Page 64: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2012)

tions is a satellite communications sys-tem that can switch between bandwidths,the Quadrature Oriented Reflectors an-tenna system (QOR). The QOR features two independent antenna systems on one stabilized pedestal, one for receiving C- Band signals and another for Ku-Band signals. The switch over from one fre- quency to another is done electronically as the vessel moves between satellite footprints.In June 2010, the satellite communica-tions services provider InMarsat an- nounced plans to launch a set ofKa-Band satellites, operating on an even higher frequency bandwidth. The Ka- Band hasn?t yet been adopted by the maritime world, but this satellite con- stellation, scheduled to be fully deployed by the end of 2014, is expected to change that. With a higher frequency and shorter wave length, the Ka-Band will require an even smaller, less expensive antenna to receive the signal ? a significant benefit aboard a ship. The Ka-Band has a large amount of bandwidth allocated and itsbasic frequency range is 18 to 43 GHz. In response to the new Ka-Band satel- lites, Sea Tel spent a year developing its ?future proof? 4012 GX antenna whichstarts in Ku-Band and is easily upgrad- able to Ka-Band when that option be-comes a reality. The major elements of this new design include a more efficient reflector surface, improved layout of the power amplifier and a spherical radome. The 4012 GX system can also be ad-justed or repositioned via the internet.?It turns out if you have the right de- sign of the dish, feed tube and antenna,you can make it work with just a few watts,? said Pearson. SEA TEL?S EYE ON THE MARKETSThe macro trend in the satellite com-munications industry is ?more and morebandwidth for less money,? said Atul Chawla, Sea Tel?s Product Marketing Manager. More antennas are being built today than ever before and the new Ka- Band systems will add to this trend andthe downward pressure on price. Sea Tel focuses on various vertical markets, in- cluding oil and gas, cruise lines, fishing, commercial shipping, leisure boating,megayachts and military. ?The oil and gas market is very strong,? Chawla said, as it responds to oil prices which have done well in the past few years. Fishing fleets have also been a sta- ble market with crew welfare remaining a big issue and an increase in the num-ber of factory ships. The cruise ship market was doing well, he said, until the Costa Concordia inci-dent. Following a drop in bookings, cruise operators have pulled back invest- ments in vessel services. 64Maritime Reporter & Engineering News Michael Needham, Business Ethics & Compliance Manager, and Rick Pearson, General Manager, on the floor of Sea Tel?s Concord, Calif. facility. (Image courtesy Raina Clark) MR June12 # 8 (57-64):MR Template 6/12/2012 9:12 AM Page 64