The Blare Blog
Center
of the Bla Bla Galaxy
Don't
Take it Personally
OCTOBER 2022
Moonday October 31, 2022 6:22 PM CDT -- Listen to the Moon --
bOiNgbOiNg
Monday October 31, 2022 5:46 AM CDT -- Exploring the Tangents --
Ambient
has given KDX a new genre on top of talk, news, and newstalk. Now we
turn attention to a related category known as 'noise'. What will it be
like?
INTERNET
ARCHIVE
Sunday October 30, 2022 1:34 PM CDT -- Scotty, Beam Me Back --
Richard Powers from his Space Station:
Hey
Carl, this has nothing to do with our hobby, but I found this article
interesting.. it's a very short article which I wish was longer..
Excerpt:
"The
"Star Trek" actor wrote in his new book, "Boldly Go: Reflections on a
Life of Awe and Wonder," which came out this month, that his
spaceflight with Blue Origin in October 2021.. was a "cold, dark, black
emptiness" and its contrast with the Earth filled him with
"overwhelming sadness."
What
the Hagles and Shatner experienced can be called the "overview effect"
– a cognitive shift that astronauts can experience while viewing Earth
from space..." - Rich
If we share these things with our
listeners then it has something to do with our hobby. And perhaps even
more hobby-related is the visible light spectrum which spans 400 - 800
nm (nanometers), part of the electromagnetic spectrum where our
stations reside.
Sunday October 30, 2022 6:10 AM CDT -- Forever Arriving and Departing --
The
largest idea that it is possible to have explains our lonely existence.
Take the universe for example; at least as much of the universe as
we're able to see in one look. None of that exists. The most
we
can know about it is that it did exist many light years ago and the
light reflecting from it then is only reaching us now, but as to where
it's all moved to or whether some or all of it has been extinquished
will not be viewable until light years into the future, but by then we
may not exist or at least may forget to look. If what we see around us
no longer exists in the way we see it it is therefore not real. If
reality is not as it appears that makes it an illusion. But surely
objects close to us exist. Take you, for example. But wait, you are
nanoseconds away and your speech is only reaching me at the speed of
sound, which means I won't hear you until after you've started
speaking. And where do you go at night when I can't see you? No wonder
we use radio as a preferred way to communicate. Radio allows us to beat
the speed of sound and transmit at the speed of light regardless of the
fact that you can't see radio. But it turns out that most of us have
nothing to say with hit records being our substitute. Everything
considered, nothing is real and we don't know what to say about it even
though we have the means to say it to anyone happening upon our dial
position. The most we can hope for is that listeners stay tuned.
Saturday October 29, 2022 5:05 PM CDT -- We've Dabbled in Ambient Music
Before --
In
about 2006 we scheduled a 2-hour show called 'Dank 'n Dirty Dubz' from
archive.org, under our own banner of 'Bamboo Thoughts'. We happen to
have a small bamboo forest on our campus and by chance met a neighbor
who believes in the New Age concept that bamboo has healing properties
and brings peace or some such. I've poked fun at the mythical
(imaginary) beliefs people tend to have, but in another sense I
understand it completely. As inhabitants of a rotating orbiting planet
we are unable to make sense of our role among the stars and so invent
inner worlds with complete and reassuring meaning and purpose so we can
rest easy and feel necessary. Ambient music more or less carries that
kind of vibe.
Saturday October 29, 2022 5 PM CDT -- After Reading Richard Powers Part
15 Lab Blog Link --
For
the past 45-minutes it's been a true pleasure reading Rich's link
about Michael Betancourt's 'RECEPTION/TRANSMISSION' exhibition
utilizing Part 15 FM as an integral part of the show. A very
excellent piece of writing about discovering and exploring the
happening in light of part 15 culture.
Saturday October 29, 2022 4:16 PM CDT -- Part 15 from Earth --
Richard Powers thoughts on space, earth, and radio programs:
Carl,
when you linked to the exact show you played; "Bing Satellites Mostly
Ambient Radio Show 33", for a moment it all made sense, what I was
listening to was the sounds from a satellite traveling thru space much
like the part 15 FM broadcast as was featured in the book "Structuring
Time" by Michael Betancourt (who also happens to be behind the
establishment of the "Creative Commons" project that provides royalty
free material).
I wrote about this years
ago in my blog:
For
this event (in 2006) it broadcasted locally the actual telemetry of the
Cassini space probe, as it sent back data from its journey to Saturn.
So
I at first presumed what you were playing was something similar.. and
in a way it was, but no, your broadcast wasn't sound from outer space,
but from on earth.. Ambient Music so it's called.
Still
interesting. At least now I know what I was listening too.. which was
better than your atomic clock broadcast you air sometimes (or
whatever it is).
- Rich
Some
of the ambient music is better than a ticking clock, I agree.
Now
that it's a regular feature after the talk programming everyday I'm
naming the whole package 'Night Noir'.
Saturday October 29,2022 5:32 AM CDT --
When
you've got success on your hands
It's likely to spread to the rest of your body.
- C. Blare - earlier on his 'Get the Move On'
morning program
Friday October 28, 2022 4:06 PM CDT -- What Were You Playing at 4:20 ?
--
Richard Powers wants to know.
It's
4:20 in the afternoon.. I just tuned in to your station and am
wondering what the hell I'm listening to... is it music? Not sure.
Whatever it is - is probably an appropriate broadcast for 4:20
In
this time zone it's not 4:20 yet, but I see that your e-mail was sent
at 3:22 PM my time, I guess 4:22 PM EDT your time in Georgia. Stand by.
I'll link you to the program that was playing at the time of interest.
Moments
Later: Whew! I can't find it again, but it's somewhere at
archive.org under the category 'ambient'. Here's a general link to that
section: ambient
at archive
Try Try Again: In a second look I narrowed down to a radio
series called 'Bing Satellites Mostly Ambient Radio Show'
A 3rd Look: This might be the exact show you heard:
Friday October 28, 2022 9:36 PM CDT --
WIRED
Friday October 28, 2022 2:59 AM CDT -- Sounds Right --
NYU
Thursday October 27, 2022 4:47 PM CDT -- Words Represent the World --
Art
doesn't represent the world so much as it reflects it. Words are the
devices that best represent the world but reflect our own incapacity as
linguists when emotions sense a world more expansive than the reach of
vocabulary.
-
C. Blare - trying to say something but not sure what
Thursday October 27, 2022 3:50 PM CDT -- The Top 10 T.I.S. Updates --
The Latest from Bill Baker:
Carl
A few stories in the
news you might want to be aware of:
Top Ten Improvements
From
tape players and crystals to LANs, USBs and Streams, Information Radio
Stations have grown up with technology. Learn the top
upgrades
that station operators are making today.
“Get Out Now!”
California
community utilizes the latest Information Radio and StreamCAST
technology to keep residents informed during recent Mosquito Fire
evacuation.
Bridge
Authority celebrates 35 years of operating dual Info Radio Stations on
the Straits of Mackinac.
We always like your
feedback!
Bill Baker
Information Station
Specialists
theRADIOsource.com
616.772.2300 x102
Thursday October 27, 2022 3:31 PM CDT -- The Looming Rail Strike --
A
likely strike of railroad workers is set to happen in mid-November
which will have a negative impact on the supply chain in the U.S., but
most media is ignoring the situation. The matter is discussed in vivid
detail in this podcast hosted by political cartoonists Ted Rall and
Scott Stantis with freight-train conducter Toby Kemp.
Advisory:
contains some F-bombs
Thursday October 27, 2022 2:10 PM -- Birds
Falling to Earth --
npr
Thursday October 27, 2022 6:12 AM CDT -- Morning Treat --
For
this morning's wakeup listening we paid a visit to Phil Hendrie's
website to hear 'The World of Phil Hendrie' Episode 2508. Phil Hendrie
is an amazing master of voices with a cast of distinct characters all
played by he himself with the main theme being misunderstanding,
disagreement, dysfunction and misinterpretation.
Wednesday October 26, 2022 8:03PM CDT -- Huge Markup --
At local grocery prices 5-lbs of potatoes cost $4.99 and 5-lbs of
potato chips cost $14.32.
Wednesday October 26, 2022 5:43 PM CDT -- Avoiding the Stereo Penalty --
By Mark:
True.
For
FM which we in Canada enjoy better coverage than the USA, I have the
Decade MS-100 mono version not stereo model and it's mono all the time.
Most regular radios aren't stereo and have one speaker.
Half of my stuff (music)
wasn't stereo anyway.
Most
don't have a hi fi system to sit in just the right location between the
speakers without moving to get the full effect. And in the car you
don't hear it either. It's a lost gimmik.
And yes a moving car
isn't where you can listen to part 15. You have to be in one location
even with AM.
- Mark
Wednesday October 26, 2022 7:02 AM CDT -- The Stereo Penalty and Part
15 --
The
expression 'Part 15' is a euphemism for 'low power broadcasting', based
on the FCC rules governing legal broadcasting at low power in the U.S.
It is necessary to point this out from time to time for the benefit of
new readers. The particular rule pertaining to low power FM (15.239)
limits field strength to such a small area that the expression 'stereo
penalty' is not an academic argument, it's a certainty: the subcarriers
involved with stereo generation absolutely cause fringing noise within
several feet of the transmitter which can be avoided by monaural
operation, heard clearly at greater distance. Any argument about
automobile radio reception is pointless unless the car is parked
because a moving vehicle passes through the signal footprint in less
than a half-a-minute. Listening in a moving car is only useful as a
tool for the station engineer to sample his one or two block range.
Wednesday October 26, 2022 6:32 AM CDT -- The Stereo Penalty --
RADIOWORLD
Wednesday October 26, 2022 6:19 AM CDT -- Sound of Solar Storm
Hitting Earth Magnetic Field --
engadget
Tuesday October 25, 2022 11:26 AM CDT -- 100% Chance of Rain All Day --
Very
wet rain started coming down at about 11 last night and has been
falling steadily ever since. To wile the time away we've been watching
a YouTube film which has the appearance of being made in a
high
school gymnasium using a VHS camera.
This is my favorite movie and I'd like to share
it with you: "The radio
may not work but it's our only chance!" It's a true Part
15 movie.
Tuesday October 25, 2022 5:25 AM CDT --
Just
because something is lucid doesn't mean it's true
- C. Blare - realization during a quiet morning
rain
Sunday October 23, 2022 3:37 PM CDT -- Dead Carrier Day --
The
wind is blowing fallen leaves toward the west, causing them to scurry
along roadways and lawns like little brown zomby creatures on the way
to heaven. Not a bad moment to DX the AM dial where I found numerous
ball games, grown men still scrambling after that one ball whereas they
each make enough money to afford balls of their own. An equal number of
religious programs occupy the airways as congregations seek a better
place in afterlife mythology than they have in this
life's reality. And at the last, two silent carriers at 690
and
1380 kHz respectively, suggesting that some bored operators are either
asleep or out in the parking lot getting to know a listener.
Sunday October 23, 2022 2:49 PM CDT -- Artificial Thinking and Speaking
--
I've
made the rounds. Radio World Magazine had an in depth article about the
increased interest in artificial voices by money pinching corporate
radio conglomerates with an eye-winking proviso that they will tread
very gently when it comes to using somebody's real voice as a pattern.
Sure. I'll bet. It reminds me of the days when I was on the staff of an
announcer pool at a television station leading into the days when we
were all eliminated by one announcer and a tape recorder. Now that
artificial voice generators have been refined to a point of sounding
like real people it is only natural to start licking lips over money
saving prospects and personnel reduction. Then, as mentioned by Artisan
Radio in a recent blog on the subject, we also note that the last
currently operating part 15 forum mistakenly equates artificial voicing
with artificial intelligence (AI). A small bit of human intelligence is
all it takes to realize that computer voices do not think for
themselves and so are not examples of AI. Human input is necessary to
tell the fake voices what to say. Although I foresee the day when AI
might be used to show some of us how to think.
Sunday October 23, 2022 11:08 AM CDT -- Radio Books In the Blur --
While
stopped at a rail crossing with a speeding freight passing by the
lettering on the side of the railcars sometimes moves to fast to be
readable. I experienced somewhat the same effect listening to the
Philosophy of Immanual Kant being read on KDX yesterday afternoon. I
was intentionally tuned in because I want to increase my knowledge and
understanding of this particular philosopher, the Librivox reader was
doing a fine job speaking clearly but the detail of ideas was too dense
for me to comprehend and the resulting experience was an audio blur.
Either the pace of reading needs to be much slower or I'll need to read
the books themselves if I want to get anywhere.
Saturday October 22, 2022 3:54 PM CDT -- Grand Announcement --
Another Season of Deutsche Welle Festival Concerts Opens One-Week from
Today on KDX Worldround Radio.
Saturday October 22, 2022 6:53 AM CDT --
bOiNgbOiNg
Saturday October 22, 2022 6:04 AM CDT -- Dream Studio --
Imagine putting a radio station together with this recording studio.
mrt
Friday October 21, 2022 3:09 PM CDT -- The Incredible Shrinking Hobby --
Richard Powers Reports...
Carl,
you made some interesting points (Part 15 Hobby Shrinking), some of
which I don't entirely agree. The perception of the hobby dying is
really based on the part 15 forum(s) demise, but that may not be a
reliable barometer.
I
think something you said a couple years ago (in your blog somewhere) is
more accurate; I'm paraphrasing, but you said the "bible (rule)
thumping" of the part 15 rules which were taking place in the forums
was destroying the "fantasy" behind the hobby..
What's
more, I don't think it has anything to do with a shortage of kits
(there's no such shortage), nor the minaturation of its components
which had actually increased part 15 AM use, as well as its capable
range. Remember; the FCC nearly banned part 15 AM (15.219) because the
introduction of solidstate components resulted in defeating the
limitations the FCC rules imposed with the 100mw 3 meter antenna rule.
You also made this point:
"..The
last hold-outs keeping the hobby available are the brave and dedicated
individuals who manufacture and sell part 15 certified transmitters.."
I couldn't agree more,
but then again that has been the case for the last 50 years.
It
was the manufactures (ATI, DTI, and TSI) in the late 1960s who brought
part 15 AM to the forefront with the first whip and mast transmitters.
It
was an obscure manufactured part 15 AM transmitter by Metacomm in the
mid 1970s which literally kept the FCC from eliminating manufactured
15.219 devices completely. As well as the Audio-Sine corporation which
made it possible for part 15 AM use to continue to grow in National
Parks around the nation (before and after TIS was created).
In
the 1980s came New Pilot Communications, the small shop which began
manufacturing a transmitter (Radio Realty) that inspired the Talking
House which began the largest influx of part 15 AM in history.
The
manufacturers have always been the primary catalyst behind what part 15
AM is today (and the same goes for ALL other types of part 15 devices
which constitutes a multi-billion industry today). It has always been
the manufactures that kept part 15 AM alive. Now its the Hamilton
Rangemasters, Procasters and Talking Houses.
The kit builders kept it
alive for the first 40 years, and the manufacturers have kept it alive
for the last 40 years.
Well,
I can see I'm beginning to ramble, so I'll close with saying I don't
agree the forums lack of participation in recent years is an indication
that the hobby is dying, the thing is, due to "Bible (rule) thumping" a
poster has to hold his breath when he makes a post about his install or
range or interpretation on the rules, because he may be attacked...
fantasies get squashed unnecessarily, because it's no fantasy that a
part 15 AM station with a compliant install is capable of achieving
about a 3 mile radius (as ironically confirmed by R Fry), mounting it
on the ground to comply is an annoying situation, but...
Ok, so,... I'm still
rambling ain't I?
- Rich
I'm
glad you remember that, Richard. A very enjoyable part of being on air
at small power is the 'fantasy' that in at least a several block radius
somebody could be listening. This 'fantasy' keeps me from accidentally
airing material that would make a random listener get the idea that
something wrong was going on. As long as our stations sound like 'real'
radio, we blend into the normal world. I remember an unguarded moment
in the 1970s when I was tinkering with an FM transmitter built from the
pages of Popular Mechanics and accidentally left the microphone turned
on while I took a phone call and happened to mention some gossip about
a nearby neighbor who sometimes listened to my station. As far as I
know I was lucky and not overheard, but we don't want to bug ourselves
inadvertently. By the way, rambling is good.
Friday October 21, 2022 6:30 AM CDT -- About Recreational Broadcasting
--
Broadcaster Mark says...
That's
a good name for it! Yeah you have good points. But me I will do it
forever. I like being my own station on the radio and getting listeners
too. True all those hobby magazines are long gone.
- Mark
Me too!
Friday October 21, 2022 6:27 AM CDT -- Wet Batteries --
Richard Powers on the battery subject:
Hey
Carl, I checked out your "water batteries" link which put an
interesting spin by calling it that - I guess to capture attention, but
of course it isn't a battery at all, nor something new. Still it is an
interesting process for supplying power to solar homes after the sun
goes down.
The subject brings to
mind a solar powered novelty to keep your phone battery or whatever
charged.. your clothes!
But
don't bother trying to charge a Telsa with it.
- Rich
Well, Rich, I always thought a battery was a place where you'd keep pet
bats.
Thursday October 20, 2022 3:57 PM CDT -- My Opinion As to Why the Part
15 Radio Hobby is Shrinking --
Thinking
back, the reason so many people initially entered hobby radio,
'Recreational Broadcasting' as Low Power Radio Guy called it, was
because of the availability and challenge of kit building. In those
days kits were made up of parts that could easily be handled by human
hands and a taste for electronics was stirred up by technology courses
in schools, electronics magazines, and the abundance of supply
stores and mailorder catalogs. As time went by electronic
components became smaller until present day circuit cards require
magnification to inspect and few individuals possess the skills or
training to build on so miniature a scale. Devices today are mostly
throw-away palm sized packages and have moved into space-age spectrum
very much over-the-heads of would-be hobbyists. The last hold-outs
keeping the hobby available are the brave and dedicated individuals who
manufacture and sell part 15 certified transmitters, and beyond them I
don't see any future for the radio pastime. Extinction lies ahead.
Thursday October 20, 2022 12:55 NOON CDT -- Part 15.org On Life Support
--
Part
15.org is sort of back online, but in very scrambled condition. Who do
you know who might be hacking and damaging the site? I think so too.
Thursday October 20, 2022 12:21 NOON CDT -- Radio History - Audio --
A Richard Powers Presentation -
TheRadioHistorian
Wednesday October 19, 2023 11:07 AM CDT -- Power Science --
capradio
Wednesday October 19, 2022 10:56 AM CDT -- Response to Richard Powers
Report --
From Mark:
Strange
that the public does realize the downfall of AM as no one listens to
it, and mellenials...I guess anyone born in the eighties or
nineties...a good many of them don't know what it is.
Show them a car from the
60s and they will see the radio and not know how to work it.
- Mark
Tuesday October 18, 2022 12:35 NOON CDT -- When a Vision of Perfection
is Good Enough --
It's
been several years since my commercial corporation was dissolved and I
switched to life as the group owner of several hobby radio
stations. Slightly more recently my corporate attorney who continued on
as a friend died from an unexpected cause and I recall one of our last
visits when he expressed a wish that his house was in better
order, in as much as he'd recently moved in with unpacked boxes stacked
everywhere. I made a suggestion that I hope he adopted and certainly
could apply to most of us living amidst the undone clutter of
home/office upkeep. I suggested first having a wonderful idealized
vision of perfect order with the exact number of shelves and rooms to
accommodate everything all neatly polished and put away. Step
two,
take a look at the fact that you already have stuff and rooms
well
on their way to excellent placement. Third, given that you are so well
along, relax and realize there's no rush; no deadline. Take the day
off, and tomorrow too.
Tuesday October 18, 2022 12:03 NOON CDT -- Being Forgotten --
Recent
articles have raised the question of 'being forgotten' on the internet.
At the core of the story was the difficulty posed when bad information
gets posted about someone and threatens future job and relationship
prospects. Evidentally the mechanisms to have unwanted information
taken down is not a dunked donut. However, I think there's another side
to the matter and works as the opposite of being too exposed, and that
is being lost somewhere in the expanding universe of digits as the
internet is constantly being added to like right now as I type more
words for posting online. Several times I've wondered if women from the
past were around and might want to take lunch, but a search found
hundreds of people with the same names and living in places that raised
the question of whether they'd moved. If they'd married their names
would be changed entirely with no cross-reference, so far as I know.
