Product Description
Master the fundamentals of satellite communications

Highly regarded for more than a decade as both a teaching text and professional tutorial, this classic guide to satellite communications has been revised, updated, and expanded to cover global wireless applications, digital television, and Internet access via satellite.

• In-depth, textbook-style coverage combined with an intuitive, low-math approach makes this book particularly appealing to the wireless and networking markets
• New to this edition: Global wireless services, including 3G; Antenna Options, Error Coding

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent introduction
This is an excellent introduction to the field that's pitched at the undergraduate engineering level. It's clearly and concisely written and the writing overall is much better than what I'm used to finding for most engineering texts. It uses almost no calculus, actually, but there's a fair amount of trigonometry, which shouldn't be a problem for most people who will be reading this book. Its strength is in the breadth of coverage; some of the topics, such as entireantenna design, or digital signal theory, are huge areas just by themselves that you will need other books for if you need more depth there. By the way, the Schaum's Outline on Digital Signal Processing is outstanding if you're looking to get a leg up there. It's more concise, better written, and explains concepts better than the vast majority of the texts out there.

It's also important to know the basics about radio and wireless communication before reading this book, otherwise it will just be too difficult. So you should already know something about subjects such as analog and digital signals, amplitude and frequency modulation, basic filter concepts such as low and high pass filters, amplifiers, coders and decoders,frequency detectors, antenna principles, and so on, before reading this book. There's also a fair amount of microwave information in the book, but this is easier to pick up if you already have some idea about wireless radio communication.

I agree with the other writer that one weakness of the book is it lacks coverage of the more recent developments such as current IP topologie,satellite Internet IP services like Hughes and BGAN,or discussion of current DVB-S or S2 technology, digital satellite services that are used all over the world now since 1995. However, I don't fault the book too much for that as things change so quickly now i this field that books on communications are partly outdated by the time they're published. But overall it's a very good introductory text and one that I learned a lot from. By the way, in recent weeks I've discovered that Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, has hundreds of articles on satellite and other communications topics, including some of the ones that aren't discussed here such as DVB-S and DVB-S2, and you can use that site to bone up on them a bit.

Good Basic Overview, Not Current with Today's IP Technology
I expected the 2006 fourth edition to be more up to date with today's IP satellite technology. While the networking chapter discusses IP, it is in the contex of ATM and TDM technology with little or no information on current IP topologies and satellite Internet IP services like Hughes and BGAN among others. Additionally, there is no mention of current DVB-S or S2 technology which is widely deployed today. Roddy fails to make note of the broadcasting migration to IP with most of the broadcasting information somewhat dated.

nice breadth that covers this field
For the undergraduate or graduate student in engineering, this is a very understandable text on the basic principles of using satellites to communicate. Many topics in the field are covered. Like a comprehensive listing of existing geostationary satellites, and their orbital assignments.

For those of you who need a revision of Keplerian mechanics, Roddy supplies Chapter 2. Or if you need a quick cram on the propagation of radio waves, there is Chapter 4. And there is the all-important subject of antenna design. Whether this be for an antenna on the satellite or here on Earth.

Given that communications are of interest, various analog and digital encoding schemes are bruited. By now very well understood. Which leads into a discussion of signal and noise interference on a channel.

For all of the topics, like antenna design, or communications theory, there are certainly more indepth books. But the breadth here is a key utility of this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you are a technical or management professional, you can turn to this highly understandable and comprehensive overview of satellite technology, applications, and management. Thoroughly updated and expanded, this third edition boasts a wealth of new material, including added coverage of systems engineering as applied to satellite communications, clear explanations of all aspects of building and using a satellite systems, and discussions on digital communications and processing in modern satellite networks. The new edition also examines critical success factors and how to avoid the pitfalls in selecting satellite and ground resources.

The book covers all the fundamentals of satellites, ground control systems, and earth stations, considering the design and operation of each major segment. You gain a practical understanding of the basic construction and usage of commercial satellite networks--how parts of a satellite system function, how various components interact, which role each component plays, and which factors are the most critical to success. Moreover, the book explores the economic, legal, and management issues involved in running the business of satellite communications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A good addition to your telecommunication references
This book is very useful if you are trying to pave your way into the field of satellite communications.
You will later find out that the book can still serve you as a handy reference when you are already involved and experienced withsatellite communications.

