circuitfarmer
@circuitfarmer@lemmy.world
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
It is a misconception that you cannot do encryption with ham radio.
Affordability – looks like a wash to me.
Ease of access – maybe. But it generally does less, so it’s a tradeoff.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
The G90 is a much, much better radio.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
I’m not trying to drag anything down. But I think it is important for many people to realize that the meshtastic is ultimately a ham device. It is using specific parts of the spectrum and reduced power to avoid needing the license. There’s nothing wrong with that, but by definition, it isn’t really adding anything that can’t also be done on ham. In a similar vein, the only direction to go in terms of enhancing its capabilities is further into ham.
And no, I didn’t spend a bunch of time doing anything. People vastly overestimate the complexity of the ham radio exams.
But by all means, use what you want to communicate. I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from it – I just think it’s important that they know the limitations of the device compared to the greater whole in which it exists.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
It allows for worldwide comms, even in situations where entire infrastructures cease to exist. This is especially useful for emergency situations.
There are many, many digital modes on ham radio. The encryption question is one of legality – not capability. But the short answer is yes, you can do various things with data on ham radio.
I guess it’s a question of the level of disaster / political strife / etc which causes the internet to no longer be usable.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
Radtel RT-880 comes to mind. Baofeng-level handheld capable of HF comms. I got one for ~$50.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
Could be. I expect the commenter would clarify.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
…is that a pun?
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
I’d love to know where a ham test is difficult.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
Which “people”?
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
But it just isn’t. Why not put those resources towards ham, where there are considerably more handsets already there?
This seems like a solution in search of a problem thay was already solved, hidden by people who don’t want a $10 license.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
Good on you for using one to bolster the other! Smart use of the tech either way.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
Now that I like. And I think there is room for both – IF people know and understand the differences.
Mesh against ham in an emergency is not even a competition, in my view. The numbers just aren’t there. But for random cellular failures etc, I see some utility.
Personally, I’ve just seen so much more about mesh lately than ham, and it makes me sad. If it’s a gateway, as you suggest, then great. I worry that people see it as a novelty and not a gateway.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
But in a “the internet is out” situation? Or even a “please evacuate in a calm and orderly fashion” for a wildfire or a bad hurricane? That is where meshtastic (et al) shine and it is well worth convincing friends to pick up a t-deck or whatever. Excellent for the “is it out for everyone or just me?” checks. Also useful for letting people know which field can see a cell tower a county or two over for emergency communication or to even coordinate whether you are all gonna head North or South to hang out for (hopefully just) a few days.
Disagree. Ham is better here, for the reasons I already mentioned.
I’ll also add on that it is useful to be able to practice and get familiar with a tool without risking a fine.
You don’t risk a fine if you get the license first. The test is not difficult and costs something like $10.
I wish you put more energy towards reading the comments you are replying to
I put in the appropriate amount of energy for the quality of the comment (and the rudeness of the response – be better).
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
I think many people are unaware that you don’t need Morse anymore tbh. This makes the license extremely easy to get, but the knowledge you can get from ham radio is off the charts.
FYI, it’s not HAM (not an acronym)-- just ham. Named because the people fucking around with radios were “hamming it up”, back in the day.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
Out of curiosity: where do you live where listening on ham requires a license?
In the US and other countries I am aware of, listening is allowed without a license (how would one even enforce such a thing?). In fact, you can even transmit on a ham radio in the US without a license provided there is an immediate risk to life or property.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
HF handhelds do exist. Do they have the range of a dedicated HF rig? No. Better than a Baofeng? Yes, and they’re about $10 more.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
Licensing means nothing in an emergency situation. I never understand why it is even mentioned in these arguments. In fact, even if the world isn’t ending, you can ALWAYS use a ham radio in an emergency with or without a license (defined by the FCC as immediate dangers to life or property).
More importantly, there are at least an order of magnitude more ham radios out there than mesh devices. It isn’t even close. If the world ends, find a ham radio. Ideally you will know what to do with it when the time comes.
I wish this energy was just put towards promoting ham, tbh.
- Comment on What if the Internet Goes Down? - 15 Jan, 7PM CET 1 week ago:
I’ll say what I just said on a similar thread: if the internet goes down tomorrow, mesh will mean very little compared to ham radio.
Any quality transceiver built in the last 100 years will be more useful. It is purely about how many exist, how lineg they last, and their requirements for use (which are effectively, power and antenna).
Yes, there is a license that you need in non-emergency situations. It doesn’t change much anything in emergency situations, and it certainly doesn’t affect the fact that there are already millions of radios out there.
- Comment on Windows users keep losing files to OneDrive, and many don't know why 1 week ago:
This. It’s not my favorite, but another person coming to Linux is good. I’m not about to turn them away with an “achchktually…”. Plus it’s about personal choice anyway, so
- Comment on Get this filth out of my sight 1 week ago:
You may be the coveted “post-nut rarity”
- Comment on I felt so betrayed when I found out Germany isn't called Germany in Germany 2 weeks ago:
It is interesting, because Nippon is a somewhat archaic version in Japanese. They usually say Nihon now.
But of course, these exonyms will have been borrowed into these various languages a long time ago, so it kind of makes sense.
- Comment on I felt so betrayed when I found out Germany isn't called Germany in Germany 2 weeks ago:
More often Nihon than Nippon. The latter is somewhat archaic.
Both are spelled almost the same in Japanese (kana): にほん vs. にぽん.
日本 could be either, but most often Nihon.
- Comment on I felt so betrayed when I found out Germany isn't called Germany in Germany 2 weeks ago:
The wiki on Names of Japan is a rollercoaster.
- Comment on Valve Addresses Steam Machine Anti-Cheat Concerns, Says It's Working Towards Support 1 month ago:
On the one hand, I don’t give a fuck about anti-cheat, because games using the kernel-level version tend to be giant multiplayer cesspools of little value.
On the other hand, I want Windows to lose the war.
I hope Valve can find the balance between these two extremes.
- Comment on Rockstar fired unionising GTA 6 devs following Discord chat about new company Slack policy, claims report 1 month ago:
Doh, I’m an idiot
- Comment on Rockstar fired unionising GTA 6 devs following Discord chat about new company Slack policy, claims report 1 month ago:
Now if only anyone in the US government actually cared about companies union busting.
- Comment on Trump administration may use federal agencies to fight state-level AI regulation 2 months ago:
*to support the interests of his corporate overlords
- Comment on Screw it, I’m installing Linux 2 months ago:
It was for me as well. Proton has been mostly there for years. I’m about to hit year 4 of gaming only on Linux.
I think the last hold out is kernel-level anti-cheat. Hoping it just goes away and consumers stop supporting it. One can dream.
- Comment on Screw it, I’m installing Linux 2 months ago:
I’m not going to dwell on how annoying it is that it took people THIS LONG to get off the Windows train. I’m just happy to see the world changing for the better.
Welcome to civilization, new Linux users!
- Comment on Why a new Steam Machine when the first ones flopped? Because this time, Valve say, it'll actually have games 2 months ago:
And given the history of BIOS as a concept, I guess that isn’t too surprising.
I wonder how much of that kind of thing stems from the fact that many of the really hardcore PC tinkerers aren’t using ARM (yet).