... how do you know they were mexicans?

I was afraid I would get into trouble for that...

Or was it because they were doing work that [others] won't do because it's too hard?

Actually, you are right, Because we all suspect that normally a government crew wouldn't be doing any work. They would be sitting around on break doing nothing but complaining waiting on someone else to do it. But the contractors (usually with mexican labor) actually drive up, do the job, and are gone.

So I did not mean to sound prejudiced, except that when I used the word mexicans, I mean "something is about to get done, and fast" so watch out... In this case, they had the tree replaced in under an hour and left no trace... I was worried my transmitter would go to the dump with the dead tree.

Bob, WB4APR

On 9/25/07, Robert Bruninga bruninga@usna.edu wrote:

Strange things happen...

Was giving a satellite lab where we put two tiny

"labsats"

(spysats) with 2.4 GHz cameras about 1/4 and 3/4 miles

away and

then use a dipole with and without an 18" dish to show

gain and

the difference in path loss.

See the set-up in the right hand photo at the top of

this page:

http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ea467.html

My technician placed the cameras out at 7 AM before

class (both

are across bodies of water, so the access distance is

much

greater than the line of sight path). I was giving the

demo

for the first group of Midshipmen and while looking at

the image

from the one camera, we noticed it moving and then saw a

face.

Looked out across the water (on the point of land right

behind

the dish in the photo) and saw a truck load of mexicans

closely

inspecting the camera. We were sure a full scale

security alert

would follow, because the string of "D" cell batteries

inside a

PVC pipe strapped to a dead tree sure looks like a pipe

bomb.

Then we noticed something even worse. The truck they

were in

was carrying a NEW tree!

Fortunately, as everyone who works on a government

facility

knows, the diggers and the fillers are never the same

crew.

They tossed the new tree off the truck and drove away.

SO my

technician madly raced over to move the camera, while I

madly

scurried inside to call the local security to put out

any brush

fires...

Fortunately, we got the camera moved to a nearby light

pole

before the fillers got there and replaced the tree.

Second lab

period began, new tree in place as if nothing had

happened. No

security drill either..

The academy does things like that. Complete flower beds

replaced overnight so that there are no dead flowers and

there

is always something in bloom. Oh, and no wonder all the

trees

are in good health... If it ain't, then it is replaced!

I was sure I was going to be spending the day chasing a landscaping crew to the nearby landfill to retrieve my

camera

and other goodies...

Anyway, these little $75 cameras at 2.4 GHz are a great

way to

bring microwaves and small dishes into the classroom.

Just be

careful where you put them. Oh, and plan on seeing LOTS

of

intereference from LANS.

For clear links, choose some of the $75 wireless cameras

on 1.2

GHz which don't compete with LANS. But I think the FCC

has cut

off the supply of these coming in from China...

Bob, WB4APR

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