On Aug 27, 4:39*pm, Sam Discusflyer wrote:
What kind of tampering are you looking for? I'm curious.

*I thought about the comment by another of hooking up something in the
unit. Most likely the person would use alligator clips or some other
intricate connector. Do you think you would be able to see the scratch
marks left by this connector? What else are you testing for? Some code
changes or board modifications? *More likely someone would hook through
the communication connection outside the unit. Then you would never know
they were doing that would you when you did the 'in hand inspection'.
How about I take a picture and send it to you while you are connected to
the unit?

There is not much room inside the unit for this kind of modificationl Nor
as another put it would someone really invest the time and money?

Steve Michalik

At 14:37 27 August 2008, Paul Remde wrote:



Hi Marc,

Good point. *I really would need to have the unit in hand.

Paul Remde

"Marc Ramsey" *wrote in message
.. .
Sam Discusflyer wrote:
So why is it not possible to hook up the GPS unit to the PC connected
to
the internet, connect with the key master and load the serial #?

Open up case, insert $2 microcontroller between GPS receiver and flight
recorder logic board, close case, call up manufacturer say "hey my
flight
recorder unsealed itself", reload key, go set some world records.

The manufacturer or designated agent is supposed to inspect the
interior

of the unit for tampering before resealing. *Otherwise, there's not
much

point to sealing it in the first place...

Marc



Aligator clips? I could solder and unsolder components inside the
system, replace or repogram EEPROMS on the boards, etc. All bets are
off if I open the container and get to reseal it myself. Nobody is
going to ever get to look at it anyhow if you could self seal. The
whole point of the seal is you can't do it yourself, but must use a
trusted agent.

We would not have all been going through this hassle if it was not an
issue. With nothing more than what an good electronics hobbiest would
have I could open up any of these units and tap into the pressure
transducer electrical interface and make it do anything I wanted. Take
the altitude part of the GPS signal, fake that as well. Hey presto a
new world altitude record. Now sealing and the current mechanisms are
not absolutely bullet proof but they are a useful deterent. And as
others mentioned there have been attempts to forge flights.

You clearly are unhappy you have to pay some money to get this
resealed. But you know what you don't. If you don't like all this
stuff about having certified loggers and verifyable flights etc. don't
use a certified logger or don't have it resealed. Many garden variety,
low cost, GPS systems can log your flight and you can look at them all
you want in SeeYou etc. Many PDA soaring programs and other systems
will create logs suitable for use by OLC. But if you want to try out
for badges or records, etc. then you have to follow the rules or go
lobby to the IGC to have them changed.

Darryl