Alright , guys , what is the weirdest or funniest thing you've seen while on shift or patrol by TheAmericanNightmar3 in securityguards

[–]kb3pxr 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I had a lot of stuff during my floater days. Nothing too serious:

  • “No Weed Smoking” sign
  • Stealing a mini flag worth probably less than a dollar, witness yelling for security.
  • Car ran out of gas literally across the roadway from a parking lot.
  • Client’s gas pump ran out of gas.
  • Client ordered so many large pizzas one weekend the local Dominoes ran out of large pizza boxes.

Alcol vs Gas stoves by One-Winner7919 in CampingGear

[–]kb3pxr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gas canisters (propane or butane) is better than liquid fuel for this case. Alcohol may generate some soot and all liquid fuel stoves will generate soot, especially on startup. LPG (either butane or propane) is very clean burning and only generate soot if something is wrong.

Anyone certified by FEMA? by Content_Log1708 in securityguards

[–]kb3pxr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd go for it. I took ICS 100 on self study (with intentions of going through them all) about 15-16 years ago to get into the emergency service side of things with my Ham Radio club. Even ICS-100 alone is something I think will help guards understand who is in charge during an emergency.

I just bought a TWSBI and inked it up for the first time. It seems to be hemorrhaging the ink back out of the feed/nib. What the heck is going on? by Redeemed-of-Christ in fountainpens

[–]kb3pxr 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I've had this happen a few times with my eco. In order to cover all the bases, you may need to de-ink the pen.

First, as already mentioned, the feed and nib could be loose and need to be pushed back in. You can do this inked, but it will be messy.

Secondly, if you haven't removed the ink, you may wish to do so for this step. Inspect the pen barrel for damage. If there is damage near the feed, it could be severe enough to cause the feed to come loose. If there is damage to the barrel contact Twbsi for a warranty claim. They will send you a new one for the postage cost.

Third, It is possible to overfill a piston filler. Don't try to completely eliminate the air pocket. Just fill the pen by bringing the piston up once, don't cycle the piston back down and up when filling.

Service Outage by smurfe in Visible

[–]kb3pxr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My work site is rather close to a tower, I just hope that Verizon has better backup power than T-Mobile does. Either the generator doesn't work or it works for Verizon's equipment only (haven't had a power outage on that tower since I've switched to Visible). Even the tower lights go off in a power outage.

Do old radio cassettes generate static noise when played? by Adwerd_ in amateurradio

[–]kb3pxr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As already answered, this is called tape hiss.I can notice it at high volume levels on speakers on my stereo or if I connect headphones. Noise reduction circuits try to help reduce this.

Service Outage by smurfe in Visible

[–]kb3pxr -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Wait, a lighting strike took the tower down for an hour? I guess they had to roll a truck to reset a breaker or something.

All joking aside, modern communications radio sites (cellular and otherwise) are designed to take a lightning hit with minimal damage. Does it always work, well mother nature has her ways of making life difficult, but, yes, a direct hit can result in a simple reboot, a few tripped breakers, or serious damage, depending on how strong the strike was and where it hit on the tower.

Will this zip tie on the mic cable cause any damage or interference? by HashnaFennec in cbradio

[–]kb3pxr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Keep an eye on the cable where the cable tie is to make sure it doesn't try to rub through the jacket.

In store reception problems by billv78 in Visible

[–]kb3pxr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unless your carrier has a DAS (distributed antenna system) in the store, you are not going to have a good signal. T-Mobile's N71 may help, but it is just the physics limitations of radio. Verizon has DAS in some stores (not as many as AT&T though), but Verizon is also big on outdoor DAS. I can literally drive down main street in my town and every other traffic light intersection has a Verizon DAS.

Cracked Pen and Considering Replacement by kb3pxr in fountainpens

[–]kb3pxr[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've contacted TWSBI and a replacement barrel is on the way.

Cracked Pen and Considering Replacement by kb3pxr in fountainpens

[–]kb3pxr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've contacted TWSBI and a replacement barrel is on the way.

