Tag: whip

Why Cell Phones Don’t Work (Well) From The Air

cell phone tower antennaSome people are wondering why no one has been able to track MH370 through cellphone data. We know the NSA has been storing cell metadata for tracking. Isn’t this the same scenario?

A brief lesson in physics is needed. Don’t be scared. No math.

Think of an antenna as the launching point for radio waves. If the antenna is a single element, those radio waves will depart at equal levels in all directions. A car’s AM/FM whip antenna is an example of this.

Remember the days of rooftop TV antennas? They had many elements. That wasn’t just to make them more unsightly!

tv-antennaAntennas may also include reflective or directive elements or surfaces not connected to the transmitter or receiver, such as parasitic elements, parabolic reflectors or horns, which serve to direct the radio waves into a beam or other desired radiation pattern. – Wikipedia

That’s exactly what’s going on at the cell site.

cellair-aWhy bother sending signals where they’re wasted? With a directional antenna you can redirect power to where it’s needed. In most cases that means concentrating nearly all a cell tower’s power parallel or slightly down toward the ground. Pointing down slightly is necessary because of the Earth’s natural curve.

The extra gain in the antennas beams, used to increase signal strength to us on the ground, is taken from what would radiate upwards!

Radiation Pattern of a Cell Tower AntennaI’m sure I’m not the only person to ever power up a cellphone in flight to see if I could hit a tower. I’ve never been successful. This is why.

Cruising The Pacific

Aboard the Norwegian Star

Pacific OceanWe are 70 miles West of the Baja California peninsula in the Pacific Ocean, 1037 miles from our first port, Manzanillo, Mexico.

I slept like a baby – really. The ship was gently rocking and it didn’t take long before Helaine could claim I was snoring. Steffie’s in on it too, saying I snore. I’ve certainly never heard it.

It’s probably a good thing you don’t think about the stresses placed on a ship as it sways in the water. There are noises in the cabin, little metallic groans, as the ship pushes and pulls against its rivets and welds.

A view along the rail from our balconyI was going to play Hold’em last night, but was very disappointed. A single table tournament scheduled for 9:30 was canceled when only three of us registered.

Later, a cash game started. I sat through one time around the table without playing a hand. A drunken, obnoxious guy sat in the third seat.

It wasn’t that he cursed, because I curse too. He was just crude and low class.

As much as I enjoy Hold’em, he was still too much!

Hold’em is played in a small room off the casino. You walk though the the High Stakes Baccarat area, through a door, down a small hallway, take a right and through another door.

It would be better if it were in the actual casino.

Stairs on the Norwegian StarWith poker a no go and Helaine and Stef otherwise occupied, I walked around the ship. It is huge, not just in breadth and width, but in height. We have all committed to taking the stairs. As much as we’ll eat, I have a fighting chance of counteracting it.

Who am I kidding?

Walking some of the decks was eerie. I was alone with the wind blowing. To the horizon, it was dark. I felt very alone… and remembered the guy from Greenwich who disappeared on his honeymoon.

Lifeboat sign on the Norwegian StarOn the upper decks there are numerous whip antennas and radomes housing satellite and radar dishes. This ship is totally connected to the mothership 24/7.

Before I go, a little about the Internet service onboard. It is a pain in the butt. It’s workable, but it’s a pain.

I bought 250 minutes worth for $100. In order to use the access I carry my laptop to the Internet Cafe, a few decks down. There is a wireless ‘cloud’ there. It is significantly slower than what I have at home. Of course, every second you spend online, you’re thinking about the meter running.

Sometimes, when I’ve talked about taking cruises, those listening worried about claustrophobia. Yes, everything is downsized. Rooms and corridors are tiny. Still there’s lot of room and lot’s of individual spots to explore.

I have edited some comments which were found offensive by others. That’s never my intention and only showed my lack of sensitivity. – GF