We working on building a CubeSat at school (Taylor University.) The CubeSat system seems to be a good idea. There are plans to put up large numbers of small scientific satellites so that readings can be taken from multiple points at the same time. This will help our understanding of the space around the earth.
With modern electronics, it is amazing what can be packed in a pico-satellite. We are building a double size CubeSat (4x4x8in), and it will fit two radio systems, a mail server, a plasma probe, and various other electronics. (Web site coming eventually...)
Enough with the "Homeschoolers are bizarre" junk. Sure there are a few bizarre homeschoolers
out there--I know a few-but most aren't. I should know, I was homeschooled for 12 years. I have
met quite a few other former homeschoolers at my college. Most people don't even realize that
we were homeschooled. Homeschooling usually results in an education as good or better than a
public school education. Most of the calling homeschoolers bizarre is just a poor argument against
homeschooling. (BTW: I'm 19, a junior studying Computer Science and Physics at a well known
university, and play on the school lacrosse team. If you want to argue against homeschooling with
me, you'll have to come up with some good arguments.)
ANYWAY: about the article. Why waste the money on an online classroom? All of the ones that I
have seen are pretty lame. Including most of the college ones. (I've worked for one for the past
three years.) All the homeschool curriculums that are sold stink too. Do highschool the right way:
get a computer and internet access, use the public library, and read college textbooks. It works.
Unfortunately, everyone still uses ELT's. It doesn't look like anyone will be changing any time soon. I don't know of any ground teams that have the equipment for anything other than 121.5 and 243 MHz. (My personal equipment will, but the squadron equipment doesn't. =])
I don't see anything new in this. It is basically just a modified APRS setup designed to fit in airplanes, and to be approved by the FAA. Technically, it would be very easy to implement. It could just use standard packet radio operating on aircraft frequencies.
The only realistic way that someone could try to crack the system would be to report an additional plane, or to be actually on a plane and crack the hardware to make it report the wrong position. The system probably wouldn't be used to replace the current system, but to make it more accurate. GPS data at altitude should be very accurate. Most of the inaccuracy of the GPS system is caused by the atmosphere. A mile or two up there is a whole lot less atmosphere to worry about.
Now, what we really need is for the standard ELT's (Emergency Locator Transmitter, one of the black boxes, it is a beacon that goes of when a plane crashes) to include a GPS receiver with a transmitter to report the location of the accident.
GPS is owned by the Department of Defense, and run by the US Air Force and US Navy. I don't remember exactly who runs it, but I think it is 2SOPS or 3SOPS.
A public wireless Internet is definitely possible. Hams already have a widespread RF TCP/IP
network. Unfortunately, most RF links are very slow. Sending data over the radio at anything
close to a reasonable speed takes a lot of bandwidth. The radio bands are already very crowded in
populated areas. For a wireless 'net to actually happen, a more efficient way of sending data over
RF will need to be invented. The other solution would be to use large numbers of very low power
stations. These would need to be incredibly inexpensive for enough to be installed to create a
reasonable coverage area.
I hope that use of a wireless net doesn't become too common for a while. While one could be
created today, it would waste way too much bandwidth. We need to create a wireless system that
doesn't create more radio noise than already exists. Some bandwidth needs to remain free for
hams, emergency services, and radio astronomy.
Slashdot Mirror
Alright! A topic I know about.
We working on building a CubeSat at school (Taylor University.) The CubeSat system seems to be a good idea. There are plans to put up large numbers of small scientific satellites so that readings can be taken from multiple points at the same time. This will help our understanding of the space around the earth.
With modern electronics, it is amazing what can be packed in a pico-satellite. We are building a double size CubeSat (4x4x8in), and it will fit two radio systems, a mail server, a plasma probe, and various other electronics. (Web site coming eventually...)
I just hope the launch goes well...
-thz
I thought this was kinda funny...
Gee, Cray is definitely the "Global supercomputer leader." Their fastest computer is an incredible .18 times as fast as IBM's.
[According to the latest TOP500 Supercomputer Sites list, Cray's fastest computer is ranked tenth.]
-thz
There was something about this in PopSci a couple years ago: http://www.popsci.com/features/bown/bown98/science _tech.html
-thz
Enough with the "Homeschoolers are bizarre" junk. Sure there are a few bizarre homeschoolers
out there--I know a few-but most aren't. I should know, I was homeschooled for 12 years. I have
met quite a few other former homeschoolers at my college. Most people don't even realize that
we were homeschooled. Homeschooling usually results in an education as good or better than a
public school education. Most of the calling homeschoolers bizarre is just a poor argument against
homeschooling. (BTW: I'm 19, a junior studying Computer Science and Physics at a well known
university, and play on the school lacrosse team. If you want to argue against homeschooling with
me, you'll have to come up with some good arguments.)
ANYWAY: about the article. Why waste the money on an online classroom? All of the ones that I
have seen are pretty lame. Including most of the college ones. (I've worked for one for the past
three years.) All the homeschool curriculums that are sold stink too. Do highschool the right way:
get a computer and internet access, use the public library, and read college textbooks. It works.
-thz
Unfortunately, everyone still uses ELT's. It doesn't look like anyone will be changing any time soon. I don't know of any ground teams that have the equipment for anything other than 121.5 and 243 MHz. (My personal equipment will, but the squadron equipment doesn't. =])
I don't see anything new in this. It is basically just a modified APRS setup designed to fit in airplanes, and to be approved by the FAA. Technically, it would be very easy to implement. It could just use standard packet radio operating on aircraft frequencies.
The only realistic way that someone could try to crack the system would be to report an additional plane, or to be actually on a plane and crack the hardware to make it report the wrong position. The system probably wouldn't be used to replace the current system, but to make it more accurate. GPS data at altitude should be very accurate. Most of the inaccuracy of the GPS system is caused by the atmosphere. A mile or two up there is a whole lot less atmosphere to worry about.
Now, what we really need is for the standard ELT's (Emergency Locator Transmitter, one of the black boxes, it is a beacon that goes of when a plane crashes) to include a GPS receiver with a transmitter to report the location of the accident.
GPS is owned by the Department of Defense, and run by the US Air Force and US Navy. I don't remember exactly who runs it, but I think it is 2SOPS or 3SOPS.
A public wireless Internet is definitely possible. Hams already have a widespread RF TCP/IP
network. Unfortunately, most RF links are very slow. Sending data over the radio at anything
close to a reasonable speed takes a lot of bandwidth. The radio bands are already very crowded in
populated areas. For a wireless 'net to actually happen, a more efficient way of sending data over
RF will need to be invented. The other solution would be to use large numbers of very low power
stations. These would need to be incredibly inexpensive for enough to be installed to create a
reasonable coverage area.
I hope that use of a wireless net doesn't become too common for a while. While one could be
created today, it would waste way too much bandwidth. We need to create a wireless system that
doesn't create more radio noise than already exists. Some bandwidth needs to remain free for
hams, emergency services, and radio astronomy.
-thz