"Must have" for anyone in Satellite Communications.
Bruce Elbert's Introduction to Satellite Communications is the very best starting point for learning the basics of communications by satellite.Its scope goes beyond generalities but deals with specific topics from theworld of satellite.Well organized and readable, it is an excellentcompanion to Mr. Elbert's other book, The Satellite CommunicationApplications Handbook.Both are "must read" and "musthave" references for engineers and non-technical types!

Thorough coverage of Satellite Communications
This book does a great job of discussing commercial satellite communications.It is up to date, and includes excellent industry examples and technical details.This book will fill in your knowledge gaps.

This book has been updated in 1999
Get the newest version from Artech House publishers.It's up to date and very informative. ... Read more

Product Description
Revisions to 5th Edition by: Zhili Sun, University of Surrey, UK

New and updated edition of this authoritative and comprehensive reference to the field of satellite communications engineering

Building on the success of previous editions, Satellite Communications Systems, Fifth Edition covers the entire field of satellite communications engineering from orbital mechanics to satellite design and launch, configuration and installation of earth stations, including the implementation of communications links and the set-up of the satellite network. This book provides a comprehensive treatment of satellite communications systems engineering and discusses the technological applications. It demonstrates how system components interact and details the relationship between the system and its environment. The authors discuss the systems aspects such as techniques enabling equipment and system dimensioning and state of the art technology for satellite platforms, payloads and earth stations.

New features and updates for the fifth edition include:

• More information on techniques allowing service provision of multimedia content
• Extra material on techniques for broadcasting, including recent standards DVB-RCS and DVB-S2 (Digital Video Broadcasting -Return Channel Satellite and -Satellite Version 2)
• Updates on onboard processing

By offering a detailed and practical overview, Satellite Communications Systems continues to be an authoritative text for advanced students, engineers and designers throughout the field of satellite communications and engineering.

Customer Reviews (1)

Satellite Communications Systems: Systems, Techniques and Technology
I think is the best book of Satellite Communications systems. Cover all the neccessary topics and is really easy to understand.
It is really useful. ... Read more

Product Description
New section on emerging Precise-Point Positioning.
* New Supplement-MathCAD programs for solving GPS problems quickly and efficiently. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Error Sources But No Discussion of Basic Algorithm
There is much discussion of error sources but there does not appear to be any discussion of the basic principles on which GPS is based.I have not been able to find anywhere in his book where he states that GPS relies on the principle that the GPS receiver lies on or near the intersection of 3 sphere surfaces centered at the estimated positions of the satellites.In section 8.1.1 "The Navigation Solution", four nonlinear equations are stated but there is no discussion of how to solve them.There is no mention of trilateration.The discussion of error sources can be quite useful but the lack of discussion of basic principles detracts from the value of the book in my opinion

Satellite Surveying a thinking
This book is all that I had thought. The explanation is clear and the autor becames it easy to understand. The best aquisition that I have done since I begun to study GPS.

Congratulations to Alfred Leick.
Cartograph Engineer

Alfred Leick's GPS book
I am surpised by the previous reviews. I am going to press on this book solely because of the excellent way in which the author has reviewed the subject. The text is as easy to understand and clearly explained as anybook could be on such a complicated subject. The insertion and detailing offormulae is related to the text with similar clarity. The author naturallyassumes some knowledge of the subject by the reader. If you are at thislevel the rest is relatively painless.The author's use and command of theEnglish language is as good as his knowledge of the subject of GPS. Forthose of us that have listened to rooms full of GPS boffins speaking theirown dialect this book provides a definitive translation.

GPS is too complex to understand well
GPS looks like a "Black Box",I want to understand the thoery,method and programming a GPS data processing software.

Highly Technical...Wish it were more Practical
Probably an important book for your GPS library, but it's easy to get lost in all the complex equations.Not for someone who is interested in the basics or who wants an overview.If you want the nitty-gritty details,this one's for you. ... Read more

Product Description
The Satellite Sisters are the fastest rising stars on public radio - five real sisters who grew up in a big family, grew apart, and then grew closer again, connecting as adults in a positive, supportive way. They have five personalities, five points of view, and five very different lives joined by a common bond. They are sisters in blood and in spirit-a connection that's uncomplicated and complex at the same time.

But you don't have to have a sister to be a Satellite Sister. A Satellite Sister can be your best friend from high school, your walking partner, your great neighbor, your college roommate, or your friend from Mommy and Me. Your Satellite Sisters make you laugh, tell you when you're wrong, cheer you on, offer advice whether you want it or not, and help you make it through the day.

