Jump to content

Blaise

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    248

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Blaise

  2. Baofeng and Baofeng Tech

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    32 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

    When I worked in Taiwan in 1992 that was something almost everyone there did, pick an anglicized name. 

    I spent a decade in this Asia too.  The one thing I never understood was why they would sometimes do both, using a spelling of their westernized Chinese (etc.) name with such bad phonics that westerners couldn't help but pronounce it wrong.  So now they had the 'westernized' name they introduced themselves to you with, the name everyone who hadn't spoken closely with them or been corrected used for them based upon spelling, and their original Asian name. 

    Somehow, we survived the 90s...

  6. LoRa and GMRS?

    in Meshtastic and Reticulum

    Posted

    Just now, SteveShannon said:

    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. 

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

  8. LoRa and GMRS?

    in Meshtastic and Reticulum

    Posted

    5 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

    arguing it’s a mesh, not a network, probably wouldn’t make a great first impression on the FCC. It’s funny though

    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!

  10. Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    FYI, anyone following this:  Walmart has a 2 ridiculously cheap power stations perfect for running a radio/charging your gear/lighting your campsite/etc...

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/EF-EcoFlow-Portable-Power-Station-RIVER-2-240-243wh-LiFePO4-Battery-1-Hour-Fast-Charging-600W-Output-Solar-Generator-Solar-Panel-Optional-Outdoor-Cam/5478283286?adsRedirect=true

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Flashfish-Portable-Power-Station-Mini-Solar-Generator-98Wh-26400mAh-Lithium-Battery-120W-110V-AC-Outlets-LED-Light-Backup-Battery-Camping-Outdoor/371451213?classType=REGULAR

    Note: the $149 one is marked in watt-hours, and the $69 one is in amp-hours.  LifePo cells are about 3.7 volts, so multiply the Amp-hours by 3.7 for a rough(very) comparison.  Whether the numbers listed are true?  Well, Walmart's better than Temu, but marketing departments are ubiquitous...

  11. Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    21 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

    Does this apply to all batteries containing lithium, lithium ion and LiFePo4?

    It's most true of straight lithium ion.  LiPo is much better.  I've seen them run down to 10% or less numerous times and still retain most of their capacity.  They don't like it if you *leave* them uncharged, though.  More than day or two sub-10% can easily do them in...

  12. LoRa and GMRS?

    in Meshtastic and Reticulum

    Posted

    1 hour ago, WRYZ926 said:

    Meshtastic is basically off grid texting and is limited to the size of messages that can be sent.

    If you use the libraries, you can get it to do a whole lot more, I'm told.  I'm not afraid of a compiler!

     

    14 hours ago, FishinGary said:

    I'm still learning Meshtastic myself, but I don't believe the packets are large enough to carry voice traffic in any usable form (but don't quote me on that). If you wanted to fire off quick messages during gaps in repeater coverage you could use canned messages. 

    Every packet has a 237 byte payload, so you'd have to spend a lot of effort hacking the voice data into chunks, then reassembling them.  It might work, it might not, but it sure would be fun trying!  Also, GMRS data is likely only about 2 kbps, so there'd be plenty of room for at least that.

  14. LoRa and GMRS?

    in Meshtastic and Reticulum

    Posted

    Hey, so My friends and I are building out a Meshtastic network with a bunch of cheap nodes built out of LoRa dev boards, solar panels, 18650 batteries, and Walmart plastic boxes.  They don't have the best antennae or the best chips, but you can build them for about $20 each, and scatter them *everywhere* (with permission, of course).

    I had a thought about using this mesh, or one like it, to link GMRS repeaters to get around the hills and mountains we deal with here.  The data rates theoretically top out at about 5kbps, but that should be fine for raggedy old HT voice communications, and data is, well, data... 

    Anyone given any thought (or practice) to building a LoRa/GMRS modem?

