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There are lots of power supply options today. Jump packs, as I mentioned, can do much more than jump start a car. I use small lithium units for things like my insulin refrigerator. Decades of using frozen media to keep it cool ended when we get usable/portable power supplies. For all the scare tactics about lithium, it's a heck of a lot less potentially dangerous than the tank of gas you drive around all day.

Thanks everyone for the battery education. I was concerned because the power supply I purchased (above) has a warranty dependent on the buyer cycling the unit every quarter from 0% - 60%, while storing at 30%. I have done this once so far with no issues going to 0%, so the BMS must be kicking in at some point. The app offers complete control over the charging SOC, so I may set the lower limit to something other than zero, just to be safe.

I don't know... I am guessing they are all using their phones to text each other. I doubt that "walkie-talkies" are even in the world-scope of any of the protestors. To the younger generation radios are so "retro"

I have not heard anything on GMRS/FRS channels or repeaters about the protests or riots or anything so far

I didn't pick up anything on the repeaters that cover the downtown are and my own. If they are using simplex they'd have to be in a high rise to have line of site with me. So I didn't pick up anything with my radio set to scan. But, I am on the coast so it's a few miles away and if they were on the ground they are in urban canyons. About the only thing happening is some idiot transmitting rap music on 462.575. But we get idiots like that from time to time.

How do they know the users were GMRS licensees or using GMRS radios? My money would be on FRS, and like @AdmiralCochrane, I'd be more surprised if they didn't use them. It's kind of an obvious tool for quick coordination. And, yes, I have no doubt law enforcement agencies are listening.

Lithium Ion batteries can be very volatile even with protection systems. Internal shorts can happen with minor damage to the battery and overheat them. Fun is. Glad you weren't hurt.

I would be stunned if the rioters were not using HT's. Also stunned if three letter people weren't nearby using scanners and recorders and I don't mean Uncle Charlie.

And D411N also means the same thing.

back in 2014 i was playing with a brand new Samsung tablet when the thing started smoking like crazy. I threw it in the kitchen sink, open the doors and if finally fizzled out. I contacted Samsung, they fedexed me a brand new one over night along with a return package and box for the bad one.. They actually provided a fire proof bag with a zip lock to place the old one in. I still use the replacement to this day.

If it didn't it's burst into flames the 1st time you charged it. They are very prone to thermal run away if unprotected.

Most LiFePO4 batteries can be drawn down completely without harm. The BMS will protect them from discharging too far. You might have to coax the battery to come back to life if the BMS turns it off for low voltage though. Discharging a LiFePO4 fully does reduce it overall life. But it is still going to substantially outlive a lead acid battery by 1000s of cycles.

My KG1000+ draws 8.7 amps according to my digital clamp meter. I was surprised it was lower than 10 amps.

*Proving* it is an entirely different matter...

But when even the people who have the copyright on the name Meshtastic say it’s a network, the lone person claiming everyone else is wrong, and that it’s not a network, might have a problem proving he’s right.

That would be a full violation of the eff sea seas rules/regulations. I can't imagine those breaking the law would decide to use these frequencies illegally and for illicit purposes. They should have their licenses takes away. As soon as you here them ID themselves you should write it down and report them. /S

Which Ham freq?

Just because lots of people are mistaken at once, doesn't mean they're right!

What word follows “mesh” when talking about “mesh networks“?

You know, after I posted that glib reply, I started thinking (which is always super-dangerous, according to some people: People like my wife and closest friends!)... Because of the broadcast nature of LoRa technology, where every transmission is just put out there with the hope someone will help you get it where it's going, I actually don't think it *does* technically fit the definition of a network!

If it's Lithium, it has a BMS. Now don't get miss concepted,, she'll beat your azz

That's the one I bought on Amazon for ~$159 in February. Presently it's $239 there. Nice product. I believe it's being replaced by the "3" model, which is fast enough in a power outage to act as a UPS.

The little handheld power bricks OP was talking about can often have minimal BMS, if any. Especially if you got it from Ali Express! She's a hard lady to find, that Miss Conception.

Hmm... I had not thought of listening. I might do that tonight to see if anything is on the repeaters or simplex...

There is a miss conception when people say Lithium Batteries can completely die if allowed to completely discharge. Most Lithium batteries today have a protection circuit that wont let the battery completely discharge.. And most Lithium batteries have BMS System Circuit (Battery Management System) that manages an array of things, charging, bulk, discharging, temperature etc. BMS systems depend on a small amount of battery current to function, else they simply go to sleep and the battery will look dead until the BMS gets enough energy to function. New BMS systems do not allow the battery to completely discharge, it turns the battery off reserving the small amount of energy so the BMS can function. If the Lithium battery looses all voltage due to a completely discharged battery then it needs woken up. How do you do that? it depends on the battery as there are several methods,, a google search for your particular battery will find the answer,, but the most common way i.e. a Power Tool Battery, you take a good charged battery and apply its voltage for several seconds to the dead battery.. That should 'wake' up the BMS so that it can now operate and sense the real charger to talk with and do its work.. a lot of people have thrown away perfectly good power tool batteries because they simply didn't know who to wake them up