When To Choose A Certain Satellite Radio System
Many people rely on the information provided by newspaper articles, mail marketing and comments made by friends and relatives to know when to choose a certain satellite radio system over another. Most people are unaware of how a particular satellite radio system is organized so they are unable to make a decision that is based on how technologically advanced one system is over another.
The satellite radio system choices to date are Sirius Satellite Radio, XM Satellite Radio, WorldSpace and the Amateur Radio Satellite network. Many people know when to choose a satellite radio system because they did research on the Internet and found out which company has the most satellites in space at any given time. Some people think more satellites does not always mean better service though.
Other people know when to choose a satellite radio system by realizing what they need to buy to get the satellite radio transmission into their homes. Further equipment might be required by some satellite radio systems to get the satellite radio transmission to work at the beach, a field, or from a construction site that is surrounded by high-rise apartment complexes.
Many people are able to choose a satellite radio system because one might not require any technical knowledge to set the system up. So it pays to look into just what is needed for any area of your life that you might choose to use satellite radio systems. Many people have to consider the financial cost to subscribe to a satellite radio system because after all, they can get radio transmissions free from their local radio station if the satellite radio transmission option is deemed too pricey.
Some of the satellite radio systems offer simple transmitters that are easy to use. Some of the transmitters have larger buttons that could prove useful when driving at night. Some people find that they must rearrange shrubbery in their yards to accommodate some very elaborate satellite radio transmitters because the satellite radio systems will not operate properly without a clear line of sight to get the satellite radio transmission into your home.
One of the largest factors that people take into consideration when they try to determine when to choose a satellite radio system for their world, are the number of radio channels that are offered on each of the satellite radio systems today. Some of the satellite radio stations only offer 50 channels of audio sound that is crystal clear, and the other satellite radio systems have 100 or more channels that people can choose from to receive music and news transmission from.
CB Radios - Your Best Option?
CB radios emerged in the 70s as a popular method for communicating on America’s roadways. While not as mainstream as they once were, CB radios are still widely used by owners of trucks, jeeps, RVs, cars and motorcycles.
There are a number of alternatives to CB radios which include two-way radios, GMRS radios, HAM radios and business band radios. In order to choose a solution that best fits your needs, it’s important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each available option. CB radios, like all the previously mentioned radio types, have a number of unique advantages and disadvantages that should be evaluated when considering a purchase:
Advantages
No Licensing Fees: Unlike some types of radios, CB radio operators aren’t required to obtain a license from the FCC. This makes CB radios a very convenient choice if you don’t want to hassle with licensing exams and requirements.
Widespread Acceptance: CB radios are the most widely used means of radio vehicle-to-vehicle communication on America’s highways. On virtually all major roadways, you’ll be able to hear activity on Channel 19, the most widely used CB channel. Whether you’d like to obtain traffic information, road condition updates or just strike up a friendly conversation, you’ll be able to on a CB due to the radio’s widespread use.
Cost Effective: It’s possible to purchase a complete CB radio setup (including a radio, antenna and mounting hardware) for well under a $100. On a cost basis, CB radios can match, if not beat, most radio options. Additionally, they are usually permanently installed in a vehicle which provides for additional convenience and professionalism.
Disadvantages
Restricted Range: Due to restrictions by the FCC, all 11 meter CB radios are restricted to 4 watts of transmission power. This usually limits a CB radio’s effective range to eight miles or less, dependent upon terrain and weather conditions. While CB radios are effective for short to intermediate transmission distances, they aren’t well suited for someone with long range communication needs.
Antenna Requirements: As all CB radios transmit with the same 4 watts of power, the antenna is the primary determinant of system performance. Subsequently, CB radios need to make use of large externally mounted antennas to perform well. As these antennas tend to run anywhere from 12 inches to over 5 feet in length, they can be impractical and inconvenient on many vehicles. While short antennas can and are used, they usually produce inadequate radio performance.
Permanent Installation: CB radios generally require a permanent installation due to antenna and performance concerns, and are not a practical choice when a compact and mobile means of communication is required. Handheld CB radios are available, but tend to provide sub-standard performance unless used with a long telescoping or external antenna.
Summary
CB radios are still a widely used means of communication, especially on America’s roadways. While not suited for everyone, they offer an extremely affordable and convenient way to communicate for those who understand the medium’s strengths and limitations.
Transceivers 101
A transceiver serves two function; it is both a receiver and a transmitter which are combined together to form one unit and operate using the same circuitry. In some cases the circuitry will not be shared; in this case it is called a transmitter-receiver which was originally invented in the 1920s. Transceivers must combine a large portion of the handling circuitry that the transmitter and receiver share in order to be considered a transceiver and not a transmitter-receiver. If you are reading from an IEEE 802.3 document, then you will often see transceivers referred to as medium attachment units, or MAUs.