  15. Base Station 50w recommendations with USB-C charge

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, bkmorse said:

    hoping I can charge it off a power brick with usb-c

    If you are transmitting at 50 watts, a regular brick (ca 10 Amp-Hours) may not remotely give you the 60-some watts it takes to transmit.  And even if it could, and you assume a perfect system (spherical radios in a frictionless vacuum, perfect connections, perfect antenna, etc.), you'll  be able to transmit for less than an hour, and you can only do it once, because running completely flat might not entirely kill a lithium battery, but it will drastically decrease its capacity (You'll likely have effectively destroyed the batteries by the second time).

    Just get a low-end power station that's intended to support residential use.  You can get little (100ish watt) ones for less than $200, and they have AC outlets, and both usb and lighter-12-volt ports.  For the best efficiency, make your own 12 volt plug, because that usually has the least voltage conversions being done, so you get more time on your bank, and most "mobiles" run on 12v.  Plus, if you run out of juice, you can charge it in your car during a beer-run!

    Of course, if you only have to walk it a little way, you *could* just buy a Marine battery, and wire directly to it.  Cheap ones can manage 80-90 Amp Hours (from which you can probably use 50-60 Amp hours without killing it), and there are thousands of charging options...

  17. Log books?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 5/28/2025 at 12:10 AM, WSHH887 said:

    For the very old or computer illiterate, long ago we had a thing call pen and paper. 

    When I was a boy, we wrote with our fingers.  In the dirt. Then we hoped it wouldn't rain before we needed to remember what we wrote!

  23. Interesting comments being filed with the fcc on unused 46Mhz/49Mhz pairs

    in FCC Rules Discussion

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Lscott said:

    the FCC's vision is more along the lines of personal, and family, use. Look at paragraph three

    Agreed that that is the stated intent, but it seems like if they really wanted to restrict it like that, there would be only current-FRS-equipment-restricted GMRS or FRS, not both.  Using a GMRS radio requires technical activities like programming and tuning antennas.  That's not "Mom wants you home" or "Joe the lawn service guy" personal, by any means.  "Hobby" or not, it's a technical service!  Besides, we're talking about *changing* GMRS, so definitions may shift...
     

     

    3 hours ago, Lscott said:

    There is little reason why the average user would need to have access to linked repeater systems across the country.

    I agree, but I wasn't suggesting that. I was talking about covering a couple of counties.  Maybe 200 miles max, for my examples. For people who really need the range, but GMRS falls short. 

    For example, trying to hunt down a weather-balloon experiment gone horribly wrong (not that I've ever done that multiple times 😬 ) can require coordinating dozens of search units in a four-county search that covers thousands of square miles.  As the crow flies, the max spread might be 150 miles, but especially in places with mountains, you end up with five or six people driving out to high spots and relaying messages back and forth like a big game of telephone (which would be a better solution, if there were any towers nearby) being able to take a pair of long-range linked repeaters to the top of strategically tall and unobstructed geographic features would enable GMRS to cover all three counties directly...
     

  24. Interesting comments being filed with the fcc on unused 46Mhz/49Mhz pairs

    in FCC Rules Discussion

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Lscott said:

    That will get shot dead by some. Beginning to sound more like Ham Lite.

    I mean, isn't that practically the definition of GMRS?  We already have repeaters.   Having some that can talk to each other on a more distance-friendly band isn't exactly a stretch...

    Imagine FEMA or some disaster-relief group being able to set up a small network of these things such that one or more GMRS channels are connected and reachable across a three county disaster area.  Not for emergency responders, but for moms to figure out where their kids are, and churches and community Centers to tell neighborhood members they are open and receiving displaced/hungry/cold people!  Three devices set up atop a few important hills would be a trivially cheap investment, and because the network is cross-band, even kiddie radios could have access in an emergency.  Then you just hand out boxes of sub $10 radios to anyone who needs them.

    Or in normal use, local groups who want to be able to connect/coordinate over fairly large areas, like hunting/camping/search parties/storm watchers/etc. could set up a couple/three and stay in touch over tens of miles, rather than just miles.  And no worry about people who don't want/need to get ham licenses, because now, they only have to spend 3-5 hours finding some forms to fill out at the FCC and some cash.

     

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Guidelines.

  I accept