NWI INGO General Thread #27 - Fresh Pink Air On US-30 smells like...

[chef larry]

Thursday morning and pre-Friday.

 

[Doug28450]

Off to Westmont to officiate at the TYR Pro USA Swimming swim meet.

 

[2A_Tom]

:Wow: you would think :INGO: would have a HAM and amateur radio thread. Maybe those interested could start one, in the break room.

This thread is for farts, poop, bloody poop, and food to make poop.

 

[mmpsteve]

:Wow: you would think :INGO: would have a HAM and amateur radio thread. Maybe those interested could start one, in the break room.

This thread is for farts, poop, bloody poop, and food to make poop.

.

 

[Ballstater98]

Anyone been to Runnings? Looks like watseka and Michigan city are closest? Did they take over big r?

Hasn't been Big R for quite a while. It's changed hands/companies a few times. Always the same merchandise and setup, so I would assume it still does.

 

[melensdad]

The regular squelch function is set a lot like a volume control. It filters signals based on power level. So you might have a far away station that's reaching you with just static so you adjust the squelch up to filter that out.


Squelch tones are often just called "tone" or broken down by the type of technology used to implement them. Tone or CTCSS uses a sub audible tone to signal to another radio set to the same tone setting to allow that traffic through. DCS is another one that uses digital voodoo to do the same thing.

Think of it like putting on a pair of colored lenses. You put on red lenses and you won't see yellow and blue but everyone else without lenses will still see the whole spectrum of colors.

One of the things that confuses me on the GMRS rules is the transmission rules for handhelds versus mobile/base station sets.

And maybe I am reading things wrong? But it seems like a 'handheld' unit (typically 5 watts) can transmit/receive on ALL the GMRS channels. But a 'mobile/base' unit (typically 10 to 50 watts) is blocked out of transmitting on a group of channels? So I'm not sure if there is a special reason for that group of channels, if I am reading it incorrectly, or what?

TO OTHERS LOOKING AT THIS STUFF

If I jump into this stuff, and that is still a big IF, I'm trying to decide between GMRS and HAM. I can see SOME utility for this for family communications, but I suspect most family members would prefer cell phone. I'm of the mindset . . . but if cellphone crashes, then MOST radio still works . . . which is one reason I am skeptical of GMRS 'linked' repeaters because they rely on things like internet.

GMRS only requires sending $ for a license.

HAM, to get a basic Tech license, seems to have a fairly simple test, with online practice tests, and requires some technical knowledge . . . but if JEDI can learn it, anyone should be able to pass that test.

 

[cg21]

Hasn't been Big R for quite a while. It's changed hands/companies a few times. Always the same merchandise and setup, so I would assume it still does.

Gotcha don’t get out that way often I see runnings is a big chain store

 

[tv1217]

One of the things that confuses me on the GMRS rules is the transmission rules for handhelds versus mobile/base station sets.

And maybe I am reading things wrong? But it seems like a 'handheld' unit (typically 5 watts) can transmit/receive on ALL the GMRS channels. But a 'mobile/base' unit (typically 10 to 50 watts) is blocked out of transmitting on a group of channels? So I'm not sure if there is a special reason for that group of channels, if I am reading it incorrectly, or what?

TO OTHERS LOOKING AT THIS STUFF

If I jump into this stuff, and that is still a big IF, I'm trying to decide between GMRS and HAM. I can see SOME utility for this for family communications, but I suspect most family members would prefer cell phone. I'm of the mindset . . . but if cellphone crashes, then MOST radio still works . . . which is one reason I am skeptical of GMRS 'linked' repeaters because they rely on things like internet.

GMRS only requires sending $ for a license.

HAM, to get a basic Tech license, seems to have a fairly simple test, with online practice tests, and requires some technical knowledge . . . but if JEDI can learn it, anyone should be able to pass that test.

You can use all the channels, there are just Tx power limits. Channels 1-7 are 5 W; 8-14 are half watt Narrowband, 15-22 are 50W


If you were to buy any modern GMRS radio, whether that be a base/mobile station or a handheld, all of this would come programmed in. There's not even really a restriction on a handheld being over 5 watts, the manufacturers usually do that keep you in safe RF exposure range.

Programming for repeaters is the only part that could get complicated. Some radios limit you to the simplex Channels 1-22 and the generic Repeater Channels 15RPT-22RPT. Those repeater channels are just pre programmed with the proper frequency offsets for repeater operation. E.g. Channel 17RPT has an Output on 467.600MHz and input on 462.700MHz(and repeaters themselves will be the opposite)

The part that might complicate this is virtually all repeaters out there in the world utilize CTCSS(also called PL) or DCS tones to "access" them so they're not repeating every open signal that comes in on their input frequency. This isn't really a problem if you plan to use it in a single area off one repeater. Say Lake and Porter counties so you plan to use Crete. You'll hear it on Repeater Channel 17 but you won't be able to talk on it unless you set their Tone in your radio to the one they have set.