In Satellite Sisters' UnCommon Senses, the Dolan sisters share their approach to life-an approach that's rooted in big-family wisdom. Their theory: There are the five senses you're born with, and then there are the five UnCommon Senses you acquire when you grow up in a family of ten (5 sisters + 3 brothers + 2 parents), which prepare you for life in the real world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Really fun read!
I wanted to be in the Dolan family after reading this book.I enjoyed the different perspectives of each sister.I love their radio show, too.I feel like we are long-time friends.

Like reading their radio show
I enjoyed the sisters' book.Though I identify more with Julie- I think Liam is an excellent writer- I would read another book of theirs.It is a satisfyingly civil book.

A pleasant quick read
I really enjoyed reading the Dolan sisters' book.I have only listened to their radio show half a dozen times, so I found the insight into their personal lives very helpful to understanding the show---also, quite hilarious! Not really a "guideline" book, which is what I thought it would be.Just a pleasant read.

Eagerly awaiting the next book!
I laughed. I cried. I rushed out and picked up 4 more books (1 for each of my sisters, and 1 for my best friend). These sisters really seem to belong in my family. Vivian (our baby) is the family story-teller, who can turn the oddest situation into an adventure which will wring laughter out of the most jaded and depressed audience around. Beth can organize any event flawlessly, and boss around anyone in her vicinity with great aplomb (except our older brother, who always would hide in a closet or bathroom when projects were afoot). And... the comparisons, stories and lists just won't stop.Thanks to these wonderful gals for reminders about the sheer fun of growing up in a huge family - and the life lessons which we acquired along the way. Makes me wonder how on earth our Mother managed to shepherd our entire brood around Europe by herself, but the answer is obvious - she was already a member of the Sisterhood!

I loved them in Oprah Magazine so I bought their book
These sisters are hilarious.I read their regular column in Oprah Magazine and listen to their radio show, so when I saw the paperback in the store, I grabbed it.You know how you feel when you spend a fun night with your girlfriends?That's how you'll feel after reading this book.The five Dolan sisters are all very funny but their points of view about life are very different. It's organized into a series of separate essays about their lives growing up and their lives now. This book is a pleasure and I've already bought it for a couple of my friends for their birthdays and they agreed. ... Read more

