thanks go to tidus666 for making me think of this one

She suggested that if the timer inside the hatch reached 0, then a distress signal might be sent out

Hope this hasn't been covered yet :)

The Argos system is a sattelite network which is used for rescue missions, as well as various tracking and locating missions

Basically every sail boat, and sailor have to be equipped with an Argos device

Once this device is submerged by water (a solo sailor around the world going over board, or a ship sinking, a distress call is emitted

The argos Sattelite system orbits every 108 minutes, and makes is in transmitter range for 10 minutes

So if the button pushing thing is designed to send a signal every time the counter is reset, the 108 minutes is logical
The buttons must be pushed no sooner than 4 minutes before the timer reaches 0
this fits in the 10 minutes time frame where the signal can be picked up with some security

there is also an alternate possibility
if Desmond for example was during its first days alone, standing all the time by the computer and entered the numbers just after the alarm begins to ring, then he might have caused too big a delay, since the clock resets to 108 minutes
over the course of the years the sattelite was no longer within range to pick up the signal (hence no replacement party was sent)

When the lostaways waited until the very last seconds to enter the code, it might very well have made up for lost time, and now the signal is picked up again

Oh and i almost forgot to mention
The Argos system is used to monitor swans migrations, yup, i just said "SWAN"

Sorry, issue was already adressed in the "Orientation" forum

should have made the search before posting, and not afterwards :D

Hi Tarf
I'm glad I've got people thinking lol

I did laugh a bit actually because when you mentioned Argos here in the UK we have a shop called Argos and it usually takes about 108 minutes to get served. :drowsy:

Seriously though I really like your theories they will give me something to argue about with everyone.

Just one tiny little thing as well I'm a she :)

Hey there! Im fairly new and need your help....I was traveling for the holiday and...gasp...missed the new eppy. Can someone please post a link to help me download it if possible....Thanks!

The possibility that the 108 minute timer has something to do with a satellite has been discussed a lot, but, since there is a 4 minute window where the numbers could be entered every 108 minutes, the counter could quickly become out of sync with the satellite.

As much as I love the spoilers I cant read anything until I see the Wed show, can anybody give me a link?????

Hi Cjunebean
I don't think they allow or like people putting links like that on the forums

Hi Tarf I'd be interested to see what you think to another theory another friend of mine had it's posted on my original thread about the others being psychic

Ah, okay, again pretty new. Any other way I can find one? Another site? Im just looking for the best way. Any ideas would be helpful, darn holidays interupting my Lost!!!

Most episodes can be found using popular peer-to-peer file sharing programs. Not legal. But if you do break a few rules then perhaps one day you will have a chance at redemption... perhaps on some mysterious island.

Thanks so much, I have no idea what it means (not computer savvy) but I appreciate the reply. Im surfing around and will hopefully find something. I am happy to pay for it just dont know how to get it....I now realize how truly addicted I am to this show. Admitting it is the first step is what they say.

Oh... and if you're in the US then you can legitimately buy it for $2 through iTunes and watch it on your computer.

If it's just this episode you want, I'd buy it from iTunes... It'd be better quality and no viruses.

Thank you to you all!!!!

How the Argos System Works

N.O.A.A. satellites orbit every 108 minutes or about 14 times a day. The satellite scans a 5,000 kilometer wide area as it passes. The satellite is within transmitter range for about 10 minutes. If the transmitter is sending then the satellite will receive multiple messages from the swan's transmitter.
Because of the earth's rotation a transmitter at the equator would be scanned once a day while a transmitter at the pole could be scanned 14 times a day.
http://www.uen.org/swan/images/argosth.gif (http://www.uen.org/swan/images/Argos.gif)
(click for bigger image)

When the satellite passes one of three main ground stations, it downloads the information to computers. The computers then calculate the location of the swan and send the owner of the transmitter an E-mail message.



The Shadow-A-Swan website then updates the archive for each swan, maps the longitude and latitude and calculates the distance traveled since the last reported location.

(NOTE - GOOGLE "ARGOS SYSTEM" OR (how the argos system works) or "108 MINUTES" OR "SWAN STATIONS") - the island is near the equator, the light projected from the swan station on the island? to communicate with the sat? note the small inset tucked upper left of the earth pic...a "swan"..the sat dish on the pic is nw africa (this is not a lost site) if you look to the left... the island is north of austrailia near the equator..same area...also says a transmitter at the pole...(near narvik) registers 14 times a day (so alvar can closely monitor prob).***there was a noaa link somewhere i saw- under water research? and i just clued into it.candle said the station 3 the swan - was a research facility? yea? before the "incident"...sounds good to me! http://www.uen.org/swan/argos.html

check this out..sorry so long
"Argos", Ulysses' faithful dog
Ulysses' faithful dog (note:vincent?) was named Argos. He waited for his master's return (waaalt) to Ithaca for over a decade, and was the first one to recognize the King returning from the Trojan War, even though Ulysses was masqueraded as a beggar to discover what was going on in his palace during his absence.
The myth mentions that the very old dog died just after recognizing his master having fulfilled his destiny of faith.

