All Quiet in Rabaul

The last time I was here in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea commissioning a Sea Tel marine VSAT system, this beauty was erupting. It took us a bit longer than usual to figure out why we couldn't get the system on satellite. Neither the thin layer of ash accumulating on our gear, nor the regular tremors caused by lava swirling around under the mountain helped our concentration. Eventually we realised that the volcanic ash cloud was floating right through the shot and taking out the Ku band. Another lesson learned. It looks like we won't have this problem today. I hope.

About the author

Jonathan is a professional engineer with a passion for all things maritime electronics. He founded Acutec Systems in 2004 and continues to lead the teams in Europe and Australia, delivering communications, entertainment and IT solutions for vessel operators.

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