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Author Topic: WOW...What is going on ??  (Read 1563 times)

K4HB

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #15 on: November 09, 2022, 10:22:36 AM »

YouTube has content that is credible, and some not so credible. The same can be said about eHam. It's a matter of figuring out who to trust. (or disregard) I've found good info on YouTube for fixing check engine codes on my car, learning how to solder SMDs, troubleshooting circuits, and much more. I've gotten valuable info on eHam as well.

As for Chinese radios vs the top brands, we get what we pay for of course. But the quality brands are way overpriced. Compare them to TVs. My family first got a black and white during the mid 50s for around 200 bucks. There were color sets around that time, but the color really sucked. That was before phase locked loop technology controlled the vertical and horizontal frequencies. Remember the vertical rolling and the horizontal being out of whack? I'm looking at a Sears 'n Roebuck catalog for 1968 and see a Silvertone 18" color for $370. Color was improved by then with the shadow mask among other improvements, but still not close to the quality we have today, only the sets are now cheaper.

So today, we can go to Walmart and get a TV with a much larger screen, a much sharper image, and the horizontal and vertical isn't out of whack. And these TVs are cheaper than what we were paying back then. Keep in mind that 200-300 bucks meant a lot more in those days. So why is it amateur radio equipment now costs so much more? Yeah I know, the market is for a small group, and hams will pay the price. Even though we are "cheap," we still pay for the equipment. With modern technology, TVs can be manufactured for much less, but so can amateur radio equipment.

The Icons, Yaesus, Kenwoods, etc, are no doubt better quality than the Chinese radios. But after paying big bucks, how many years later will parts be hard to find or obsolete? "Sorry, just buy our latest models." I have an FT-1000 and two IC-746Pros that I've manged to keep on life support. Don't know how much longer I can keep this up.

As for Chinese radios, what if they start producing better quality, and offer them at lower prices? And they offer some good base HF radios as well. That may be good news for hams, but it won't be good to give the Chinese more control of the global exchange than they already have. With today's economy, it's tempting to get more bang for the buck.
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KC6RWI

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #16 on: November 09, 2022, 10:28:25 AM »

Last week I saw this one, and there are many of them.
A guy takes a house fan apart, glues magnets to the armature and spins it to make electricity, it might make some,
but then he attaches  a slot car motor to spin the fan motor to produce enough power to run a full size light bulb.
the little motor is running on a 9 v battery.
I don't think I saw a negative comment, no one knew better, no ham viewers, I guess, ha ha

Just read K4HB's post, I wish big 3 would make some single band radios, for less money, something great for a mobile
« Last Edit: November 09, 2022, 10:34:55 AM by KC6RWI »
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K4HB

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #17 on: November 09, 2022, 02:39:35 PM »

Last week I saw this one, and there are many of them.
A guy takes a house fan apart, glues magnets to the armature and spins it to make electricity, it might make some,
but then he attaches  a slot car motor to spin the fan motor to produce enough power to run a full size light bulb.
the little motor is running on a 9 v battery.
I don't think I saw a negative comment, no one knew better, no ham viewers, I guess, ha ha

This guy has him beat. He can produce enough voltage and current to light a 120V bulb using a speaker! Gotta be real, it's on video.  Free source of electricity

Some of those commenting are fooled. I know what he's doing, I have some of those bulbs. Thought about making a YouTube video of me putting one in my mouth and grabbing two wires to light it up. But if I did, someone out there may believe it, try it at home and be electrocuted.

<edit> You may want to slide forward through most of this, there's too much detail on every little step. And the sound is irritating, you may want to kill the audio.
« Last Edit: November 09, 2022, 02:44:19 PM by K4HB »
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AC2EU

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #18 on: November 09, 2022, 03:06:12 PM »

You too can be a "free energy" expert for only $19!

free energy secret

KC3TEC

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #19 on: November 09, 2022, 04:07:34 PM »

A lot of you tube info is good but like tic toc there is a lot us useless garbage wasting space because someone want to plaster their face( or @$$) on the web doing stupid crap.

