What is DAGR? (Newborn 1994 Magellan Trailblazer?)

DAGR stands for Defense Advanced GPS Receiver  (Rockwell Collins) and it looks much like my almost 20 years old and still running Magellan Trailblazer hand held GPS device. Seemingly DAGR has much more efficient battery and better display which were the weak points of Magellan Trailblazer.

DAGR

Also the slow start up of the Trailblazer was very annoying (it only had 8 channels). Once you had the first satellite position fix the batteries were empty and the unit said "good bye". So I hooked it up to my car battery and there it did a great job for many years. You could not see any moving map but I was able to get back to the same spot I had once entered in the memory of the unit.

(you could put the antenna outside your car using a cable)

("Searching" satellites, it really spent some time to find them)

Magellan Trailblazer handheld GPS device of the mid 90's
(the backdoor is "Gone with the Wind")

Magellan Trailblazer 1994

Vintage Magellan ad

DAGR seems to be much more efficient and it even can find any GPS jamming device if one is used near by.

More about DAGR can be found in the link below: This proves that if you have once invented a wheel it is hard to invent again.

http://www3.rockwellcollins.com/ecat/gs/DAGR.html

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A Robot that Flies Like a Bird (FESTO)

Finally it is reality - a machine that can fly like a bird! Very interesting development in the area of light structures and lithium polymer batteries.

See also:

FESTO
FESTO @ YouTube

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