Many years ago I did a lot of flying, and during WW2 after radar was invented, we also developed a device called IFF, the longer name being "Identification, Friend or Foe." When we took off, we were told the number code for that day, and set it on the IFF, so that friendly radar could identify us, and not shoot us down when we returned home at night or in the fog, mistaking us for the enemy.
After the war this same technique was used in all commercial and private aircraft, but by then it was called a Transponder. At this point when anyone filed IFR, the controller would assign a number, so that this particular flight could be identified on radar whenever the plane was located. When coming into Chicago, for example, I do not see how the controllers could possibly take care of all the traffic without using the plane's transponder numbers. Sitting where the controller sits, one sees a little dot-dash message on the screen whenever the pilot is asked to activate his transponder. Thus the controller can figure out which plane is yours and which is the plane flying behind you. I suppose that a small mini-transponder could be put in a computer, which would give out a particular signal every so often, but I doubt that there would be too many radars around to pick up these signals, since radar doesn't function well enough to pick up signals on the ground, unless they are pretty strong. Maybe if you used a special radar plane such as are employed by the military, and had the computer programed to send a strong signal, this would work, unless you were surrounded by a lot of steel and concrete buildings. I have also used GPS while flying an aircraft, and it is a great navigation device, and you can set your position at the end of the runway when you take off, and the device will direct you back to that exact spot, even from faraway places like Cleveland and Mobile, Alabama. But you are always receiving a signal from a satellite, but never sending one. Anyone else with the latest. I have been grounded for about twenty years. Neal Hammon On Jul 429, 1120082007, at 9:33 AM, Michael Robertson wrote: Harry, I too am a fan of that show, and I would bet this falls under the "artistic license" category, but really have no clue as to that, just a guess. Mike On Jul 29, 2008, at 9:29 AM, Harry Jacobson-Beyer wrote: > Ok, I'm sure some of you out there will know the answer to this > question: > > I was watching an episode of the tv program Numbers. In it a laptop > computer was stolen. The police found the computer because it had some > kind of GPS chip/device in it. > > The FBI guy in the tv programs said that since 2005 all computers > (maybe > that's all laptop computers) are required to have a GPS locating chip/ > device in them in case they are stolen/lost etc. Supposedly this will > make them more likely to be found. > > Is this accurate / true or is it a fabrication of the script writers > to > provide a neat ending to the story? > > If it's true, can you explain how it works and how one would know what > to look for if one's computer were stolen, lost, or misplaced? > > And how can I get one for me so my loved ones can find me when even I > don't know where I am? :-) > > Thanks. > > Harry > > > _______________________________________________ > The next Louisville Computer Society meeting will > be September 23 at MacAuthority, 128 Breckinridge Lane. > Posting address: [email protected] > Information: http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/macgroup > _______________________________________________ The next Louisville Computer Society meeting will be September 23 at MacAuthority, 128 Breckinridge Lane. Posting address: [email protected] Information: http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/macgroup _______________________________________________ The next Louisville Computer Society meeting will be September 23 at MacAuthority, 128 Breckinridge Lane. Posting address: [email protected] Information: http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/macgroup
