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Posting-Version: version VT1.00C 11/1/84; site vortex.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!vortex!lauren
From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.news.stargate
Subject: Stargate
Message-ID: <884@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 1-Mar-86 03:00:48 EST
Article-I.D.: vortex.884
Posted: Sat Mar  1 03:00:48 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Mar-86 22:24:01 EST
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 25

The satellite bandwidth is being provided for free to us during the
experimental period, but of course is a very valuable resource and
won't be free once we start a regular service.  The encoding techniques
used are complex and were developed by the satellite carrier and others
over a long period of time and involved a great deal of work and 
money--they consider them proprietary and I fully agree with their attitude.
I don't even know the details of the encoding, nor am I interested in 
learning the details.  The carrier quite rightly is interested in
making sure that only people paying for the particular data services
are receiving them.

The decoders will become available in quantity after a Stargate organization
is established.  I hope to have around a half dozen or so decoders
for testing within a month or two from now for distribution to interested 
test sites.

The buffer box prototype should also become available soon, and I'm 
still looking for good 68000 experts to help write the firmware for this
important device.  The buffer box details will probably be fully
available, as will schematics, for people who want to build their
own buffer boxes.  However, since the buffer box board will probably
be mass-produced overseas quite cheaply, you probably won't want to 
bother.

--Lauren--