Medium attachment units can convert signals over either an Ethernet cable or an AUI signal. For the original 10base5 Ethernet, the medium attachment unit was often clamped directly to the Ethernet cable itself. Standards changed however with the advent of the 10base2. At this point the medium attachment unit was simply integrated within the card. Then in an effort to keep costs low, which was demanded by their consumer base, the entire Ethernet controller device was simply shrunken down into a single chip. Similar to a hub, a medium attachment unit shares much of the same characteristics, expect for the fact that an MAU allows a token to pass between the devices of different networks, even if the network utilizes physical Star topology. In modern Ethernet systems that are either hubbed or switch-based, the MAU and AUI devices are not used, except for in certain unordinary circumstances. They are replaced by the CAT5 cable. This cable connects directly into the Ethernet socket which can be found on the host or the router. Backwards capability exists with certain equipment which utilizes an external AUI interface. Medium attachment units can still be found on units with 10base2 and 10baseT connections.
Transceivers exist in various devices. They are most often used in computers, telephony, and radios. Computers often use transceivers in the guise of the previously discussed medium attachment units. These are often fiber-optic gigabit and 10 gigabit transceivers which are also known as: GBIC, SFP, XAUI, and XFP. Radio technology has made use of transceivers for a long time, although they will often be separate as transmitter-receivers. The Ham radio is a great example and they can be built using the operator’s own equipment. Finally, there is telephony, which uses transceivers via a wired phone or a headset. One such example is the common cellular phone which is, in itself, a transceiver.
If you need to purchase transceivers from any major manufacturer - 3Com, HP, Extreme Networks, Linksys, Netgear, etc, you have two options - purchasing the transceiver directly from the manufacturer at a considerable premium, or purchasing from a memory and GBIC reseller at a considerable discount. If you decide to go the memory reseller route, finding a reliable memory reseller is important. Be sure to go with one with a complete line of GBIC, SFP and CWDM transceivers for your device, offers a warranty, and has technical advisors to help you with both making your transceiver purchase and operation of your transceivers.
The Early Years of Radio Technology
The invention of radio is perhaps one of the most important innovations of the last century. Not only did the radio become a focal point of entertainment, it was a news source, an information source, and even a source of community involvement.
Although you may think of radio as being something that started in the 1900’s, you may be surprised to learn that, like so many things in the 20th Century, radio technology was a product of experimentation and discovery in the 1800’s.
A dentist in America named Mahlon Loomis exhibited a process called “wireless telegraphy” by connecting two kites to each other without wires, making one move by the force of the other. This was the first time that wireless aerial communication was recorded in history.
Radio waves themselves were predicted to exist by James Clerk Maxwell, a physicist from Scotland, in the 1860’s. Later that decade, Heinrich Rudolph Hertz of Germany showed that fast changes in electrical current were able to be transmitted through the air in a way that mimicked heat and light.
By the end of the 19th century, Guglielmo Marconi (an inventor from Italy) demonstrated that radio communication was possible. The first radio signal was transmitted and received by Marconi in the year 1895 in Italy. In 1899, he was able to successfully send a wireless transmission straight over the English Channel. In 1902, the first transatlantic radiotelegraph message was sent and received in Newfoundland (sent from England).
1901 was the first year when wireless communication really started gaining momentum. It was set up and used for telegraphs being sent between five Hawaiian Islands that year, as well as used by the Navy for homing pigeons and visual signals.
It would be a couple more decades before radio would really begin to be used as a source of entertainment. The first radio news broadcast was sent in August 1920 from a station in Detroit, MI called “8MK.” A station in Buenos Aires broadcast opera music in August 1920.
A few months later, in October 1920, Union College in New York started a college radio station, the first ever, in fact. A station called “2ADD” that same month broadcast a few concerts on a Thursday night (that could be heard from up to 100 miles away). It is believed that this was the first entertainment broadcast in the US.
In Writtle, England at the Marconi Research Centre in 1922, regular radio broadcasts began airing. In the 1920’s, radio technology was also used to broadcast pictures (early television). FM radio was invented in the 1930s by amateur radio station operators, but FM stereo broadcasting would not become the norm until the 1960’s.
Color television went into regular broadcasting in the early 1960’s. TELSTAR (the first radio communication satellite) was set up in 1963. LORAN radio navigation system was the first of its kind, which started in the 1970s, followed by GPS technology launched in 1987.
Today, there are countless applications of radio technology, including wireless internet found in routers and wi-fi hotspots. According to predictions by researchers, internet radio is poised to replace both terrestrial (AM/FM) radio and satellite radio by 2020.
The advent of Wi-Max or other widespread broadband wireless internet (”internet everywhere”) could impact the proliferation of many new radio wave based and internet based technologies and entertainment sources. Many major US cities are already experimenting with blanketing their entire city with internet access carried by radio frequency.
