appearance (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on 2016-01-01 14:11 (#ZB1K) Kudos to the developers, but really, it looks like a piece of military or ham gear with heat sink fins on three sides of the case. I'm assuming that operating one of these in hostile territory is asking for trouble -- like a swat team through your door. Couldn't they have made it look like a boom box or really almost anything else that looks less incriminating?.Other points the article didn't mention -- output power (probably illegal if over 100mW?) Also, isn't it easy to locate a transmitter with some minimal sleuthing gear, like a dipole antenna? Re: appearance (Score: 2, Insightful) by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2016-01-01 19:12 (#ZBPH) You're suffering from a severe lack of context... Syria is several years into a massive and brutal civil war. didn't mention -- output power (probably illegal if over 100mW?)Do you know anybody who has been executed for operating a transmitter over the legal power limit? Simple survival is the major pressing concern for everyone there, right now.operating one of these in hostile territory is asking for trouble -- like a swat team through your door.That's where the "work autonomously" bit comes in. You go set it up, turn it on, and leave. Someone tracking it down will find a few hundred dollars worth of equipment, and no way to trace it back to anybody. Re: appearance (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on 2016-01-02 02:21 (#ZCDR) Right, the article did say,> Connected to a solar panel, a PocketFM transmitter can theoretically work autonomously for long periods of time.In that case, and since it already has a cell radio (to get text messages), why does it have a screen? Wouldn't a smart phone be a better way to initialize it -- then take the phone with you after getting the transmitter running?Seems like there must be more to the story. For example the autonomous operation is only "theoretical"?
Re: appearance (Score: 2, Insightful) by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2016-01-01 19:12 (#ZBPH) You're suffering from a severe lack of context... Syria is several years into a massive and brutal civil war. didn't mention -- output power (probably illegal if over 100mW?)Do you know anybody who has been executed for operating a transmitter over the legal power limit? Simple survival is the major pressing concern for everyone there, right now.operating one of these in hostile territory is asking for trouble -- like a swat team through your door.That's where the "work autonomously" bit comes in. You go set it up, turn it on, and leave. Someone tracking it down will find a few hundred dollars worth of equipment, and no way to trace it back to anybody. Re: appearance (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on 2016-01-02 02:21 (#ZCDR) Right, the article did say,> Connected to a solar panel, a PocketFM transmitter can theoretically work autonomously for long periods of time.In that case, and since it already has a cell radio (to get text messages), why does it have a screen? Wouldn't a smart phone be a better way to initialize it -- then take the phone with you after getting the transmitter running?Seems like there must be more to the story. For example the autonomous operation is only "theoretical"?
Re: appearance (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on 2016-01-02 02:21 (#ZCDR) Right, the article did say,> Connected to a solar panel, a PocketFM transmitter can theoretically work autonomously for long periods of time.In that case, and since it already has a cell radio (to get text messages), why does it have a screen? Wouldn't a smart phone be a better way to initialize it -- then take the phone with you after getting the transmitter running?Seems like there must be more to the story. For example the autonomous operation is only "theoretical"?