You have to learn to sort the good from the bad.
And anyone with reasonable intelligence can do that.

Saying that hams are cheap?

Well when you are on limited income its damn hard to justify buying a big name kilobuck radio.
Hence your cheap chinese radio may be the only viable course you can take.
I have 2 icom mobiles, but have a uv9r plus just as an emergency backup
My hf gear is all qrp stuff ive built.

You tube is also full of those guys who will spend a fortune on the glitz and shiny and run the full legal power limit all the while dumping on the more economical choices.

And if you think its bad in ham radio, you should see what gamers spend on their computer systems just to hear a zombie groan sooner after you shoot it.
Or how much they overclock and undervolt cpu's let alone underpowering cooling fans to make them quieter.

Much is centered on techs for the reason of hawking product.
Even many of the better kit building videos have links to the products their showing.
But not all of them.
All in all yes there is a big hay pile, you just have to find the needles.

Entertainment wise i prefer the electroboom videos( the guy is a genius but  a lunatic of an entertainer, but he does teach valuable information in ways that are easy to understand even for a non technical person)
« Last Edit: November 09, 2022, 04:11:46 PM by KC3TEC »
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K4HB

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #20 on: November 09, 2022, 06:14:14 PM »

You too can be a "free energy" expert for only $19!

free energy secret

The bulb in the video in reply #17 isn't a novelty item, it's actually sold for something useful. It glows like any LED while it's turned on, and will come on when the power goes out or a circuit breaker is pulled. Turn off the light switch, and it goes off. Place a conductor between the tip and base, and it will glow. That's why the guy wrapped a wire around the back of the speaker.  Power failure LED
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AC2EU

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #21 on: November 09, 2022, 08:18:06 PM »

You too can be a "free energy" expert for only $19!

free energy secret

The bulb in the video in reply #17 isn't a novelty item, it's actually sold for something useful. It glows like any LED while it's turned on, and will come on when the power goes out or a circuit breaker is pulled. Turn off the light switch, and it goes off. Place a conductor between the tip and base, and it will glow. That's why the guy wrapped a wire around the back of the speaker.  Power failure LED

I always wondered why so many people spend so much time doing hoaxes like that. Is it boredom?
I once got suckered into watching a youboob guy who claimed to have a fix for a particular kind of LCD panel failure. Ok, I watch while he goes through all kinds of elaborate machinations, then at the very end he grabs a baseball bat and smashes the screen to bits. he says "Ok , that fixed it!"

KC6RWI

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #22 on: November 11, 2022, 10:30:57 AM »

I think the utubers are just looking for clicks, that one with the speaker is a good one, he could have used a spark plug instead, there are alot of those,
I would have thought the light bulb was one of those with a battery inside, they do make those.
I am going to check out electroboom, as advised.
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K1QQQ

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #23 on: November 21, 2022, 11:56:42 PM »

Been away. Did not read all the replies.(often they bash me !!)

BUT as to a few..

I was unaware that an Amazon Fire TV gives one endless free TV and the old Cable TV one can spend hundreds a month to see one or two premium channels. Add Netflix for under $20 and you can watch movies until you die. (Amazon Fire or the Roku I have yet to try) I guess all you need is your modem/router of an internet subscription. (etc)

So I surfed to YouTube and one can view videos of about any subject forever.

Amateur Radio. After a length of time on YouTube I could not help thinking my brain was being destroyed.

Search-Amateur/Ham Radio. Everything and endless videos 100% Technician stuff. Yes. Then the Anytone/TYT/Baofeng etc.etc. Nothing else exists but this stuff. At VHF/UJHF Kenwood/Icom/Yaesu/Alinco the price difference is often not that great. (exceptions like some new stuff...) You usually get a reliable product that has specifications and many features not on the Chinese stuff. I hear no talk of emissions on these videos or rarely even power output etc. etc. The best radios of 2022 2021..nothing but Chinese..

No offense to the Chinese ! Maybe when they invade they will be more humane than the Russians ?

I personally like Alinco. I also learned in these videos Alinco is a Chinese company. Alinco last I knew had 2 factories in Japan and one recent in China. Anyway I have had good luck with such VHF/UHF.

