OnStar?
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 337
From:
RE: OnStar?
A friend of mine at work has the basic safe and sound plan,without the turn by turn package.She was driving to JFK airport in New York City and took a wrong exit and got lost.No Mapquest or anything to help at that point.She hit the blue button,told the Onstar advisor she was lost in New York City traffic ,and the advisor stayed on the line and directed her to the airport.NO extra charge.
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 6,482
From: Southwestern OH
RE: OnStar?
Get.... Lost? As in not know where u are?
What is this concept? Isn't the answer always there, in a map?
Lmao, sorry guys, I just can't help butgawk at the ppl that pay all that money for a GPS...
I mean not that it isn't a worthy investment for like a limo driver or something, but when simple directions and a 4$ map can suffice... I guess I just don't see the need. What a map or mapquest.com can't do... google earth can.. gives you a birds eye view, so you know exactly what to look for.
I guess safe and sound wouldn't be a bad idea if it actually came with the diagnostics, but I don't think it does. Plus the idea of them always having the finger on my car's location makes me a bit uneasy.
Believe it or not........... there are people out there (even men) who're not good map readers. Just like ther are people out there who aren't as cool as those of us who own Montes.
So having a feature like Onstar is a plus to these people.
And from what Onstar told me, they do not know where your car is, till you press the Onstar button. True? I can't really say?
What is this concept? Isn't the answer always there, in a map?
Lmao, sorry guys, I just can't help butgawk at the ppl that pay all that money for a GPS...
I mean not that it isn't a worthy investment for like a limo driver or something, but when simple directions and a 4$ map can suffice... I guess I just don't see the need. What a map or mapquest.com can't do... google earth can.. gives you a birds eye view, so you know exactly what to look for.
I guess safe and sound wouldn't be a bad idea if it actually came with the diagnostics, but I don't think it does. Plus the idea of them always having the finger on my car's location makes me a bit uneasy.
Believe it or not........... there are people out there (even men) who're not good map readers. Just like ther are people out there who aren't as cool as those of us who own Montes.
So having a feature like Onstar is a plus to these people.
And from what Onstar told me, they do not know where your car is, till you press the Onstar button. True? I can't really say?
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 736
From: CFB Petawawa, Ontario, Canada
RE: OnStar?
That is semi-correct. Onstar uses satilite/cellular frequencies to operate. In fact it is made by motorola and is liscensed for the 831. ish mhz band if I am correct. (If you really want to check, the DCS is mounted in the trunk on the drivers side, under the carpeting the freq is on the FCC/CRTC sticker).
So how does the gps work?
Simple, by measuring the strenght of the incoming transmission and comparing the strength with other towers, they can tri-angulate your position.
Onstar uses a cellular pulse system while installed in the car, regarldess if the vehicle is on, or off. If you use an SWR meter tuned to the cellular band, you will see this pulse, which is once every 1-3 minutes.
Why? Onstar's Thieft Recovery System. Ask any officer who has worked with onstar, and the recovery rate is extremely high. The reason being is that onstar emits this pulse and it makes it very easy to find out the exact location.
So Does Onstar know where your car is at any time? Yes. Are theyallowed to reveal any of that information?Depends on the laws in your local area.And when it comes to accident assitance when you might get in an accident and rendered unconcious, such as mine, you will be happy that they are there.
So how does the gps work?
Simple, by measuring the strenght of the incoming transmission and comparing the strength with other towers, they can tri-angulate your position.
Onstar uses a cellular pulse system while installed in the car, regarldess if the vehicle is on, or off. If you use an SWR meter tuned to the cellular band, you will see this pulse, which is once every 1-3 minutes.
Why? Onstar's Thieft Recovery System. Ask any officer who has worked with onstar, and the recovery rate is extremely high. The reason being is that onstar emits this pulse and it makes it very easy to find out the exact location.
So Does Onstar know where your car is at any time? Yes. Are theyallowed to reveal any of that information?Depends on the laws in your local area.And when it comes to accident assitance when you might get in an accident and rendered unconcious, such as mine, you will be happy that they are there.
Monte Of The Month -- February 2008
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 4,286
From: Born in East LA
RE: OnStar?
ORIGINAL: HyperFox
That is semi-correct. Onstar uses satilite/cellular frequencies to operate. In fact it is made by motorola and is liscensed for the 831. ish mhz band if I am correct. (If you really want to check, the DCS is mounted in the trunk on the drivers side, under the carpeting the freq is on the FCC/CRTC sticker).
So how does the gps work?
Simple, by measuring the strenght of the incoming transmission and comparing the strength with other towers, they can tri-angulate your position.
Onstar uses a cellular pulse system while installed in the car, regarldess if the vehicle is on, or off. If you use an SWR meter tuned to the cellular band, you will see this pulse, which is once every 1-3 minutes.
Why? Onstar's Thieft Recovery System. Ask any officer who has worked with onstar, and the recovery rate is extremely high. The reason being is that onstar emits this pulse and it makes it very easy to find out the exact location.
So Does Onstar know where your car is at any time? Yes. Are theyallowed to reveal any of that information?Depends on the laws in your local area.And when it comes to accident assitance when you might get in an accident and rendered unconcious, such as mine, you will be happy that they are there.
That is semi-correct. Onstar uses satilite/cellular frequencies to operate. In fact it is made by motorola and is liscensed for the 831. ish mhz band if I am correct. (If you really want to check, the DCS is mounted in the trunk on the drivers side, under the carpeting the freq is on the FCC/CRTC sticker).
So how does the gps work?
Simple, by measuring the strenght of the incoming transmission and comparing the strength with other towers, they can tri-angulate your position.
Onstar uses a cellular pulse system while installed in the car, regarldess if the vehicle is on, or off. If you use an SWR meter tuned to the cellular band, you will see this pulse, which is once every 1-3 minutes.
Why? Onstar's Thieft Recovery System. Ask any officer who has worked with onstar, and the recovery rate is extremely high. The reason being is that onstar emits this pulse and it makes it very easy to find out the exact location.
So Does Onstar know where your car is at any time? Yes. Are theyallowed to reveal any of that information?Depends on the laws in your local area.And when it comes to accident assitance when you might get in an accident and rendered unconcious, such as mine, you will be happy that they are there.
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 736
From: CFB Petawawa, Ontario, Canada
RE: OnStar?
No. they dont. Onstar uses local cellular services, in which they pay for. This is why each vehicle has a telephone number and why you can link your local telcos cell phone service toonstar to share the minutes. (Bell Canada is the only one I know of so far that does this.) If you are not subscribed, the number is lost. Essentialy, the line is cut and onstar will not have access to the signals. The signal generated from the car is merely ignored because the cell phone tower's switch will deny the ESN number, and ignore the signal as it isnt authorised to use that towers network. It may allow the call to proceed, but only to the carriers 1-800 number, much like if you took your cell phone, cancelled it and tried to make a call.