio device. This device is similar to a modem, but rather than being customized to the telephone lines, it's customized to work with 2-way (half-duplex) radio. The usual instance is with Amateur radio, and the communications is of a hobbyist/non-commercial nature. However, I believe you can use the TNCs (Terminal Node Connector, if I remember right) with privately operated radio frequencies (non-Amateur band) without any problems. I'm not 100% sure about this, but it's something to consider, especially since you can go as high as 4800 baud (I think) - as I said, the device is not restricted to the limitations of a phone modem, but is optimized for radio transmissions. I don't know who you could talk to about it though - perhaps someone else can provide some input here... ===== Steve Lemke ===== Internet : lemke@apple.com UUCP: {sun,voder,nsc,decwrl}!apple!lemke AppleLink: LEMKE GEnie: S.Lemke All opinions are, of course, mine, and could never belong to anyone else!
berger@clio.las.uiuc.edu (09/07/88)
Most TNC's have built in 202 type modems which work half duplex at
1200 baud. Speed and operational limitations of amateur radio won't
apply if you use the same scheme over a mobile telephone channel,
but for noise and bandwidth considerations, you shouldn't expect
much success over 1200 baud. Of course, most file transfer proto-
cols won't work in this mode, since it's essentially half duplex.
Mike Berger
Department of Statistics
Science, Technology, and Society
University of Illinois
berger@clio.las.uiuc.edu
{ihnp4 | convex | pur-ee}!uiucuxc!clio!bergerleonard@bucket.UUCP (Leonard Erickson) (09/07/88)
In article <249@drd.UUCP> mark@drd.UUCP (Mark Lawrence) writes:
<We have a customer who wants to do some mobile data communication. He
<has a car phone, see, and a computer and a modem and he wants to
<telecommunicate using his modem and carphone much as if he were at his
<desk. One problem -- this is in the boonies of western Canada and the
<carphone he has is a radio mobile phone, not the dial-type cellular
<phones we get spoiled with in metro areas. Seems it works more like a
<CB than a phone.
<
<Question: does anybody have any pointers as to how to use a modem in a
<situation like this? Are there special products (which don't require
<the leasing of a satellite channel and special video compression
<equipment or some such hi-tech nonsense) that handle datacomm in this
<kind of situation? Any experiences and pointers to vendors or
<consultants would be appreciated.
Well, to start with you are going to have to talk to the Canadian equivalent
of the FCC. Mobile phone frequencies are licensed for *voice*, not for data.
Odds are that what he wants to do is illegal. And if the Canadians are
anything like the FCC we are talking confiscation of the violating equiipment
(that would include the modem and the computer!), a *large* fine (thousands of
dollars) and a possible jail term.
Also, most of the old-style mobile phone setups aren't compatible with even
an acousticly coupled modem. Aren't the channels simplex?
I think he's going to have to get a license for on of the general radio
service bands, and get a *radio* modem for that band.
My suggestion is that you contact the equivalent of an FCC field office in
his area and ask them what frequencies he can be licensed to send data on,
and then look for equipment for those frequencies. If he is a business and
thiis is for business use, it'll be much easier. Otherwise he may have to
become a ham...
--
Leonard Erickson ...!tektronix!reed!percival!bucket!leonard
CIS: [70465,203]
"I used to be a hacker. Now I'm a 'microcomputer specialist'.
You know... I'd rather be a hacker."henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (09/08/88)
In article <249@drd.UUCP> mark@drd.UUCP (Mark Lawrence) writes: >... he wants to >telecommunicate using his modem and carphone much as if he were at his >desk. One problem -- this is in the boonies of western Canada and the >carphone he has is a radio mobile phone, not the dial-type cellular >phones we get spoiled with in metro areas... Before worrying about the technical angle, check that it is (a) legal and (b) consistent with the rules of the radio-mobile system to do this. Particularly with such relatively old systems, it is not necessarily true that you are renting a channel over which you can send anything you like. For one thing, regulatory agencies can and do set restrictions on the types of signal that can be sent in specific parts of the spectrum. For another, there may be some requirement such as "operator must be able to break in in the event of an emergency" which modems would violate. (If you look in the fine print on a piece of store-bought phone equipment, one thing you'll find is a clause about consulting the phone company before you plug into a party-line phone; ensuring emergency access is one of the reasons.) -- Intel CPUs are not defective, | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology they just act that way. | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu
rusty@cadnetix.COM (Rusty) (09/10/88)
Ask about packet boards over in rec.ham-radio.packet, hams do essentially
what you are asking for every day. Just be sure to say that you plan
to use your own radio, sometimes hams get touchy about helping someone
do something they think might be illegal.
-----
Rusty Carruth UUCP: {uunet,boulder}!cadnetix!rusty DOMAIN: rusty@cadnetix.com
Cadnetix Corp. (303) 444-8075x296 \ 5775 Flatiron Pkwy. \ Boulder, Co 80301
Radio: N7IKQ 'home': P.O.B. 461 \ Lafayette, CO 80026