When are we going to receive our Lanterns?

Andy_ICT2U · 2017-12-22T17:49:08.438Z

With the last update on the campaign being Aug 2017, any chance of a fresh update, replicated here, as the last one mentioned negotiations with the satellite operator. Any progress?

Cheers
Andy

Syed · 2017-12-25T00:34:05.101Z

@Andy_ICT2U Sorry about the delay. I’ll have something posted to IGG shortly. The short version is that we moved to a different frequency band for two reasons: We were not at able to work anything out with the existing operator. The change allows for a more interesting service and does not tie us to any specific operator. We do have a new contract that will be signed either by the first of the year or very soon afterwards. As you can tell by the activity on the forums, we have not given up; we’re just slow.

frostyfrog · 2017-12-27T16:11:01.421Z

Thanks, can’t wait to see the update! After reading the news on the link below, I was getting a bit excited that most of the major delays/hurdles were out of the way. Or soon will be, anyways.

https://www.rtl-sdr.com/outernet-3-0-coming-soon-free-30kbps-100kbps-satellite-data-downlink-for-news-weather-audio-etc/

Syed · 2017-12-27T16:32:36.681Z

The core technical issues related to the satellite link have been resolved, but we are working on first-run production, which has its own unique issues. But yes, we are getting very, very close!

darrell · 2017-12-27T20:15:27.653Z

Great to hear. It seems to be much more to Outernet than there was the last time I used it.

Darrell

Andy_ICT2U · 2018-01-02T19:30:35.383Z

Thanks Syed.

I’ve just seen the Lantern update. Sounds like you guys have been busy. Good luck and looks like 2018 could an exciting year

David_Wenbert · 2018-01-25T21:43:20.485Z

Syed: It will be great to finally experience Outernet when we get our Lantern. I am now organizing a microsatellite project involving twin, 100Kg spacecraft to be deployed to LEO in 2022 from the Wallops Island spaceport aboard successive Vector-H launches. Most of the payload will be telecom experiments. We would still like to work with Outernet on creating an alternative space infrastructure for uncensorable datacasting, without the costs you’re presently paying to legacy transponder providers. Please contact me by private message on Skype, LinkedIN or Facebook, and let’s chat about the future. If you can engineer the ground segment using our satellites, we’ll put up the transponder for you.

Our current baseline is that each spacecraft will carry dual redundant 96-core processors and 10 TB of solid state storage, or 192 cores and 20 TB per satellite. The satellite design provides that their telecom payloads will not have power constraints. With other telecom relays the system will host, we envision a “Forward & Store” system, in which each overhead pass transmits audio and video content at greater than linear speed, such that the periodic updates provide for a pseudo-realtime listening/viewing experience for the user. I’m sure you can think of things to do with that topology.

Come visit us this summer on the Eastern Shore, at Wallops Island.

Konrad_Roeder · 2018-01-25T22:29:41.245Z

Wow. I really enjoyed living in Salisbury, MD and working at the Univ. of MD, Eastern Shore, a long, long time ago. What a nice area. Would love to visit again some day.

What an interesting project.

–Konrad, WA4OSH

Syed · 2018-01-27T18:06:59.201Z

@David_Wenbert Thanks for your continued support–and patience. I would be very happy to learn more about your microsatellite.

Have you already sized the communications payload?
What is the RF power and antenna gain you are considering?
Will the payload have a 100% duty cycle?
What altitude and inclination for the orbit?
What frequency bands will the payload support?

David_Wenbert · 2018-03-17T22:16:42.119Z

Hi! Just saw your post from January. Reach me by PM on Facebook, LinkedIN or Skype anytime. The microsatellite platform we are developing will consist of 15 spacecraft, most the size of Quarter [beer] Kegs, deployed in LEO orbits between 125 and 200 miles altitude. They will be used primarily as a testbed for advanced propulsion technologies; the practical upshot of which is that they will have very long term endurance at these low altitudes (for some, decades). The two which are designated for telecommunications research will have conductive tether reboost and additional power utilities which will permit high power operation over North America, AU/NZ, UK/IE, and India, measured in the hundreds of watts, electrical. The inclinations will be as given, but will be useful nonetheless. We are at a planning stage where we are looking to accommodate a number of telecom payloads, and are seeking partners to work with. The frequencies to be used and the size of any given comms package are to be determined. What do you want and how big is your transceiver? A part of the intended telecoms research will involve using the conductive tether, and, separately, its plasma return sheath, as antennas. Between this and the power, it should be able to deliver a very strong signal throughout the Anglosphere. Now, we’re working out what to do with it. Chat me up online when you get a chance.

darrell · 2018-10-29T12:48:59.065Z

Sorry but I have given up. Would you please refund my $100.00. It’s certainly

been a failure. Let me know what information you need to make the refund.,

Darrell

Syed · 2018-10-29T15:42:19.261Z

No reason to be sorry; please send an email to hello@othernet.is and include the email address associated with both your Indiegogo profile and your Paypal account.

Calling it a failure is inaccurate, as we have not given up/closed shop/stopped developing/etc. For the 6000 or so backers that will receive their Lanterns, the product will deliver about 50-times the utility as we originally described. Of course, it’s taken years to get there, but there is definitely still progress being made.

Goupil-Net · 2019-10-05T13:37:58.088Z

Syed, how about this post:
<< Greenman

Jul 8

I received this email from Syed two weeks ago.

-Greenman

Syed Karim|Tue, Jun 25, 2019, 4:09 PM (13 days ago)

We’ll start production after we confirm the new circuit board. It usually takes about 4 weeks to acquire all of the parts. I have been so wildly off with targets that I don’t like to say, but I would assume we could start shipping by the end of the summer.

This version of Lantern is just not that great. It’s been really frustrating because after all of this time, we still haven’t made a really great product–though everything does work better than we described long ago. >>

We are now on October 5th, 2019; any followup ?

Syed · 2019-10-05T16:36:38.887Z

Still waiting on the enclosure’s mold. I’ll get an update from the supplier next week.

denniskl · 2019-11-25T21:43:11.784Z

Hi just saw this update from October

Still hanging in there, as the need has not gone away

@syed anything further?

Syed · 2019-11-26T14:46:12.237Z

We are still fighting the good fight! We try to do things as economically as possible, but sometimes that does backfire. The supplier that was supposed to cut the tooling and produce the dome enclosure for us said–after four months of back and forth–that they could not build the part. We are working with another supplier now for a custom dry box (Otterbox/Pelican case). I have the 3D print of the current version which I’ll post later today.

Andy_ICT2U · 2020-02-04T23:29:14.236Z

Hi @Syed
Any further news on this? Is there a better place to track progress e.g. a single pinned thread on the forum that is updated by the team on a regular basis? European coverage is looking promising now so still excited to try out the system.
Cheers
Andy

Syed · 2020-02-05T01:49:30.073Z

Getting closer! Everything has stopped in China, so we first need to wait for that. Then we start production of your enclosure and begin assembly.

kenbarbi · 2020-02-06T21:08:55.418Z

We would all be very interested in your thoughts, Syed, on use of high frequency (HF) bands in the future. Ken

denniskl · 2020-02-18T00:28:48.488Z

Wow syed that sounds very promising

Is it purely production now or a multitude of issues still to resolve?