Cobham Upgrades SAILOR 900 VSAT

Cobham SATCOM has developed a new version of its SAILOR 900 Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) Ku-band antenna, featuring a new Block Up Converter (BUC). The antenna, designed by Cobham, makes it easier and less costly to ensure high availability of service as there is no need for additional hardware. It also delivers the potential for satcom service providers to deliver higher uplink bandwidths. The 20W BUC in the new SAILOR 900 VSAT High Power antenna ensures reliable operation in warm, humid climates without the need for air conditioning systems in the antenna, despite the radiated power level increase from 8W to 20W.

 

Increasing demand for higher data throughput on the uplink to satellites (‘sending’ from the vessel) has triggered demand for antenna systems with higher power RF performance. Because the new 20W BUC is designed in-house for integration with the SAILOR 900 VSAT, Cobham SATCOM has ensured high quality control, resulting in reliable, high performance operation in all environments, the manufacturer said.

 

The new SAILOR 900 VSAT High Power offers satcom service providers a new alternative to the standard SAILOR 900 VSAT to meet requirements from shipping companies for high Service Level Agreements (SLA), especially when a dual antenna configuration is required due to obstructions that cannot be overcome by setting up blocking zones.

 

First released in 2011, the SAILOR 900 VSAT High Power antenna system comes factory-tested, balanced and ready-to-go with standardized top quality RF and the requirement for only one cable between antenna and below-deck.

 

All SAILOR Ku-Band VSAT antennas have been tested to work on HTS services, including Intelsat’s EpicNG. Additionally, even with its higher power BUC, the SAILOR 900 VSAT High Power is prepared for conversion from Ku- to Ka-band operation on services like Inmarsat Fleet Xpress or Maritime Ka-Band on THOR 7 from Telenor Satellite, should the end-user request it. Updated electronics, a precision reflector dish and radome tuned for optimum performance on both Ku- and Ka-band frequencies ensure that SAILOR 900 VSAT High Power is a flexible solution.

 

With its new in-house designed BUC, Cobham SATCOM is able to offer the new benefits of SAILOR 900 VSAT High Power to existing SAILOR 900 VSAT users, through specially developed SAILOR Conversion Kits. Customers can move from SAILOR 900 VSAT to SAILOR 900 VSAT High Power and additionally from SAILOR 900 VSAT High Power to SAILOR 100 GX. This provides high levels of flexibility for service providers, enabling them to offer a cost-effective migration path to alternative satellite services in order to meet their customers’ changing requirements.