Hilarious!

[Jim Thompson]

Just doing some "spring" cleaning in the office.

Ran across some 1995 magazines buried in the closet:

DOS World... was it really that bad?

Stereophile... S/E Power Amp, "Aleph Null", by Pass... barf!

Electronics Now... article by Don Lancaster "spraying" the whole FM
band with a square wave jammer ;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[Ban]

Just doing some "spring" cleaning in the office.

Ran across some 1995 magazines buried in the closet:

DOS World... was it really that bad?

Stereophile... S/E Power Amp, "Aleph Null", by Pass... barf!

Electronics Now... article by Don Lancaster "spraying" the whole FM
band with a square wave jammer ;-)

Those mags were not better 10yrs ago either...

 

[Robert]

Just doing some "spring" cleaning in the office.

Ran across some 1995 magazines buried in the closet:

DOS World... was it really that bad?

Stereophile... S/E Power Amp, "Aleph Null", by Pass... barf!

Electronics Now... article by Don Lancaster "spraying" the whole FM
band with a square wave jammer ;-)

...Jim Thompson

For another look at not too long ago electronics.

http://engadget.com/entry/1234000430055334/

Robert

 

[Stephan Goldstein]

Just doing some "spring" cleaning in the office.

Ran across some 1995 magazines buried in the closet:

DOS World... was it really that bad?

Stereophile... S/E Power Amp, "Aleph Null", by Pass... barf!

Electronics Now... article by Don Lancaster "spraying" the whole FM
band with a square wave jammer ;-)

...Jim Thompson

I know someone who built an FM jammer, probably like that one. He used
a 100kHz crystal, modulating the oscillator with a voice signal, then squared
it up. It was concealed in a kleenex box on his dashboard. Very handy
for communicating with brain-dead drivers in front of him. I'd actually like
to see this article if you still have it. Jim - do you still have my biz card
from when you were in Burlington?

Steve

 

[mc]

I know someone who built an FM jammer, probably like that one. He used
a 100kHz crystal, modulating the oscillator with a voice signal, then
squared
it up. It was concealed in a kleenex box on his dashboard. Very handy
for communicating with brain-dead drivers in front of him.

Illegal of course, but you could presumably modulate it and talk on it.

 

[Tim Shoppa]

For another look at not too long ago electronics.

http://engadget.com/entry/1234 000430055334/

That era wasn't too bad, but what I want is the current era
as imagined by SF authors in the 50's and 60's. Secret
agents with shoe phones, Pan-Am flights to the Hilton on
the moon, interstellar navigation via slide
rule, etc.

4 years ago I screamed out from my cubicle, "WE'RE
SUPPOSED TO BE RULED BY A GIANT MONOLITH
FROM OUTER SPACE, AND ALL WE'VE GOT IS THE
STUPID US CONGRESS!" Everybody ignored me then,
too.

Tim.

 

[Jim Thompson]

I know someone who built an FM jammer, probably like that one. He used
a 100kHz crystal, modulating the oscillator with a voice signal, then squared
it up. It was concealed in a kleenex box on his dashboard. Very handy
for communicating with brain-dead drivers in front of him. I'd actually like
to see this article if you still have it. Jim - do you still have my biz card
from when you were in Burlington?

Steve

Steve, I'm sure I have your card, but my office is currently spread
out on the floor of three rooms, due to management edict "Clean it UP"
;-)

So E-mail me (from my website) and I'll send you a copy.

Or I can post it on A.B.S.E

...Jim Thompson

 

[Mike]

That era wasn't too bad, but what I want is the current era
as imagined by SF authors in the 50's and 60's. Secret
agents with shoe phones, Pan-Am flights to the Hilton on
the moon, interstellar navigation via slide
rule, etc.

4 years ago I screamed out from my cubicle, "WE'RE
SUPPOSED TO BE RULED BY A GIANT MONOLITH
FROM OUTER SPACE, AND ALL WE'VE GOT IS THE
STUPID US CONGRESS!" Everybody ignored me then,
too.

Hey, don't blame me. I voted for the alien.

-- Mike --

 

[John Larkin]

Illegal of course, but you could presumably modulate it and talk on it.

Imagine if every car had a speakerphone sort of thing that
communicated with all other drivers in the vicinity. The impersonality
of driving would vanish.

So,

What technology could we use for simultaneous fdx short-range voice
exchange?

Would drivers become more polite or would we escalate road-rage
murders?

John

 

[Michael Black]

Imagine if every car had a speakerphone sort of thing that
communicated with all other drivers in the vicinity. The impersonality
of driving would vanish.