OK #1. In amateur radio what somebody is interested in that is what is happening. If it is only VHF/UHF ok. Personally if I was only on such spectrum I'd be sitting on 6. Playing for 2/220/440 and maybe listening for extra distance openings to kill the time/ 902 mhz ?  ONLY 2/440 and a repeater ? I think Technician can use a digital mode (digital?) CW and be on 80/40/15/10 !!!! I had fun as a novice communicating with all over the earth on such bands. BUT such mode is not the trend so unpopular to use. Not in fashion !!! Yes. These days CW is rare on anything commercial.

Maybe we will loose all amateur bands below 30 mhz ? No Extra/General left. As of now the Technician is what is happening. On this YouTube type reviews there is zero talk of ANYTHING beyond Technician. I have seen a few videos where mention was made of extra benefits with another license BUT it was not to be mentioned as to confuse the new amateur. Is it that confusing that there are radio waves outside of the Technician world ?

I got a Novice license in 1964. General prior to Incentive Licensing. A different world ? I can not be the only one that has been around that gets bewildered by the present. Anything around you as to Ham Radio has visions of people walking around etc. with that HT !!! The only radio that exists is the HT !!! Yes. In todays world VHF/UHF is the premium place for commercial stuff. Small antennas. Not obvious extreme NOISE.

Line of Sight communications. I think you have that at about any area of radio spectrum.

I guess I have vented enough. Rant ?(is that a word?)  Again..no offense !!! Things are what people enjoy. Many Technicians are 100x smarter than me. Or 1000x ?

Awaiting December QST. The Bridgecom ad is it ? Bridgecom University. The professional Chinese stuff. Some local radio Guru says DMR stinks. Do something wrong and everything vanishes. Digital Modes. Your voice sound better ?

Enough !!!

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KD6VXI

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #24 on: November 22, 2022, 05:30:34 AM »

It's all related to Technician level talk because of two reasons.

1.  The guy presenting it has barely a grasp of anything requiring more of an education.

2.  The Tech class licensee's are the easiest to BS.


There ya go.  Today if you try to educate people it's akin to taking the idea and setting it next to their head.  Grab a sledgehammer.  Beat that idea into their head.

Be prepared for them to argue, incessantly, how you are wrong.  Don't provide proof, it's made up.  They heard on channel 19, before they got their ticket, that hams are wrong, egotistical, 'book smart' (that's my favorite one) and basically just full of feces.

That attitude doesn't change much.

Lather, rinse and repeat.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI
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KC3TEC

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #25 on: November 22, 2022, 11:35:12 AM »

If you think about it commercialsim drives the web now.
It used to be the web was a playground for the computer elite.
But with the advent of low cost pc's and available internet access, low and behold the commoner now can do much of what was once elite territory.

Is amateur radio any different in that aspect?
 Drop the requirements to get licensed, result! More people can get their license.
10 meters, 6 meters, 2 meters, and higher are open to tech license.
More techs= equals more radios sold.
More radios sold= more money for manufacturers and stockholders.
Easier to make general and extra?
Same thing.
Look at the average shack of an hf enthusiast, and estimate the value of the radios and test equipment, and elaborate antennas.
Ask yourself this question is it any wonder why many dont bother to go to extra?
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WA3SKN

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #26 on: November 22, 2022, 03:24:39 PM »

It's gotta be true... I read it on the internet!

-Mike.
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KC8KTN

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #27 on: November 22, 2022, 05:29:10 PM »

Just my onion.
Wow
Keeping it real..
Nuff Said......
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KC3TEC

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #28 on: November 22, 2022, 07:39:21 PM »

I know what im going to do.
When i think im ready i will take the test for extra.
I enjoy learning and this is a great hobby.
I enjoy homebrewing ( and once in a while letting tha stinky smoke out to annoy the wifey ;D)
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KC8KTN

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Re: WOW...What is going on ??
« Reply #29 on: November 30, 2022, 08:09:04 AM »

Getting close for me also on the EXTRA TEST.. Stay safe.
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