Product Description
Much has been said and written about the failure of U.S. intelligence to prevent the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and its overestimation of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction under Saddam Hussein. This book focuses instead on the central role that intelligence-collection systems play in promoting arms control and disarmament. Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr. and Keith Hansen bring more than fifty combined years of experience to this discussion of the capabilities of technical systems, which are primarily based in space. Their history of the rapid advancement of surveillance technology is a window into a dramatic reconceptualization of Cold War strategies and policy planning. Graham and Hansen focus on the intelligence sucesses against Soviet strategic nuclear forces and the quality of the intelligence that has made possible accurate assessments of WMD programs in North Korea, Iran, and Libya. Their important insights shed a much-needed light on the process of verifying how the world harnesses the proliferation of nuclear arms and the continual drive for advancements in technology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Look Behind the "Green Door"
Spy Satellites and Other Intelligence Technologies That Changed History
Back in the deepest depths of the Cold War and the "bomber gap", and the infamous "missile gap", President Eisenhower proposed to to the Soviet Union after the death of Stalin the "open skies". But since the US is an open society it was easy for USSR attaches and agents to procure all the maps and guides, they wanted, while in the Soviet Union, in which its own citizens are subject to internal passport control of their movements, all foreigners were constantly tailed and subjected to movement restriction.
Afte his proposal was summarily rejected by the paranoid Soviet leaders, Eisenhower authorized the construction of the U2 by the famous "Skunk Works" (c.f.)for the CIA. As a military commander he had made much good use of "all source" materials including the highest security ULTRA sigint. (The Bulge offensive had surprised everyone because the Germans used landlines for communication and the bad weather prevented recon aircraft from flying missions.)
During the early 50s,there were peripheral flights for sigint and some brief penetration missions from the Baltic and weather and atmospheric sampling in the Far East which revealed the soviet atomic bomb tests.
The U2 was successful but when Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union and survived, the world knew the truth. Though the U2 never overflew the USSR again it had a long and useful career, participating in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The principal agency for foreign mapping in 1963 for US forces was the Army Map Service, a sub-command of the Army Corps of Engineers.A late sixties issue of the National Geographic magazine discussed the Engineer's Discoverer program in detail. This eventually was absorbed into the "Deep Black" (c.f.) program and nothing more was heard of it until the existence of the National Reconnaissance Office and the Corona program were revealed in the 1970s. All that photo based materialhas long since lost any military value especially the Soviet Union collapsed.
Today after the end of the Cold War, the space programs at Tyuratam, now in Kazakhistan, were opened to the market place, and vast stocks of once classified maps and charts and the imagery as well have been available for many years now on the open market.
Ike though, bided his time, even though the German expatriate group headed by Wernher von Braun (c.f) could have launched a satelite earlier the US Navy program, untainted by any historical allegations, sat poised to launch. Kruschev made the first move and since the Sputnik was an orbital vehicle which passed over most of the globe in each day, Ike now saw the way clear to openly begin launches, and did not protest but stated the obvious, that the free passage of Sputnik was an acceptable fait de accompli.
As it was the first Soviet space vehicles were litle more than stunts, useful pay loads and heavy lifts of reconnaissance and sigint sensors were lacking. Instead one carried an unfortunate monkey who died before he could be retrieved. So with the launch Kruschev had outfoxed himself.
Other nations have since entered the imagery and sensor market, notably France and India (c.f.)Though geographers refer to all this material as remote sensing the public still thinks in terms of spying.
Where the term "Green Door" comes in, is when I first came to work at the Army Map Service in 1963, there were two parts to the building complex where the analysis was done; the "open side" which was open to tours and visitors and was publicized in a routine matter. This work required only a secret clearance for most as most of the analysts (area specialists) were DPs from the WWII era and many had relatives in the soviet controlled portion of Europe and we had a few ex Nationalist Chinese as well.
The Green Door was a Top Secret facility with special accesses needed. At first, the clearances were so severe, that even those with Canadian and other Commonwealth origin spouses were summarily refused just because of the expense involved in investigating them.
One day I came to work and in the lobby was a model of the new building. Coming back it was no longer to be seen. In any case, the whole building was a photographic processing facility where the raw imagery from the U2 and then Corona was processed. It is no longer used for that at all. There in the basement was the famous "slab" a vibration and motion dampened chamber where stellar navigation techniques were used to locate the images' exact geographic position after the film had been processed, the entire upper story was labled on the elevator PH which I thought for many a year meant penthouse, on the other hand it contained huge vats of photographic chemicals for mass processing of the imagery to distribution to our and other agencies.
the whole first floor and basement were clean rooms with the occupants wearing whites and the floors and walls tiled with rounded corners so to facilitate mopping. Remember the sensivitivy of the slab could be thrown off by miles by a spec of dust or soot. The building even had its own generators and central vacuum system. Plus a positive air pressure refrigeration air conditioning and no windows.
The entry the green door at first required one to conceal one's AMS ID an wear a seperate one. By the mid 70s many of the foreign born analysts had retired and it was it was demed time to extend the clearances to all who could be within reason, issue one badge with color coded access flashes, and eliminate the polygraph( A poor system, only the un-guilty get nervous. A pro can suppress thir reactions.)
So a glimpse into the past and fifty years on new innovation in digital remore sensing still to come. ... Read more

Product Description
This indispensable handbook to the digital satellite TV revolution places you at the vortex of a dazzling world of entertainment. This brand-new ninth edition provides everything you need to know about selecting, installing, operating, and maintainingyour own satellite TV system. DBS, digital video compression, HDTV, and other innovations coming your way are also presented in a down-to-earth style that is accessible to everyone. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good Sale
The package was received in good time, quicker than what I would have expected given that I am in a far off Country

Solid Satellite TV Bookk
This is an excellent book.It was delivered in a timely way.Excellent service.A little technical for a guy who wants to set up a dish for his RV.

good
this is an older book but well worth the price for the data it contains!!!

The World of Satellite Television
this is one of the most useful books for novice, who is in the field of satellite television,I thank the Amazon .com for introducing such books to the world, plg perera. ... Read more

Product Description

This handbook is the first comprehensive overview of the field of satellite remote sensing for archaeology and how it can be applied to ongoing archaeological fieldwork projects across the globe. It provides a survey of the history and development of the field, connecting satellite remote sensing in archaeology to broader developments in remote sensing, archaeological method and theory, cultural resource management, and environmental studies. With a focus on practical uses of satellite remote sensing, Sarah H. Parcak evaluates satellite imagery types and remote sensing analysis techniques specific to the discovery, preservation, and management of archaeological sites.

