| "body"> | | | | options are two-way pagers which function through a |
| How do those beeping things work that people carry | | | | PCS band, and interactive pagers which are like tiny |
| around on their belts? There are several types of | | | | computers, allowing telephone-free communications. |
| pagers but, basically, it's all done by good, old- | | | | You can store a number of messages in your pager - |
| fashioned radio waves. Someone sends you a text | | | | which include the time and date the message was |
| message with a touch-tone phone - or it can also be | | | | sent - and some have expanded memory to allow |
| sent by email - and the message is forwarded to the | | | | you to store even more. This way you can keep |
| thing on your belt, which then emits a beep or vibration | | | | phone numbers and information you will need again. |
| to tell you you've got a message. This is achieved | | | | Pagers run a long time on a small battery. One reason |
| through a cooperation of communication technologies - | | | | is that pagers function through the use of data blocks |
| basically, messages are broadcast on a certain radio | | | | called codewords. There is a decoder that can |
| frequency through a group of radio base stations, and | | | | determine whether the incoming codewords are for |
| the pager receives that message. | | | | your pager or not and shutoff if they are not. Thus, the |
| The pager has a LCD screen which displays the | | | | battery's life is extended. |
| phone number or text message you are receiving. The | | | | How far can you travel with your pager? The distance |
| simplicity or complexity of the kind of message the | | | | between your pager and the transmitter for which it |
| pager can receive depends, in part, on whether it is a | | | | has been programmed can vary. When you purchase |
| numeric pager or an alphanumeric pager. If it is numeric, | | | | your pager package, you can ask for local, regional or |
| the caller's numeric message is what you receive | | | | national coverage - at,of course, increasing costs for |
| (usually their phone number for you to call them back). | | | | your paging service and pager. It all depends on what |
| If you have an alphanumeric pager, a text message is | | | | you need - the beauty of it is you can purchase a |
| transmitted to you by a carrier operator's transcription | | | | pager that will exactly fit your personal, professional |
| of a telephonic message. Or text can be sent to you | | | | and geographic requirements. |
| through an alpha entry terminal or a modem. Other | | | | |