The brainstorming on a robust, long range race car to chase truck communications system for the Baja 1000 continues, this time between A.J. and me via instant messenger this morning:
A.J.: Ok looks like we can build our own satellite pager with built in gps. this little bad boy can do it all and all from the car. each message can be tagged with gps data so we’d know what the car is doing and where. automatically and ever few minutes. [link]
Jim Graham: How much for a full up unit per car vs. renting the suckers?
A.J.: Well we’d need to buy a modem for the car. set it up with sensors and just turn it on. the system would automatically ‘ping’ us with it’s location and status at a rate we choose. the drivers could also operate it with a series of buttons to add pre-programmed messages and there is a voice option as well. that little box does it all.
Jim Graham: So we might have a car with a blue screen of death?
A.J.: Well I’d use the data911 cpu system I have. It has zero moving parts so it would be really hard to crash it. [link]
Jim Graham: I didn’t understand half of what you just said.
A.J.: That’s ok, you’re pretty.
Jim Graham: Ok, I green light this.
Since I’m not in the car for the KC Hilites Midnight Special, I’m volunteering to staff Road Crossing 11, which the closest one to the start/finish line. Fidel, who manages Class 11 Coalition and is the brains behind Unlimited Dirt, said he’d drop by with a “Ford Super Duty or Jeep XJ equipped w/ BBQ & ice chest…chips, dip, sausage, corn and Gordon Biersch.”
I’m providing the marinated steaks. We’re going to set the standard by which all other Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiast (SNORE) flagged road crossings are judged.