Case studies from Asia, Central America, and the Middle East are explored, including Xi’an, China; Angkor Wat, Cambodia and Egypt’s floodplains. In-field surveying techniques particular to satellite remote sensing are emphasized, providing strategies for recording ancient features on the ground observed from space. The book also discusses broader issues relating to archaeological remote sensing ethics, looting prevention, and archaeological site preservation. New sensing research is included and illustrated with the inclusion of over 160 satellite images of ancient sites.

With a companion website (www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415448789) with further resources and colour images, Satellite Remote Sensing for Archaeology will provide anyone interested in scientific applications to uncovering past archaeological landscapes a foundation for future research and study.

Product Description
New third edition of this unique encyclopedia lists all satellites ever in orbit. Describes more than 22,000 satellites, payloads, platforms, rockets and debris clusters from all countries. DLC: Artificial satellites-Registers. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes chapters on orbital mechanics, spacecraft construction, satellite-path radio wave propagation, modulation techniques, multiple access, and a detailed analysis of the communications link. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent textbook for Communications Engineers
Very up-to-date with the latest technologies in Sat Comm. Very great reference and a must use for beginners and practicing engineers.

fine
the only thing I will mention is the packing can be improved.the book hard cover was damaged due to the poor packing. there should be some protection for the book, book was in the regular envelope without any protection.

In Reality, the Simplified, Friendly, and Useful Results of Vector Calculus and Hardcore Newtonian-Maxwellian Intuition
The first edition of this book was assigned to me as part of a satellite communication's course.

Given that the book's focus is on various aspects of an end-to-end satellite communication's link, I must admit that the inclusion of some of the material can seem rather mysterious.In particular, the Orbital Mechanics in chapter 2 (of 1st edition) doesn't at first appear to fit with the rest of the text.

My reading of the book in school and at Hughes/Boeing Satellite Systems revealed that this was a great book.Somehow, mysteriously, always containing passages that were brief and accurate, but also extremely useful and easy-to-understand.With hindsight, even the chapter on Orbital Mechanics with its bit of vector calculus now seems a very clever way of stating the obvious.Mathematical physics not only remains extremely important and necessary but also provides the means, or in other words methods, by which the results of this text were developed. It's only in the name of efficiency that most of the text states its results without the heavy-duty machinary of mathematical physics showing.

I can now easily see and easily state that, in reality, the rest of the book contains the DIRECT RESULTS of vector calculus and Hardcore Newtonian-Maxwellian Intuition.It is a tribute to the politeness and virtue of Pratt and Bostian that despite their understanding of vector calculus in orbital mechanics and electromagnetics, their text has only the barest traces of such advanced and extremely demanding techniques.

Superficially, the text appears simple.In fact, it looks almost vocational until one ponders upon the engineering and physical situations involved, seeing them with the eyes of historical perspective.

This is NOT 'Satellites for Dummies'...
I recently took a Satellite Communications course at the university I attend and this was the textbook.I must say this book is really expensive for what you're likely to get out of it; as the book doesn't really seem to have much of a point. It isn't very well written/edited for a book you would want to learn the subject matter from if you didn't know anything about satellite communications; and it doesn't include enough usable, pertinent data for keeping as a reference book for experienced users.Mostly the book explains concepts in a convoluted and confusing manner, doesn't fully explain them, or adds all sorts of extraneous material not explained in the book into the review sections (which we used as some of our assignments).If you like taking Microsoft computer certification tests, enjoy brain-teasers and riddles, you're already an electrical engineer/astrophysics major with a few years experience, or your last name is "Hawking" you may find this to be a good book.But, if you know little to nothing about satellite communications (orbital mechanics, transmission encoding methods, frequency spectrums, theory of radio transmissions, etc.) my suggestion is look for another book on the subject and get this one from your local library.If you MUST buy this book like I did, do yourself a favor by getting it 'Used' and save yourself some money.By the way, I was told this book is no longer used for this course for some of these same reasons.

Not a bad book but needs significant improvement
I am a lecturer and used this book for my class.

I like the material presented in this book. It contains many examples and discussion on real applications. However the organization of this book is not good. It is just like putting several people's work together without appropriate coordination of the material.

