Setting up service-

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I work for an alternative wind energy company in Washington. We are putting up several towers/loggers to record wind data in Montana and I need some information about setting up cell service. These loggers will call in the information to us once or twice a week. It is my understanding that information about the equipment is needed in order to set up an account. What is the information needed? Also, what is the best way to find out the strongest signal available for an area?

[KevinJames]

I noticed you used the "confused" icon for your post. I am not sure I follow your question, so that makes two of us.

Right off the bat, I'd say Verizon or ATT (in that order) are you best bets in Washington (State, not DC).

Which ever carrier you choose will sell you the phones and they will know how to set them up.

One final note, logging in the back country, woods, etc., I wouldn't think you'd get ANY wireless signal. Wireless towers are placed where populations of people will live and/or traffic through.

Your actual best bet may be to provide CB radios or setup a HAM radio station. (But I am no expert at CB's or HAM, so take my word with a large grain of salt.)

It's illegal to use amateur (ham) radio equipment for business purposes. CB, GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service), or itinerant business (150 MHz) equipment will work just as well, and is much easier to license (no license required in the case of CB).

[SirIsaacNewton]

I'll agree with Kevin about being "confused". I also wonder if these people are for real. It sounds lilke a bunch of "geeks" in a garage to me. Were they for real, they would (or should) know that remote equipment monitoring and control is quite common.

The companies that make the equipment to be monitored will almost surely be able to provide the radio equipment you need to do so. This often occurs in the 800MHz business band set aside for remote telemetry. Other bands could also be used if conditions require it.

It sounds to me like these people need to go back to school and get their business and technology plan in order. How, for example, do they plan to get their "alternative power" out to the grid. They almost assuredly will have to have some right of way and some hard wire. I would think they could use this infrastructure for communication purposes. At the very least, pull fiber along with the power cables on the same poles. Also consider superplexing the datacomm over the power lines themselves. To arbitrarily decide that cellular is the way to go here convinces me that they haven't thought this very far.....

If you are setting up service in Montana, the 2 major carriers are Verizon and Cellular One (West). You might also be setting up your monitoring equipment in the area of Mid-Rivers Cellular. The technology you want is quite common and there are remote-sensing equipment suppliers would be happy to help you. If the area is remote enough, they would set you up with a satellite station. The local utility is also a big user of these types of remote stations.

The greatest use of remote celluar applications are the call-boxes set up along the highways for stranded motorists. For advice on that application contact the Montana Department of Highways, but Washington probably has the same experience. If I needed to find out how to contact the people who can "make this happen" for you, call the Geography Department of the local university (Wash State?). They know who supplies all the remote data in the area and can out you in touch with the manufactirers of the products.

If you need a list of all the wireless carriers in Montana, see:

www.mountainaudio.com/wirelessMT.htm

-Bill Radio
-www.mountainwireless.com

Sir Isaac

Well, the reason I had to ask this question is because the person who normally would have set up the service is no longer with our company and this was given to me to research. We are putting up new towers in places we have not been before, hence the question. My apologies if I wasn't clear. We get our 9300 Cell logger equipment (which is the equivalent of a 3 watt cell phone with a yagi antennae) from from NRG in Vermont. If you would like to check out our credentials, please do so at www.globalenergyconcepts.com. I see that you are a very recent induction to this forum. Too bad they didn't have a donkey head to use as your icon.

Regards-
Amber

Bill Radio-

You information was most helpful. We are putting new procedures into place for setting up towers (and cell service)all over the U.S. (we already have them in Wisc, New Mexico, Oregon, Wash) as well as China, Belize, and working on Armenia. I thank you for a timely and informative response as I am new to this and every little bit helps. Thanks for the web address, too. I will try not to be a pest with my questions. You can check us out, too, at www.globalenergyconcepts.com

Thanks-
Amber

[SirIsaacNewton]

Amber,

I apologize for my tone and attitude.
I will try to complement what Bill Radio said.

I am on the East Coast so know little about Montana cell providers. I use Verizon here.

If your equipment is 3-watt, it is undoubtedly analog. If that is so, either licensed analog carrier in your region can help you.

Cell service in the US is assigned by county. If you enter the zip code of the location where your equipment is into WA you will get a list of cell providers in that area. I will accept Bill Radio's comment that they are Verizon and Cell-1.

Phone both of them -- probably their business and commercial division and preferably for THAT area of Montana (Bill can probably provide the name of an actual person in the correct office! Otherwise simply ask when you phone. Legitimate phone companies will not deny you that if you have a need to know! And you most certainly do!) -- and ASK what sort of service you can expect where your equipment is. Since you have a good antenna, you should be able to get the best service that you can get there. If they will allow you a trial, try it out.

Data speed with analog will not be great (4800bps maybe), but it should provide you what you need for periodic data logging.

As for what information the carrier will need, they will need the model number and the internal Electronic Serial Number of the equipment. This should be on a plaque of some kind attached (possibly inside) the instrument. Else you may have to acquire it directly from the manufacturer. The cell provider will assign you a phone number. I'm sure the carrier will work with you for whatever else they need.

Sir Isaac-

Thanks-that was most helpful!

Amber[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]