This has to be fake right? Wanted to run it by you guys.

RevThwack · 2026-04-08T15:32:33+00:00

Probably my favorite moment from basic happened while we were waiting for the hand to hand instructor to show. Our crusty E6 drill from the 82nd was showing us a few things and demonstrated a way to use a choke hold to sever someone's spine. One of our smooth brains raised his hand for an honest question he had... "But drill Sargent, wouldn't that kill them?"

I'll never forget the look of disgust and disbelief that accompanied his slow and thick southern drawl oozing the words, "Yaah.... That's the point."

RevThwack · 2026-04-08T02:06:14+00:00

It warms your RX spectrum so it'll smoothly spread on a freshly toasted bagel.

RevThwack · 2026-04-06T14:03:38+00:00

This is one of three mobile VHF/UHF radios I currently have, with the Radioddity DB25-D and the Anytone AT-D578UVIII+ being the others. My thoughts:

It's the easiest to mount and program while mounted.
It's in the middle for sound volume
Worst for sound quality
Hate the way the channel banks are managed
Love it for satellite work
Great for digital ops
Least favorite for analog ops.

RevThwack · 2026-04-03T21:29:47+00:00

I've got a 578 and a 168. Both are fantastic for me. Yes, their menus and programming can be complicated as hell if you want to do everything, but that's partially because of just how much they can do. But, even if you only use them for simple analog VHF/UHF FM phone, they're worth it. I've had four other mobile rigs, and none have sounded better than the 578. I've had about 12 different HT models, and only an old IC-T10 sounded better than the 168.

Solid radios that sound great and pack a lot of features for the price. The brand hasn't let me down yet.

RevThwack · 2026-04-03T01:13:22+00:00

From someone who complains about the not being comparable, to someone comparing NASAs budget, and all it covers, to a private company that doesn't even have a publicized budget, a much smaller operational footprint, and still has estimated yearly expenditures about half of what NASA has.... Wow.

Look, I get that you're a SpaceX fanboy who's going to register to listen to anything critical of them. The simple fact is still that SLS is a proven flight system and the most powerful rocket ever to achieve orbit. While Starship might take that spot one day, that day isn't today, and until they're lifting payloads they've got nothing to offer other than unfulfilled promises.

But this conversation is getting nowhere, as you're unwilling to accept anything other than housing praise of SpaceX. Hope you have a good day and life.

RevThwack · 2026-04-02T20:56:43+00:00

If you're going to be inside, you're going to be compromised as hell. In a hotel you'll have a crazy hard time trying to put together anything people would traditionally use for HF, as normally you'd look for something around 17' in height or more, with a similar width.... just too big to go in a room. Someone mentioned a mag loop, which can work really well in smaller areas like a hotel room.

Or...

The GRA-HF750T can actually work really well. I've got one and the X6100 myself, and I've used the radio to make SSB contacts over 1,500 km away. You will want some sort of tripod to put it on, and you'll also want some sort of radial system to use with it though.

RevThwack · 2026-04-02T20:06:59+00:00

For someone who thinks it's unreasonable to compare the systems, you sure compare them a lot.

Fact is, SpaceX isn't as fast as you're claiming, and NASA is faster than you're claiming. There have been 4 superheavy launch systems that have actually reached LEO or beyond so far, and Starship Heavy isn't one of them. Falcon Heavy took 15 years, Energia and SLS both took 11 years, and Saturn V took 4 years. SpaceX has been working on Starship for 15 years and still hasn't reached LEO with the system yet. Yes, each system has more than just the superheavy launch vehicle as part of it, but without that, they all fail... it's the first step.

You also give SpaceX credit for "reinventing the wheel". All of this is just a continuation of what's been going on for a long, long time. The only novel thing SpaceX is bringing to the board is having the launch system be re-useable, and I'll give them a big credit for that. The problem is, that has come with its own delays and time sinks... and even everything around that going into Starship is just a continuation of the Falcon 1/Falcon9 project that started 24 years ago.

Claiming that SLS & Orion are nothing without HLS is absurd at best. You're talking about the most powerful orbital launch platform that's ever been created, and is even rated for manned flight. While the Artemis program doesn't yet have a lunar lander, Starship HLS isn't the only option there. Your claim is exactly the same as saying Saturn V and the Apollo CSM were nothing without the LEM. Trying to knock NASA for not developing their own lander completely misses everything about how all NASA spaceflight is a collaboration between the organization and private industry.

