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Green, Wireless Networking

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the self-made-challenges dept.

spacepleb writes "A solar and pedal powered bi-directional satellite connection shared out over 802.11b. Given the difficulty of satellite connectivity alone in Europe, these guys turned some heads."

17 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Pedal powered? by SeanTobin · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've got no idea what the link is about, but I'm guessing thier bicycle just got a lot harder to push.

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  2. Mirror by nelf · · Score: 5, Informative

    There is a mirror for this at
    http://mirror1.psand.net/green/

  3. My god, no posts and its slashdotted allready! by Huogo · · Score: 3, Informative

    Mirrior (if the page would finish downloading...):
    Here (note, this might have to be taken down, I'm not sure how MY site will handle the bandwidth, I'll keep a close eye on it.)

  4. Green satellites? by Boiling_point_ · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now all we need is a three hundred metre tall trebuchet to launch the satellite itself into orbit, and we're as green as Kermit :)

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  5. Green? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    All those people pedaling the bicycle were producing carbon dioxide, which leads to global warming.

    1. Re:Green? by anthony_dipierro · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And how do humans get their energy? From local farms, at the best. No, these people would have done a lot more good for the environment by using a diesel generator and soy oil biodiesel fuel. Yeah, the solar panels are maybe as energy efficient as biodiesel, but as they mention they produce very little energy, in this case only 85 Watts or so.

    2. Re:Green? by anthony_dipierro · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Generators are banned by the powers that be at the "Green Gathering" whatever they are running on, this may not be correct, but this is how it is.

      So a biodiesel powered generator that burns soy oil and creates carbon dioxide is banned, but a human powered generator that burns soybeans and creates carbon dioxide as well, but does so at a lower efficiency isn't.

      Just goes to show the short-sightedness of these Greens.

  6. Pedal Faster by peatbakke · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... the server's been slashdoted. :)

  7. Another Mirror by adelayde · · Score: 5, Informative

    Another mirror of this to be found here.

  8. mirror by jazperbg · · Score: 3, Informative

    and yet another mirror, here (the images may still be downloading from the original site for a wee while)

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  9. not just stupid treehuggers by teqo · · Score: 5, Insightful
    25 comments, and everybody besides the valuable mirror people (thx!) is trying to be funny... I cannot refrain from the idea this must have to do with the /. community perception of these people as just being wierd treehuggers, but a) how is this less hackish or nerdish than other fringe hardware hacking, like setting up overclocked boards in fridges or similar stuff which always gets applauded here, and b) this in fact isn't useless, not because it actually solves energy problems, but it rather points to environmental issues someone needs to address...

    Maybe its too bad for their /. appreciation that its called the Big Green Gathering and not HAL or Chaos Communication Camp.. Nonetheless they have done a nice and valuable hack, and a green one too...

    1. Re:not just stupid treehuggers by swb · · Score: 5, Insightful

      b) this in fact isn't useless, not because it actually solves energy problems, but it rather points to environmental issues someone needs to address...

      What's the proportion of energy used to *make* all the comms gear they have vs. the energy it actually takes to power it? 100:1?

      In other words, what's the total energy cost of the product (production, distribution, use) and what percentage are you actually saving? Is it the equivilent of not running the A/C in your 400-cubic-inch-V8-powered SUV because it gives you a tiny payback in gas mileage?

  10. difficulty of sattelite connectivity in Europe? by jonbrewer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I wonder why the poster thinks satellite connectivity is difficult in Eurpoe... what is s/he comparing to? I found that there are more satellite Internet providers serving Europe and the Middle East than North America, by far!

    1. Re:difficulty of sattelite connectivity in Europe? by nelf · · Score: 4, Informative

      As it goes, Ku band downlink using the DVB-RCS standard which lets you get higher speed 2-way satellite links has been very difficult to get hold of in Europe up until very recently... the equipment we used was still under development at the time we carried out the activities in the article, and we are only now starting to see this sort of technology come to market, either in the UK or elsewhere in Europe... we've been after this sort of kit for about 4 years and we had to work very hard to get hold of it.

  11. These guys are sell outs! by Treeluvinhippy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Green internet connection huh? Well lets see here... hmm depends on a sattelite with an apple airport for a connection and yet no mention of all the pollutants released in the atmosphere from the rocket.

    Lots of plastic chairs in the pictures that's not good.

    Cars! My god these people drove!

    Looks to me like it's just a bunch of yuppies doing their yearly feel-good protect the earth thing, and getting some excercise at the same time. When I saw that pic of the dude on the excercise bike I thought "Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer Go!"

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  12. Trouble in the best of times by Nkwe · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Even people expressing "anti-capitalist" views can fail to comprehend or apply the effort needed to avoid using heavily licensed corporate software, even though a viable community alternative is presented in a learning environment with on hand human support.
    I found this comment most interesting and telling. It seems that in a situation as ideally suited for open software and an open environment such as described, the audience would be eager to learn and use what is available. This comment suggests otherwise. Depressing. It seems that we have a long road and a long haul ahead.
  13. Great... the first Slashdot-related fatality... by tlambert · · Score: 3, Funny

    Great... the first Slashdot-related fatality...

    "Too much web traffic kills Internet bicyclist..."

    -- Terry