So,

What technology could we use for simultaneous fdx short-range voice
exchange?

Would drivers become more polite or would we escalate road-rage
murders?

"Hey bozo, get off the road" the guy said snarkily into his PA,
which was also equipped with microphones on the outside so he could
hear what was going on.

I gather in some locals police cars have PA systems for the purpose
of talking to drivers.

I do get the impression drivers are too isolated if they've got
their windows closed to drive safely.

Michael

 

[[email protected]]

I gather in some locals police cars have PA systems for the purpose

of talking to drivers.

I thought all police cars had this feature, practically universally
worldwide. In New York they certainly do - and fire engines too.
Watching COPS and traveling around the country tells me that this is
the rule in the United States.

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

Imagine if every car had a speakerphone sort of thing that
communicated with all other drivers in the vicinity. The impersonality
of driving would vanish.

So,

What technology could we use for simultaneous fdx short-range voice
exchange?

Would drivers become more polite or would we escalate road-rage
murders?

John

Maybe they'd give themselves handles like "Rubber Duck" and "Pigpen",
form mighty convoys, and go rockin' thru the night...



Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that John Larkin

What technology could we use for simultaneous fdx short-range voice
exchange?

Just audio; a nice high-efficiency folded horn driven by a 5 W
amplifier. Dire penalties for playing music, for obscenity and for
fitting souped-up kit (200 W and four 42 inch straight horns). (;-)

Would drivers become more polite or would we escalate road-rage
murders?

I suspect they would become more polite; the inability to communicate
with other drivers other than by the horn or impolite gestures is
something I think is very undesirable, but I'm quite sure the PA
solution will never be allowed.

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Michael Black

I gather in some locals police cars have PA systems for the purpose of
talking to drivers.

I think that in UK all non-clandestine police vehicles have PA, but it's
not often used. When I was in Beijing in 1990, the police used it a lot.

I do get the impression drivers are too isolated if they've got their
windows closed to drive safely.

I entirely agree.

 

[Richard Henry]

Hey, don't blame me. I voted for the alien.

I would have, but he wasn't on the ballot in California.

 

[Jim Thompson]

Maybe they'd give themselves handles like "Rubber Duck" and "Pigpen",
form mighty convoys, and go rockin' thru the night...



Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

Back in my CB days, I issued a police radar warning, and a guy came
back with, "What was that you said?", I said, "the Cops are out in
force", and he said, "We ARE the Cops".

Oooops !-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[John Larkin]

I read in sci.electronics.design that John Larkin


Just audio; a nice high-efficiency folded horn driven by a 5 W
amplifier. Dire penalties for playing music, for obscenity and for
fitting souped-up kit (200 W and four 42 inch straight horns). (;-)

I suspect they would become more polite; the inability to communicate
with other drivers other than by the horn or impolite gestures is
something I think is very undesirable, but I'm quite sure the PA
solution will never be allowed.

No, the public noise pollution would be unacceptable; it has to be RF.
Infrared/line-of-sight has too many problems.

So, how would you go about it? Desirable features would include
limited range, adaptive number of participants (say, only the 25
closest cars to avoid confusion), volume somewhat but not too
dependant on distance, full party-line comm for all parties.


I suspect most people would be more polite, but a few profane asses
would be massively abusive. Just like a newsgroup.

John

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Jim Thompson

Back in my CB days, I issued a police radar warning, and a guy came
back with, "What was that you said?", I said, "the Cops are out in
force", and he said, "We ARE the Cops".

Oooops !-)

The correct response is 'Thank you, SIR, for your corroborating
evidence.'(;-)

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that John Larkin

No, the public noise pollution would be unacceptable; it has to be RF.
Infrared/line-of-sight has too many problems.

So, how would you go about it? Desirable features would include limited
range, adaptive number of participants (say, only the 25 closest cars
to avoid confusion), volume somewhat but not too dependant on distance,
full party-line comm for all parties.

But that's just what limited-power audio through a directional
loudspeaker provides! If everyone can talk at once on a common RF
channel, no-one will receive anything intelligible.

A standard operating procedure would be necessary, much like ham radio
procedure. 'XKY 996 calling BGE 339. Your rear offside door is not
properly closed and your little boy is doing his best to fall out.'

 

[John Larkin]

I read in sci.electronics.design that John Larkin


But that's just what limited-power audio through a directional
loudspeaker provides! If everyone can talk at once on a common RF
channel, no-one will receive anything intelligible.

Well, that's the challenge, to invent an RF system that mimics the
acoustics of, say, a cocktail party.

John