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104 Comments
- Spire3660, on 10/04/2008, -3/+126This is not an 'invention', at least in the classical sense. This is an engineered solution.
- Daniel591992, on 10/03/2008, -5/+45They should make one that runs on hot women.
But in all seriousness, this is great news for small and poorer towns. Go Brazil! - spaceman84, on 10/04/2008, -5/+32Slapping a solar panel on a WAP is no stroke of genius.
- inactive, on 10/04/2008, -2/+17How can you possibly invent that?
Take two ideas and slam them together.
I'm gonna invent a wireless ap with a clock in it tomorrow. - fuelvolts, on 10/04/2008, -4/+18Brazilian professors? That's a lot of professors!
- tweaq, on 10/04/2008, -2/+13Seems like it's a hacked router (acting as a repeater) powered by a solar panel. Doesn't seem like that big of a deal, useful yes; i guess it's one of those obvious "hacks" that no one has decided to sell. So a little DD-WRT and a solar panel, and there ya go.
- b0rna, on 10/04/2008, -3/+13not even. i thought about doing this, as a diy, when i wanted and outdoor access point but didn't want to drill any holes in my walls. however it was a bit of an expensive solution. its really just the integration of wifi and solar panels. not an invention by a long shot...
- phill, on 10/04/2008, -0/+8I knew I should have patented this when I did it SEVEN YEARS AGO!
I was using solar powered Soekris boards running Linux to do 802.11b repeaters back when I started my ISP. Just stick them on a hill and forget about them.
12dbi Omni
1 16dbi Vagi
2 solar panels
2 gell cell 12vDC batteries
1 charge controller
1 Soekris or WRAP board with dual 802.11? wireless cards
1 POE injector
With mess working well over the past few years, just one antenna and one wireless card would do.
As if anything was "invented" - TyrannousDotNet, on 10/04/2008, -1/+9if there is not internet connection, what do you connect to?
brazilnet? the "inventors" home network? the BWW? - Paulish, on 10/04/2008, -0/+6Whats the point in internet access when there is no power? Just curious, cause mobile devices would only last so long before they would need power.
- itchie, on 10/04/2008, -1/+7The internet could also be used to learn from as a teaching tool if used right.
To better ones self, and to gain knowledge that can one day come in useful. - duewydo, on 10/04/2008, -0/+5yeah, agreed. I have a couple WRT54gls, that run on a ups style 12v 7amp hr gel cell, that is solar charged during day.
I also took a nema enclosure, packed a battery in it, that runs two wrt's, has two high gain antennas poking out of the NEMA. One is MR. bridge and the other is mister AP and they are hard wired. This configuration gives me a mobile repeater. so if I need to expand my city WIFI network into a dead spot during an emergency, flip a switch and drop a box. (not for fire or accident like emergencies, EM's that require a command point, like a flood or anything long drawn out)
I also have custom setups pulling power off tornado sirens. What else... ooh
I also have a wrt on a 12v battery, that has a 12v charger. it is on a timed light pole. When the light pole is off during day, it runs on battery. At night it gets charged when the bank of city lights get turned on.
none of these are inventions. but they are very cool. - jselander, on 10/04/2008, -3/+8This not new, St Louis Park, Minnesota, USA has had these installed for more then a year, but ended up scrapping the plan.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/solar_wifi ... - EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+5bull, like jselander said, St. Louis Park, MN did it first like 2 or 3 years ago. In fact, those look EXACTLY like the ***** eye sores all that were EVER ***** 2 BLOCKS all over the ***** place.
Idea was good, executed horribly. And the service was *****. - Fleshbeast, on 10/04/2008, -1/+5Pretty nifty. I bet we'll be seeing these in more places soon.
- EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+4here are some pics I just took,
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ... - EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+4Just uploaded some pictures I just now went out and took around St. Louis Park, MN, USA
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ... - EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+4here are some pics I just took,
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ...
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/EarthBoundX5 ... - EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+3In fact, I feel like going outside and taking pictures of them to prove it
- div2n, on 10/04/2008, -0/+3Just because it doesn't have an internet connection doesn't mean it isn't connected to the internet.
That is, if you define a connection to the internet as being a cable connected to the WAN port.
See mesh technology for how you do this. - gavinhudson, on 10/04/2008, -2/+5whoops. Thanks. :)
- Daniel591992, on 10/04/2008, -2/+5Fixed the link for ya:
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/boobs-not-b ... - EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+3Minnesota gets a ton of sun, brazil may get more, but it worked perfect in MN, the problem was in cost efficiency and placement, not anything to do with not enough sun.
- shadowspawn, on 10/04/2008, -0/+3I have 2 of these on my property. (It's very very rural). It's ok except this summer when the temps approach 100f. It's basically like he said; a solar panel (used to recharge sailboats), a deep cycle lead acid battery (again used on sailboats), two tupperware containers, and a custom built omni gain antenna. I found the batteries and the solar cells at the shipyard near me so I didn't really pay for much and used two old 10mbit routers.
