From gmpcs-us.com
<High Capacity Polymer Lithium Ion Battery Pack
This high capacity battery pack enables talk and standby times that more than double those of the standard battery pack. Up to 3.5 hours talk time and 9 hours standby in Globalstar mode; >
Globalstar needs methanol-fueled fuel-cell batteries. It's okay to have 9 hours standby around town with power supplies all over the place, but when hiking in the outback, 9 hours is useless. 6 weeks is more like it.
Also, photovoltaic charging is expensive, so where there are people roaming out the back of beyond, they need a convenient, fast and cheap way of repowering. Even in a Winnebago, it would be easier to clip another methanol tube into place than goof around with recharging equipment, waiting for recharge etc.
Methanol is it!
It's cheap, it's easy to handle, flash point fairly low and even with accidental ignition, it doesn't burn with a whoosh - just a nice, warm, invisible, gentle, flame. It's multifunctional. 500ml would be enough for a year, even with a bit of campfire cooking using the flame-thrower function from the end of the aerial - now THAT is Guy Stuff. Once cooking is done, the aerial can have the little lamp thing slid into position and hey presto, illumination for the evening. It's a great solvent. 20ml is a fatal dose, so NO DRINKING!!
That's just one more technology advantage to come, which will preferentially advantage Globalstar over other technologies. The more technical advancements that come, the greater the coverage advantage becomes.
Motorola and others are working on methanol-fueled fuel cells as you read this. They will be ready in a couple of years [according to Motorola 6 months ago].
Roll on, SteemRoller!
Maurice |
