Drones and phones

"use of drones to carry cell signals in areas where there are no cell signals."

If there are no cell signals, then why would you want to carry cell signals?

–B.G.–

Might be good to help SAR; lost hiker with no cell signal finally gets signal … makes a call and either describes situation or they can possibly triangulate.

Or even just flying one around overhead … cell-phone on a victim (awake/asleep/wounded/deceased/etc) detects signal and syncs up, giving searchers a rough location to focus in on even if no call is made.

I wouldn't want them overhead all the time, obviously, but their short-term uses could be interesting.

-mox

Or it will use the the cell signal you are transmitting to target and remove unwanted threats from the back country.

Our Big 5 has RC helicopters that one controls from an Android or iPhone device. This is excellent, so that I can bring my quad-copter to the high country to reconnoiter campsites ahead or simply buzz hikers on the trail.

The other option is to use one of those 5hp motors from Harbor Freight to power a quad copter that will carry my gear. I have reduced my Base Weight to 16 ounces: one 12-ounce can and my phone. All I have to finish is the mount I need to suspend the AR-15 from the cooler.

Hmmm… some Wagner from speakers might be effective as well. I think I can stream it Bluetooth from the phone.

Flying drones to act as surrogate cell towers sounds to me an effort to ensure cell communication in a particular war zone (or such) for a particular duration — not permanently for any place and time??

Imagine an area devastated by fire/earthquake/storm – drone with cell antena could go up into the sky for short period to enable phone connectivity or could be landed on high buildings, trees, hills to provide prolonged service (more energy for cell electronics when not flying).

Great idea all around.

Search and Rescue

If you knew someone was lost in an area, fly a drone with cell antenae so the lost person can place call

"The other option is to use one of those 5hp motors from Harbor Freight to power a quad copter that will carry my gear."

An eight-foot weather balloon filled with hydrogen would be easier, and keep that on a tether. When you get to camp, you can burn off a little of the hydrogen in your stove (very carefully). When you head back home, you won't need quite as much hydrogen for lift if your load is lighter.

–B.G.–

That sounds interesting. Is there an app for that, Bob?

I believe that the app is named Lakehurst, as in Lakehurst NJ.

–B.G.–

As a number of documentaries and books have gone into, Hydrogen has been given a bad rap

Hydrogen is actually pretty safe, because it's so light, it quickly rises so it isn't that bad for the humans even if it catches fire

They landed the Hindenburg in marginal conditions. Lightning caught the Hindenburg outside coating on fire. They should have used fire-proof outside coating and not landed in a lightning storm.

I work on the ground in areas in the US immediately after natural disasters and lack of cell phone service is a serious issue for up to a week or two. Using this technology would help a lot in getting all sorts of things done faster and more effectively there. I've been told by the corporation I contract with that this is a problem that the government is very interested in solving.

Since I have never and am unlikely to ever carry any electronic communications while hiking it would be of no help to me then. I would hate to see them there and I would think at least in Wilderness Areas the prohibition on machines can keep them out. My fingers are crossed.

PBS Nova had a recent doc about drones,surveillance and lack of privacy.I think what they said was that they have cameras on these things that can videotape every thing that is going on in a 10 mile radius.They can replay the tape and then zoom in on anything to within inches.It seems too scary to be true so hopefully i misunderstood what they said.

The doc can be seen on this page: http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/01/drones_are_real_so_are_perceptions_1.html

To me it's the engineer mentality and the continuing human war on nature. We'll add 30,000 noisy weed-eater sounding drones overhead to add to the 87,000 daily jets in the sky. It's the human fascination with engines and noise. There's no such thing as wilderness when nonstop jets fly overhead because there's no peace and quiet. Using drones is the wetdream idea spawned by a sickness called technology-induced retardation.

I was backpacking in the Cohutta wilderness in Georgia recently and heard jet after jet after jet go across a still winter night sky. I said to myself, "Here I am on a solo backpacking trip but there's 600 couch potatoes flying over my head. So much for solitude and quiet." Human generated noise will make you crazy in the woods if you're out in it long enough.

That is one great thing about Humboldt. Virtually no air traffic. The occasional jet that does go by is so high, you don't hear it.

I can't wait for humans to become brilliantly post technological.

Dones would cetainly get shot out of the air here.

"To me it's the engineer mentality and the continuing human war on nature. We'll add 30,000 noisy weed-eater sounding drones overhead to add to the 87,000 daily jets in the sky. It's the human fascination with engines and noise. There's no such thing as wilderness when nonstop jets fly overhead because there's no peace and quiet. Using drones is the wetdream idea spawned by a sickness called technology-induced retardation.

I was backpacking in the Cohutta wilderness in Georgia recently and heard jet after jet after jet go across a still winter night sky. I said to myself, "Here I am on a solo backpacking trip but there's 600 couch potatoes flying over my head. So much for solitude and quiet." Human generated noise will make you crazy in the woods if you're out in it long enough."

Amen to that.

I live in a desert(los angeles) yet people insist on having green grass and flooding it with unavailable water and then having a crew come maintain it with polluting weed chemicals,fertilizers and dirty,noisy lawn mowers and leaf blowers(perhaps the most idiotic,lazy,inane device man has created.This goes on every morning.And they have the gall to call dandelions a weed?

I still maintain that drone hunting will become an underground sport in the near future as law enforcement jumps on the drone bandwagon.

Now I'm not saying that "moi" would do such a dastardly deed (and tell about it) but, you know, a "friend" may do it.

(Lessee, a .338 Lapua mag bolt rifle, Burris Eliminator III rangefinding scope… hmmm.)

I can't wait for humans to become brilliantly post technological.

Here's a reading suggestion Ken:

> (Lessee, a .338 Lapua mag bolt rifle, Burris Eliminator III rangefinding scope… hmmm.)

How about a Barret?

Cheers

I foresee a time when all cars will be flying and no spot on earth will be free from visiting bonobo humans in their jetson hovercraft. They'll follow the Appalachian Trail and zoom right over your camp and hover to land. They'll take tourist pics as you stumble out of your tent in the morning to take a leak.

> (Lessee, a .338 Lapua mag bolt rifle, Burris Eliminator III rangefinding scope… hmmm.)

Cheers

Roger! Are you trolling to start up another flaming BPL firearms thread? We ARE a bit overdue for the next one … he-he

But seriously … the fixed wing drones that will be marketed to law enforcement are about the size of a medium-large hawk and will only get smaller. I expect that I won't have to take my shoes off to count the number of BPLers who could hit them with a rifle. A handgun? HA!

Tri and quad copters will be easier targets while hovering except that the actual actual cross section of their airframes is tiny. You'd hit them if you can toss a washer in the air and put a bullet thru the hole.

Shotguns would be more effective. Or maybe some new kind of electronic weapon … is it possible to jam a GPS?

"is it possible to jam a GPS?"

Absolutely. I've dealt with that situation many times.

–B.G.–

LASERS. Lasers, baby. I shall cook your drone from afar and the only noise will be a sizzle and crash. Okay, maybe a few rebel yells, too.

Now, my Igloo MaxCold® Ultra 165-bearing quadcopter with an 11hp two-stroke motor from Harbor Freight, Bose 5.1 audio system and an AR-15 suspended from beneath will be coated with reflectix to protect it from those who may try such an idea against MY drone. The armor only has to hold up long enough for me to acquire target…

Nothing says "Freedom" like the sound of a two-stroke revving on the PCT.

"is it possible to jam a GPS?"

The best way to jam a GPS is to turn it on and try to find your way around with it:)

If drones could be shot down I think the Taliban would do it more often.