Features
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
Those hot summer nights (and days)!
Our Summer 2003 Top Technology Support issues.
The relief experienced by a small drop in the temperatures in the last few days has been spectacular. Almost on cue our air conditioning system in the office has decided to take its annual holiday; but it deserves it as it has had its work cut out this summer.
At E3 we have been mostly in service and support mode whilst finishing a few small refits during this period.
As we provide a telephone support service, it is always interesting to see what technologies have required the most amount of support whilst the yacht is in use and at sea. It is also a useful proving ground (on a yacht at sea, where they are supposed to be!) for new untried technology.
Therefore in reverse order of level of support required we have:
General Equipment Failure
This is actually very low this year. But most notable amongst these were three new Fleet 77 satcom terminals. These were not from the same manufacturer. All were simply rectified by prompt receipt of replacement components.
Computers and communications configuration.
This is a regular support and service requirement. We have clients with cross section of systems onboard ranging from a 30 plus client network connected to ten communications devices to a client with a simple laptop and Iridium phone.
The yachts with larger and more complex networks know they require a high level of support to maintain their system in working order and as such some of them have a Remote Support Contract with us where we can connect to their network and solve problems directly and also undertake various house-keeping jobs for them such as setting up new email accounts for guests. These larger systems are usually more regulated and controlled thus when support is required it is usually for something serious. We have had very few urgent problems this summer in this section.
However support calls from the mid sized to small systems has been regular. Support is usually required as a result of unregulated system usage, finger trouble and attempts at own reconfiguration.
GSM/GPRS networks and equipment
This summer has seen a huge increase in GPRS data use. Most network providers are up and running and roaming is working well in some locations. However our first problem reported was from a yacht freshly arrived in Turkey whose Spanish SIMM card would not work but then after further investigation neither would a local Turkish providers SIMM card!
There have been significant problems experienced by our clients using GSM and GPRS this summer. The problems can be sub analysed into the following groups:
Equipment underperforming.
Incompatible SIMM cards with available networks. Networks and SIMM card are not internationally standard.
Inconsistent roaming capabilities and configurations from network to network.
Overloaded networks.
Generally, it would be very useful if more error messages could be displayed on the equipment to explain the problem being experienced as half the time over the summer d) “Overloaded network” has been the problem, especially here in Mallorca. The networks simply do not have the capacity for the influx of visitors. An awful lot of time is wasted trying to find a problem that doesn’t exist.
GSM and GPRS is an international standard but the implementation in each country can be very different. For example if a Spanish Vodafone card is installed in a phone in Palma and the Vodafone network is logged onto all functions will work. If you then take out the Vodafone SIM and replace it with a SIMM card from another country then you can expect different functionality. (This is the cause for b) above.
Likewise GPRS roaming has been a potential minefield this summer; however it has been working very well on a number of networks in different countries. Some countries and networks require a different dial in code whereas others do not.
Equipment underperforming. We have experienced many problems with fixed GSM/GPRS equipment. The problems in b) & c) are more pronounced on this type of equipment when analogue fax is an option. The manufacturers normally design this type of equipment to sit in a fixed location logging onto one network only. Systems on yachts are on the move, changing networks, countries and SIMM cards. As such we don’t believe these units have been tested too well for the type of use our marine clients will put them to. As a result of the problems experienced the manufacturers have released numerous software upgrades over the summer.
On the positive side we have also had reports from a large number of very happy clients who have been using GPRS this summer with “no complaints”. A significant proportion also commented on the cost of usage being lower than expected. I have also had a very good experience of using GPRS myself with Bluetooth and a PDA this summer. My biggest problem was overloaded networks.
Satellite TV equipment.
Yet again sat TV problems come at the top of our summer support league table. This year has been busier than normal due to the Sky encryption cards being changed and then the BBC removing their channels from Sky and transmitting from a different satellite.
Satellite TV equipment requires a lot of support on a yacht that is on the move and also due to changes made by broadcasters moving channels around onto different transponders and even satellites. The most regularly reported problems are:
US to European conversion of LNB and feed assembly when yachts return from winter in the Caribbean and re-commissioning of all existing decoders and remotes.
Default tracking frequency changes to be manually programmed into system controllers and receivers. This is not always an equipment problem it is usually due to changes made by broadcasters.
Changes in manufacturers’ software and the need to reprogram PROMS with changes in tracking frequencies. This is not always an equipment problem it is usually due to changes made by broadcasters.
Polang (LNB angle) adjustment for geographical position.
No reception due to being outside footprint of transmitted signal.
Equipment faults.
Satellite TV broadcasts and encryption cards.
The number 1 cause of support this summer started with Sky replacing all their encryption cards at the start of the summer.
To follow that, as most here in Mallorca will know, the BBC decided to remove all their channels from the Sky card and transmit them as free to air from Astra 2D on a very much reduced footprint.
This process took place as trials over the early months of the summer where the power of the signal went up and down until in July it settled down to the new, free, low power transmissions. Thus most yachts then lost the BBC channels unless they were on the French Riviera or had a large dish. Most yachts had their Digibox default transponder frequency set to a BBC channel and thus their systems could no longer find the satellite. Thus a new frequency had to be found.
The good news is that the BBC has put Radio 2 and 4 back on the southern beam footprint on Astra 2B. The frequency is 12.441 V and can be programmed into your Digibox under Services/Other Channels and selected from there. This means you will get Radio 2 & 4 all day as before these changes took place.
For anyone interested in the BBC/Sky situation refer to website HYPERLINK "http://www.astra2d.co.uk" www.astra2d.co.uk.
By Roger Horner, E3 Systems Group. For any further information please contact Jason Abbott or Erik Nieuwmeijer at E3 Systems (Palma) on TEL: +34 971 404208 FAX: +34 971 404431 or email info@e3s.com