http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/New_C-S_System_Overview.jpg (http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/New_C-S_System_Overview.jpg)

Yeah, I spotted that a while back. I was trying to keep it under my hat until I had a theory to go with.:biggrin: There seem to be a few satellites on the same orbit timing. Here's another theory to peruse about a different satellite, also with a suggestive name.

http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=29171&highlight=stickied%2C+ultimate+theory

I definitely think we'll be hearing about a satellite, but I don't think it will be a real satellite. Perhaps the real satellites are just clues that there is a satellite involved. I'm reminded of the comment Charlie made way back when about there being satellites in space that could take a picture of your license plate. It was back when he was hopeful that they would be rescued. I have theorized in the figurative and literal mirrors thread that there is some reason that the island is masked from satellites, but I never got very far with it. Maybe we're looking at a satellite with a 4 minute window to upload information? Of course, I'm pretty sure all of this has been discussed in the past, but I can't point to specific threads at the moment. :frown:

ETA: It would make sense that "NOAA" satellites would be involved since one of the areas of study on the island is supposedly meteorology.

I’ve seen these theories before and I do think there is strong evidence that it will be discovered that a satellite is involved in some fashion. My only question is what data would they be transmitting to any satellite? It would be safe to say that if the survivors are an experiment then someone else is collecting data on them. Why wouldn’t the data collector also transmit the data when required rather then leave it in the hands of an unpredictable test subject? It just doesn’t appear that the old computer in the hatch is collecting data to send, just executing the one process known to be coded.

Maybe they have to input the numbers to "cloak" the island when a certain satelite passes by. In other words, somehow jam it up so the island cannot be found. It's apparently not plotted on any map...maybe that's why.

Interesting. Here are some additional tidbits related to ARGOS.


Argos is a key component of many global research programs including: TOGA, WOCE, Argo, and others


Argos was developed cooperatively between the CNES (the French space agency)NASA (USA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .


The system utilizes both ground and satellite-based resources to accomplish its mission.


Has a fleet of over 3,000 underwater robots


This fully integrated system works to conveniently locate and deliver data from the most remote platforms to the user's desktop, often in near real-time.


Argos is operated by CLS/Argos, based in Toulouse, France


My question: what was the name of Danielles group who she landed on the island with? I wonderif there is some relation to any of the groups that use ARGOS?

Maybe they have to input the numbers to "cloak" the island when a certain satelite passes by. In other words, somehow jam it up so the island cannot be found. It's apparently not plotted on any map...maybe that's why.

Those were my thoughts, DangerKitty. Satellites use complex sets of algorithms to interpret images into colors. I've often wondered if the Swan Station isn't somehow sending a signal to sensors that skew the images picked up on satellite. It's somehow interfering with the images making it appear that there is only ocean, no island.

http://www.physics.miami.edu/~chris/envr_optics.html

I have always thought that the La Mer lyrics on Danielle's map were some kind of clue! :smile:

ETA: Blue infinity anyone? Just a guess though...

On the other hand, there are several large, spooled tapes there in the station. The kind they use to store a lot of data. I always wondered what was on those tapes and why no one bothered to try and find out. Information is apparently coming from somewhere for some reason.

I wondered about the tapes as well. Last Wednesday they were madly spinning, thus doing something, when Michael and Jack were in the hatch.

original threads on the Argos system
http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=27640&highlight=swan+argos
http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=23067&highlight=swan+argos

original threads on the Argos system
http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=27640&highlight=swan+argos
http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=23067&highlight=swan+argos

Thanks tarf, I'll merge this thread with the pre-existing one.

Side note (maybe already mentionned)

Argo was the name of Jason's ship on his quest for the Golden Fleece

Jason assembled many noble men from Hellas, and with the help of one Argus, some say son of Phrixus, a ship of fifty oars called "Argo" was built. At its prow, a speaking timber from the oak of Dodona was fitted, following the instructions of Athena. It is said that when the ship was launched into the sea, it appeared among the stars from rudder to sail [Constellation Puppis].

The expeditions encountered the "Sirens" (sounds like the numbers transmission which eventually led everyone on the island)

Why would the hatch be transmitting? The hatch was never a ship nor a sailor. In fact,it is rare for stationary thigns to transmit their location, at all. (I know, I'm assuming the hatch is stationary, maybe it's not.) But all of this makes me lean towards the "cloaking" argument.