As a second edition of the book, it contains too much errors. You can find many errors in almost each chapter. I have to check carefully before I use their examples, equations and solutions. Otherwise I will get embarassed by letting the students pointing it out in my lecture. It is absolutely a shame.

If you are an engineer who are already familiar with data communications and can tell those errors, this book is a good choice. But if you are a student, I sugget you stay away from it unless it is the textbook chosen by your lecturer. ... Read more

Product Description
In demonstrating how Newtonian gravitational theory and Euclidean geometry can be used and developed in Earth’s environment, the text discusses earth’s gravitational field; matrices and orbital geometry; satellite orbit dynamics; geometry of satellite observations; statistical implications; and data analysis. Prerequisites: introductory course in college physics and a first-year course in calculus.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Dover reprint of Theory of Satellite Geodesy by W.M. Kaula
I studied with Bill Kaula from 1964-66 at UCLA and used this text extensively at that time and later while doing research and teaching in satellite geodesy.This thin book presents the derivations and details of analytic methods for calculating satellite orbits, and determining Earth's gravitational field from observations of satellites.Numerical methods are now much more accurate, but "number crunching" does not provide nearly the insights that analytic analyses can do.If you want insight into satellite orbit mechanics, this is the book to read.The first edition contained many typos and other errors which have been corrected in the Dover edition.The book provides an outstanding entry into the field of satellite geodesy.Math and physics at the upper division college level are required.

Bruce C. Douglas

A Classic in the Field
A reprint of this book is long overdue because I know several people who have a crumpled photocopy of the original addition and many others who have searched for a used copy without success.This book is a must read for anyone with more than a passing interest in astrodynamics and especially gravity field modeling.

The book begins with a concise description of the earth's gravity field in terms of potential theory.After a quick refresher on matrices and orbital elements, Kaula proceeds to describe the motion of an artificial satellite.In particular, he provides a detailed analysis of gravity field perturbations upon the evolution of the orbital elements including secular effects and resonance effects.The final chapters are concerned with modeling observations used to track satellites, using the observations to estimate the true motion of the satellite, and estimating geodetic information from the motion of the satellite.

Although first published in 1966, this book remains one of the best volumes available on satellite theory and geodesy.It is still used as a reference and textbook by many if not most experts in the field.However, the work is certainly not perfect.Kaula gives a concise and complete coverage of the subject, but it comes at the cost of loads of equations with little explanatory text.This can make it somewhat difficult to follow.It is certainly not written as a popular guide for the general public.Nevertheless, many astrodynamicists are delighted to have this volume available from the good folks at Dover. ... Read more

Product Description
Landscapes are brought to life in this uniquely spectacular atlas, in which extraordinary satellite images can be directly compared to state-of-the-art mapping, at a variety of scales, without having to turn the page. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Extremely high-quality photos with great history/geography lesson
I'm quite impressed with this book.I found it for $10 at Barnes and Noble.To me, the analogy is like finding a $200,000 Ferrari for $50,000.The book's pictures are really high-quality and are accompanied by a nice history/geography lesson.I'm also surprised that there were around 10 or so left of this book in the bargain section.Buy up!

p.s. I'm going to write the exact same for Earthcam as I truly feel the same way although this might sound silly.:-)

Brian

The big view from your coffee table
If you've had an atlas as a coffee table book, then this is even better. Maps and satellite photos get quiet little oohs and ahhs, and parents can show the pictures to the kids and keep them sitting quietly while you get the coffee and cookies for your guests. Provides non-controversial topics for conversation, and doesn't embarrass anyone by revealing too much of your interests or your family members.

The best Atlas EVER
This is truly an amazing book, one for every coffee table. I have many atlas's, but one with Satellite images next to a map is fantastic. It could be more complete with every country, but still, an amazing book to flick thru with a hot Latte in hand.

Absolutely stuuning, gorgeous book.
Great coffee table book.

The hologram images on the cover set the trend for the rest of the book. A satellite image is compared to a corresponding cartographical map of the same area.

All the great cities of the world are included ... New York, Los Angeles, New Dehli, London, Paris, Moscow, Tokyo, etc.

The book dramatically highlights the damaging effects of the greenhouse effect, plus the recent Aceh Tsunami.

