New Train-Mounted Satellite Dome Low clearance troubles averted... MIT Technology Review explores how train-mounted satellite dishes have traditionally been too bulky for many tunnels (particularly in the UK). In response, scientists have developed a dome-shaped plastic lens that's less than half as high as a typical satellite dish. The new 30 centimeters high dome can also track multiple satellites at once, making it more useful than traditional dishes. With Thornton's device, incoming radiation bounces off the surface on which the lens is mounted. The lens concentrates the reflected radiation to a single point on its surface, where it's collected by a motorized antenna called a feed. To track the signal, only the feed needs to move, as opposed to the entire dish in a conventional system. Moreover, several feeds can roam around the surface of the lens at once, collecting signals from satellites in different locations. Interestingly, the article waits until the end to note that the new system has yet to be tested on a moving vehicle. The new dish's developer, when asked why he chose satellite over 3G, notes that inconsistencies in 3G deployment made satellite a better option.
|
  Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 |  This system would have worse latency than planes using 3g
| |
|  | | | Re: This system would have worse latency than planes using 3g Was thinking the same thing... | |
| | |  DarkLogixPremium
join:2008-10-23
Baytown, TX
kudos:3 | Re: This system would have worse latency than planes using 3g Ya why not some kinda Hybrid system
when in range of a cell tower use that but when not then use sat | |
|
| RadioDoc58ef2c0Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | Let's see those airplane 3G systems working over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean...
Similar issue with using terrestrial cell system design for trains in the middle of nowhere. Or in a car for that matter. No coverage.
--
Toolmaster of La Grange. | |
| | | Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 | Re: This system would have worse latency than planes using 3g said by RadioDoc:Let's see those airplane 3G systems working over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean... Similar issue with using terrestrial cell system design for trains in the middle of nowhere. Or in a car for that matter. No coverage. Actually, train travelers have access to cell towers almost everywhere. And that is because major rail corridors are parallel to major highways(the rail corridors came 1st). And major highways are almost totally covered by cell towers in the US.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page
Ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk? | |
| | | | RadioDoc58ef2c0Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | Re: This system would have worse latency than planes using 3g In the US, maybe east of the Mississippi. In Europe, not so much.
--
Toolmaster of La Grange. | |
| | | | |  natter
join:2000-12-18
Littleton, CO | Re: This system would have worse latency than planes using 3g I just drove from Colorado to California and back. Although I had cell coverage most of the way with my iPhone, probably 70%+ of the time, I couldn't even pull email/surf even though I had almost full bars. Talking and SMS would work great, it's just the data was useless. (this was on EDGE and 3G) | |
| | | | | |  CjaicemanPremium,MVM
join:2004-10-12
Parker, CO
kudos:2
 ·Comcast Business..
| Re: This system would have worse latency than planes using 3g said by natter:I just drove from Colorado to California and back. Although I had cell coverage most of the way with my iPhone, probably 70%+ of the time, I couldn't even pull email/surf even though I had almost full bars. Talking and SMS would work great, it's just the data was useless. (this was on EDGE and 3G) If you went through Wyoming that is because in Wyoming you are on a partner network, which does not allow ANY data. Texting and voice work, but there is not enough bandwidth to allow data, would be nice though. Then there are parts of Nevada that are on partner networks as well that I could also not pull any data. When I was on AT&T's network I could pull data just fine. | |
|
| | |  RR ConductorHappy 40th AmtrakPremium
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA
kudos:1
4 edits | said by Romney2012:said by RadioDoc:Let's see those airplane 3G systems working over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean... Similar issue with using terrestrial cell system design for trains in the middle of nowhere. Or in a car for that matter. No coverage. Actually, train travelers have access to cell towers almost everywhere. And that is because major rail corridors are parallel to major highways(the rail corridors came 1st). And major highways are almost totally covered by cell towers in the US. While most commuter and short distance train routes are well covered (even here in the west), there are still plenty of places, especially on the long distance trains where you will lose cell service. For example, many of the long distance routes in the west, ie.the Coast Starlight, California Zephyr, Empire Builder, Sunset Limited, Texas Eagle, Southwest Chief, Pioneer, Desert Wind, have several places where they are out of cell range. A highway nearby does not always mean a cell signal  Something like this, especially here in the west would be awesome!
--
»www.amtrak.com
»www.amtrakcalifornia.com
»www.metrolinktrains.com
»www.narprail.org
»www.freightrailworks.org
»www.up.com
»www.bnsf.com
»www.northcoastrailroad.org
»www.sonomamarintrain.org | |
| | | | | | Not so fast, the Cascadia train between Portland,OR and Seattle passes through a rural areas. Add to that there are a lot of cell phone gaps on the I-5 if G3 was offered it would be spotty at best. We in the West are not dense as the East Coast. | |
| | | | | Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 | Re: This system would have worse latency than planes using 3g said by Scatcatpdx: We in the West are not dense as the East Coast. Oh, I don't know. I'd say there is significant denseness on the left coast. 
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page
Ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk? | |
| | | | | | NormanSPremium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
kudos:4 | Re: This system would have worse latency than planes using 3g There is definitely a significant "leftness"!  | |
|
| |  james
join:2001-02-26
CWCville USA | said by RadioDoc:Let's see those airplane 3G systems working over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean... Lets see a train mounted system work there! | |
| | | |  NwkEWRSpare Me the Marxist B.S.Premium
join:2002-04-10
Newark, NJ | Re: This system would have worse latency than planes using 3g said by james:said by RadioDoc:Let's see those airplane 3G systems working over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean... Lets see a train mounted system work there! James, you stole my idea, I'm suing. 
--
BEWARE: "We can't expect the American people to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism." - Nikita Khrushchev - | |
|
 GeekGirl1Premium
join:2007-01-28
Morrisville, PA
kudos:2
4 edits | This is a very small targeted market The Luneberg lens is a nice design, but by its nature is often too heavy, costly, or needs too much power (to drive the feeds) for consumer applications. Been used by the military and some commerical users (DBS) for a number of years. Maybe they have something here.
Not too sure how it stacks up against against a diversity reception design (multiple receive antennas) and an adaptive receiver. | |
| | Reviews:
·Comcast
 ·T-Mobile US
1 edit | train mounted satellite NOT new, just improved A Pic of Via rail dome.
In north America as RR conductor said there is very spotty wireless tower access for Amtrak trains (except for the northeast corridor aka: NEC), so satellite would be the way to go. Also just getting regular cellular service is a miracle sometimes unless your on a CDMA network (Verizon) but GSM (ATT) is so broken up and spotty out side of major metro areas it defeats its own advantages. Also remember this is NOT new, just improved. or neighbours to the north(Canada) Operate VIA Rail trains and have had dome based satellite internet for a few years now. This dome functions exactly like the VIA Rails domes but is only half the height. This new dome wouldn't make much of a difference if installed on Amtrak long distance train, but would probably be needed ONLY on any Amtrak train that services the NEC where height in tunnels or Penn station are limited. Bottom Line... dome Satellite is needed on Amtrak LD trains, but this new half height dome is a waist of money for North American Trains outside the NEC.
link to a VIA rail dome when first added to there trains.
»www.flickr.com/photos/kellergrah···3021420/ | |
|
| |
|
|
