Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
Subject: Data Service to Begin
From: flash@lopez.marquette.MI.US (Gary Bourgois,Hamshack)
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 16:12:34 EDT
Organization: Great White North/UPLink

We are off to the races.  Modestly but moving ahead, thanks to donations by
some LTR listeners.  Tom Hunter of Yesterday USA donated the modified modem
and cable, which is the main thing we needed to begin:

    SDTS -- SATELLITE DATA TEXT SERVICE
    Direct Satellite to Home ASCII information

We are starting at 300 baud.  Yes, like I said, primative, but it worked for
the C-SAT people, and it will work for us.  We plan to expermiment with other
modes and speeds later, but for now, if you wish to participate, all you need
is a home computer and a simple interface cable.  

The transmissions will be simple audio modulation containing the 300 baud
data, and all that is required is to get this audio into your modem, and then
read and buffer the text using your standard communications software.

I recommend you tap the audio from your stereo amplifier that you use to
listen to the satellite receiver.  Take the audio from the earphone jack, and
run this to a telephone cable.  Radio shack makes a cable with spade lugs, or
you can just cut an old modular cable.  Connect the center conductor of your
audio cable to the red phone wire, and the ground to the green wire.  

When the transmissions begin, you simply turn up the volume on your audio
amplifier to a nominal level.  Then issue the command   ATDP1  which will
dial a 1 and then wait for the carrier.  The carrier will already be there,
and IN you go.

The transmissions should begin within a two weeks over Let's Talk Radio
Network, S3/21 6.2, and will occur during the wee hours of the morning after
regular programming has stopped.  You can record the audio on your VCR for
later use, that is one nice thing about 300 baud.

My long term goal is to provide FREE and complete USENET via satellite.  I
have talked with a number of people about a 24 hour donated subcarrier for
the purpose.  So far, these are on C band, not completely desireable, though
a 6 foot dish would be sufficient.  

However, my own system's connection to the net is very poor.  We are in the
tundra, and everything is DAYS behind.  We also do not have disk space for
ALL the net here.  

We are a Non Profit Corporation, 501 (c) 3, and all donations are tax
deductable.  Since I am not interested in bring USENET to satellite as a
commercial venture, I am not motivated by profit.  I would be interested in
talking to others who would be interested in getting involved with this
project.  While the commercial guys have an admirable project, quite frankly
the cost for their hardware and subscription is out of MY league.  When I
asked about them allowing me to purchase my OWN KU system (instead of their
$1800 one) using scrounged and donated equipment, they did not even answer
me.

In any case, the 300 baud transmissions should at least be encouraging and
show the desireability of a non profit approach to satellite delivered text.

Initially we will be transmitting information files, most of which you have
already seen, as well as a very delayed collection of postings to this
newsgroup.

I will post a transmission schedule later.

For now, make up that cable if you don't already have one from the C-SAT
days.

--
    /   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