DK books continue their great pictorial format/standard. This book has enough maps covering the world, to be classed as an atlas. ... Read more

Product Description
Explains the reasons, limitations and trade-offs inherent to communications satellites. The first half deals with link power budgets as well as communications hardware and examples of complete link budgets. Spacecraft technology and a description of the objectives and basic operating methods of each of the major supporting subsystems are covered in the last half. Contains end-of-chapter exercises and solutions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Too expensive.
I bought this book blindly without seeing the contents first (what a stupid mistake!) only because it said 'the first half of the book deals with link power budgets'. So you would think that this book has a lot of details about link budget calculations right? Wrong! Most of the stuff in this book is only in introductory level. The link budget calculation that was boasted as the main feature of the book is very superficial, the kind of stuff that you would find in any satellite communications book out there. If you are looking for a good reference for link budget calculation, I recommend Tri T. Ha's. It has a Crane's rain model in there. (But in the real work, people normally use ITU model. So you will need some of the ITU's recommendation papers that have the model calculations as well. For example, P 620 - just to name one.)

In all, this book is a fairly good introduction. I would have given it more stars if it were priced at around [price]. It is simply too expensive. If you want a better introduction book in satellite communications at lower price, go for Dennis Roddy's.

Well Worth The Price
This text was required for a college course in Satellite Communications.This book is one of the BEST at explaining satellite operations and space communications principles.I used the Wertz/Larson "SMAD" book in previous classes and was puzzled by its explanation of several space communications concepts such as EIRP and Power Flux Density.This book gives simple, common-sense explanations for these types of concepts.The first chapter alone gave me more of a complete understanding of communications satellite systems than anything I read inWertz/Larson.

Many of the calculations presented in this book involve decibels and logarithms and a math review would be helpful for most people.Since most communications calculations in general are done in decibels, this math is unavoidable but easily mastered with a little high school math review.

A good complement for this text is the book "Silicon Sky" by Gary Dorsey.This is the story of Orbital Sciences Corp/Orbcomm which is attempting to build a private communications satellite system.For a "business history" book, it gets surprisingly deep into the details of communications satellite engineering and provides a good real-world context for understanding the material in "Principles of Communications Satellites".

This is simply a classic text
I hesitated a bit before purchasing this book because of the price and my relative inexperience in this field. It is indeed a classic textbook because it begins every topic with a clear explanation of the underlyingtheory and its importance in understanding satellite communications. Theauthors have also provided chapter-end exercises to reinforce the keypoints. Though my college degree is in Chemistry and never had any class inengineering or computer science, the concepts are well understood. Irecommend this book to anyone who wants a good theoretical knowledge ofsatellite communication technology ... Read more

Product Description
Satellite television is part of the lives of millions of television viewers worldwide and its influence is set to increase significantly with the launch of digital satellite television services.

This comprehensive reference book, written by the author of the highly successful 'Digital Television', provides a technical overview of both analogue and digital satellite TV. Written concisely and thoroughly, it covers all aspects of satellite TV necessary to understand its operation and installation. It also covers the evolution of satellite television, and contains a detailed glossary of technical terms. This book will prove invaluable to those working in the telecommunications field, both professionals and undergraduates alike. It will be particularly useful to those who need to evaluate satellite transmission against other methods, such as digital terrestrial broadcasting.

A technical overview of both analogue and digital satellite TV.Covers all aspects of satellite TV necessary to understand its operation and installation.Contains a detailed glossary of technical terms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book. Concise.
I have seen the 1999 first edition and was very impressed.

It is a 'systems' book perfect for understanding the technology and the players. Starting from a background on geo-stationary satellies, Spectrum and bandwidths, LNBs, Analog satellite TV the author goes on to a little bit of MPEG2 compression, DTV, DVB-S and antennas. It lists the standards, companies and conditional access systems in use in Europe. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first comprehensive analysis of one of the hottest topics in communication systems today -- the application of low earth orbital (LEO) satellites in personal communication networks (PCNs). LEO satellites are the most promising tools for establishing global PCNs and yet their use can be problematic.

The book describes the characteristic design features of LEO satellites, discusses the design of LEO satellite communications networks, and presents analytical frameworks for evaluating their performance. It explains the major problems relating to employing LEO satellites in a global PCN -- both for today's and tomorrow's applications.