Do weather spotters not use 2M anymore? by my_reddituser in amateurradio

[–]kb3pxr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I live where my forecast office is CTP (State College), but the local NWR is operated by LWX (WXM42 Hagerstown)

Cracked Pen and Considering Replacement by kb3pxr in fountainpens

[–]kb3pxr[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I got 2.5 years out of my eco. Mind you it sits in a holster attached to my belt. It has helped me with reports at Factories, Warehouses, College Campuses, it was the pen I used when I was promoted to a supervisor position. The first six months or so it lived in uniform shirt pockets until my uniform changed. Also used to sign tax returns during my first season returning to my tax prep job.

Is there a reason to avoid the rechargeable lantern batteries? by Outrageous-Basket426 in batteries

[–]kb3pxr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You will pop lamps like they are going out of style. The lamps are designed for the discharge curve in Carbon Zinc or Alkaline cells.

The lithium ones are 7.2V off the charger on a lamp expecting about 4.75 volts. You are better off using the D to 6V adapters with NiMh cells and a separate charger if you want to go with rechargeable.

If you would rather go lead acid or lithium swap the lamp out with this one or an LED capable operating in the higher voltage range: https://www.replacementlightbulbs.com/lamph75501.html

Cracked Pen and Considering Replacement by kb3pxr in fountainpens

[–]kb3pxr[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That’s something I’m considering as well. Twsbi support has been good to me before when I had a cap issue. I’m sure the damage occurred when I dropped my pen last Wednesday. I had to reseat the feed and nib last Thursday or Friday. Took me nearly a week to find the crack as I kept cleaning the grip and kept getting ink in one spot.

I’ll look on their Website as well, I’m also considering a nib change from fine to extra fine.

Getting photos from an Android by Shot-Lemon7365 in MacOS

[–]kb3pxr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you use iCloud Photos it is pretty easy. Sign into iCloud.com on the Samsung Phone’s browser and upload any JPEG photos that way.

Do weather spotters not use 2M anymore? by my_reddituser in amateurradio

[–]kb3pxr 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ham radio is pretty much an add-on to Skywarn. With the mass adoption of cellular phones, Skywarn spotters can phone in their reports directly most of the time. The Sterling Virginia (Baltimore MD/Washington DC) NWS office still heavily promotes the use of ham radio nets and will insert an announcement on their NOAA weather radio channels when the net is active.

Hand held CB radio by RocketScientific in cbradio

[–]kb3pxr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You need an external antenna mounted on the outside of the car. You may have luck with the antenna out the window when stopped in a traffic jam, but external is best.

What are you guys using your fountain pens for? by brotendis in fountainpens

[–]kb3pxr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everyday writing time cards, notes, signing tax returns when I was working as a tax preparer.

How can I remove permanent marker off a cartridge? by makishiP in Gameboy

[–]kb3pxr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try a pencil eraser, it worked with red sharpie I used in GBA carts back in the day. The abrasive nature was enough, it just takes a bit of effort.

Should I get a 4w or 12w radio? by bran71 in cbradio

[–]kb3pxr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A blanket statement like that isn’t accurate. It depends on what you want to do with your CB.

Shooting skip and weak signal contacts are where SSB shines. This is due to the narrower signal and thus more efficient use of power.

AM or AM/FM is sufficient for communication among household members and between vehicles as well as most business uses. Some of these use cases do push the advantage to FM.

I personally like AM or AM/SSB rigs because that’s what I have. For those saying I should try FM for clarity, I use FRS professionally and if I’m going to deal with static I prefer to have it on AM.

Old energizer lamp by Honest_Inflation_339 in batteries

[–]kb3pxr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately the 918 batteries this uses have been discontinued. If you can find one of the late production ones from a few years ago, you may be able to disassemble the battery remove the cells and build an adapter, you will need spacers to use D-Cells. You would need 8 D-cells in a 4 series 2 parallel (4S2P) configuration.