VHF data transmission experiments using MBC equipment conducted during the period from JARE-43 to JARE-45

Abstract

In order to study the ability of Meteor Burst Communications (MBC) as a new medium of data collection networks in Antarctica, a series of VHF data transmission experiments has been performed. In the experiment during the period of JARE-43 (the 43rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition), a remote station at Zhongshan Station sent data packets to a master station at Syowa Station using a commercial MBC system. Together with meteor burst propagations, non-meteoric propagations were frequently observed during local nighttime. It was found that they worked effectively for packet transmissions and greatly increased the data throughput. Overall data throughput obtained by this experiment was 0.63 bps. In JARE-44, another remote station was added at Dome Fuji Station. Since the transmitted power from the master unit was split into two directions, data throughput from Zhongshan Station was reduced to 0.36 bps. That from Dome Fuji Station was only 0.13 bps. For the experiment in JARE-45, the commercial MBC system was replaced with a RANDOM (RAdio Network for Data Over Meteor) system developed by the authors. The experiment is being conducted between Syowa and Zhongshan Stations. The estimated data throughput during the period from April 1st, 2004 to August 31st, 2004 was 2.9 bps.