Contents

1. SeaNet Headlines, Subscribing, Unsubscribing

2. Monitoring Daily Connections

3. Battery Replacement for APC UPS Model SV 1400 RM X93

4. CMAIL Update

5. INMARSAT F77 is Here

6. Usage Summary

7. SeaNet BHSD Costs

8. SeaNet Contact Phone Numbers

9. SeaNet-Equipped Ships -- Updated Information

10. SeaNet Headlines -- Submitting Information

Welcome to the seventh issue of SEANET HEADLINES. This newsletter will provide the latest information about SeaNet operations, provide tips on how to use SeaNet most efficiently, and answer any SeaNet questions you might have about SeaNet. To subscribe (or unsubscribe), please send a message to seanet-editor@seanet.int.

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The SeaNet Project has developed monitoring software that will inform individual institutions of their SeaNet system usage. The reports are generated daily for those ships that made connections over the prior day. They are disseminated by email.

Institutions interested in receiving these reports should contact Scott McCue (smccue@whoi.edu, 508-289-3462) with a list of people and email addresses to whom a report should be sent.

Below is an example of a daily report.

*************************************************
********** SeaNet Connection Log ****************
*************************************************
for Apr 15, 2002 on omnic-scn.seanet.int(nic2.seanet.int)



Island Queen connected 2 times
=========== Details =======================
Connection terminated at Apr 15 09:15:35, duration 127 seconds
Connection terminated at Apr 15 22:52:18, duration 123 seconds

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This important notice pertains to all SeaNet users with SCN's provided by SeaNet.

SeaNet has noted that the batteries for some of the UPSs installed with the original SeaNet equipment have been running out of juice. This condition will cause warning "beeps" to be sounded from the SeaNet equipment rack. The UPS provided by SeaNet in all of the rack-mounted SCN systems is an American Power Conversion model SV1400 RM - X93.

• Note that this particular model is furnished with a grounding system suitable for shipboard installations, the X93 modification, and that its replacement battery is a different model from those units without this feature.
• Your institution has agreed that it will maintain the SeaNet equipment.
• Please order an RCB8 from APC. This battery comes with a 1 year warranty and prepaid labeling for return of your old battery for proper disposal. Expect about ~$192 directly from APC. Lower pricing may be obtainable if your educational supplier has an agreement with APC. For additional battery replacement information go to http://www.apc.com/support/sc_index.cfm.

If you are experiencing this problem and need some help replacing the batteries in the APC UPS please contact SeaNet support.

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Over the past year Scripps has used the SeaNet cmail on both the R/V Revelle and the R/V Melville. Several helpful recommendations have been made by their technicians to make the system more user-friendly and efficient. A new release incorporating these changes will be available soon.

Operators are reminded that SeaNet file transfers over the INMARSAT high speed data (HSD) channel are relatively efficient for large files but are less so for smaller (< 200 kilobyte) files. This means that large email bundles sent during a connection to shore will be more cost-effective that sending smaller (< 200 kilobyte) bundles.

SeaNet is also working to get the system to work using the INMARSAT-B asynch low speed channel for smaller ships that normally transfer smaller (10-30 Kbyte) files for email so that we can help them keep their costs down.

At this point the testing looks very promising.

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Following a set of successful Marine Field Evaluation (MFE) trials, INMARSAT has launched the F77 service. The F77 service includes voice, fax (including Group 4 digital service), a high speed service at 64 kbps using an ISDN interface and Mobile Packet Data Service (MPDS).

The R/V Maurice Ewing (operated by Lamont-Doherty) collaborated with TELENOR (formerly COMSAT) to participate in an MFE using a TT-3084A Ship Earth Station manufactured by Thrane and Thrane. The unit was installed in Guam in March and extensively tested through April and into early May.

The F77 antennas are significantly smaller and lighter than INMARSAT A and B antennas. Installation is simplified because the F77 units have a magnetic compass (for heading) and a GPS receiver (for position) built into the antenna, eliminating the need for external interfaces. The approximate rate for MPDS is about $4 per megabit. Assuming 10% overhead for FTP, TCP/IP, and other misc traffic this would work out to about 28.1 Kbytes/dollar. MPDS would be cost effective for transfer of small files (100K = $3.56), but would be less cost effective for large files (10M = $364.41) compared to BHSD. It should be very cost effective for interactive connections such as logging into shore-side computers remotely (instead of using SeaNet's Interactive IP mode).

