World Solar Challenge, Where in Australia are they?
World Solar Challenge, Where in Australia are they?
In remote and hostile conditions the ability to track a vehicle is often used to ensure the safety of passengers.
However, for the Belgium Punch Powertrain Solar Team in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, it gives those watching the challenge from outside of Australia the ability to see how the team are going and where in Australia they are. Barrett has developed a simple HF tracking system which works with Google Maps to provide real time vehicle tracking. The Barrett 2050 HF SSB transceiver installed in “Brains” will send a GPS call, which is an existing capability being one of the 2050 HF transceiver types of Selcal.
The base station in Alice Springs, up to 1,500km away, will receive the “call” which will be the GPS location coordinates from the GPS reciever connected to the Barrett 2050 HF transceiver in “Brains”.
The base station in Alice Springs is installed with another Barrett 2050 HF transceiver which will save these GPS coordinates as a .txt file on a computer connected to the 2050 HF transceiver. Via an internet connection these coordinates are sent to the Barrett Communications Head Office in Perth, Western Australia, 2499km’s away from Alice Springs where the .txt file is then converted into a .gpx file and uploaded to the Barrett Communications website and interfaced with Google Maps.
To view the current and past locations of the Punch Powertrain Solar Team car “Punch One” click here.
The “Eagle” vehicle is also fitted with the Barrett 2020 HF email, fax and data system, which connected to the Barrett 2050 HF transceiver will send emails and data via free to air HF radio. The 2020 system is simple to install and easy to use.
To the operator, emails are sent and received via their own email software such as MS Outlook, Lotus Notes or any other common email program.