X-Mailer: NMail (1.1.0)
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
Date:         Sun, 6 Sep 1992 22:20:10 EDT
From:         Gary Bourgois <flash@LOPEZ.MARQUETTE.MI.US>
Subject:      Re: Data Service to Begin

>In article <30AUG199210532136@apsicc.aps.edu>, einhorn_d@apsicc.aps.edu (E.
>Drew Einhorn) writes:

>Gary Bourgois: I'm sorry if this was answered in your original posting, I never
>got it. Our UseNet site is a bit unstable, which explains my interest in this
>project.

>   In any case, have you considered 1200 or even 2400 bps transmission? A year
>or so ago when C-Sat was doing PAD stuff, they had a 1200 bps feed, and I had
>excelent results with it, on an old 2400 bps modem. I did some experimenting
>with 2400 bps on standard cassette tape, and it worked remarkably well.
>Considering that the quality of satellite audio is so much better than phone
>lines, the only problem I'd see with using high speed modems (9600 & up) is
>that they expect a full duplex connection, and the sat would be simplex.

Well if someone wants to donate a higher speed modem that has been specially
modified, and if we know it will work, then I am all for it.

I was told that the 1200 and even 2400 bps PAD's were shakey and not
reliable.  What we need is for someone to devise an interface that will work
reliably and will be cheap.  Perhaps these are mutually exclusive, I don't
know.

Considering the problems we had with the first 300 bps transmissions, I have
some things to straighten out on this end to get it more trouble free and
reliable.

I am reasonably happy with the first 6 hour tests.  I got a lot of favorable
response on GEnie, via the NET, and even as feedback left by people on my own
system here.

The eventual goal, as I have stated is to get the entire net up on the bird
at 9600 baud and provide the service FREE.  I have spoken with a number of
transponder leasors and while I have no firm committments, there has been
some interest in the donation of transponder space for a USENET project.

However for this project to work, there needs to be interest.  And when we
finally FIND a transponder, we will have to find someone in THAT city to do
the actual network operations, and they too will be uncompensated.

I would do it myself but:

   A.  Marquette Michigan is too remote, and our own net connection is as
       unreliable as they come.

   B.  There are no uplinks within 500 miles of me, so the only way I could
       do it from here would be SCPC, and so far I am not considering that.

I do not want to operate a commercial service.  I do not want to be
compensated either.  I would gladly administer the site if it could be done
from here, but I don't see that being possible, from a financial standpoint.

Our organization is a Not For Profit Corporation, 501 (c) 3, which would
allow donations to be written off.

All the hardware at the present site has been donated.  The specially
modified 300 baud modem we are using for the 300 baud transmissions on S3/21
has been donated.  I was offered a similarly modified Bell 202 1200 baud
modem, but none of our listeners/participants had a matching unit, so that
would be fruitless.

I am open to all forms of experimentation, and I have a minimum of 6 hours a
week satellite time to play with.

I would welcome any ideas and comments.

Also if you have any hardware to donate to the project, we would gladly
accept it, and give you a receipt for tax purposes.  We have limited
resources here, so I am counting on the USENET and SATELLITE TVRO communities
for support for this project.

We also have received a lot of response to our two anonymous logins here that
provide access to this newsgroup, as well as a wide number of satellite
related text files.  These accounts are available free 24 hours a day, though
users do have to pay phone charges (Marquette Mi is obviously NOT
PCPursuitable).

Oh.  If someone out there would like to help with some programming, I need a
header stripper.  The only complaints I received were that the headers take
up about 1/3 of the transmission time.  For now, headers are not needed, as
the files are for reading only.  If you feel like tinkering and could write
such a routine, it would not only help with the satellite feed, but also
would help the poor folks who have to pay for the anon login (what I do now
is just cat the directory, headers and all).  Our own programmer is very
overworked at the moment, as he maintains three systems.  He wants to convert
us over to bsd this winter if we can find another scsi drive (not enough
space at the moment) and is spending a lot of time creating a reliable BSD
system.


--
    /   Gary Bourgois, WB8EOH, The Birdwatcher: Marquette Michigan  USA   \
   ([-o ~ Tune FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE!  S3/21 6.2. Fridays from 9-midnight ~ o-])
    \  Now a snazzy new DOMAIN address!  flash@lopez.marquette.mi.us      /
        GEnie: SIGNALS   FAX: (906) 228-7477    GWN BBS: (906) 228-4399
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite