After capturing vivid images from the war in Iraq, the Bloommobile is now all cleaned up and ready to take on Hurricane Isabel. The special-purpose truck provides mobile, in-motion live broadcast capabilities.
The satellite-based mobile communications vehicle, known as the "Bloommobile," that helped the network cover the war in Iraq live was in Raleigh, N.C. last week to assist NBC in its live coverage of Hurricane Isabel. Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN), of Miramar, Fla., built the vehicle for NBC, using all of the latest digital video acquisition and transmission equipment.
With Hurricane Isabel making landfall on Thursday, September 18, along the North Carolina coast, the MTN-built vehicle--which NBC reporter David Bloom used to broadcast live reports from the war in Iraq before he died there on April 6, closely followed the storm and sent back live, high-quality images while traveling at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.
The "Bloommobile" is a special-purpose truck designed by MTN for NBC and equipped with a stabilized VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) antenna designed to provide mobile, in-motion live broadcast capabilities. The truck stays locked on its satellite-based communications transponder even when the truck and camera are moving at high speed over uneven terrain. As a self-contained mobile transmitting station, MTN's specially equipped vehicle can go directly to where the action is, allowing live broadcasts from anywhere.
For more information visit www.mtnsat.com.
