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ELECTRONICS UPDATE COMSAT'S 'Cruise Calling' Makes Telephone Calls To And From Ship Easy, Clear, Direct And Private Communicating to or from a cruise ship used to be a complex and time-consuming task. Traditional high-frequency (HF) radio calls take time to place and once achieved, connections can be im- paired by bad weather and calls often fade in and out. Moreover, since anyone with a receiver can tune into the ship's frequency, HF radio calls are not private. COMSAT's "Cruise Calling" via satellite has changed all that. State-of-the-art satellite connec- tions have revolutionized land and sea communications. Satellite tele- phone signals travel between shore and ship in just 250 milliseconds. A shore-to-ship call is automatically routed to one of COMSAT's Coast Earth Stations which relays the sig- nal through a satellite positioned over the ocean. A satellite receiver aboard ship then picks up the sig- nal. The process is reversed for ship- to-shore calls. Satellite telephone calls are im- mediate, convenient, reliable and private. With Cruise Calling you can make radio-officer-assisted satellite telephone calls from your stateroom or dial direct from CruisePhoneSM, a direct-dial, 24-hour credit card tele- phone conveniently located in pub- lic areas aboard many cruise ships. Some ships even offer direct-dial features from the stateroom. Cruise Calling is more than tele- phone service at sea. Passengers may use other satellite services aboard ship, including Satellite Telex Service and Satellite Facsim- ile Transmission. COMSAT has free full-color liter- ature available, including the publi- cation "Cruise Calling—Satellite Communications To and From Ship," containing complete instruc- tions on how to call from shore to a ship and how to call ship-to-shore. Also being offered in connection with Cruise Calling is a free "Cruise Ship Telephone Directory," listing COMSAT has developed a Business Service Center concept which provides passengers or crew members access to communica- tions services most often found in shore- based offices. Alden's New Marine Fax Recorder Receives Weather Charts As Well As Navtex And Radioteleprinter Data Alden Electronics, Inc., Westbor- ough, Mass., recently announced the introduction of the Marinefax TR- IV, a complete weather information center capable of receiving weather and oceanographic charts, as well as Navtex and radioteleprinter data. Navtex as a marine information service for a variety of weather and navigational messages. The Ma- Alden's New Marinefax Recorder. rinefax TR-IV is designed to accept and store all selected Navtex mes- sages for later printout even while receiving routine weather charts or radioteleprinter data. The Ma- rinefax prints emergency Navtex messages such as storm and naviga- tional warnings and search and res- cue information the moment they are received, overriding any other data being printed. The Marinefax also features a ra- dioteleprinter (RTTY) mode for re- ceiving alphanumeric plain lan- guage weather messages, coded weather information and even news agency reports. The Marinefax TR-IV features a new fully programmable radio that "locks on" to the desired frequency, thereby eliminating drift. A pro- grammable memory allows the oper- ator to select the time on, time off and frequency desired. The Ma- rinefax will then automatically turn itself on, record the programmed transmission and turn itself off. Up to 250 on/off sequences can be pro- grammed. Radiofax frequencies may be se- lected manually; or simply by key- ing in the code for a transmit site, the Marinefax automatically selects the best frequency for the condi- tions and time of day. Weather charts and Navtex/ RTTY messages are printed on crisp, white thermal paper. The Ma- rinefax meets the international World Meteorological Organization recording speeds of 60, 90 and 120 scans per minute and can operate at 12, 24 or 32 VDC. An optional AC adaptor is available for 110 or 220 VAC operation. An optional 4-foot all-wave antenna completes the package. The Marinefax TR-IV comple- ments Alden's current line of Ma- rinefax recorders. For more information and free lit- erature from Alden Electronics, Circle 106 on Reader Service Card National Specialty Products To Open Tampa Office —Literature Available National Specialty Products, Inc., a Houston-based industrial manu- facturer of marine gangways and fiberglass safety enclosures, life jacket boxes, fire hose cabinets and fire extinguisher cabinets, recently announced that they will open a Tampa, Fla., office. The new office, which is expected to be opened early this summer, will be located on 3rd Avenue and 22nd Street, three blocks north of the Port of Tampa. The new location should enable the company to bet- ter serve its East Coast clients. For a free catalog detailing the company's product line, Circle 104 on Reader Service Card PROPULSION UPDATE COMSAT Maritime Services CruisePhone al- lows the caller to make high-quality, private calls instantaneously and directly. Calls are billed directly to a passenger's credit card. names of vessels and telephone/ telex/fax numbers. For further information on Cruise Calling and free copies of the litera- ture from COMSAT, Circle 59 on Reader Service Card New WD 234 Is Notable Addition To Line Of Deutz MWM High Performance Boat Propulsion Units The new WD 234 is another out- standing addition to the line of Deutz MWM high performance boat propulsion units. The engine is a result of the coop- eration between Deutz MWM and Wizemann Marine. The task of this cooperation is to have Detuz MWM basic engines matched by Wize- mann at its marine center at Hoch- berg on the Neckar River (near Remseck) to the particular require- ments of high performance boat ap- plications. All activities regarding sales and service backup worldwide for these engines are being under- taken by the Deutz MWM organiza- tion. With a power output of 810 kw (1,100 hp), the 12-cylinder engine, introduced in summer 1988, is set- ting standards in terms of weight and installation volume. After the first engines were delivered to Star- ships Yachts Ltd., Malta, orders were secured for 10 engines destined for U.S. passenger boats. The Deutz MWM range of high performance boat propulsion units comprises extremely compact, high- and medium-speed diesel engines. They meet the demands for low The entire auxiliary equipment is located in the immediate vicinity of the engine block on the new propulsion engine WD 234 VI2 Tl from Deutz MWM. The advantages of- fered by the 60-degree configuration thus remain fully effective. The intake air clean- ers are also integrated in the engine con- tour. weight, small installation volume and smooth-running characteristics, as well as operating economy and environmental compatibility. Four engine series are available to cover a power spectrum from 20 to 3,680 kw (27 to 5,005 hp). For further information and free literature on the new Deutz MWM WD 234 engine, Circle 63 on Reader Service Card 30 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
