[pp.int.general] File Sharing in Space, baloon fork.

Johan Karlsson johan at landslide.nu
Tue Oct 19 23:08:03 CEST 2010


> Input needed on communications. Is it difficult to
> get comms working on altitudes?

At least its impossible to use any sort of mobile phone network. They are
designed to transmit things sideways - not up or down. So there is no signal
at all if you get higher up than a couple of hundred meters.

And there will be a similar problem with any form of communication device
youll put on it. Unless you want to umph out several hundred watts of signal
you will need to limit to where the signal is sent to either straight
sideways or directly down.
You will also need to pick a form of communication where the one youre
communicating with has enough power to get the signal back to the balloon.
(Its possible to set up a WLAN and add an (illegal) amplifier to it to make
the signal reach the ground. But unless you got a very large (and heavy)
antenna to receive the signal from your users it wont reach the balloon.

Cheers
Johan

On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 10:39 PM, Erik Lönroth <erik.lonroth at gmail.com>wrote:

> On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 9:11 PM, Andrew Norton <ktetch at gmail.com> wrote:
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
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> > On 10/19/2010 2:23 PM, Erik Lönroth wrote:
> >> This is the continuation of the discussions about launching a "vessel"
> >> of some sort.
> >>
> >> The old subject was: "File Sharing in Space"
> >>
> >> That thread has drifted somewhat, so I would like to fork it.
> >>
> >> First of all, I love that alot of people are engaged in the discussion
> >> and pushing in alot of "how" and "what" etc. BUT, since its way to
> >> difficult for me at the present to coordinate and even to digest alot
> >> of it, I have to stick with a reasonable plan that I can manage at
> >> present. There has been alot of twists on this in the previous
> >> discussion: "A boat", "A rocket", "A zeppeline" and I think that
> >> Andrew Norton proposed a bunch of other stuff. All of those are
> >> offcourse super-cool, but for me - all of them too difficult to manage
> >> as a project. I am not competent enough for such a project yet as I
> >> lack the knowledge about too many things about it. The future of this
> >> project, version 2 if you like, might go further...
> >>
> >
> > Well, I proposed a boat initially.My thoughts are ths
> >
> > The vehicle (the balloon) and the payload (the 'site') are two seperate
> > things. The balloon system is best tested with just weights first (so if
> > it all goes bad, we've lost some weights, not expensive electronics)
> > while the site side can be tested in an easily accessible environment
> > that has similar challenges, just like a boat.
> >
> > I wasn't giving it as an aim, most as an intermediate testbed step for
> > the site-side, which also has historical parallels.
> >
> >
>
> I like the idea of testing the "site" separate, perhaps on a boat....
> Is this something you have the know-how on?
>
> In that case, I think that by just syncing on what the contraints will
> be - its probably just a matter of getting things done on it.
>
> I'll have some preliminary discussions over a coffe with a friend here
> in Sweden and I think we can start up some basic things.
>
> Input needed on communications. Is it difficult to get comms working
> on altitudes?
>
> > Andrew
> >
> >
> >> So:
> >>
> >> My plan will be to launch a baloon with a simple file sharing site
> >> into the air. Make it stay up there as long as possible and learn from
> >> it. Grow the ambitions if it is possible to succeed with them.
> >>
> >>
> >> THE PLAN
> >> ----------------
> >> Basically - its a baloon as a first step.
> >>
> >> A baloon with a "webserver"/"file sharing site" proposes some separate
> problems:
> >>
> >> 1. Make a baloon stay up "long" in the air. High enough to be
> >> annoying, low enough to allow various "data traffic".
> >> 2. Define a MINIMUM of devices that needs to go up with it, that....
> >> 3. A) Can be powered by a "POWER SOURCE".
> >>     B) Survives very cold climates and tough winds.
> >>     C) Can't be "hacked".
> >>     D) Provides a "pirate-like service" that can be accessed somehow
> >> from ground level.
> >> 4. In best case - can be recovered.
> >>
> >> All problems related to "formalities" (laws, regulations, licenses
> >> etc.) are for now ignored since this is not even close to a practical
> >> reality yet.
> >>
> >> There was a reporter from Forbes that was interested in talking to me
> >> about this project. So if anyone wants to say hello to media - this
> >> your chance. Cheers Forbes, I hope you read this! Hope to talk to you
> >> soon.
> >>
> >> So - if you want to help out right away. I could use a wiki to be able
> >> to discuss the various sub-problems and a emailing list that can be
> >> used to discuss all of the topics that will arise.
> >>
> >> In the future, a fund-raising page can be thought of. Getting money in
> >> return for publicity to fund more fancy stuff in the future. Start
> >> with a baloon - end up in space. Who knows.
> >>
> >> /Erik
> >> ____________________________________________________
> >> Pirate Parties International - General Talk
> >> pp.international.general at lists.pirateweb.net
> >> http://lists.pirateweb.net/mailman/listinfo/pp.international.general
> >
> >
> > - --
> > Andrew Norton
> > http://ktetch.blogspot.com
> > Tel: (352)6-KTETCH [352-658-3824]
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> > ____________________________________________________
> > Pirate Parties International - General Talk
> > pp.international.general at lists.pirateweb.net
> > http://lists.pirateweb.net/mailman/listinfo/pp.international.general
> >
> ____________________________________________________
> Pirate Parties International - General Talk
> pp.international.general at lists.pirateweb.net
> http://lists.pirateweb.net/mailman/listinfo/pp.international.general
>
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