Live Truck Scripts

[<??????>]

Looking for input on how everyone gets their reporters scripts from the Live Truck to the station for closed captioning. We currently phone them in but takes way too much time. We work in some rural areas and not so big cities so this adds to the problems of using wireless laptops

[Tippster]

why not tap into your cell phone and use the regular modem in the laptop? If you can make a phone call, you can make an internet connection...

[<??????>]

We use Nextel phones and was told they would be too slow for conection to the laptop

[robbrad]

Originally posted by Tippster:
why not tap into your cell phone and use the regular modem in the laptop? If you can make a phone call, you can make an internet connection... Been there done that and it's not true.

Digital Cells - If you have the software on the laptop to use the flip phone or any other digital cell as a modem you can dial in at an extremly slow rate. If your signal is to weak for get it.

Analog Cells - found mostly in SNG trucks and ENG trucks if you have a strong signal good for you enjoy your 14.4 baud speed because that's about the best it gets no 56k no 33.3k nope 14.4 and that's if your lucky. Any noise in the signal forget it won't hold the connection.

I carry a laptop in our SNG truck and it get's used for writing the scripts and most of the time they call in the scripts to the producer.

[sdphotographer]

Nextel has a faster service than their usual dial-up service - it's about $80 a month for unlimited service. Also, if happen to be in San Diego or Denver, there's a wireless service called Ricochet which is about $25 for unlimited service. I've used both in San Diego, and the Nextel service worked in more places, but the Ricochet service was faster.

[<wardriving>]

I got a little program (free) called NetStumbler for my laptop. It ties in with the GPS reciever and locates wireless networks as I'm driving, saving it to a database. I just leave it running when I'm driving around. When I'm out in the live truck I just look on the NetStumbler database and see where the closest network is. Doesn't always work, but when it does it's pretty sweet.

Needless to say, I have it set to ignore secured networks.

[Tippster]

14.4 kbps speed will transmit the average e-mail (with attached simple non-html script) in what, one minute? Two? Better than wasting all that time dictating on the phone, no?

[ August 03, 2004, 11:26 PM: Message edited by: Tippster ]

[OU- BOBCAT]

The last station I was at had a fax machine in the sat truck worked well most times but we usually were getting stuff in so late we would roll the pkg out of the truck so the station never saw the script till the pkg hit air...

[<??????>]

This has been helpful. Any other ideas??

[<TriedWireless>]

We use a wireless connection...all you need is a wireless card for the laptop...reporters type in the script and then the station can read it once the reporter is done...then just hook up the printer and print it for the real workers to edit.

[shootist]

Originally posted by &lt;wardriving&gt;:
I got a little program (free) called NetStumbler for my laptop. It ties in with the GPS reciever and locates wireless networks as I'm driving, saving it to a database. I just leave it running when I'm driving around. When I'm out in the live truck I just look on the NetStumbler database and see where the closest network is. Doesn't always work, but when it does it's pretty sweet.

Needless to say, I have it set to ignore secured networks. hey wardriver...i do the same thing...with the same program...but i'll lay this out for others that think this is the end-all answer...

if you use an open network that is not intended for public use...you are subject to prosecution.

so...i know the coffee shops...and other public access hot spots to use...some municipal bldgs...city parks/plazas...and the like...

but just 'cuz you CAN get on a network doesn't mean you should...but you knew that already..right, wardriver... ;)

even when i get on...i can't access our station's avid/inews system...has to be e-mailed and cut/pasted.

but then...

live closed-captioning takes care of this issue anyway...

[<engineer>]

we use Verizon Air Cards for our laptops. We also use an external high gain antenna so we can go just about anywhere and get on a 14.4 connection. The card is a PCMCIA card and fits most laptops.

[<wardriving>]

Originally posted by shootist:
hey wardriver...i do the same thing...with the same program...but i'll lay this out for others that think this is the end-all answer...

if you use an open network that is not intended for public use...you are subject to prosecution.
[/QB]Hey shootist, yep I know to stay off of private networks. Just because the owners are stupid enough not to enable any security doesn't mean I get to access 'em at will. Starbucks, Panera Bread, just about any Holiday Inn, etc etc are good places to go looking for fully legal wifi networks. Netstumbler really helps find those people that open up their networks on purpose because it gives you the network's SSID. If the SSID is something like "public access" you can feel pretty safe getting out on that AP.

Of course, for people that don't care about the legalities, the reality of the situation is that if private network owners are too dumb to secure their network, they're probably too dumb to know you're on it anyway ;)