Death is a possible factor. The whole business of tracing and tracking
is in fact a business and clearly the internet opens avenues that are
unavailable doing things the old way going through records at physical
locations. Given the internet, circumstances might conspire in such a
way as to bury a person's existence as if they'd never lived. To be
remembered after your website goes down you might want to pay your
service providers a hundred years in advance.
Tuesday October 18, 2022 11:49 AM CDT -- Low Power Radio Guy Podcasts --
During
my brief contact with Low Power Radio Guy, whose Blogspot Website has
vanished, we talked about the four radio show 'podcasts' he posted as
part of his effort to promote the low power radio hobby. He said he was
thinking about doing a few more shows. At that time I invited him to
appear on a possible edition of my own Low Power Hour and he indicated
acceptance of the idea. I followed up by airing his podcasts on KDX,
but of course no longer recall a thing he'd said on the programs so
will re-air them soon in light of our current curiosity about his
disappearance. Here they are for you to hear:
Low Power Radio Guy
Sunday October 16, 2022 5:02 PM CDT -- Ongoing Investigations Into the
Radio Scene --
The Richard Powers Report -
Hi
Carl, Several years ago it suddenly occurred to me that I could not
recall even one time when the subject of AM Radio Revitalization got
mentioned on the evening news, or in newspapers, entertainment
magazines or on the radio. Have you ever seen it reported by the
mainstream media? If I hadn't of participated in forums or read Radio
World (or other broadcast specific publications) then I would have been
oblivious to that fact that the AM broadcast band was dying.
My
point is that it appears to me that mainstream media never touched the
subject of AM Radio Revitalization, thus the general public doesn't
have a clue.
Would they care? Hard to
say, but they don't even know.
As
for the Low Power Guy, I've not heard back from him but I noticed
something else; his Twitter account also no longer exists. I'm really
curious about this... why would he pull everything down? It seems so
strange. Do you know who he even is? I don't.
Puzzled, - Rich
Good
point about the public being unaware of AM radio's decline. The degree
to which they might care probably varies by market. In my area it's all
about the Baseball Cardinal Station, 50 kW KMOX, so people need AM
radios at least for that. Large markets like New York, Chicago, San
Francisco and others have prominent AM stations, but I'm not sure what
to say about smaller population areas.
I can think of two
things about Low Power Radio Guy that might figure into the search... I
seem to recall that he gave a brief profile on his website about who he
was and I believe he was a HAM amateur radio operator with call
letters. If we find his call sign maybe we can trace his actual
identity. And something else... he recorded in his own voice four
podcasts about the low power radio hobby and I am fairly certain I have
those in the hard-drive. This week I will search them out and post them
here on our Blog.
Sunday October 16, 2022 12:19 AM CDT -- Vinyl Records --
Day
was I only dreamed about someday owning a phonograph. Before it ever
happened I already had the start of a record collection. The first disc
that became every bit as beautiful to my eyes as any Playboy foldout
was a 78 RPM featuring Doris Day singing something which I picked up at
Goodwill for 10-cents. The music didn't matter; it was the roundness
and grooviness of the platter that mattered. Then, when a nearby radio
station moved out of their studios I was in the right place at the
right time to be invited to scavenge odds and ends left behind which
included my first 16" electrical transcriptions which contained
classical works from Radio Nederland in Hilversum, Holland, and the
only two 8" discs I ever saw also containing short classics. Fast
forward to the present day and I still obsess over every one of the
10,000+ discs now in storage. All this came flooding back to memory
this last week when Jimbo welcomed Mighty John Marshall to discuss the
sky-high values of many records and I all at once had reason to wonder
whether I was a millionaire.
As a postscript we note that Jim Bohannon, AKA
Jimbo, wrapped up his broadcast career with a last show on Friday.
Sunday October 16, 2022 9:47 AM CDT -- AM Radio Revitalization a Fading
Subject --
In
regular scrolling through YouTube I have noticed several videos about
abandoned AM radio transmitter sites, have been hearing more
stories about AM stations losing their antenna sites as valuable land
is sold off, and reading stories in the trades about AM licenses being
turned in to the FCC. With this in mind I searched 'AM Radio
Revitalization' and see that discussions and actions toward that
objective took place mostly from 2015 until fading out in 2020. I don't
expect much attention to the matter from the FCC which is preoccupied
with billion dollar sell-off of spectrum and not inclined to think
about salvaging remnants of earlier times. If logic and common sense
were followed, the obvious future of the medium wave band in America
should be consignment to low power hobby radio. Nothing else makes any
sense. The revitalization of the AM band is one and the same with the
revitalization of low power hobby radio.
Saturday October 15, 2022 12:33 NOON CDT -- Eulogy for Part15.org --
I
just came back from a visit to the Artisan Radio Blog and feel like
it's raining with black umbrellas at the graveside of the seemingly
deceased Part15.org, during its tenure the forum of record for the low
power radio hobby. Artisan posted a detailed statement about the likely
causes of the forum's apparent downfall. Over the past week I noticed
that the forum was unreachable but expected it to come back as it has
several times before.
Artisan Radio Blog
Saturday October 15, 2022 11:28 AM CDT --
The
mind, once expanded, can never return to its original dimensions.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., physician, poet,
writer
Saturday October 15, 2022 8:13 AM CDT -- FCC Ruling On Alleged
Blasphemy --
Submitted by Rich Powers
Hey
Carl, on another religious note, here's something I just came across,
although unrelated to part 15 history research, it made me laugh. I'm
still chuckling about it now..
HEINL BUSINESS
LETTER REPORT
May 20, 1938 page 10:
XXXXXXXX
The Federal
Communications Commission recently decided a strange case of alleged
blasphemy in favor of the broadcaster.
An
engineer at a Yankton, S.D., station put on a record by Jehovah's
Brethern and then went out for a sandwich. When he returned the
telephone was sizzlins with complaints. He then discovered that the
record had struck a nick and was repeating over and over, "Jesus
Christ! Jesus Christ:"
XXXXXXXXXX
Tried
to find a FCC hearing corresponding to the issue (thought it would be a
fun read) but found nothing, although did find several (breif)
newspaper clippings about it, here's one that says it went on for 13
minutes! (attached)
Pittsburgh Press
Ok, not really. - Rich
Friday October 14, 2022 7:24 AM CDT -- Judge Walks Around Courthouse In
His Underwear --
INSIDERADIO
Friday October 14, 2022 6:46 AM CDT -- The Question of Radio Brandy --
Our resident case investigator Richard Powers did some checking around:
Since their site (which
I hadn't visited in years) is down, I checked the Radio Brandy Facebook
page..
In July 2020 they posted
they would be shutting down radiobrandy.com in August due to Yahoos
rising hosting cost.
In Sept 2020 they posted
their inventory of broadcast equipment has been almost depleted.
The very last post was
in Nov 2020 which said the founder of Radio Brandy, Steve Webb, has died.
A
bit more "Important Information" found on their site via the internet
archive:
"Important
Information!"
