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[rebel-builders] Wireless phones and ipads

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:34 pm
by Jerald Folkerts
There is a problem with conventional (spinning) hard drives above 10,000 ft.
Most recommend newer solid state drives for operation above those altitudes,
but since the I-Pad already has an SSD, that should not be an issue.

Jerry
SR 2500 #093
www.mykitlog.com/jfolkerts


-----Original Message-----
From: mike.davis@dcsol.com [mailto:mike.davis@dcsol.com] On Behalf Of Garry
Wright
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2011 6:02 PM
To: rebel-builders@dcsol.com
Subject: [rebel-builders] Wireless phones and ipads

I changed the subject from '...bound to happen'.

There are problems with telephone data plans at high altitudes. The
radiation patterns for wireless phones (from repeaters) are pancake shaped,
with little power directed in the vertical direction. Same problem with
phones on commercial flights. The object of course for normal phones is to
get the best coverage at ground level. While I don't have experience or
direct knowledge, I have read that it is be a problem at altitude. Of course
there is always some signal in any direction, it just may not be reliable or
useful.

Garry

On Fri, Oct 7, 2011 at 4:10 PM, Ben Ransom <bransom@ucdavis.edu> wrote:
Anyone know if there is any truth to a report I had read (9 months back)
that some of the ipad gps flight aids do not work above 10k msl?

-Ben

On 10/7/11 8:52 AM, "Bob Patterson" <bobp@prosumers.ca> wrote:
Somebody was going to do this !

http://www.androidflightdirector.com/

Looks like a cheap Chinese 10" Android tablet computer
with moving map GPS, for $699.99 .....
$49/year map subscription... if you want it ...

Cheaper than buying maps, plus some utility ...
Hardware quality might not be great, but price is right !

Maybe next just the software will be available for any computer ...
it's not that hard to do ! Actually, there's free open source GPS
software available NOW for Linux - just scan your own maps, or d/l the
existing road maps ... Used it several years ago to get to Sun 'n Fun !
(also good for the car .... ;-) )

We used GPSDrive, and a cheap USB GPS antenna that came with
an outdated package of M$ Streets & Roads bought locally ...
(- $29 !! -- tossed the M$ software .. kept the antenna ! )

There's also Roadnav, Navit, and Viking ...
some of these can use Garmin maps, others use Google Maps,
and all can use OpenStreetMaps .... ALL free software !!!

Ain't Linux grand !! ;-) (Android IS Linux ...)


......bobp
bobp@prosumers.ca
bobp@pattersys.com
http://www.Pattersys.com
http://www.amway.ca/BobPatterson

De-fenestrate now ! Linux is the answer !

Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender
and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other entities or
persons.
Any action taken as a result of the contents of this email is totally
the
responsibility of the reader.

http://www.danasoft.com/sig/pssignTux.jpg




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[rebel-builders] Wireless phones and ipads

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:34 pm
by Ben Ransom
Interesting Gary, thanks.
I'm guessing the pancake shape is mostly above the repeater and gets
weaker with distance. On the ground, that distance isn't so much an
issue, as usually one comes into range of another pancake
(er...repeater!). But I can see that maybe in the vertical (no more
repeaters going skyward), signal strength might just be too weak at some
altitude, and I would have thought it would be much sooner than 10k ft.

It all probably boils down to signal strength range horizontally x
vertically. And for that, I wonder if subscription service matters much.
ATT sucks where I am; verizon much better. At least for my phone and
typical location.
-Ben

On 10/7/11 4:01 PM, "Garry Wright" <wright.garry30@gmail.com> wrote:
I changed the subject from '...bound to happen'.

There are problems with telephone data plans at high altitudes. The
radiation patterns for wireless phones (from repeaters) are pancake
shaped,
with little power directed in the vertical direction. Same problem with
phones on commercial flights. The object of course for normal phones is to
get the best coverage at ground level. While I don't have experience or
direct knowledge, I have read that it is be a problem at altitude. Of
course
there is always some signal in any direction, it just may not be reliable
or
useful.

Garry

On Fri, Oct 7, 2011 at 4:10 PM, Ben Ransom <bransom@ucdavis.edu> wrote:
Anyone know if there is any truth to a report I had read (9 months back)
that some of the ipad gps flight aids do not work above 10k msl?

-Ben

On 10/7/11 8:52 AM, "Bob Patterson" <bobp@prosumers.ca> wrote:
Somebody was going to do this !

http://www.androidflightdirector.com/

Looks like a cheap Chinese 10" Android tablet computer
with moving map GPS, for $699.99 .....
$49/year map subscription... if you want it ...

Cheaper than buying maps, plus some utility ...
Hardware quality might not be great, but price is right !

Maybe next just the software will be available for any computer ...
it's not that hard to do ! Actually, there's free open source GPS
software available NOW for Linux - just scan your own maps, or d/l the
existing road maps ... Used it several years ago to get to Sun 'n
Fun !
(also good for the car .... ;-) )

We used GPSDrive, and a cheap USB GPS antenna that came with
an outdated package of M$ Streets & Roads bought locally ...
(- $29 !! -- tossed the M$ software .. kept the antenna ! )

There's also Roadnav, Navit, and Viking ...
some of these can use Garmin maps, others use Google Maps,
and all can use OpenStreetMaps .... ALL free software !!!

Ain't Linux grand !! ;-) (Android IS Linux ...)


......bobp
bobp@prosumers.ca
bobp@pattersys.com
http://www.Pattersys.com
http://www.amway.ca/BobPatterson

De-fenestrate now ! Linux is the answer !

Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual
sender
and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other entities or
persons.
Any action taken as a result of the contents of this email is totally
the
responsibility of the reader.

http://www.danasoft.com/sig/pssignTux.jpg




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