Welcome to the final Tuesday Technical of 2024. In this article I am going to make the case for organisations that use satellite-based connectivity to maintain a mixed fleet of technologies for disaster response.
In previous articles, I have covered StarLink in some detail and shared my own experience when I tested the StarLink Mini. Elon Musk is a disrupter and happy to break things to get to get good results quickly. The rapid growth of StarLink is a result of the cheaper pricing set for connectivity and the terminals.
Based on StarLink’ s own map, it appears that organisation has become a victim of its own success. In recent weeks, a few areas around the world have stated to appear on the map as “Sold out” Over 8 areas in Africa, a few places in the USA and the entire southeast of England are showing as sold out.
In one respect, this can be a good thing for existing customers as it means that the number of terminals has been capped so that a good level of service is retained. But should this be a concern to disaster response organisations? It would be painful for a field team arriving in a “Sold out” area if they were not able to activate a Starlink terminal. The good news is that “Sold out” only applies to residential subscriptions. For business priority, new terminals can still be commissioned.
I have recently been testing an alternative to StarLink which utilises KU Band geostationary satellites i.e. the traditional VSAT network.
Satcube
Satcube is a Swedish company who produces a compact VSAT terminal. When I first came across KU band quick deploy kits, they were quite large and in often too large to be classed as hold luggage. The medium size systems from SatLite are IATA compliant but is spread across three Peli-cases.
The SatCube system is compact and designed to fit into a single case. The unit, batteries power supplies, cables and the case itself weigh in at 22.5KG which is compliant for transport with most commercial airlines. (In economy, 23KG is regarded as the standard allowance for long-haul flights).
The antenna is flat panel which is becoming very popular with many satellite products. Like most VSAT systems, the antenna must be aligned with the target satellite accurately.
Importance of alignment: The art of lining a dish up to a satellite is very important as if not done correctly, the connection will not perform well, and the dish could cause a lot of interference. Geostationary satellites are just under 36,000 KM away and alignment must be within 0.5 of a degree. In three dimensions – Left/Right (azimuth), Up/Down (elevation), and rotation of the transmitter (Skew).
As VSAT technology is expensive and sometimes administratively challenging to transport, its always a good idea to check that you have sufficient visibility of the satellite from the site you intend to deploy the system to.
In the screenshot to the left, I used an app on my Android phone to check line of sight to the satellite. As the Satcube was programmed to Intelsat, I verified that I had a clear line of sight.
There are many apps available for line-of-sight checks. I use Dish pointer. It is essential that your phone has built in GPS, and compass and inclinometer sensors.
Simple alignment: Misaligned VSAT systems can cause a lot of frustrations with satellite operators if they are not set up properly. This is why many suppliers insist that a GVF qualified engineer is used to set up a system. Some technologies such as the Cobham GX system are fully automated and uses internal motors to ensure the dish is pointing in the correct direction.
The challenge with fully automated systems is that they can be more expensive to make. The extra parts add weight and there are more things to fail!
What I like about the Satcube design is its simplicity. Alignment is manual and the screen provides a very clear indication how to point the dish using the three axis. As a safeguard, the system will not transmit unless the antenna is perfectly lined up.
Transportation: The system is provided with its own Peli-Case with the main unit placed in the bottom. The top layer has been set up to store three batteries, power supply and an external battery charger.
The case has its own wheels which makes it easier for a person to pull the 22.5KG along.
Battery Life: When fully charged, the battery can last up to 8 hours, but if there is a lot traffic passing through, it could be shorter. In my testing, the battery lasted just over 5 hours. The VSAT was in constant use as I was streaming the BBC world service.
StarWin
Satcube is not the only technology in the market. Other solutions are also emerging. As you would expect, technology firms will have solutions good to go. Starwin has a range of flat panel quick deploy solutions.
Whilst the technical specs do not specify the make of the internal modem, some resellers are selling Starwin with IntelSat bundled services.
For more information about Starwin, see STARWIN FL30P – IEC Telecom