1
Radio / Re: May 2024 ERIN SOI
« Last post by Jackalope on May 21, 2024, 10:26:40 PM » The SSB net was excellent tonight, good copy on most stations.
Recent Posts
2
Radio / Re: May 2024 ERIN SOI
« Last post by Tom Paine on May 21, 2024, 10:08:40 PM »DNF station on tonight's voice net. Been quite the while since I had checked into this net. Glad I made contact tonight.
3
Radio / Re: May 2024 ERIN SOI
« Last post by JohnyMac on May 21, 2024, 08:37:55 PM »MAY 21ST ERIN NET
DIGITAL 1900E HRS 4
3 PA
1 NJ
PHONE 2000E HRS 14
3 PA & VA
2 FL
1 NC, SC, GA, MA, TN, & NJ
DIGITAL 1900E HRS 4
3 PA
1 NJ
PHONE 2000E HRS 14
3 PA & VA
2 FL
1 NC, SC, GA, MA, TN, & NJ
5
Comm Discussion / Re: Neighborhood Communications
« Last post by pkveazey on May 21, 2024, 02:11:23 PM »Searchboss: I'm crazy over the UV5R's because they are so easily programmed with CHIRP. If you give a UV5R to an inexperienced person, just set it on the memory location that you want them to stay on and then push the bottom right button and hold it until you hear the voice say "LOCKED". Then the user can't accidentally change the channel. If you want them to change to another channel (Memory location) then tell them to hold that bottom right button down until they hear, "UNLOCKED" and then press the up or down arrow button until they get to the memory location you want them on. I've programmed all the Marine, FRS, MURS, NOAA, etc. frequencies into them. Lately, the UV5R's have started to be only usable for transmit on HAM frequencies but you can unlock them by turning the radio off and then holding down the VFO, MONITOR, and PUSH TO TALK buttons all at the same time and then turning the radio on. If the word FACTORY pops up on the screen, then you have unlocked the radio. It should then transmit on any frequency that you set it on. I also went exclusively with the UV5R's because I only have to have one kind of battery pack that fits all of the radios. They've got some new models out that I won't buy because the battery packs are different and screw into place. Hmmm. What if I lose the screws or don't have a screwdriver with me when I want to change to a fresh battery? 
6
General Off Topic / Re: Silver
« Last post by Nemo on May 20, 2024, 07:18:13 PM »Per Monex.com, 1916 copied and pasted. From the banner at the top of link below. More details scroll down linked page.
Nemo
https://www.monex.com/liveprices/
Nemo
https://www.monex.com/liveprices/
Quote
Gold $2,429.00 +13.00
Silver $31.79 +0.32
Platinum $1,055.00 -35.00
Palladium $1,038.00 +19.00
7
Comm Discussion / Neighborhood Communications
« Last post by Searchboss on May 20, 2024, 01:34:44 PM »Years ago I used to manage a wilderness Search & Rescue Team. Most of the members were not Amateur Radio Operators. We used FRS (Family Radio Service) radios for intra-team communications. They do not require a license and are all channelized alike. They were simple to operate, cheap, readily available and worked quite well at the distances that we worked from each other. We used them for many training events as well. If one broke, we tossed it and bought another one. (Actually, we kept several spares in stock.)
Today, I still find them quite useful if I need to communicate via radio with non-amateurs, but I seldom use one anymore. Most of my local radio communications now are by way of an inexpensive Baofeng UV-5R or some variant of it. Like the FRS radios, they are cheap so I won?t mind too much if it gets lost, stolen, or broken.
It makes it easy to keep a spare available.
In a recent post, pkveazey mentioned giving an HT to a neighbor. I have to admit that I have a ?few? extra FRS and Baofeng radios that I bought specifically to be distributed and used if I need to be able to communicate with neighbors in a normal comms-out situation. I originally bought them with the idea of passing them out to neighbors in the unlikely event that we have to defend our neighborhood or something similar.
I like the FRS radios for this because other than inadvertently turning the volume down or accidentally changing the channel, it is more difficult for a non-operator to screw up the radio as can be done on a UV-5R or similar with so many buttons to push.
Having said that, I find the UV-5R variants much more useful. I just spent all morning digging out my stored radios, charging the batteries, and reprogramming them so that they all have the same frequencies/channels in them. I found that some had been stored with no programmed channels. With the channels all the same, it will make it easier for inexperienced folks to learn to use them when needed.
