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RockSTAR Burst

Introduction​

The RockSTAR Burst, a new innovation from Ground Control, marks a significant advancement in wireless communication technology. Utilising the Iridium Burst® satellite service, it offers a unique global paging capability in a compact, handheld personal message receiver. Distinct from typical pagers that rely on terrestrial towers, the RockSTAR Burst receives messages directly from an extensive network of satellites.

This RockSTAR Burst is designed for outdoor environments, enabling message reception anywhere on Earth with a clear view of the sky, however, the powerful satellite transmissions are capable of penetrating buildings, partial obstructions, and various weather conditions, ensuring reliable communication to the RockSTAR Burst.

Hardware Features​

  • Bright OLED screen for display information
  • 5-button keypad
  • Truly global communication system capable of receiving messages anywhere on Earth
  • USB Connection for charging and data transfer
  • 5300mAh rechargable battery

Physical Properties​

  • Dimensions: 144 x 76 x 36 mm (plus antenna)
  • Weight: ~305 grams
  • Screen: Single Colour OLED 26 x 35 mm

RockSTAR_BURST

  1. Iridium Antenna
  2. OLED Screen
  3. Wipe Message Button
  4. GPS Antenna
  5. Keypad

The user interface consists of a mono display (2), 5 navigation buttons (5) and an all message wipe button (3).

Environmental Properties​

  • Storage Temperature: -40 to 85 deg C
  • Operating Temperature: -30 to 60 deg C
  • Operating Environment: <75% Relative Humidity
  • Testing:
    • MIL-STD-810G for vibration, temperature and shock
    • IP67 - Sealed against dust and water ingression to immersion of 1m
  • Radio Emissions: The RockSTAR Burst, equipped with the 9602 burst transceiver, is designed to operate exclusively as a receive-only device, with its software ensuring that no radio signals are emitted in any state, whether idle or receiving, as extensively tested and confirmed by Iridium. This feature has been crucial in its adoption by militaries in sensitive environments, where its use has not led to any emission-related issues.

Certifications​

The RockSTAR Burst pager is both CE and FCC compliant, signifying that it adheres to the necessary health, safety, and environmental guidelines for distribution within the European Union and the United States. The CE certification confirms alignment with European standards, while the FCC certification establishes compliance with American regulations concerning electromagnetic interference and radiofrequency devices.

Battery Life​

The battery life of our device is rated to last between 25 to 35 hours under normal operating conditions. This duration is subject to variations based on several factors including ambient temperature, frequency of display usage, GPS visibility, and the volume of messages received.

Battery Tests: In a controlled test, where our unit received a message every 15 minutes without sound or vibration alerts, the battery lasted for 33 hours. It is important to note that the screen was not activated with every message, but messages were periodically checked and read throughout the test.

Recharging​

For recharging, the battery requires 7 to 10 hours to reach full capacity. To ensure optimal charging efficiency, we recommend using a high-quality USB adaptor with a minimum output of 2.1A.

Operating Modes​

NOTE: For the purposes of this documentation the terms Active/Activate/Activated refer to a powered on state of the device and Deactive/Deactivate/Deactivated refer to the powered off state. These terms do not relate to the network status of the device.

Deactivated​

When the RockSTAR Burst is in its deactivated (powered off) state, the OLED screen will remain inactive. Waking the screen can be achieved by pressing any key. The display will show the current time (if a GNSS signal was previously received) and battery level at the top, with 'PAGER OFF' centrally displayed. Note that the screen will time out and turn off again after 20 seconds.

While in this mode, the device will not receive any Burst pages or GPS signals.

To activate (power on) the RockSTAR Burst, press and hold the 'OK' button, located at the center of the navigation keypad, for a duration of five seconds.

With the screen awake, a limited menu can be accessed by pressing the DOWN arrow key.

Activated​

When active (powered on), the RockSTAR Burst will show the home screen. The display will automatically turn itself off after 20 seconds to preserve battery power. To wake the screen, press any key and the home screen will be displayed again.

Home Screen​

The home screen will display the following information:

  • Network Sync, Time and Battery %
  • New messages (#)
  • Unread Messages (#)
  • Total Messages (#)

RockSTAR_BURST_homescreen

GNSS Time​

Once active, the device will obtain a GPS signal for the purposes of displaying the time.

Where GNSS time is unavailable (e.g. in areas of GPS denial), the RockSTAR Pager will continue to function normally and messages will be received.

Iridium Network Synchronisation​

Network synchronisation is typically achieved within 40 to 60 seconds of activating (powering on) the pager, which enhances its reliability in receiving messages. Although the pager can receive messages without synchronisation, it is more reliable when synchronised. For best results, we recommend activating (switching on) the device outdoors where there is a clear view of the sky.

Once synchronisation is achieved, SyncOk will be displayed in the top left corner of the Home Screen.

Messages​

Selecting the OK key from the home screen grants access to the messages display menu.

Messages appear in chronological sequence, with the most recent ones positioned at the top of the list. Unread messages are distinctly marked with an asterisk (*).

Navigation through the message list is facilitated by the UP and DOWN arrows on the keypad. To view a message's details, including its date and time of receipt, press the OK key.

To delete an individual message, first select it from the list, then press the RIGHT arrow key. This action brings up an Options menu, where you can choose to either Cancel or Delete. Confirm the deletion of the selected message by pressing the OK key.

The RockSTAR Burst pager features a message storage capacity of nearly 500 messages, accommodating read, unread, and 'invisible' network messages. However, given its limited screen size and basic navigation, storing a large number of messages can become impractically cumbersome. To maintain usability and ease of navigation, we recommend regular deletion of non-essential messages.

Delete ALL Messages​

For bulk removal of all messages on the device, press and hold the RED button for a duration of 5 seconds. A countdown will be displayed to verify and complete this action.

To access the device's main menu, press the DOWN arrow key on the keypad. The main menu consists of the following options:

  • Settings
  • Services
  • Pager Off

The menu can be navigated using the UP and DOWN arrow keys on the keypad. Press OK to select and enter a menu item. Pressing the LEFT arrow key will exit the current menu and return to the one above, until returning to the home screen.

Settings​

The settings menu contains the following menu and submenu items:

  • Screen Brightness
    • Screen brightness can be adjusted in 4 steps, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%
  • Notifications
    • Sound (On/Off) - Enables or disables audible alerts
    • Visual (On/Off) - Enables or disables visual (screen flash) alerts
    • Vibrate (On/Off) - Enables or disables vibration alert
  • Time Offset
    • Default time is displayed as UTC. Time offset allows the device's clock to display another timezone between UTC-14 and UTC+14
  • Connect USB
    • Ensure this setting is selected prior to connecting the USB cable to the port, in order to mount the device's internal storage on a desktop computer.
  • About
    • Version: indicates the FW version the pager is running, e.g. PAGER 07
    • IMEI: indicates the IMEI number of the Iridium Transceiver
Services​

The services screen displays:

  • Iridium terminal ID e.g. "AllTerminals"
  • IMEI of device
  • Service Name
Pager Off​

Selecting the Pager Off menu item will display an "Are you Sure?" prompt. Pressing OK will deactivate (power off) the RockSTAR Burst device.