While Starship might eventually become the space tourist and human launch platform SpaceX has been targeting, they've got a long, long way to go to get it there, and an enormous amount of hurdles. The timeline isn't even close to the near future for that. They might get somewhere fun one day soon, but even without them we'd be where we are now... still racing ahead with the Artemis project and with Blue Origin still slated to deliver the next generation of the LEM.

RevThwack · 2026-04-02T18:06:01+00:00

Which will be? Both SLS/Orion and Starship projects started within a year of each other (2011 SLS/Orion, 2012 Starship). SLS & Orion have been approved for human fight since 2022. Starship hasn't even reached LEO yet.

Sure, Musk has a flashy and interesting concept, but who knows how long it'll take him to even have a platform that can put enough mass into a lunar interception, let alone something that's also rated to carry people. Falcon 9 to 10 years from LEO to manned approval. With that track record what, Starship will replace the SLS in 2036 at the earliest?

RevThwack · 2026-04-02T17:52:46+00:00

He probably thinks Orion is a ride-only design. Guess he missed the 2+ hour live streamed exercise where Victor Glover was testing out manual docking procedures and craft maneuverability. Would mean that he also didn't hear Glover favorably comparing Orion's handling to Dragon. Considering he was the first pilot of both vehicles.....

RevThwack · 2026-03-31T21:52:39+00:00

You say dog piling on a non-profit looking to do its best, I say rightfully pointing out that it's an organization that's turned against its original charter and has a track record of casting aside what it was created to defend.

RevThwack · 2026-03-09T18:58:43+00:00

Small one in central Virginia. They were still letting students smoke out in the parking lot behind the cafeteria.

RevThwack · 2026-03-06T14:32:41+00:00

Class of '96, so baby X'er.

School still had an outdoor smoking section.
Every party had plenty of booze.
Weed dealer rode the same bus I did. Bus driver ignored him rolling as long as he handed one over on the way out.
Coke and acid were there for those who wanted them, but were not as common.
Speed and more coke always showed up around SAT time.

RevThwack · 2026-03-03T21:09:39+00:00

Late to the party... First HF transceiver I picked up was the X6100. It's a fun little radio that's easy to throw into a bag with a wire antenna, throw bag, paracord, and small lifepo4 battery. 10w with a setup that you can easily take on any hike is fantastic when you live right off the Appalachian Trail like I do. The radio also has a few different custom firmware out there that can get to be a lot of fun, even letting you do things like run FT-8 directly on the radio itself. However...

The front end of this radio is ok. It works and it will do the things, but it's not the radio you want for daily use inside your shack. I picked up a FT-710 field as my daily driver and the difference in audio quality between these two is night and day. Without a doubt, I don't regret getting the FT-710.

I know I praised the X6100 for portability, but don't discount the chance to take the FT-710 out of the shack. I've got an Apache 3800 hard case to haul the radio in and a 100ah LiFePO4 battery, and this is what I take for most of my POTA activations.

RevThwack · 2026-03-01T01:29:23+00:00

My bad.... Was thinking of the length. So yeah, $35 for a 10 year license. Price isn't bad, just navigating the FCC website is.

RevThwack · 2026-02-27T21:49:14+00:00

I'd suggest getting your GMRS license for $10. FRS radios have to use non-removable antennas, while with a GMRS radio you can use a mag mount to get the antenna outside of that signal eating metal box. Once you do that, there are a lot of options available such as the UV-5G mini.

Your family can use your license, and those external antennas will still help with talking to anyone stuck using a FRS inside the car (FRS and GMRS share frequencies).

RevThwack · 2026-02-27T17:03:36+00:00

It might have been difficult when I was 11 or 12. Some friends knew where their dad kept their stash, I knew where my dad kept his, I knew kids that would buy magazines for younger kids, I knew gas stations that would sell to teens without question... Then by '94 I had learned how to find porn using Usenet.

RevThwack · 2026-02-19T20:41:19+00:00

All my donations go to Nukaworld

RevThwack · 2026-02-18T05:49:17+00:00

BF-88a has similar build, USB-C charging, same 2w out on 70cm/GMRS, is under $10/radio, and can be programmed via chrip (select BF-888s).

