Where's Hamatan?

Got up early this morning to be ready on time when some people from Swift Networks Nigeria were coming round to give us a site survey to see where and how they would install our wireless networking gear should we choose to use wireless again.

But there's a thunderstorm so they can't come to start waving around masts and recievers until its over.

Nigeria has two seasons. Rainy season and Dry season. The Hamatan wind, a northerly wind that marks the beginning of dry season carries dust particles from the Sahara, making the sky turn brown and turning almost everything a rusty muddy colour. Something like the dust you see on your car in the UK when it rains the day after you last washed it, only far worse. Sometimes it's a light Hamatan, sometimes it's very bad. It's naturally worse in the northern part of Nigeria than here in the south. It's a little early to be expecting Hamatan now, it's usually seen in December through January, and Dry season could last up till March afterward. I haven't really spent much of dry season in Nigeria since 2001.

Anyway, Expecting Swift later, then hopefully I can get out to find a quote for ku band VSAT connection. this type of VSAT is susceptible to weather problems, same as digital satelite tv which uses the same ku band.