The Radio Brandy website
is will going to a single page on Sept 2 which will forward to our new
home at XRQK.com,
our host Yahoo has gone from $12 to $25 a month of which we have 5
websites with plus the service has gone south since Verizon took over,
our power bill has increased 5 fold while using half the power.
Our
other host is $10 a month where XRQK is located and will remain active.
Radio Outlaw, Outlaw Radio, KNJO, and XRQK Bullhead City will be moving
from Yahoo too. We have been with Yahoo since 2005, so Yahoo will lose
a lot of
our loyal business."
Bottom line: Radio
Brandy is no more.
Thursday
October 13, 2022 1:32 PM CDT -- Vigilantism --
Vigilantism
is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived
offenses and crimes without legal authority. This sort of behavior is
carried out by vigilantes, defined as persons who practice or
partake in vigilantism, or undertake public safety and retributive
justice without commission. Vigilantic behavior is not always illegal
but can itself become criminal in certain instances. An example would
be those who picket and protest legal abortion clinics. They are
protected by their Constitutional right to assemble in protest of
perceived grievances. Criminality begins when these same vigilantes
interfere with the legal activities of the object of their disapproval.
Within the part 15 low power radio hobby, a small pastime by any
measure, there has been rabid vigilantism by a few dogmatic guardians
of electromagnetic minutia who remain poised to point out and accuse
suspected violators and generally rumored to take hidden actions
against presumed violators. At the least these vigilantes, a few known
to us by name, are pests, and at worst they are threats to the security
and safety of hobbyists. The vigilantes we know about have consistently
damaged the low power radio hobby by rendering it uncomfortable to the
point of being risky to publicly enjoy what otherwise would be a benign
activity. Previously labeled 'trolls', it is more accurate to use the
correct label: vigilante. The coincidence that they all happen to be
incels might help explain their perverse behavior.
Thursday October 13, 2022 12:16 NOON CDT -- January 6th Hearings Resume
--
At
this moment KDX is carrying live the resumed January 6th Hearings
regarding the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Thom Hartmann Program has
relinquished its regular airtime to allow this coverage of the
Insurrection. As the Hearing plays out we are reminded of the similar
attack on the ALPB (the Association of Low Power Broadcasters) by a
disgruntled x-chairman who followed the example set by then President
Donald Trump who will be remembered mostly for attempting to overthrow
a legitimate election but previous to that by his profile as a reality
TV star iconified for cupping his hand and publicly firing his
'apprentices'. Until the hostile takeover the ALPB was designed to be a
democratic organization belonging to its members. The reason no trial
or hearings followed the ouster of prominent members by the
over-zealous x-chairman is that remaining members scattered in disgust
and those who remained loyal to the zealot either being ignorant of the
workings of a democracy or preferring life under a tyrant to defending
their rights and interests. Perhaps seeing the Orange President in an
orange jump suit will stir the loyalists into realizing how they've
been duped.
Thursday October 13, 2022 10:51 AM CDT --
People pay to see others believe in themselves.
Kim Gordon, musician, songwriter
Thursday October 13, 2022 9:47 AM CDT -- See This While It Lasts --
The
strongest and most informative part 15 low power radio hobby site ever
found on the internet, authored by Richard Powers who is locked out in
a misunderstanding with the site provider.
Thursday October 13, 2022 9:23 AM CDT -- It Gets to Be Too Much --
The
human condition, political scene, and planetary depletion cannot be
entirely ignored and many hours per day on KDX are devoted to serious
discussions of these circumstances, but there comes a time when one
must ignore it for awhile and turn to irrelevant pastimes like gaming,
movie viewing, hobby broadcasting, or the bottle. In tempo with this
need for relief KDX now loads the after hours with monotonous and drab
artificial music known by various names fitting no single genre:
ambient, drones, industrial, electronic, avant garde, musique concrete,
difficult music, dubstop, deep and soundart. This type of time and
space filling music-like acoustic wallpaper lacks emotion and
consists of uncomposed musical fragments and the occasional voice
saying phrases from unthinking pre-teens with no knowledge or awareness
of anything useful or necessary. Novocain for the non-dentist.
Thursday October 13, 2022 9:06 AM CDT -- More Part 15 Sites Bite the
Dust? --
For
some reason it hasn't been mentioned for the most part during years of
forums and blog sites pertaining to low power radio operation but Radio
Brandy has
had(?) a very robust site with bright graphics and mention of all the
available transmitters.
And while we were at it we detected another
absence of a site that gave heavy mention to the radio hobby...
Thursday October 13, 2022 8:04 AM CDT -- Stations Hit by Ian --
Hurricane
Ian put many Florida TV and radio stations off the air and we're
hearing details from engineers who worked inside the disaster
in efforts to restore operation on 'This Week in Radio Tech'
over
KDX. In some cases the main trouble was power loss and inability to get
fuel to transmitter sites to keep generators running. Another
reality was that the public lost power and so was unable to watch TV
even if it was on air. Those radio stations able to function served
listeners with battery powered radios.
Thursday October 13, 2022 7:12 AM CDT -- FM3 Air Notes --
The
KDX Mobile Unit has very low mileage because we seldom have cause to
drive anywhere, and what few trips we make are very local, therefore
the dashboard AM FM radio seldom gets used. Yesterday we brushed some
tree droppings off the car, started the engine, and tuned to the
C.Crane FM3 Transmitter which was on the air for modulation tests. What
we heard is inconclusive and we need to repeat the test before we have
anything to say about it. Bringing it up now is premature. It'll be a
week before we're in the car again.
For the most part we don't
take range testing of low power transmitters to be as important as most
other broadcasters do because our target area consists of the building
and campus and we intentionally work to reduce coverage outside of our
own boundaries. But we do take field strength readings within our
target area and will be doing new measurements to compare the C.Crane
FM3 Transmitter to our other FM transmitters and we'll publish the
results here. As with everything under our control there's no rush
and no deadline.
Thursday October 13, 2022 7:06 AM CDT -- Get Ready to Fall Back --
You know the trope: spring ahead fall back. Daylight Time ends November
6.
Monday October 10, 2022 9:21 AM CDT -- I'll Tell You This Much --
We are large chemical stowages clomping around like we owned the place
but know nothing about chemistry.
Monday October 10, 2022 7:41 AM CDT -- Un-uniform U.S. "Holiday" --
Still
known in some States as 'Christopher Columbus Day', other States in the
United States now refer to today as 'Indigenous Peoples Day', with
spotty recognition in that not everyone recognizes the holiday at all.
There is no mail delivery, some banks and schools are closed, and many
businesses ignore it. As a radio station KDX operates as usual with
this statement: Christopher Columbus did not 'discover' America as was
taught in school, for the reason that it was here in the first place
already inhabited by indigeonous people variously called
'Indians'
or 'native people'. Columbus was an ocean-going 'pirate for hire' who
sought resources on behalf of foreign clients and happened upon this
continent believing he had reached India, therefore mistakenly dubbing
the original habitants as 'indian'. To plunder the abundant natural
resources on behalf of foreign kingdoms and queendoms Columbus and his
ilk pursued policies of genocide and slavery. It is
hypocritical
and grossly insensitive of us in the modern day to name an 'indigenous
peoples day' while still relogating the original people as outsiders
confined to reservations. We like you people but we're keeping the
land. Other than that today is shiveringly cool and the coffee is good.
