K3MRI

I really really really love DIY kits. When I was young, building radios was actually how my dad and I bonded.

Unfortunately Lind, to the best of my knowledge, the 911 system is NOT interconnected. The only way is to look up the local law enforcement agency - there - and call them, and hope they will answer. Of course in today's non-411 world (yes, knowing what 411 is dates us) you're left with the Internet. Just for fun, I just tried to look up the police department number in four small towns across the country, and all four departments, with addresses and telephone numbers immediately came up on Google. Interestingly, in one case, there was no local PD, but Google managed to find the closest station, 20 miles away, with no problem.

Welcome aboard Chris and thanks for dropping by our booth at Hamvention 2022. 73 Jim

Hi Chris. That’s a tough question. First, I would argue, it depends on the model. Then it depends on usage. And, of course, favorite does not mean ‘I can afford it’ so that comes into play. And I hate to lean in favor of one manufacturer only. But yes, if I had to buy one right this minute, I would likely go for an Elecraft K4 followed by a Kenwood 590S. But to be frank, I like them all and I fear that you may have more people than just me feeling that way. Amateur radio transceiver manufacturers have come a long way in the past fifty years and most, if not all, really do have great products on the market. By the way, I moved the topic to Transceivers.

I wonder how often we use our HTs. For me it’s one of those tools I absolutely love but realize I do not use as much as I should or would like to. Do you feel you’re using your HTs as much as you’d like to? How often do you actually use one?

Welcome aboard!!

My buddy was slated for Starling at the END of this year and they now moved it up to next week!!

Hi Chris. Just so readers understand what a WISP is… a Wireless Internet Service Provider 🤗 The only obvious problem with a WISP is having access. One of our members @KW4TO is going through this right now. Fortunately, some are now able to get Starlink which gives you the necessary speeds and, presumably, acceptable latency because, indeed, not only is there a signal issue with a WISP, even if you do get a good connection, in rural areas, you get really bad latency. We did a test in rural Virginia the other day and with ATT, which was the best of the three carriers at that location, we still had a latency over 250ms. The good news is that digital requires less signal than a voice remote connection, but if you start losing packets due to latency, that’s not great either. Fortunately data caps are not an issue with digital remote connections but, as you likely know, there are some fairly low ceilings on hotspots. Final thought. If you do go the WISP route, obviously consider a signal booster, ideally a well-placed directional one. KW4TO had no choice but to use one. BTW, in rereading my answer, I realize I have not said anything useful 🤔 I say this because ultimately, remote internet access has been a problem for so long and there are so many variables that until we get a true rural solution (Starlink, maybe?) we will continue to be frustrated.

Hi Whitney. Welcome aboard!! Jim

Welcome Ed! And I hope you enjoy your Band Edges pad when it arrives! They go into production Tuesday!!

Ouch, so the building was about to collapse so they took their time and, meanwhile, all the equipment in there was at risk of being sandwiched. Ouch indeed.

Hey Jim, welcome to Ham Community. Can't wait for you to receive your desk pad!! Hoping, but certain, that you'll love it. Talk soon. Jim

Welcome Jonathan. Great to have you aboard. Talk to you Saturday. Jim

What were they looking for, proof of ownership? I mean, it was a club, right. You'd the the CG would have just released the equipment to the club and let the club figure it out.

Welcome, welcome. Great to have you aboard. Jim

I remember hearing about that. What a shame.

Welcome, welcome. Great to have you onboard. Jim