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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."

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

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

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

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

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

    Another mirror of this to be found here.

  7. 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?

  8. 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.