Repeater owners on GMRS don't like people posting the tones out in the wild so I'll use different ones as example.

So let's say Crete has a PL Tone of 77, so you set the radio to Channel 17RPT and go in your menu and set the PL tone to 77 and now you can use it. This is fine if you don't plan to plan to use other repeaters on Channel 17.

But let's say you go down to southern Indiana. There's a repeater in Floyd's Knob(giggle) also on Repeater Channel 17. Chances are it's on a different Tone. It wouldn't work with PL 77 so you'd have to go into your settings again and change it to whatever they have set. This can be not a huge deal or a giant pain in the butt depending on how many radios you have to set when you get there and how much you plan to bounce around on repeaters.


Thankfully a lot of newer GMRS radios will let you just save these settings as additional channels and usually name them.


P.S. Shut up Tom

 

[sadclownwp]

Today is another blessed day. The lord has given me the opportunity to learn how to fix a toilet with 2 issues. One, the tank seems to drain drain constantly. This just started about 4 days ago. Problem two that started today. The bowl seems to drain very slowly.

Should be a fun time.

 

[melensdad]

You can use all the channels, there are just Tx power limits. Channels 1-7 are 5 W; 8-14 are half watt Narrowband, 15-22 are 50W


If you were to buy any modern GMRS radio, whether that be a base/mobile station or a handheld, all of this would come programmed in. . . . blah blah blah

So Midland doesn't even seem to include the middle channels in this unit:


And Wouxun doesn't either:


So either I am totally misunderstanding things, or this guy, who I personally find pretty entertaining in how he presents geek stuff, is wrong?

 

[sadclownwp]

OK issue with the tank seems to be fixed. Now for the slow drain.

 

[melensdad]

OK issue with the tank seems to be fixed. Now for the slow drain.

Put JEDI's hand down there to pull out the obstruction.

Hopefully the problem started after your toilet did an all night battle after you binge at a sack of Taco Bell with a White Castle 'crave case' chaser.

 

[Doug28450]

Put JEDI's hand down there to pull out the obstruction.

Hopefully the problem started after your toilet did an all night battle after you binge at a sack of Taco Bell with a White Castle 'crave case' chaser.

He might find a raccoon. I count that as a WIN.

 

[sadclownwp]

Put JEDI's hand down there to pull out the obstruction.

Hopefully the problem started after your toilet did an all night battle after you binge at a sack of Taco Bell with a White Castle 'crave case' chaser.

No, didn't use that toilet at all since Sunday. Till this morning. Gave it a good plunge. Onto the chemical warfare with baking soda and vinegar.

 

[klausm]

Put JEDI's hand down there to pull out the obstruction.

Hopefully the problem started after your toilet did an all night battle after you binge at a sack of Taco Bell with a White Castle 'crave case' chaser.

I don't see that scenario having enough solids in them to plug up anything, both Toxic Hell and WC will liquify anything in your lower colon

 

[Snapdragon]

Today is another blessed day. The lord has given me the opportunity to learn how to fix a toilet with 2 issues. One, the tank seems to drain drain constantly. This just started about 4 days ago. Problem two that started today. The bowl seems to drain very slowly.

Should be a fun time.

I've been dealing with toilet issues myself. The constant tank draining issue needs a new gasket between the tank and bowl. The bowl emptying slowly probably either means there is not enough water coming down from the tank to wash it down, or you've got a partial clog.

 

[sadclownwp]

I've been dealing with toilet issues myself. The constant tank draining issue needs a new gasket between the tank and bowl. The bowl emptying slowly probably either means there is not enough water coming down from the tank to wash it down, or you've got a partial clog.

I don't think it is an issue with not enough water coming down. It is a slow drain even when pour in hot water. I'm thinking clog.

 

[melensdad]

Do you have an auger?

Harbor Freight, etc has them.

If not, I still vote for Jedi's hand to be shoved down there. Preferably the one he uses to hold his gun sideways while he yells PEW PEW

 

[radar8756]

No, didn't use that toilet at all since Sunday. Till this morning. Gave it a good plunge. Onto the chemical warfare with baking soda and vinegar.

Are the other toilets in the House working ?

A load from another toilet could be downstream in the pipe and back up BOTH / ALL the toilets in the house

 

[tv1217]

So Midland doesn't even seem to include the middle channels in this unit:


And Wouxun doesn't either:


So either I am totally misunderstanding things, or this guy, who I personally find pretty entertaining in how he presents geek stuff, is wrong?

I'll watch these later to see what exactly he says. I've watched a few of his other videos before and he's usually OK but he seems to mostly deal in cheap Chinese crap. Midland is an American company but a lot of their radios are Chinese.