Works pretty well. I wouldn't call this an invention, I'd call this an innovation. - gavinhudson, on 10/03/2008, -2/+5Hey, maybe if women combine this with the solar bra... (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/boobs-not-b ...
- Angus5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+3One step closer to solar powered porn
- strictnein, on 10/04/2008, -0/+3That'll teach you to move to SLP.
- EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -2/+4who cares, I just did it for the sake of showing that the article is *****, I would hope the fact that I didnt bother to rotate the pics doesn't concern too many people more than yourself.
- maxgladwell, on 10/04/2008, -1/+3It's absurd that this is on the front page of Digg. WTF? What a ridiculous "invention".
- shadowspawn, on 10/04/2008, -0/+2I did this on my friend's property. Two solar panels and two lead acid deep-cycle batteries I got for free from a guy that installs property gates in rural areas/ranches. I had two wrt54g's, (they only need 5v and use about 3w) and encased them in tupperware containers, sliced with cooling slits and paper towels over the slits on the inside to prevent bugs from getting in, along with the batteries. Worked ok except when outside temps reached close to 100f ambient; then they'd start sputtering packets. Probably could put a small CPU fan but you'd get moisture.
I doubt the batteries will make it through below freezing, they'll probably sulfate. Methinx total cost goes to labor in setting up the routers and getting good batteries.
Read how to do it on some newsgroup, but they *make* climate-sealed routers for areas in rural places already, as well as solar panel/cells for repeaters used for weather stations. Hell, they have solar-powered security cameras on a cell network for construction sites around me. - HonoredMule, on 10/04/2008, -0/+2Well, if it makes you feel any better, I invented a wireless fan from a lead-acid battery, inverter, and A/C fan. You may patent that if you wish.
But you're right. Assembling off-the-shelf components in an obvious way doesn't come close to qualifying as an invention. If it did, then I was a HUGE inventor back in my LEGO building days. - TVarmy, on 10/04/2008, -0/+2Those can run on solar panels, car batteries, etc. Granted, that's still no replacement for dedicated electricity.
- TheHammar, on 10/04/2008, -0/+2weren't the $100 laptops developed with a hand crank to generate the power?
- tnoy, on 10/04/2008, -0/+2You can create a mesh of wireless access points, and you'll only need a few of them to be connected to a network.
- Diggnabbit, on 10/04/2008, -1/+3Really? Solar powered wireless in Minnesota? Why do I feel like it owuld work better in Brazil?
- EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+2no, its because it wasn't cost effective or some *****, they kept ***** up with it. That and the service was complete *****.
- Atomic1fire, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1I think we need to combine all the interweb ideas into a lasting solution, while putting greater focus in taking care of the people while telling them how to take care of themselves. so they wont need us anymore, and they can be smart enough to not kill themselves.
- nick111, on 10/04/2008, -1/+2No? Why didn't you do it then?
- EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1sorry, but they really piss me off, and yes, i had heard they were suing the company as well
- EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1Actually yes, yes they are. That is one of the reasons the idea was scrapped. You see, they were so low to the ground since they could not be put on telephone poles that they were at eye level. Not only that, but some were put in front of stop signs, in people's gardens (which were of course dug up to do so), in place of street signs, etc. I'm not sure where you live, but if its not in SLP you have no place saying that. You haven't had to see those things EVERYWHERE!
And secondly, i was worried that posting those pics 3 places would anger someone, but just realize I did so only because I was currently posting in those locations and therefore simply put them there for the benefit of those reading the specific thread.
Oh, and ***** off. - FairDinkumMate, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1Yeh, because it's not as though the best way for a country to help it's population out of poverty is to make educational tools available!
Oh, hang on....
MORON! - EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1don't be, it was really bad, you would have just been so angered by it that it may have actually caused you to hate the internet...
- EarthBoundX5, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1ya, minnetonka, figured it was the easiest to quickly take a few pics. And yes, I'm aware of the need to rotate, I just figured it didn't matter, since I am just trying to show that they existed outside brazil quite.
- ImOscar, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1Minnetonka Blvd?
- Gephstud, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1SLP represent, this guy is a fake
- tnoy, on 10/04/2008, -1/+2He must work for Apple.
- CoolHandLuke, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1Yeah "inventing" is stretching it very far since I was installing solar powered access points 4 years ago for the Manheim auto auction company. We installed solar wi-fi in all of their auto auction lots. Some of them nearly over a hundred acres.
- ImOscar, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1I was bummed, they scrapped the service the month I moved to SLP.
- boomqweeshaa, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1It didn't work, I think SLP is suing the company that they hired to install them.
- maasox74, on 10/04/2008, -0/+1I think the point is that bringing water and medical care needs huge investments and long term policies while with this device they can get the internet more or less right now, so what should they wait for? Besides, internet access these days is vital for such things as job search and distance education, as you mention, which poor communities also need very much.
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