Software
for
Auction Professionals
SOLD
II®
“Solutions
for Auction Businesses”
..“
The
Auction Software leader since 1982.”.
WiLan
Intermediate
Broadband
Licensed
Commercial
Wireless
Internet
“Datacards”
Wireless
Satellite
THE
FACTS ABOUT WIRELESS
Wireless clerking works! Our clients
have been doing it for over 20 years.
However, not all
solutions are equal. Don't pick an option destined for failure.
Know the facts.
You've
probably heard or read the claims:
“20 mile line of
sight range, 40 mile line of sight range.”
Of course, the purpose of such claims is to reassure you that if they can transmit those distances, you will certainly have no problem transmitting the shorter distances you require. But is it true?
We tested the very same units and found their reliable range was at best 1,000 feet. In fact we even offer these same units for our intermediate distance option, but we would never make such outrageously misleading claims.
So what's going on here? How can the manufacturer and their dealers make such a claim and get away with it? The answer is that under exactly the right conditions and assumptions, they can transmit those distances. How?
They use a narrow-beam high gain antenna
By focusing the broadcast beam to one or 2 degrees, the same power gives them many miles of range; auction yards, however, almost always require 180 to 360 degree coverage. This give you a practical range of, you guessed it, 1,000 ft.They also elevate the high-gain narrow-beam antenna 100ft or more:
Do you want to invest in the equivalent of a cellphone tower?
Since narrow-beam won't work for auctions, we're back to the basic fact that this level of “radio modem” will only work for you up to 1,000 feet or so.
Common Wi-Fi:
Many auctioneers are tempted to use this inexpensive solution. It's great for a ballroom sale, but wi-fi has extremely limited range.
“Traditional
802.11b was licensed for omnidirectional service spanning only
100-150 meters
(300-500 ft).”
The 300-500ft range is a “best case” scenario that assumes there are no barriers or reflective interference from metal services. Due to its high frequencies, wi-lan is very vulnerable to reflective interference and has virtually no penetrating power through metal walls, etc. Some of our clients have found the wi-lan won't work much beyond 50ft in the environments they work in.
Note that some of the “wireless handhelds” being offered are running over wi-lan and are anything but inexpensive, often running from $1,500 to $2,500 each. Despite the hefty price, however, they share the very same distance limitations discussed here.
Only lower frequency licensed commercial frequencies overcome the penetration and reflective interference problem.
For more information on Wireless Clerking, please read our published whitepaper.
Remember, since we offer ALL the solution levels, we can be objective as to what will or won't work for your situation. If inexpensive wi-lan would work for you, great! If the intemediate solution fits your needs, we'll let you know that too.
CALL
SOLD II for an honest assessment of your wireless clerking
needs.
800-487-6532
SOLDII
is a trademark of Proven Software Inc.
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