Today, I still find them quite useful if I need to communicate via radio with non-amateurs, but I seldom use one anymore. Most of my local radio communications now are by way of an inexpensive Baofeng UV-5R or some variant of it. Like the FRS radios, they are cheap so I won?t mind too much if it gets lost, stolen, or broken.
It makes it easy to keep a spare available.In a recent post, pkveazey mentioned giving an HT to a neighbor. I have to admit that I have a ?few? extra FRS and Baofeng radios that I bought specifically to be distributed and used if I need to be able to communicate with neighbors in a normal comms-out situation. I originally bought them with the idea of passing them out to neighbors in the unlikely event that we have to defend our neighborhood or something similar.
I like the FRS radios for this because other than inadvertently turning the volume down or accidentally changing the channel, it is more difficult for a non-operator to screw up the radio as can be done on a UV-5R or similar with so many buttons to push.
Having said that, I find the UV-5R variants much more useful. I just spent all morning digging out my stored radios, charging the batteries, and reprogramming them so that they all have the same frequencies/channels in them. I found that some had been stored with no programmed channels. With the channels all the same, it will make it easier for inexperienced folks to learn to use them when needed.8
General Off Topic / Re: Silver
« Last post by pkveazey on May 20, 2024, 10:06:33 AM »Well, here it is Monday morning, and I was expecting a pullback. Yep, it dropped a dollar but that won't last long. It'll start going back up because of FOMO (Fear of missing out) and because I get to decide how much my Silver is worth. This stairstep, run up and pull back is fine with me as long as I end up at the top of the stairs. Since I started Stacking, back when it was cheap, I have given a bit here and there to friends and family members. Hmmm... It's getting a bit too expensive to give any of it away now. I'm generous but I'm not stupid.
9
General Off Topic / Re: Silver
« Last post by pkveazey on May 19, 2024, 11:12:51 PM »I can't believe my own eyes. It's 11pm and I just took another look at the Spot price of Silver, and it has gone up to $32.30 oz. I really hope this is the breakout that all the Precious Metals gurus have been talking about. 
It's 11pm and I just took another look at the Spot price of Silver, and it has gone up to $32.30 oz. I really hope this is the breakout that all the Precious Metals gurus have been talking about. 10
General Off Topic / Re: Silver
« Last post by Felix on May 19, 2024, 09:53:04 PM »Most retirement savings is still in paper markets (stock, bonds, etc)
But with a view to not incurring a tax bill, I cashed out as much as I could within those limits and took the cash directly to a dealer paying 3% over spot for silver and divied up the conversion between bars, Maples and junk. Will rinse and repeat next tax cycle. Assuming we are around for one. I now have @ 10k in metals that will weather hyper-inflation AND be in recognizable forms for barter. Not anything like a "life's saving", but a solid component on having "x amount" of "cash" on hand for emergencies and bill paying. IF I decide to exit the paper markets (now being thought long and hard on), then the specter of gold bars and coins looms... _AND_ it will be at home, in a safe, subject to theft if I can't defend it. But in hand. And real. Not dependent on anyone from the government come to "help me".
For those who follow and look at "cycles", we may well be in the final stages of a stock "melt up" which, like in similar looking circumstances cycles, culminates in a severe stock crash. Bear market. "pullback".
But with a view to not incurring a tax bill, I cashed out as much as I could within those limits and took the cash directly to a dealer paying 3% over spot for silver and divied up the conversion between bars, Maples and junk. Will rinse and repeat next tax cycle. Assuming we are around for one. I now have @ 10k in metals that will weather hyper-inflation AND be in recognizable forms for barter. Not anything like a "life's saving", but a solid component on having "x amount" of "cash" on hand for emergencies and bill paying. IF I decide to exit the paper markets (now being thought long and hard on), then the specter of gold bars and coins looms... _AND_ it will be at home, in a safe, subject to theft if I can't defend it. But in hand. And real. Not dependent on anyone from the government come to "help me".
For those who follow and look at "cycles", we may well be in the final stages of a stock "melt up" which, like in similar looking circumstances cycles, culminates in a severe stock crash. Bear market. "pullback".
