[ale] Wandering OT: Re: Car PC's and internet radio?

[Jim Popovitch]

On Tue, 2007-04-17 at 23:47 -0400, Jeff Hubbs wrote:
> Jim, you're reacting before you're reading and thinking. 

I'm not the one trying to convince a room full of others.  ;-)

> I've rented a satellite phone before; it looked like this:
> http://www.outfittersatellite.com/rentals.htm#globalstar
> 
> So, here we have a data point:  duplex roughly-POTS-grade voice in both
> directions in a unit the size of a cordless phone handset, not counting
> the antenna.

Yes, "cordless phone handset", not mobile phone handset.  Much
difference in size.  Btw, sat phones don't have near as much bat time as
a mobile (i.e. cellular) handset, digital or analog.

> Given this data point, how big would a battery-powered unit have to be
> in order to have a bidirectional transmission capability that is instead
> tremendously asymmetrical - at least nearly CD-grade down, very slow and
> occasional up?  I dare say, it wouldn't have to be bigger than the
> satellite phone - which leaves "same size" and "smaller."  Why couldn't
> it be smaller?
> 
> Now, if there are XM radios the size of a dime, I'll cede your point! :)

They come the size of an iPod, but I guess you'd have to see it, the
technical specs, and 100 internet posts to believe that. ;-)

> > I can drive by a tv station uplink and my cellphone has issues. ;-)
> >
> > -Jim P.
> Again, different situation, and I contend that you do not know that the
> TV station uplink is causing your cellphone problem. 

OK, it's just a coincidence that it only happens when I park next/near
an uplink station. Btw, they also impact the sat radio too. ;-)

-Jim P.