If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Communications Question
For work in the Serengeti and other parts of East Africa, is radio still the
most economical, effective means for communications between vehicles and with bases, or have cell/SAT phones started to make cost-effective inroads. Which technology do most field researchers use today? What are the trends? Thanks in advance for any help. Steve |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Communications Question
On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 21:26:21 -0800, Steve Finegan wrote:
For work in the Serengeti and other parts of East Africa, is radio still the most economical, effective means for communications between vehicles and with bases, or have cell/SAT phones started to make cost-effective inroads. Which technology do most field researchers use today? What are the trends? Thanks in advance for any help. At least one safari operator, Safari Makers, has switched entirely to cell phones. -- Photos and travelogues from Africa and Southeast Asia: http://www.exile.org |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Communications Question
Steve Finegan wrote:
For work in the Serengeti and other parts of East Africa, is radio still the most economical, effective means for communications between vehicles and with bases, or have cell/SAT phones started to make cost-effective inroads. Which technology do most field researchers use today? What are the trends? Steve, short wave radio is the classic way. They come as car-based boxes and as walkie-talkies. Range is perhaps 10 kilometers, depending on terrain structure and weather. In some areas cell phones work, but for example in Maasai Mara, Kenya, the transmitters in the lodges are throttled to limit their range to very few kilometers. (I think this is very stupid, particularly since it costs more to install many throttled transmitters and since it can cost lives.) Other places, like even the popular Amboseli in Kenya, are not yet covered at all. The other way is the satellite phone. Thuraya is the cheapest choice. They use one geostationary satellite, soon to be augmented by a second one. The other more expensive and not necessarily better choice is Iridium. Their advantage is worldwide coverage. Thuraya is an Asian-African thing. Whoever can afford it, has one of these, because it's a security measure. But they are not normally used for everyday communications because of the still relatively high per-minute-price (like around $1.50 per minute for Iridium, I think). I see people use them for the Internet connection though, usually at below 10 Kbit/s data rates, good enough for a few small, but important emails. Hans-Georg -- No mail, please. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Communications Question
On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 21:26:21 -0800, Steve Finegan
wrote: For work in the Serengeti and other parts of East Africa, is radio still the most economical, effective means for communications between vehicles and with bases, or have cell/SAT phones started to make cost-effective inroads. Which technology do most field researchers use today? What are the trends? Thanks in advance for any help. Steve Probably it depends most on whatever is most available in the area you'll be, and how remote you are. Most of the researchers I know of working in Ethiopia and northern Kenya use satellite phones. -------------------------- Visit Backpacker's Bulletin Board www.chatarea.com/backpackers |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Communications Question
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:
Steve Finegan wrote: For work in the Serengeti and other parts of East Africa, is radio still the most economical, effective means for communications between vehicles and with bases, or have cell/SAT phones started to make cost-effective inroads. Which technology do most field researchers use today? What are the trends? Steve, short wave radio is the classic way. They come as car-based boxes and as walkie-talkies. Range is perhaps 10 kilometers, depending on terrain structure and weather. That applies to walkie-talkie, but certainly not to the built-in radio sets that most minibuses in Kenya use nowadays. The range of these things is *much* larger and they can easily talk from Masai Mara to their head office in Nairobi or to a collegue in Nakuru. The annoying thing is that they are doing that all the time. -- Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/ |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Communications Question
|
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Communications Question
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:
lid (Johan W. Elzenga) wrote: Hans-Georg Michna wrote: short wave radio is the classic way. They come as car-based boxes and as walkie-talkies. Range is perhaps 10 kilometers, depending on terrain structure and weather. That applies to walkie-talkie, but certainly not to the built-in radio sets that most minibuses in Kenya use nowadays. The range of these things is *much* larger and they can easily talk from Masai Mara to their head office in Nairobi or to a collegue in Nakuru. The annoying thing is that they are doing that all the time. Johan, thanks for the good information. Yes, you probably mean the ones with the looong whipping antennas on the minibusses. Yes, those are the ones. In Kenya it seems there is hardly a company without them anymore. -- Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/ |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Communications Question
In message
lid (Johan W. Elzenga) wrote: Hans-Georg Michna wrote: thanks for the good information. Yes, you probably mean the ones with the looong whipping antennas on the minibusses. Yes, those are the ones. In Kenya it seems there is hardly a company without them anymore. They were generally using them in Tanzania when we were there in '98; the following year only a very few companies seemed to be using them in Kenya, but we were told the drivers were campaigning for them. Most/all were using them by last July. Liz -- Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia "I speak of Africa and golden joys" |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Communications Question
Liz wrote:
They were generally using them in Tanzania when we were there in '98; the following year only a very few companies seemed to be using them in Kenya, but we were told the drivers were campaigning for them. Most/all were using them by last July. Liz, that's probably because with them they believe they can now take even higher risks of getting stuck. :-) Hans-Georg -- No mail, please. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Communications Question
In message
Hans-Georg Michna wrote: Liz wrote: They were generally using them in Tanzania when we were there in '98; the following year only a very few companies seemed to be using them in Kenya, but we were told the drivers were campaigning for them. Most/all were using them by last July. that's probably because with them they believe they can now take even higher risks of getting stuck. :-) Oh, you cynic ;-) Slainte, Liz -- Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia "I speak of Africa and golden joys" |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
I have a question... | WoojO | Africa | 0 | February 5th, 2004 06:31 PM |
visa to lesotho - short question | Marek MANO | Africa | 1 | January 28th, 2004 11:29 AM |
Question | Steve Austin | Africa | 2 | January 15th, 2004 06:09 AM |
Geography Question | [email protected] | Africa | 2 | October 27th, 2003 08:24 PM |
Accra Airport question | riverman | Africa | 0 | September 9th, 2003 06:13 PM |