WSHH887

Reaching back into the dusty hinterland of my memory I seem to recall that a license was required to use a CB. At some point the number of unlicensed folks got so large the FCC just gave up enforcing it. If my, admittedly, somewhat sketchy memory is correct, could the same thing happened to GMRS? Is it happening?

Phelan. I was stationed at George AFB in the very early 70's. The Phelan explains more than you could ever imagine.

Welcome to the fold. I'll leave the technical stuff to guys like Steve. But I want to warn you someone here will likely tell you GMRS isn't a hoot like HAM. But take heart, their opinions hold no sway. And there's a good thread on how to block this individual. GMRS user is clunky. I going to start using GMRS'rs. Hey, it's a couple of letters shorter.

So I blocked the pessimist quite a while ago. But his nonsense still shows up in quotes. Anyway to hide those? Live is too short, and at my age getting shorter daily, to put up with his nonsense.

Like any good advertiser, I will meet or beat his price. Plus you get unlimited asterisks free.

What are these things you call thumbnails? I only see finger appendages on women and men whose greatest work hazard are paper cuts

We really don't need or in my case particularly want an agency like FEMA having any easier time dispensing questionable information during a disaster. I've started setting up a small network of folks in my neighborhood so we can communicate should something happen. I can't say I came up with the idea. A, sadly now deceased gentleman set up a phone tree in this area before I moved in 46 years ago. He was a HAM (started as a WWII Marine radioman). It sort of died as a lot of folks did as well. Now I'm the old guy, just using newer technology. By the way this was motivated by a home invasion where a neighbor and kid sat in terror as individuals broke in and ransacked the house. The 911 operator who kept promising the police would arrive soon convinced her to stay on the phone so she couldn't call anyone else for help.

For the very old or computer illiterate, long ago we had a thing call pen and paper. You could even get paper with lines already printed on it. I suppose one could just write down the call sign and name then refer back to the paper when needed. I know these are archaic ideas, but I'm old and slow. Oh by the way I am putting together a spreadsheet with all of the accessible repeaters in my area. It includes things like the owner/call sign, TX frequency and RX frequency, codes, plus other stuff I just found interesting. It's not complete yet, but if anyone in the Greater Los Angeles are is interested.

Then we simply agree to disagree. But just so you know my sanity has long been questioned.

So we are in agreement that there are no "Native Americans".

My point exactly. I've read various origins of the species. None show man evolved in a the Americas. They either hit here by foot or boat.

You can use fancy words or come up with excuses, but there are no "native Americans". However, if you take another view, that folks born somewhere are "natives", then anyone born in the Americas is a native.

Not to rile anyone up, but were your ancestors in the first or second migration from Asia? There have never been "native" humans in North, Central or South America.

I was just going to bring up Goldstone. I did a bit off work out there until I retired. You think getting into the base was difficult. NASA was a whole other level. But they do receive radio from many, many, many, many Farz away. Then there were the terrestrial hazards. Watch where you step!

But, but, but there's a guy who gets 250 miles.

My background is petroleum industry and water treatment. Always use anti seize. That one fastener you think you will never have to remove and decide to skip coating is the very one you will have to take apart. Anti Seize (the brand doesn't matter, they all work) is about the cheapest sanity insurance you can buy. And take it from experience, it will save lots of skin. Also, always repeat always make every electrical connection (even those in "water resistant" housings) as water tight as humanly possible. Long story short I grabbed an electrical conduit that had been out of service for a couple of years. Lit me up like nobodies business. Two lessons learned, never believe lockout/tagout tags, and never trust an electrician unless you verify it yourself. Water had gotten into the conduit.

Depending on the alloy stainless steel can be highly magnetic or not. After being burnt, literally, by Chinese stainless steel that wasn't what it said it was my first quick check was a magnet. The alloy we used in chemical piping should not have been magnetic. After that incident, the piping came from an ISO manufacturer, I specified US or European manufacturer only. All Chinese metal is mystery metal as far as I'm concerned.

And it takes a while for the signal to be received after it is sent. Get's longer every minute. Still, it is pretty cool that we can still communicate. I'm waiting for someone to respond on that frequency. Could be interesting.

Being in compliance with the law doesn't necessarily mean you are morally and ethically correct. Man's laws are often in direct contravention to what is right and just. To put it another way, we have a "legal" system, not a "justice" system.

True it's not a crime. But it is unethical and possibly immoral. Folks doing things "just because they can" without regard to others rights and personal property just makes for unnecessary grief. And as mom would say "it's just plain rude". So ask yourself this question, were you raised that way?

Dude, you're from California. It's getting harder and harder to find real boobies here any more.

I have set up sort of an network in my neighborhood. Now mind you geographically it's an area of about 4 blocks north to south and 6 blocks east to west. Not a large area. In addition it is a long established neighborhood with a lot of older residents who have been here for decades. It's a mix of Los Angeles City and unincorporated Los Angeles County. Jurisdictional issues are fairly frequent with both agencies at times saying it wasn't their area. Sadly, typical for SoCal today. This was motivated by a home invasion not long ago. The mother and child were home alone in the evening. It took the LAPD over an hour to respond. She did get a hold of a neighbor a few doors down after about 10 minutes on 911 hold. By then the invaders had left. The idea is simple. Folks have GMRS handhelds. We have a dedicated frequency. There are a lot of retired folks who can monitor the frequency. There currently isn't any established roster of who and when. But turns out there are more than enough to have it covered 24/7. Had our neighbor just called on a radio there could have had several "experienced" guys there in a minute or two at most. Most folks who are on the network have bought their own HT's. For others several of us have donated HT's. Obviously not everyone is onboard. You still have folks who insist that the police can protect them. This with clear evidence to the contrary. Now there is nothing on paper. No one has a list of folks or anything else. But it has already proven useful in several "property" crimes. Just neighbors helping neighbors. A lot like it was when I was growing up. Back then a kid got banged up (happened frequently when we used to "play" outside) you could go to any house and the adult there in would take care of you. Today that rarely happens due to fear of litigation.

Last trip to RS I needed some buss fuses. The girl didn't even know what a fuse was. She only sold phones. The electronic parts area was a mere shadow of what it once was and in disarray.

Someone mentioned intentionally using a former address.

I used the term stationary to differentiate between a unit that doesn't move as opposed to a mobile unit that moves. Nobody argues about mobile, regardless of how it moves. But stationary (not moving) seems to be confusing. Seems pretty simple. A stationary unit( not moving communicating with another stationary unit ( not moving) both units are fixed. If a stationary unit communicates with a mobile unit it's then a base. Do I understand correctly.