Saturday October 8, 2022 12:13 NOON CDT -- Modulation In and Out of
Control --
We
are enjoying the new C.Crane FM3 Transmitter and become fixated on the
modulation differences between the three versions. At some time in the
future we will set up lab experiments and do scientific measurements
but for now I have speculation as to what we are able to observe. FM1
has a very open level range and can be turned up until over-modulation
takes place and if knowingly and precisely set and driven
with well-processed audio is able to match the level of
licensed
stations. But the ordinary operator had only a red LED as a level
indicator, and counter-intuitively the red flashing had to be carefully
avoided by setting the volume just below the point where it flashed. A
delicate operation. FM2 greatly improved the job of setting modulation
by providing a green LED indicating the presence of audio with a red
LED as a warning of too much. Reviews inform us that an limiter circuit
kicks in to prevent actual over-modulation, a feature continued in FM3.
Having now watched and listened to our FM3 for more than a day I would
say that the the limiter is set overly-tightly such that there's no way
to reach full permissable modulation while definitely avoiding any
chance of going over, therefore no matter how much audio is pumped into
it it will distort but never over modulate.
Saturday October 8, 2022 11:58 AM CDT -- Richard Powers On Patrol --
Report from the field...
Oh
by the way, I've not heard back from Low Power Guy yet. As for
part15.org.. well, I became rather turned off by it when it became
overun with advertisements, they even are inserted midway in member
posts, it's ridiculous.. or at least to me, it bugs the crap out of me
like fingernails on a chalkboard! Now days I occasionally post at
mbcf.boards.net, hfunderground.com part 15 section or
antiqueradios.com, but not nearly as frequently as I use to.
I
haven't posted on my part15lab for a few years now because I can't seem
to prove Google (who owns blogger) That I am who I say I am! I guess
I'll have to start a new blog.
I have two responses,
Richard... I see your contributions at mbcf.boards, the stolen
intellectual property of the vandalized ALPB from which I was rudely
expelled in violation of the organization's own By-Laws by the Mad
Ex-Chairman. The other thing is that your part15lab is the most
wonderfully detailed introduction and guide to the part 15 world ever
done! I hope you can regain access to it.
Saturday October 8, 2022 8:34 AM CDT -- FM3 Chip --
Mark does homework...
You will see it has
dynamic range control.
Friday October 7, 2022 3:57 PM CDT -- 24-Hours with the C.Crane FM3 --
Yesterday
a very large UPS truck delivered our very small C.Crane FM3
Transmitter and we held a private unboxing ritual not shown on YouTube.
Having previous experience with the two earlier models we knew what to
do and put it on the air right away, finding only one thing to wonder
about. In Radio Jay Allen's FM3 Review linked earlier in the week we
read: "The FM
Transmitter 3 (and the
#2 model before it) employ built-in audio limiting both to prevent
over-modulation and to help you achieve a somewhat more consistent or
louder signal by increasing the average audio modulation level without
over-modulating." This was puzzling in that neither the
manual
nor anything on the C.Crane website talks about a built-in limiter, and
I'm trying hard to detect it or learn more about it. We note a prime
difference between FM2 and FM3 is a difference in Silicon Labs IC
(chips), Si4710-11-830 and Si4720/21-B20, respectively.
Friday October 7, 2022 1:43 PM CDT -- Two Updates are Out There --
B.U.T.T.
(Broadcast Using This Tool) Stream Encoder Updated to v 0.1.36
Audacity Audio Recorder Editor Updated to v 3.2.1
Friday October 7, 2022 8:04 AM CDT -- Digital Audio Workstation News --
Audacity has been the open source audio recording and editing tool for
over a decade, and now has been made even better.
RADIOWORLD
Thursday October 6, 2022 5:09 PM CDT -- Unexplained Mysteries --
Richard
Powers launches an inquiry into the disappearance of the Low Power
Radio Blogspot and its author, the Low Power Radio Guy. Here's Rich's
inquiry:
Carl, I also
noticed that http://lowpowerradio.blogspot.com now mysteriously states:
"Blog has been removed
Sorry,
the blog at lowpowerradio.blogspot.com has been removed. This address
is not available for new blogs. Did you expect to see your blog here?
See: 'I can't find my blog on the Web, where is it?'"
That's
what I want to know. Where is it? What happened? I never did know who
the Low Power Guy is but checked his blog frequently... You evidently
do know who he is, so tell us, what's the inside story? I presume he
took the blog down himself, but why?
Rich
I'll
tell you all I know. One day I noticed that he had given the KDX
Website a very generous mention and linked to us, so I sent him a thank
you email. We had a brief back-and-forth in which he thought I was the
same Carl that made loading coils for the SSTran AMT-3000, and I
explained that I'm a different Carl. After that we never talked again,
and I noticed that a front-page piece about AM Greek made transmitters
from Ebay stayed up unusually long during which he did no updates. Then
his blog was offline.
Another mystery lacking an explanation
is the abrupt closing of the SSTran Website and absence of its
proprietor PhilB who had posted frequently at Part15.us.
We need a detective to solve these cases.
Thursday October 6, 2022 1:26 AM CDT -- Patch Cables --
I
guess all computer and audio cables are 'patch cables', because they
each patch something to something else. But these days there are so
many types of specialty cables no one knows what they have or don't
have.
tvtech
Thursday October 6, 2022 9:41 AM CDT -- Qualification --
There's
an FCC rule that allows 'educational institutions' to build and operate
an AM radio station of any strength and with any type of antenna no
license required so long as the resulting signal is confined
to
the 'campus' of the institution. We surmise that the intended purpose
of such a station is to train students in the fine points of
learning on air performance or technical duties for
application in
the radio industry. What, then, does it take to be recognized as an
'educational institution'? Imagine a professional who offers
professional teaching out of a home. Suppose the home is surrounded by
a large parcel of land. Would such a person qualify for educational
status in the FCC's judgement?
Thursday October 6, 2022 8:57 AM CDT -- Part 15 in Lansdale,
Pennsylvania --
Thursday October 6, 2022 8:41 AM CDT -- Dismal Prospects for AM
& FM Radio --
Thursday October 6, 2022 5:57 AM CDT -- Trouble in Podcastingland? --
Jacobs Media Strategies
Taking
a tangent from Fred Jacobs well considered view and considering the
matter of podcasting from the low power radio perspective, we agree
that the podcast field is uncentralized and grassrootish, much like
part 15 style radio stations, except that podcasters literally are
doing 'radio programs' minus transmitters and antennas. They are using
the internet as their distribution medium, the reverse of licensed
radio stations using internet streaming as a secondary outlet. All in
all the entire cosmos has come close-in but with human need to earn a
living, have a social life and get a good nights sleep, there isn't
enough time in the world for all pod and radio programs to be heard,
especially with a large number of the population busy starring in the
talent role which further erodes any available audience. If podcasts
end up pulling listeners away from radio it must be acknowledged that
MOST of radio offers nothing whatsoever of appeal to listeners.