The book's broad coverage, including new research viewpoints, necessary tools, and fundamental analysis techniques, will enable engineers to: identify the advantages and disadvantages of non-geostationary satellites compared to conventional geostationary systems, understand how LEO satellite systems can meet specific requirements of future global PCNs, compare different multiple access schemes -- and select the newest, most promising schemes for future wireless communications and mobile satellite systems, determine the traffic characteristics of LEO satellites for global PCNs, and apply new techniques to evaluate and improve the performance of LEO satellite systems ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good book about Personal Communication Networks
With the satellite based wireless technology taking center stage in advanced communications, this book provides a good foundation about LEO Satellites.It is well written and covers mathematical concepts of orbits, DTR's and functional aspects of communication.Need more clarity onstate-of-the-art references and usages. The book is useful mainly forEngineers but non-technical person may enjoy as well. I enjoyed this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Earth science satellite remote sensing has been rapidly expanding during the last decade. Volume 2 of this two volume monograph provides information on the Earth science remote sensing data information and data format such as HDF-EOS, and tools. It evaluates the current data processing approaches and introduces data searching and ordering from different public domains. Further it explores the remote sensing and GIS migration products and WebGIS applications. The core of this book arose from the workshop for Earth Science Satellite Remote Sensing held at George Mason University (GMU) in October 2002. Both volumes are designed to give scientists and graduate students with limited remote sensing background a thorough introduction to current and future NASA, NOAA and other Earth science remote sensing.

Customer Reviews (1)

Recommended for CubeSat community
The growing University CubeSat community would be wise to read Past, Present...Future to benefit from the lessons learned in 'small' satellites larger than their own.The book provides extensive history, which I found very useful, and this context generates ideas for future innovations.The discussion of scaling in the 'Future' Chapter provides a useful framework and points of reference.Some of the ideas/technologies put forth for the Generation after Next are pretty far out there, but I have to tell myself that the current state of the art is far out relative to recent decades.Particularly relevant and detailed is the overview of The Aerospace Corp's picosat program and their approach to testing technologies on picosats in order to mitigate risk on larger missions and advance the exploitation of space more quickly and at lower cost.Amen.

For a thorough volume which should serve as a reference over the years, the published did the authors no service by opting for thin paper (color photos show through on reverse page) and a weak binding.(It was printed in Argentina) ?!My copy arrived from Amazon with a broken spine, which I promptly shipped back for exchange.I mention this for the sake of the second edition.

Lots of photos and charts are worth thousands of words each, and the extensive references allow readers to drill down for more detail on topics of interest.I hesitated given the price, but found the book a solid investment of my reading hours. ... Read more

Product Description
Business Earth Stations for Telecommunications Walter L. Morgan and Denis Rouffet This practical guide provides telecommunications managers with the basic information and procedures needed to configure a telecommunications network to meet the communications needs of their organization. It offers invaluable insights into the planning needs of managers, manufacturers, sellers, and installers of microterminals. The authors give you a complete overview of microterminal technology for the next decade, including: their history and nature, why they are used, who uses them and how service is provided, potential applications, an overview of the U.S. microterminal market, a look at network operators, and the economics of microterminal versus terrestrial services. 1988 (0 471-63556-1) 234 pp. A Basic Atlas of Radio-Wave Propagation Shigekazu Shibuya Now, in one source, planners and designers of telecommunications operating organizations can get direct guidelines for radio system planning and design. Carefully organized to present basic concepts of radio-wave propagation and system design, this indispensable work fully details even the most difficult mathematical theories and equations with graphic presentations that beginners and non-specialists will find particularly helpful. It presents all of the essential design elements required for VHF, UHF, and SHF radio in easy-to-follow chart form. In addition, every problem in this book can be explored using a computer. 1987 (0 471-88183-X) 778 pp. Radio System Design for Telecommunications (1-100 GHz) Roger L. Freeman Here’s how to plan, engineer, and design analog and digital radiolinks in the point-to-point telecommunications service. Telecommunications expert Roger Freeman covers every aspect of radio system design used in telecommunications, including siting criteria, hardware layout, performance predictions, links and system analysis, facility planning, and frequency assignment information. The book also describes how radiolinks operate and how to select the necessary performance parameters and equipment specifications to meet the needs of various customers. 1987 (0 471-81236-6) 560 pp. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fantastic satellite engineer reference manual
This book is a fantastic primer and reference guide for satellite engineers.It clearly presents concepts w/ the underlying equations for every aspect of satellite communications. It is a must for any engineer working in the satellite industry. ... Read more