Same here 

 Trip planning and ETAs along with:
    Signal mirror (day sun)
     Flouresent surveyors tape (Day cloudy)
      Small strobe light (Night dark)
        Whistle ( Day/Night/Cloudy)
All will do the trick when your electronic toys fail.

 Specs are interesting and sometimes even useful,but as for me I pay very little attention to them since I only purchase on the basis of of borrowing or going to an others shack and actually trying out  whatever I am interested in to see if it meets my expectations.Obviously this is not the most expedient way if you are in a hurry to spend your money or do not care to wait until a unit is locally available or meet someone on the air that has one and you can reasonably connect with.

His last name should have tipped you off.

 Re: AA4HA  Reply #7

I trust you Tisha, I wouldn't want to ruin my blue jeans either.

  Does the KX3 have any kind of rubber type membrane material behind the switches,button or knob shafts where they penetrate the case for moisture resistance? I ask this because my K-1 doesn't so other than fair weather picnic table portable operation it stays inside at my home QTH.

  Annoyance only,I will now only deal with folks within a 200 mi. radius of my QTH and with a phone number then only leaving a one time message.Although one of my most interesting and honest transactions was with an OT via snail mail, but I fear this type of individual is disappearing from the scene fast.

Re: AC2EU

  Ever listen to some paddle or bug users on the air?, forget about testing,it should be illegal.

  Luckily my qth  is in a near free RFI environment,however when my furnace motor comes on there is a mildly annoying hash problem in my receiver.I have installed an AC line filter to my rigs PS supply but not much help.I was recently reading about Faraday cages so went out to my shop and got some 1/4  in. rabbit wire mesh,made a quonset hut shape with one end wall also mesh then slid this over the furnace motor with open end against furnace shell(a few slots cut out for piping).This has cut the noise down in the receiver to just a barely audible level.Apparently this mesh is working as a Faraday shield in reverse from the motor EMF.

Re: KG7BJM  Reply #16

Non Pectium based computers will have this negative effect on abutting apis,but it should be ok with an Apple.

Re: KE5JPP  Rely #10

    I think the Chinese would take issue with your statement

   CW is alive and well regardless of the NO code requirement,kits are being sold ,hombrewing still being performed and push button appliance operators minted everyday in all license classes.Anyone who suggests that technical knowledge and operating ability are somehow related to any other class of license that needs only to be memorized to pass is only exposing his ignorance and egotistical frame of mind.   

Re: N5TWB  Reply #95

    I was also disappointed by lack of insight thus my post and ensuing "CB love sonnet" which is based only on what I see and hear on a regular basis.However due to your forthright critique of my "sonnet" I have decided to keep peace in the family by cancelling my memberships to the Dead Poets Society and the Order of Odes.In the meantime I sincerely hope that any particular EMCOMMS group that you may be associated with is above and beyond what has been previously depicted in these posts so far.

  I have been reading the responses to this topic from the get go.So far the only thing I can glean out of it all is a lot infighting,politics and self perceived importance between seemingly competing groups of radio communicators under the guise of true emergency communication.What is EMCOMMS other than routine emergencies i.e auto accidents,forest/house fires,bridge/road washouts,flash floods,heart attack/injury aide etc.,etc. and setting up basic communication nets in areas of natural /man made disaster areas during times when conventional and mostly hi-tech  communications is not possible.How quickly folks that once knew but have somehow forgotten the importance of the lowly CB set and their untrained Joe citizen and truck driver operators.These people obviously DISCOVER the situation then REPORT and often RELAY via CB down the line to a location where proper response can be initiated and often position themselves in strategic locations to set up a workable net.This is a daily occurrence in every state especially in areas of non cell phone coverage,just ask anybody who listens to a CB or police/fire monitor at home.This is all done without the following:uniform,official radio speak, blinking badges,45 cal.side arm and without wasting precious time awaiting call out permission to activate from the Grand Fubar.I'm all for letting these Boys clubs have their fun, camaraderie and possible real usefullness without getting in anyones way.No I am not a CB lover or operator,just a ham whose so called GO KITS consisit of cheap Regency CBs,small mag mount ants and a jump start batteries hidden some where in my car trunk or tool box in my pickem up truck for practical EMCOMMS. Prop is up on 20M CUL

 That article was better than Saturday Night Live,do you really think the FCC is going to collect a $10,000.00 fine from this guy? At best maybe confiscate a few thousand dollars of radio gear to be sold off at government auction for .20 cents on the dollar not to mention keeping him and hundreds of other non ID and unlicensed station operators off the bands in the future.I also doubt that jail time is in the equation since the government is giving out [get out of jail cards free] to illegal immigrants and people who were caught behind the wheel witout a drivers license.I have to admit it makes for great press.