Bringing things down to size, the podcaster is a small-time operator
lacking a part 15 transmitter and most part 15 station operators do no
on-air talking but fill the air with their favorite music remembered
from the grade school years. The consumer, that is the listener, has
more choice than ever before, but may not be actually looking amid the
plethora of channels beaming in from every satellite, telephone pole,
radio tower, and audio device at his disposal. Ending up on the word
disposal seems appropriate.
Thursday October 6, 2022 5:48 AM CDT -- Streamed Audio to Continue from
the Supreme Court --
Broadcasting+Cable
Thursday October 6, 2022 5:25 AM CDT -- The Back Way --
How do you get into a closed door meeting without opening the door?
Thursday
October 6, 2022 4:51 AM CDT -- Beyond the Dial --
The best radio station in town is the one you can't get.
It's your local Part 15 station.
Here's how to play the game.
Pick a nice blank spot on the top of the dial. Say, 1610 the first
time.
Then drive up and down every street in town until you hear a station.
Go back and forth a few times to find the strongest reception point.
Find a parking spot and listen in comfort.
"...Next, Dirk Residue
and the Residuals with their romantic hit 'Let Me Share a Facemask with
You'"
Thursday October 6, 2022 4:30 AM CDT -- A Supply Chain Problem --
There is no such thing as an empty warehouse.
To qualify as a warehouse a house must have wares.
A wareless house would be a barehouse.
People today have a ware shortage.
They don't know where to ware.
And they never did know what to wear.
Wednesday October 5, 2022 1:06 PM CDT -- Video Viewing --
Inspired by Artisan Radio's video development blogs, I had some
questions:
> Hello Artisan:
>
> Am enjoying and learning from your blogs on video
experimentation, and
> have questions.
>
> I am guessing that your quality measurements are based on video
> quality seen on a common computer and monitor, which of course
would
> reach the largest share of the potential audience. But I have
recently
> learned in my own exploits into the computer gaming world with
my
> railroad simulation trials that gamers install graphics cards
which
> vastly increase the picture quality and increase the FPS
(frames per
> second) for a most vivid experience.
>
> I also watch YouTube videos and free movie streaming channels
using a
> standard computer and am awed by some of the video quality.
>
> When you arrive at a preferred system, how will it fare when
displayed
> via a graphics card vs. a plain ordinary computer?
>
> Carl Blare
Hi Carl. If I
understand your question correctly, I think I need to
clear up some
misconceptions about computer video.
If you're looking at
video on a computer, you're doing it through some
sort of Graphics
Processing Unit, or GPU. In lower end computers, this
may consist of a single
chip, located on your computer motherboard, with
limited
functionality. It, for example, may not be able to decode
compressed formats such
as H264 or 265. Memory is likely shared with
the CPU, and so is
limited. They're also relatively slow, with no
dedicated cooling
solution. If you view a video through these chips,
you're likely getting it
decoded in software on the CPU, which then
passes the video
information to the GPU.
Some integrated graphics
solutions in later computers, and the more
expensive ones, are
quite powerful. For example, Intel GPU's from the
4th generation on can
support H264 hardware decoding AND encoding (for
live
streaming). Their architecture is called Quick
Sync. Intel GPU's
from the 6th generation
on can support H264 encoding (not sure when H264
decoding came into the
picture).
Then we get to the
dedicated graphics cards. In concept, they're not
much different
than embedded GPU's, except that they're far more
powerful
(requiring dedicated cooling solutions such as fans, or water
cooling).
They have their own memory separate from the CPU (the one I'm
using for
tests has 6 GB, required for very high resolutions). And
their hardware
video encoders are more powerful, producing better
quality
encodes.
You can find
dedicated graphics cards in both laptops with mini cards
(they tend to
be less powerful due to overheating concerns) or desktop
computers.
Generally
speaking, the quality of a video should be the same, whether
it is viewed
on embedded or dedicated GPU's (as long as the hardware
supports the
required resolution, and the CPU/GPU is capable of keeping
up with the
playback without stuttering). Gaming usually requires
dedicated
graphics cards, due to the required speed (at least 30fps,
usually
60+fps), particularly with higher resolutions, thus freeing up
the CPU for
other parts of the gaming experience.
Hope that helps.
Extremely
helpful, Artisan. If I understood correctly you have said that a
graphics card plays a role in creating video streaming and not only as
a playback card for game viewing. I did not know that. And the other
information I knew slight bits about, but you have put it all together.
Everyday is a step closer to smartness!
Wednesday October 5, 2022 8:19 AM CDT -- Shortwave Station WRMI Damaged
by Ian --
RADIOWORLD
Wednesday October 5, 2022 4:27 AM CDT -- That Did It --
KDX-AM
is off the air until we repair a ground lead break. Meanwhile, we rely
on KDX-FM to carry around on the TECSUN radio. But because of the
weakness of part 15 FM low power it's very difficult to get
useful
reception when working outdoors. Our FM transmitter is located indoors.
I thought maybe raising the transmitter higher in the air might help
but that would mean building something to hold it up there. The KDX-FM
transmitter is at the rear wall of the Internet Building and the yard
work is over 100-feet toward the front. Then, being a big thinker, I
looked at the indoor tower built from bamboo located in the center of
the building next to the kdxradio.com web server.Yeah. Move the
transmitter closer! So, early today, 3:30 AM, we moved it and things
are a lot better.
Tuesday October 4, 2022 -- Radio J. Allen FM3 Review --
Monday October 3, 2022 -- A Radio Poltergeist --
Everything
that talks to each other is also listening to each other.
Monday October 3, 2022 -- We Have Our Rights --
Right
and left
Right and Wrong
Not everyone on the right is right
Many on the right are wrong
Being too righteous is wrongeous
Monday October 3, 2022 6:52 AM CDT -- Reading and Words --
Have you read a good book lately?
No, but I've read a few transmitters.
Remember those days? We took transmitter readings.
And completely unrelated to that is the forgotten other meaning of the
word porn.
Could you pour me some coffee water?
It's already been porn.
Monday October 3, 2022 5:40 AM CDT -- Artisan Takes the Lead in Video --
To
our awareness consultant Artisan Radio is the first of the low power
radio broadcasters to open a significant inquiry into the adjunct field
of video generation. This is particularly informative to us at KDX
because of our previous life as a commercial video program producer.
