Mission & Project Info | NOAA’s Aquarius Undersea Laboratory
Mission Blog

Shortly after our NEEMO 9 mission, we started noticing a large amount of radio interference to our 5.8 GHz wireless bridge to our offshore buoy. You run this risk using this band because it is basically a free-for-all and do not have the regulations one would have in a licensed band. We chose this configuration because it was the only setup that was able to handle our unique application with the movement of the LSB (Life support buoy) After some research we learned that the DOT (Department of Transportation) fired up the last of their radios that are installed in the median of US 1 throughout the Florida Keys south of us, that raised the interference levels enough to impact the performance of our wireless bridge. These large tower structures along with the 5.8 GHz radios, antenna’s and a camera system were installed to provide “traffic management” throughout Florida highways.

With the mission starting soon we were in a scramble to figure out a workable solution. We contacted the DOT and they were cooperative in lowering the power (or shutting down) a couple of the towers in question just south of us. With a slight notice in change our wireless link was still borderline.

Time was running out for us because of this important mission with the Navy’s Specialized Research Diving Detachment (SRDD) to start on Tuesday, June 6^th, something needed to be done ASAP.

Rob Miller and Bob Shaw of Orthogon (recently purchased by Motorola) were contacted by NURC to help in the troubleshooting of their radios. With the interference levels we were facing and not much we could do in the amount of time we had, they offered to send us the new Motorola/Orthogon Spectra radio system for us to beta test. This radio system operates in the 5.4 GHz spectrum and would be the first to be installed in the United States. The 5.4 GHz band is under review at this time with the FCC to be the next “public” band for new wireless technology.

Rob Miller made some phone calls and was able to get the system out for shipping last Thursday, June 1^st to be delivered to us immediately. This system was sent from the UK and arrived on our doorstep Monday morning. With some quick configurations to the radios we sent one radio offshore to be installed on the LSB and one installed on our base tower. As easy as the first time we fired up the original Gemini radio’s, the system linked right up. The first thing we did was look at the spectrum. It was clear as can be! Our problem was solved and we are now on day 2 of this mission and data is flowing perfectly.

We would like to send a special thanks to Rob Miller and Bob Shaw of Motorola for going out of their way to make sure we received these radios in time. You Rock!!