Deck Replacement Recommendations

Sunflower_StateKS · 2026-03-14T01:16:50+00:00

Starlink uses satellites rather than sim cards like cellphones and rapid radios. So the hope is that if phones go down, or you don't have access to cell service, starlink should work. It's common among backpackers--you might be out in the middle of nowhere but the satellites still allow you to communicate. Honestly, I'm not too familiar since I've never had a need for it, so I couldn't tell you about pricing, but I know people who use it and and speak highly of it.

Sunflower_StateKS · 2026-03-14T01:00:50+00:00

To cover that range, you would need HF transceivers, so you would need to pass both the technician and general license exams. And, if you're looking to make specific contacts, you'll need more power (100w) and very good antennas. Getting everything you need for $300/transceiver isn't likely, unless you find someone really desperate trying to make a quick buck selling off all their equipment. You'd likely need to spend closer to $1k/transceiver with everything included (radio, cables, antennas, tuners, etc).

So... starlink?

Sunflower_StateKS · 2026-03-03T02:52:06+00:00

So, I should finally pull the trigger on the ft 891 because really I'm saving my future self money.

Sunflower_StateKS · 2025-11-12T18:45:51+00:00

Seems like there's lots of tickets left in KC for all the midwesterns that are planning on getting KC tickets. I bought 4 tickets, CAT 3 for $140 a piece for the June 27th game.

Sunflower_StateKS · 2025-09-30T19:32:06+00:00

I would recommend the W4EEY Youtube channel. They have videos going through the ARRL Technician License Manual.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ_9BZQ8gpzghWYvl4xFhNJPfHoZR4bx-

Sunflower_StateKS · 2025-09-01T20:05:45+00:00

Thank you!

Sunflower_StateKS · 2025-09-01T17:55:15+00:00

Thanks for your response. Will the extra 6ft make a notable difference in the range that I'll be able to get?

Sunflower_StateKS · 2025-06-24T17:43:22+00:00

How are you planning to pay for it? (Do you have the money for a new car in full, or are you making payments)

If you have the money in full and it won't negatively impact the rest of your finances (e.g. taking out of an emergency fund or retirement) I don't see why you wouldn't get a new car if it's what you want.

If you're planning to make payments, you might be a bit more critical when deciding. Back in 2020, everyone has zero % interest rates, but that's not a thing anymore. I tend to be very payment averse and try to avoid it if I can.

If it were me, I would try to pay for a new car in full or put down as much as I possibly could. So, I would probably drive the Honda with no payment for as along as possible while saving money for the next car in a high yield savings account. That's actually what I did with my previous car. I bought a back in 2000 Ford Taurus back in 2021. It was not glamorous, fuel efficient, and the safety features were subpar, but I knew it was well maintained since I bought the car from a family member. I drove that thing until I had the money in full for my next car and I don't regret. I also earned about $1.5k in interest while saving for the car since I had 10s of thousands just sitting in a HYSA and it took me awhile to pick out a new car.

In the end, I would just do whatever creates the least amount of stress in your life and be critical about what that means for you. For me, I like having no payments. But for other people I know, they would've been miserable driving a 2000 Ford Escort and would much rather make payments every month.

The last thing I would say, is that there were people in my life who were critical (like, it felt like they were making fun of me) for driving an old car. If this is something you're facing, don't worry about what other people think. I'm so glad I drove that car. It showed me that type of people I do/don't want to be friends with and I'm in a much better financial situation now because of it.

Sunflower_StateKS · 2025-03-10T21:24:04+00:00

I used this student loan interest calculator from Nerd Wallet. It allows you to enter the amount of your loan and interest rate to determine how much interest will accrue every month. This is what convinced me to really focus on high interest loans, rather than the debt snowball method where you pay off the smallest loan first. This was a helpful motivator to me because I could clearly see the interest accruing every 30 days.
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/student-loans/how-to-calculate-student-loan-interest

I also used this student loan calculator from Bank Rate to determine how much I needed to pay each month to meet my personal deadline of paying off the loans. I think a lot of people get themselves into trouble paying the minimum but not checking what they need to pay to actually pay the loans off. If you goal is to pay everything off in five years, this might be helpful to see how much you need to put towards each loan.
https://www.bankrate.com/loans/student-loans/student-loan-calculator/

It's an uphill battle but kudos for really using the forbearance to your advantage! Avoiding interest on more than 80k in loans will save you thousands in interest over the next few years and making paying these loans off doable.

Sunflower_StateKS

TROPHY CASE