4 Communications 

 Alternatives 



This chapter is concerned with communications alternatives for real- 

 time reporting and for access to archived data in a database. New 

 equipment and capabilities are constantly reaching the market, so an 

 existing-market search would need to be done at time of implementation. 



Real-Time Reporting 



Table 2 compares alternatives presently available for real-time voice 

 reporting of water level and related information. Certain instrument 

 manufacturers sell proprietary turnkey measurement systems that include 

 radio communication, which were not investigated here. 



Table 2 



Features of Selected Voice-Reporting Systems 



Feature 



Sutron Board 



Sphere Reporter 



Dialogic Netware 



Voice Modem 

 UNIX 



Annual maintenance costs 



Phone Charges 



Phone Charges 



PC Cost, phones 



PC Cost, 

 Phones 



Capability (# Users) 



1 



2 



(Phone/Radio) 



Up to 32 



Up to 32 



| Expandability 



Minimal 



Moderate 



Minimal 



Good 



Stand-alone or networked 



Stand Alone 



Stand Alone 



Networked 



Networked 



Type of connection 



Cell/Land Phone 



Cell/Land Phone, 

 plus marine radio 



Cell/Land Phone 



Cell/Land 



Phone, Data 



Radio 



Voice vocabulary 



Minimal 



Moderate 



Limited 



Good 



Voice quality 



Minimal 



Good 



Good 



Good 



Voice speed 



Minimal 



Moderate 



Moderate 



Good 



Fax or other medium 



Text Terminal 



None 



Text Terminal 



Fax, Text 

 Terminal, 

 Graphics 



28 



Chapter 4 Communications Alternatives 



