Strange Aerials

[ukelele lady]

Hang on a bit Stuart, when we go in boozer quizzes we are "Chas & Dave"

They'll be expecting us to perform that song as a duet down the boozer next.

Don't know which one of them is chas and which is dave but we need to stop shaving for a week or so first, one of us on banjo and the other on a piano lined up with pint pots on the top.

This I would like to see, I can lend you a 4 string banjo.

I saw Chas and Dave at the City Hall, I luv em.

[vox]

Bluetooth was the nickname of a medieval King of Denmark (Harold I I think) who united the tribes of his country to a common language and standards.

Bluetooth technology is so called because it unites a number of wireless protocols to a common standard allowing devices with different systems to communicate with each other and transfer data.

No idea which forum member the name may be linked to, is it Richard?

It usually is!

Correct - Harold Bluetooth.

and the member is me.

He's right at the beginning of my Family tree

[Stuart0742]

Hang on a bit Stuart, when we go in boozer quizzes we are "Chas & Dave"

They'll be expecting us to perform that song as a duet down the boozer next.

Don't know which one of them is chas and which is dave but we need to stop shaving for a week or so first, one of us on banjo and the other on a piano lined up with pint pots on the top.

I already have stopped shaving, its the Alan Sugar look, sorry Lord Sugar

[Markbaby]

In any case I have never had SKY, BSB or any other satellite system weather it used a dish, an aeriel or a squareial

I don't have satellite TV either Dave. I once tried making a dish out of an old pudding tin, but all I could get was Yorkshire! lol

[mike142sl]

Back on topic! Just to formally point out these aerials were not Rabbit aerials. Rabbit was a short range system that appeared in motorway service stations and cafes.

[Markbaby]

Is it ironical that no one's named it yet? :blink:

[hilldweller]

Is it ironical that no one's named it yet?

Six letters, four vowels, two consonants.

HD

[vox]

Is it ironical that no one's named it yet?

I thought from what's been said that it was BSkyB or something but that doesn't have 6 letters.

[Stuart0742]

I thought from what's been said that it was BSkyB or something but that doesn't have 6 letters.

Looking on the net they were actually "transponder units" and operated in the 3GHz Band

As HD says 4 vowels and 2 consonants (not a very good score in scrabble)

[Markbaby]

Logo of the company (with name removed)

Apart from one on my own house (that's too high up for me to get down!) I'm surrounded by them!

[hilldweller]

Looking on the net they were actually "transponder units" and operated in the 3GHz Band

As HD says 4 vowels and 2 consonants (not a very good score in scrabble)

Apparently they do have a small value and can be modified for ham radio use on the 9cm band. They sometimes appear on internet auction sites.

At that frequency I should think that line-of-site operation would be the only mode possible.

It sounds a huge frequency until you think that most modern microprocessors work internally at that frequency and many Wi-Fi systems operate now at 5 Ghz.

HD

[Stuart0742]

Apparently they do have a small value and can be modified for ham radio use on the 9cm band. They sometimes appear on internet auction sites.

At that frequency I should think that line-of-site operation would be the only mode possible.

It sounds a huge frequency until you think that most modern microprocessors work internally at that frequency and many Wi-Fi systems operate now at 5 Ghz.

HD

Did anybody use this service, apart from Markbaby

[mike142sl]

Did anybody use this service, apart from Markbaby

Yes, I was one of the first to sign up. A bit cheaper than the obvious competitor and offered services that cost a lot extra, but which now are quite common. You could also have two or more, shall we say access codes, that had different notification sounds.

I found the quality a lot better than the previous service, although it was ahead of developments that have become commonplace, so it might have been interesting to see how they kept up with technology.

[hilldweller]

Did anybody use this service, apart from Markbaby

According to the t'internet there were 61,999 (or thereabouts) other subscribers other than Markbaby,

mostly in the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

It offered 2 lines for a price slightly less than 1 BT line. It would have been no good for ADSL though, even 56k dial-up swamped the system. Problems apparently included repeat visits to re-align dishes in some cases. Perhaps that is why the dish mountings are so robust. There is a very comprehensive "post mortem" of the entire operation posted on the internet by a Cambridge think-tank but I cannot find it again to post a link.

HD

[Stuart0742]

According to the t'internet there were 61,999 (or thereabouts) other subscribers other than Markbaby,

mostly in the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

It offered 2 lines for a price slightly less than 1 BT line. It would have been no good for ADSL though, even 56k dial-up swamped the system. Problems apparently included repeat visits to re-align dishes in some cases. Perhaps that is why the dish mountings are so robust. There is a very comprehensive "post mortem" of the entire operation posted on the internet by a Cambridge think-tank but I cannot find it again to post a link.