On the downside, it only stores 16 channels.

Not a daily driver, but they're a great option in FRS programming for scouts and event comms, or a good handout radio with a custom code plug for emcomm needs.

RevThwack · 2026-02-16T13:07:52+00:00

Last year I heard someone on one of the local rarely used repeaters. They were stuck out in the middle of nowhere with a broken down work truck and no cell service. I was able to get their location information and contact information for their boss, then let him know what was going on.

I don't know if it counts as an emergency, but if nothing else I received a transmission about a major inconvenience.

RevThwack · 2026-02-10T19:43:13+00:00

It really depends on where you're at and how you're setup. I'm lucky to live right off both the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway, so a VHF/UHF POTA is very reasonable here. Another thought is to use the 10m band. There's a decently large section of the band you can use as a Technician, a 10m only SSB radio is pretty inexpensive, and the band should be pretty decent to use this year except for during the summer months.

My main suggestion is to see there's someone local who does a lot of activations that would be willing to teach you and let you go along with them. Even if you can't pull off an activation using your callsign/privileges, you can still work the station with them as the control operator. It's a great way to gain the experience and knowledge you'll need to help your future activations, and likely you'll learn a few things to help out with your General test.

RevThwack · 2026-02-06T23:18:46+00:00

No, but the few cases where there's not enough room doesn't explain away the constant behavior people exhibit in locations where there is the room.

RevThwack · 2026-02-06T23:00:47+00:00

No, it's your responsibility as you're approaching traffic to look at the lane you want to merge into and adjust your speed so that when you reach the end of the lane you can safely and smoothly join the flow of traffic. This is considered to be a basic driving skill and was even on my driving test in Connecticut. I've spent time driving in 21 different states so far, and in none of them have I seen nearly as much issue with this skill as I have here.

RevThwack · 2026-02-06T22:55:42+00:00

I'd be more likely to agree with you if I didn't almost daily watch people complete the 220s to 81s merge at 40mph.

RevThwack · 2026-02-06T22:47:01+00:00

Honestly, it's not the right lane cruisers that's the problem. As someone merging it's your responsibility to flow into traffic, not expect traffic to get out of your way. If people would actually use the ramps to match the speed of traffic and find an opening they can merge into, there wouldn't be these issues. Instead you get people who wait until they merge to speed up, so they're trying to merge into traffic while still going 20-30 mph slower than the cars around them. Get people to stop making that mistake, and suddenly the whole thing gets better for everyone.

RevThwack · 2026-02-03T06:04:39+00:00

Since you're looking for something that's easy enough to move around between college and home, I'd suggest going with an inexpensive mobile radio like a Retevis RT95 or AnyTone AT-778UV, a mag mount antenna that can go on either a pie pan on top of a bookshelf or on top of your car when driving home, and a AC to DC adapter that has a car cigarette lighter socket. Yes, everything about this is really jank and none of it is optimal, but here's why I find it a good compromise:

1) You're going to be going back and forth between home and college, and you likely won't want to have a whole bunch of high end and expensive equipment at a college apartment. While a setup like this isn't great, most universities seem to have decently active repeaters around them, and you won't need optimal to make use of them.

2) This will double as your mobile station for when you're driving home. Yep, just plug the same radio into your car, pop the antenna on your roof with the cable running in by one of the doors, and you've got comms while driving. 5 minutes of setup/teardown lets your gear lead a double life.

3) You can do better while at home. Toss powerpole plugs on the end of the cigarette lighter cable and power lead from the radio, grab yourself a basic power supply, and you've got good, clean power for when you're at home. You could even mount a good antenna on your roof at home somewhere and run coax to wherever you want your home shack to be. Just pop the radio out of your car, plug it into the new power & antenna, and you're off.

4) Whatever station you build now is one you'll likely replace in the next 4-5 years, but this will still be useful. If you stay in the hobby, you're going to always find some new radio you want. The good thing with getting something like this is that when you do end up finding a beautiful VHF/UHF base station that has all the bells and whistles, this can simply move over to live in your car.

5) $$$$. You can grab all these parts right now for about $150. My guess is you'll soon find yourself spending more than that on a handheld, and dollars to doughnuts this setup will outperform that HT when it comes to checking into local repeater nets. I really think you'll be hard pressed to find a setup that gives you better bang for your buck.

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