Hi Tarf
I'm glad I've got people thinking lol

I did laugh a bit actually because when you mentioned Argos here in the UK we have a shop called Argos and it usually takes about 108 minutes to get served. :drowsy:

Seriously though I really like your theories they will give me something to argue about with everyone.

Just one tiny little thing as well I'm a she :)
Yeah! Bloody Argos! lol
I think the american's have ''pottery barn'' as their equivelant :)

And Yes, the thread starter's theory was pretty damn good I think. That is, if it is actually true and not just made up

That is, if it is actually true and not just made up

some reference needed here ? :D

the shadow-a-swan project using the Argos system, http://www.uen.org/swan/

NOAA Argos page http://noaasis.noaa.gov/ARGOS/

Argos system mainpage (French site but English page) http://www.cls.fr/html/argos/welcome_en.html

ETA : things are funny
on the CLS homepage http://www.cls.fr/welcome_en.html the highlight of the month reads


Better coverage in the Pacific Zone:

A new Argos antenna has just been installed in Papeete, Tahiti. This antenna improves real-time coverage in the Pacific Zone and increases the number to 42 real-time stations in the Argos network.


42 stations lol

Yeah! Bloody Argos! lol
I think the american's have ''pottery barn'' as their equivelant :)

And Yes, the thread starter's theory was pretty damn good I think. That is, if it is actually true and not just made up

Oh, definitely not made up. As you see, several of us have noticed the synchronicity between this satellite system and Lost themes.

My reason for thinking that it might be about cloaking the island is that satellites have to take into account atmospheric light and glint from the sun in translating images into colors. Ocean color is a low frequency color. However, many times the sun bouncing off the water is translated as a glint area. The satellite then uses the algorithms to filter the image based on atmospheric conditions. Could such a thing be mimicked with lasers and mirrors directed toward the satellite? Tarf, any thoughts?

ETA: OR, could transmitters on the island be sending false data to the satellite?

Could such a thing be mimicked with lasers and mirrors directed toward the satellite? Tarf, any thoughts?
ETA: OR, could transmitters on the island be sending false data to the satellite?

Just a few weeks ago I was reading some article about the cell phone biz where people were getting all uptight about towers, etc making a mess. The article had a bunch of photos of clever ways the relay stations could be hidden. Some were hidden in palm trees, church steeples, and even fake rocks. Gonna see if I can find a web site that may have that junk. My point being, just because we (and the Losies) can't see any antennas doesn't mean there aren't any.

Found one:http://www.thegreenhead.com/watercooler/2004/09/can-you-spot-hidden-cell-towers.php

Just a few weeks ago I was reading some article about the cell phone biz where people were getting all uptight about towers, etc making a mess. The article had a bunch of photos of clever ways the relay stations could be hidden. Some were hidden in palm trees, church steeples, and even fake rocks. Gonna see if I can find a web site that may have that junk. My point being, just because we (and the Losies) can't see any antennas doesn't mean there aren't any.

Found one:http://www.thegreenhead.com/watercooler/2004/09/can-you-spot-hidden-cell-towers.php

Hmm...kind of makes you think. A radio tower could easily be hidden inside the Banyan trees the losties are always using to hide from the monster. :smile:

or in the black rock's masts ...

In the UK we do indeed have 3G mobile phone transmitter masts disguised as trees in some areas, not a completely outrageous suggestion! Course it is a little odd to have a single tree surrounded by a fence and next to a grey telecoms box, but hey.

I had a theory about the countdown that was kinda similar, to the satelitte, in that it was designed to either communicate a single or surpress one. sorry if its been said before, the countdown sends a signal, it does so every 108 minutes to tell Dharma Head office that everything is okay on the island, experiments continuing as normal. Problem is it isn't. the reason is, Years before, saaaay, 20 years before, US military gets wind of crazy experiments on the island, and wade in heavy handed to put it down, destroy the Arrow bunker, leave a knife behind and think, Job Done! But, of course, at least one more station. This was 'the incident' Dharma didnt know anything was out of hand because no one was alive to tell them so. Now Dharma cuts off the island, "continue with your research guys, so long as every 108 or so minutes our satellite gets a single from you we know you're okay. we cant risk contacting you again in case the military notice"

The plan being, if the signal stops, Dharma knows the island been raided again and destroys it somewhow, with a big nuke, looking like a Krakatoa style volcano eruption to avoid repercusions in the 'real world'. Unfortunately the experiment went wrong, but by fluke Kelvin survives, goes mad and gets so focused on the numbers he forgets what the purpose was, a deadmans switch, and that he should be dead! he recurits desmond, who recurits the losties thus giving the false impression to Dharma that everything is OK.

explans why the numbers are a code not just a button, an outsider wouldn't know the code.

Doesnt explain anything else at all and is full of plot holes, but its my theory I like it :-)