During the years we operated as an audio-video production
company
we took a steep learning curve when we stepped away from being an
exclusively audio service and entered the video field owing to the
capabilities introduced by the Amiga line of computers which made
professional television affordable to the small operator. It happened
to be the tail-end of the NTSC TV era, the original analog TV system
employed by over-the-air television stations prior to the advent of
digital video. We used Hi8 cameras for capture, S-VHS for master
taping, and VHS for distribution. Plugin cards for the Amiga gave us a
vectorscope, waveform monitor and timebase correctors alongside a Video
Toaster switcher
and special effects card. As our company reached end of life digital
video cameras were first introduced but we never had one. We were done
with video, but think about it again now that media is branching into
multimedia. Everything Artisan Radio is discovering is new to us and
absolutely fascinating.
Sunday October 2, 3022 1:45 PM CDT -- Decade FM Transmitters --
Certified
for use in the U.S. and Canada, the Decade line of transmitters are the
highest quality low power FM transmitters available.
Sunday October 2, 2022 10:31 AM CDT -- Tower Down Stations Off in
Puerto Rico --
RADIOWORLD
Sunday October 2, 2022 10:17 AM CDT -- Radio, TV, Cable, Internet
& Cell Service Knocked Out by Ian --
tvtech
Sunday October 2, 2022 9:53 AM CDT -- Awaiting the C.Crane FM3
Transmitter --
In
a conversation held 'off-the-blog' I asked consultant Mark why the FM3
is so relatively inexpensive compared to other FCC certified
transmitters. His answer is quite interesting:
You said
"Other certified
transmitters, both AM & FM, cost close to $1,000 but the C.
Crane units are only $79.
The only transmitters
certified for Canada are the Procaster and the Decade. Am I right?"
You are almost right.
The two you mentioned plus the Wholehouse 3.
I
once asked CCrane why they don't get it certified here as ISED will
accept the FCC tests for RSS-210 as it is the same and they would just
have to pay the fee for registering it with ISED (Industry Canada).
Ccrane told me that they don't have enough sales here (in Canada) to do
it. But I said it's like the chicken and the egg, which came first.
There's less sales as
it's not certified here.
CCrane
didn't necessarily have it certified in the USA. There are
certification labs in China also that are approved by the FCC so a
product can be certified there to be sold here. Ccrane doesn't make
these here(USA), they are made for them by a company in China with
their name on it. Same as the Wholehouse 3
The
info still gets on the FCC certified products page. That's why they are
cheap. The Broadcastvision and another I can't remember the name are
part 15 certified also (FCC only) but they are not made in China and
were certified in a USA location so more expensive. Plus the Ccrane
transmitter is just one of many items they carry. Other makes have the
transmitter as their only item.
The
Rangemaster, Procaster, Decade, are home businesses and this alone
doesn't provide a living and I know that the Decade owner and the
Procaster owner have "day jobs" also. The Decade is expensive as it is
hand made at his house and all hand assembled by his wife with through
hole parts. The metal cabinets are made for him here not in China. The
Procaster is all made here except he has the circuit boards, that he
designed, made in China.
Plus
the quality is better. If you buy a Decade or Procaster it will last
indefinitely and with no built in obsolescence there isn't the same
turnover in sales. Same with the Rangemaster. Are they overpriced? Yeah
I think so, even though they are not mass produced and it's a very
small market.
I
am curious now, I would check myself but I don't know the number. Look
at your Ccrane FM 3 and see if it's the exact same number as the FM 2.
If it is, and it shouldn't be as the FM 3 is a new product with
different specs, namely the frequency range. I am willing to bet that
the certification # on the FM 3 is the same as the 2.
I could be wrong but I
think that Ccrane didn't lay out money for a new certification and the
same label is on the new one.
- Mark
Sure. We have ours on order and I'll check the certification number.
Sunday October 2, 2022 9:40 AM CDT --
RADIOWORLD
Sunday October 2, 2022 7:38 AM CDT -- A Mouse and a Mouse = a Mice --
The
ordinary mouse is no good because it wrecks wrists. For awhile I
thought trackballs were the intelligent solution, but they have their
issues. A few moments on YouTube upped our curving education and now we
know about the vertical mouse and the gaming mouse. Turns out some of
those are better than each other, but that's something we've been
working on. Are you sure you're all right?
Sunday October 2, 2022 6:39 AM CDT -- One Reason to Use Winamp --
We
recently blogged about the newly released modern update of Winamp and
mentioned that it can be used together with Zara for radio station
automation. One valuable use arises out of Zara's inability to relay
AAC streams, something that is done by Winamp. A simple link
between the two applications makes it happen.
Sunday October 2, 2022 6:33 AM CDT -- Second Favorite Radio Station --
Sunday October 2, 2022 5:55 AM CDT -- The National Radio Quiet Zone --
While
trying to solve radio related problems I came across this fascinating
report made from a section of the United States where radio signals of
all kinds are prohibited. Part 15 low power hobby radio is not a choice
for people living there.
Most of us are being zapped by
ever-increasing wireless radiation and there isn't much choice about
it. Here at KDX we're rolling back our use of Wi-Fi related signals up
around 2 GHz/5GHz, but the surrounding city is zimmering (a new word I
coined) with microwaves being piled on by even more microwaves from
space. All this comes to mind because of questions about cell phones.
I
don't have and never will have a cell phone. But situations arise where
cell phones are almost mandatory. For example, a road emergency or
injury sustained out on the streets. I recently did a survey and
learned that public phones no longer exist. When my internet cable,
which carries my digital landline home phone, was physically
out-of-service, it took several stops driving the car to find a
business place that allowed me to use their phone to call the cable
company for a repair appointment. At that time I started gathering
information about cheap cell phones in case of such emergencies, but
that's up in the air because I'd rather not have one.
Another
situation has come up twice... in considering devices for our hobby
radio operation some of them require using a Smartphone to access the
'app' that controls the device. This is especially annoying because a
user-interface for the desktop computer would be more desirable for us,
but is seemingly unavailable in some cases. Which is why I'm trying to
figure out whether a 'tablet' would bridge that gap, but neither do I
want the inconvenience of yet another little thing that could be
avoided if only there were software for the desktop computer.
In the Radio Quiet Zone these problems wouldn't exist.
Saturday October 1, 2022 9:45 AM CDT -- Part 15 Site MIA --
In
past months we have made contact and enjoyed some correspondance with
the Low Power Radio Guy at his Low Power Radio Blogspot which
has been linked from our website, but this morning we find his
blogspot is down.
Saturday October 1, 2022 8:14 AM CDT -- Part 15 on Long Wave and
Shortwave --
No reason is known at this time.
Saturday October 1, 2022 6:33 AM CDT -- International Coffee Day --
Carl Blare is enjoying a cup as he blogs.
Saturday October 1, 2022 4:55 AM CDT -- Stream of the Day --
Many
mornings begin with streaming radio listening from a different
choice everyday as part of our exploration of 'what's out there'. When
we recently read that WINS New York City presents news and weather
24-hours a day 7-days a week we instantly adopted WINS as one of our
top ten radio stations. (The other nine have yet to be named). Our big
complaint about most radio stations is that they fudge their schedules
overnight and on weekends. We believe radio stations should always
present their best effort.