Intex Aqua 4G Strong and Airtel 4G - solved

Unfortunately, my Intex Aqua 4G Strong handset does not seem to work with Airtel 4G network. The issue could be that Airtel's 4G is on LTE band 40 (2300 MHz) which does not seem to be supported by this handset. So, currently, even when Airtel4G is seen as an available network using Settings -> More -> Cellular Networks -> Network operators, and when chosen, shows "Registered on network", the status shows 3G, and apps like Coverage and Phone tester show the connected cell to be WCDMA / HSPA and not LTE.

Phone tester was earlier indicating that this handset was not reporting GPS connections. Maybe it lacks antennae for GPS and LTE band 40? Using Phone tester with the Mi3 would take a couple of minutes for first connecting to a GPS satellite, and later, after closing and opening the app, would connect within seconds even indoors.

Edit: I emailed 121 at airtel dot com with my 4G connection issue. They called back in the evening, saying that it was an issue at their end, "we would like to inform you that due to some technical issue, internet service on your mobile was not working. However, we have reset the internet service for your mobile.
We request you to restart the handset before using the internet service."

I restarted after seeing their email, and the phone connected to 4G  :)

updated budget airline flying experience

I had posted in 2007 about flying Air Deccan. Since Air Deccan no longer exists, maybe I should write about my recent trip on Spicejet.

Ticket price was supposed to be Rs. 1600 or so for CCJ to BLR, hand-luggage-only fare. Somewhere in the online booking process, I was charged some more, so it became Rs. 1900. Somewhat comparable to the Rs. 1800 (Tatkal) II AC railway ticket price.

Ticket and ID is required while entering the airport. Security check was relatively hassle-free, no lines when I arrived one hour before my flight time. No tag needed for hand-luggage. CISF personnel insist on paper boarding pass so that they can rubber-stamp it - whether web check-in or normal check-in - so the mobile boarding pass is not of much use. They also asked me to take out electronic items from my bag and put them on a tray for X-ray. The waiting lounge was full of passengers - Air India flight to Mumbai was four hours late, those passengers were being provided with breakfast in the lounge when we were boarding. Low-floor buses to and from the aircraft at both airports, a Cobus 3000 at BLR.

As noted in my previous post, the flight attendants are a bit rushed for time, trying to manage the very short turnaround times. They were doing the safety drill when the aircraft was rolling towards the start of the runway, just completing when it started the takeoff run. The Bombardier Q400 managed the 350 km trip in just 35 to 40 minutes of flying time. Another five minutes for taxiing and so on. A bit of turbulence over the Western Ghats as usual - maybe for five minutes or so. Also a big downdraft just before landing. Otherwise quite smooth.  The pleasant-mannered cabin crew managed to serve pre-booked meals and free water for quite a few passengers during this short flight.

The flight seemed to be full - I had chosen the last row window seat, 20D, for the little bit extra legroom. At nearly six feet, I was reasonably comfortable, with an inch or two to spare between my knees and the seat ahead. But the seat reclines only a couple of inches.

Overall a good experience, with only the taxi fare from the airport being an extra cost as compared to the train journey. 

upgrading from Korg Nanokontrol to Nanokontrol2

I mapped the MIDI CC signals of the Nanokontrol2 to Reaper following the method given at
http://hnsws.blogspot.in/2010/08/korg-nanokontrol-and-reaper.html

with the important difference that the Nanokontrol2 had to be plugged in keeping the
Cycle and Set 
buttons pressed to make it go into the MIDI CC mode, as mentioned in the instruction booklet supplied along with the device.

I tried rebooting the computer, the setting seems to be remembered. So, probably for daily use, this pressing of buttons at startup may not be needed.

In case you have issues with it, you may need to disconnect the Nanokontrol2, and connect it back keeping Cycle and Set buttons pressed.

(Specific to our use - other functions are similar as before, except that there are 3 buttons for each row instead of 2 for the earlier Nanokontrol - the lower buttons are mapped to SOLO for the slider tracks, the upper buttons are mapped to SOLO for the knob tracks. The middle buttons are left unused for now.)