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The usage statistics for SeaNet are in for 2001. SeaNet saw a modest increase in usage from 687 MB in 2000 to 1155 MB in 2002, though the number of transmissions remained about the same.

SeaNet Usage for 2001

Total: 2261 Transmissions, 189 Interactive, 2072 Batch, 1155 MB

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Here are some important points regarding SeaNet BHSD costs. Pricing information can also be found at www.seanet.int/operations/ops_budget.html.

*** Typical bytes/dollar transmitted over SeaNet BHSD (pre-compressed files) can range from 7 Kbytes/dollar to 57 Kbytes/dollar. Users of the off-peak rates (4.90/min) can typically achieve 67.8 Kbytes/dollar transferring large files.

Costs are based on an average of $7/minute. The average rate for recent Dive/Discover cruises was, for example, between $6/minute and $7/minute. Note that these files assume pre-compressed files and comparisons of other satellite services should use the same.

The largest single transfer to date using SeaNet BHSD was 22 Mb and took approximately 60 minutes to transfer.

The table above shows that the system is not as efficient for small file transfers as it might be. For example, it costs the same to send 20 kbytes as 100 kbytes using the high speed data service. The SeaNet project knows that we need to find a better solution for small files. LDEO is currently beta-testing (with Telenor for INMARSAT) a new maritime "always-on" service called MPDS, operating with F77 terminals (see item 5 above). MPDS is charged by the megabit instead of by connect time.

*** SeaNet BHSD rates offered by Telenor (COMSAT), Station-12, and Stratos

Please find the latest BHSD rates available for SeaNet-equipped vessels from various INMARSAT providers. Remember that you must register with the individual providers if you wish to get the rates quoted:

Telenor (COMSAT):

• Zone 1: $8.70 peak; $4.90 off-peak
• Zone 2: $9.40 peak; $5.60 off-peak
• Zone 3: $9.80 peak; $6.00 off-peak
• Zone 4: $10.20 peak; $6.40 off-peak

The peak hours are: AOR-E/W & IOR: 05:31-19:30 GMT; POR 20:01-10:00 GMT, and Off-Peak hours are: AOR-E/W & IOR: 19:31-05:30 GMT; POR 10:01-20:00 GMT.

The zones are:

• Zone 1: United States and Canada
• Zone 2: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Faeroe Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Vatican City.
• Zone 3: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Falkland Islands, French Antilles, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Martinique, Netherlands Antilles, Nevis, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paragua, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, St. Helena, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Suriname, Taiwan, Tortola, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.
• Zone 4: All the countries not listed in Zones 1, 2, or 3 above.

Station 12:

Station 12 has been charging SeaNet/UNOLS vessels a flat rate of $7.76/minute for BHSD transmissions.

Stratos:

Stratos has been charging SeaNet/UNOLS vessels a flat rate of $7.31/minute for BHSD transmissions.

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Below are the current phone numbers and email addresses for contacting SeaNet staff:

Who	Email	Phone
SeaNet Operations	seanet-ops@seanet.int	508/289-3700 (Laura Goepfert)
SeaNet Installations	seanet-install@seanet.int	845/365-8744 (Richard Perry)

SeaNet Operations fax number: 508/457-2600

Normal operations hours are 9-5 EST Monday through Friday. SeaNet does its best to keep track of operations during off hours, but a response is not guaranteed.

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If you have an upcoming cruise on one of these ships and are interested in possibly using SeaNet for high-speed data transfers, please contact the science liaison at the ship's home operator's office or send an email to seanet-ops@seanet.int to find out who the contact is. More detailed information can also be found at http://www.seanet.int/your_cruise.html.

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The regular deadline for contributions or questions to SEANET HEADLINES is the first Tuesday of each month. Submit information or questions by sending a short e-mail message to: seanet-editor@seanet.int. The editor of HEADLINES is Ellen Kappel.

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