HD

The company was Ionica

They provided a wireless alternative to BT

http://www.cambridgewireless.co.uk/docs/Standards%20and%20the%20New%20Economy_%20John%20Haine%20IONICA%20-%20LESSONS%20FROM%20HISTORY_v1.pdf

[hilldweller]

The company was Ionica

They provided a wireless alternative to BT

http://www.cambridgewireless.co.uk/docs/Standards%20and%20the%20New%20Economy_%20John%20Haine%20IONICA%20-%20LESSONS%20FROM%20HISTORY_v1.pdf

That's the link, you're a better t'internet trawler than I. I spent hours trying to find that article again.

HD

[Bayleaf]

The company was Ionica

They provided a wireless alternative to BT

http://www.cambridge...0HISTORY_v1.pdf

I'm glad someone's put us out of our misery. My brain (such as is left) was hung up on 'Veolia', I knew it was something like that!

[DaveH]

This I would like to see, I can lend you a 4 string banjo.

I saw Chas and Dave at the City Hall, I luv em.

Gercha!!

and I don't care if you come round here, I've got my beer on the sideboard here so i don't care if you come round here.

(you can take that as a "no" then }

But then again

There aint no pleasing you

[DaveH]

Correct - Harold Bluetooth.

and the member is me.

He's right at the beginning of my Family tree

As he was a Danish King, Harold I, and as our King Harold at Hastings in 1066 was Harold II, and as Britain was under Danelaw rule before the Norman invasion does Harold Bluetooth predate 1066. If so, that's one hell of a family tree, - must be about 40 generations.

Also, as Royalty breeds Royalty was he at the beginning of your tree?

His father would probably have been King of Denmark as well

Unless he was just a usurper who took control of Denmark by force.

[DaveH]

I already have stopped shaving, its the Alan Sugar look, sorry Lord Sugar

I stopped shaving and having haircuts while I was a student in the mid 1970's

It's the "bloke on the Turin Shroud" look, sorry Jesus

[DaveH]

Looking on the net they were actually "transponder units" and operated in the 3GHz Band

As HD says 4 vowels and 2 consonants (not a very good score in scrabble)

3GHz

I was right about the frequency then.

Now is that a radio frequency or a microwave frequency?

If it is the latter then vox could be pretty close with satellite central heating lol

[DaveH]

Logo of the company (with name removed)

Apart from one on my own house (that's too high up for me to get down!) I'm surrounded by them!

Dishes, Aeriels and Squareials

Now that close up view shows it to be an Octagonial (8 sided)

...and I think that was the clue I needed to work out the answer

[DaveH]

Apparently they do have a small value and can be modified for ham radio use on the 9cm band. They sometimes appear on internet auction sites.

At that frequency I should think that line-of-site operation would be the only mode possible.It sounds a huge frequency until you think that most modern microprocessors work internally at that frequency and many Wi-Fi systems operate now at 5 Ghz.

HD

5GHz, 9cm

No HD those frequencies are way too high for me'

Surely these are now microwaves rather than radio waves.

I too would think that only line of sight propagation would be possible, - so anything beyond the horizon is out of range, Hmmm.. better get a house on a 900 ft contour to maximise my range!

Ironically, although the company name is IONICA these signals would pass straight through the IONosphere into space, which means they would be ideal for long range communication using synchronous Earth orbiting satellites (a satellite system, - back to vox's suggestions)

If the system was limited to line of sight you would be able to communicate with your nearest neighbours, the man on the moon and some friendly Martians that you happen to know.

[DaveH]

According to the t'internet there were 61,999 (or thereabouts) other subscribers other than Markbaby,

mostly in the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

It offered 2 lines for a price slightly less than 1 BT line. It would have been no good for ADSL though, even 56k dial-up swamped the system. Problems apparently included repeat visits to re-align dishes in some cases. Perhaps that is why the dish mountings are so robust. There is a very comprehensive "post mortem" of the entire operation posted on the internet by a Cambridge think-tank but I cannot find it again to post a link.

HD

62,000 users, wonky octagonal dishes and computer connection slower than dial up.

Is that why they went out of business?

What happened to subscribers like Markbaby when the company went under?

Were they left out of pocket or owning totally useless equipment like those who bought the first generation of digital freeview boxes?

[DaveH]

I'm glad someone's put us out of our misery. My brain (such as is left) was hung up on 'Veolia', I knew it was something like that!

Isn't "Veolia" a company that deals with refuse collection and disposal? :unsure: