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Stuff like Starlink and similar constellations (which I'm torn on mainly because of the effect they're going to have on ground based telescopes) would in theory

by rtkwe 7y ago

Stuff like Starlink and similar constellations (which I'm torn on mainly because of the effect they're going to have on ground based telescopes) would in theory be pretty hard to cut off access to on the individual level but most people wouldn't have the up-link antennas needed to access it. Because of that you'll need some kind of alternative networking that isn't controlled by a business the government could strong arm. I've been vaguely researching for a while and it doesn't seem like anyone is really making networking tools for intermittently connected nodes where people could connect their cellphones or something together and as they move around messages are cached (encrypted) and forwarded.

syedkarim 7y ago
Starlink/OneWeb/any-other-transmitter doesn't solve the problem. They are all unauthorized transmitters and would not be legal in the host country. Finding tankers transmitters is trivial with even consumer-grade hardware. Depending on jurisdiction, unauthorized transmitters go directly to jail.
- blacksmith_tb 7y ago
  I am not sure what the relevant laws say on paper, but I would expect unauthorized transmitters to never be heard from again (so to speak).
- rtkwe 7y ago
  That depends a lot on the directionality of the transmission though right? We don't know much but the satellites are using a phased antenna array so the ground stations could be as well.
imglorp 7y ago
Do we know anything about the end-user Starlink ground transceiver? Specifically, I wonder if a old digital satellite TV dish and an RTL-SDR dongle and a little software would do the job. That stuff should all be available in rough countries.
- syedkarim 7y ago
  RTL-SDRs are receive-only devices.
- blacksmith_tb 7y ago
  That's enough equipment to receive Othernet (nee Outernet) transmissions[1] (which are one-way, but would keep you informed potentially - but not let you get any news out). 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Othernet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Othernet
- rtkwe 7y ago
  It's been described vaguely as a flat disk about the size of a pizza box that only needs to be pointed mostly skyward. [0] It's extremely unclear how complex the radio setup will be in these so I'm not sure a simple SQR dongle would have the resolution to decode the signal. [0] https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/24/spacex-reveals-more-starlink-info-after-launch-of-first-60-satellites/ https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/24/spacex-reveals-more-starli...

by rtkwe 7y ago

syedkarim 7y ago

Starlink/OneWeb/any-other-transmitter doesn't solve the problem. They are all unauthorized transmitters and would not be legal in the host country. Finding tankers transmitters is trivial with even consumer-grade hardware. Depending on jurisdiction, unauthorized transmitters go directly to jail.

blacksmith_tb 7y ago
I am not sure what the relevant laws say on paper, but I would expect unauthorized transmitters to never be heard from again (so to speak).
rtkwe 7y ago
That depends a lot on the directionality of the transmission though right? We don't know much but the satellites are using a phased antenna array so the ground stations could be as well.

imglorp 7y ago

Do we know anything about the end-user Starlink ground transceiver? Specifically, I wonder if a old digital satellite TV dish and an RTL-SDR dongle and a little software would do the job. That stuff should all be available in rough countries.

syedkarim 7y ago
RTL-SDRs are receive-only devices.
blacksmith_tb 7y ago
That's enough equipment to receive Othernet (nee Outernet) transmissions[1] (which are one-way, but would keep you informed potentially - but not let you get any news out). 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Othernet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Othernet
rtkwe 7y ago
It's been described vaguely as a flat disk about the size of a pizza box that only needs to be pointed mostly skyward. [0] It's extremely unclear how complex the radio setup will be in these so I'm not sure a simple SQR dongle would have the resolution to decode the signal. [0] https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/24/spacex-reveals-more-starlink-info-after-launch-of-first-60-satellites/ https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/24/spacex-reveals-more-starli...