Using modems and cellular phones with the 100LX

I just got done downloading around 90K of messages from CompuServe's HPHAND and PPI forums using the HP 100LX and a Practical Peripherals Inc. 14.4/14.4 fax/modem. This was through an OKI 900 Cellular phone, using the data option I have installed in my car. The car was stationary (parked). The OKI has a meter that shows a 1 to 5 scale for power/ closeness/clean connection and it was showing five, the highest cleanest power rating.

Total connect time, from the time I said dial until the phone hung up was 2 minutes and 42 seconds. Allowing 42 seconds for answer negotiation, switching between forums, my estimate is that it took 2 minutes to download the 90+ K of messages. That calculates out to about 750 characters per second. There was no data loss as far as I can tell.

Cellular phone users in Northern CA may have a cleaner, wider bandwidth than thought, since others have indicated that only a 2400 baud effective rate was possible on cellular transmissions and I was able to use 9600 baud.

Frank Nagle CompuServe ID: [71140,1253]