Valueman and Larry,
Larry: agreed, if you are in you office, and you want to place a call, you are going to probably use the phone on your desk... but what about incoming calls? I don't mean to get side tracked on this issue, especially because I don't think it is an issue. Yes, G* and I* will both probably have problems penetrating buildings. At first. As with any new technology, there will be startup transients. Those will be overcome with time.
Valueman: I'm not sure where you got your data that 3 and 4 satellites would be over head at any one time. I do not think this is accurate. I am quite sure that I read "somewhere" (in the public domain) that in the temperate regions G* will have two satellites overhead at anyone time, and over the equatorial regions it will only be one. Again, I don't mean to make an issue of this, but I believe that it is correct. G* has an coverage plot on their home page (http://www.globalstar.com/img/system/sat2.gif) but it may be hard to see how many satellites would be over head from this type of a figure. The G* orbit is known (1400 km at 52 deg inclination in six orbital planes, from G* website). Coverage is merely geometry once the orbit is known. I'll try and find a better coverage plot and/or do the math myself.
On while I'm at it, I hear speculation (read fudging) on both I* and G* parts on what the "real" delay will be. There are alot of educated estimates/guesses, but no one will really know until we can make a call and find out first hand. It probably surprises people that there would still be some doubt on these numbers, but there is. Sorry, can't site sources on this. All I can say is that I have friends at both Loral and Iridium.
Anyway, debating these issues is really somewhat petty, but it gives us something to do until the satellites launch.
Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a New Year full of successful launch for both I* and G*.
Mr. A |
