Tag: radio

Media Control and Public Opinion: Fairness Doctrine and Its Impact

Media Control and Public Opinion: Fairness Doctrine and Its Impact

Is the News Fake?

Be sure to read the late-breaking news at the end of this column.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”

I quote George Santayana as history is rife with people attempting to assert the power of the pen and how it shapes a culture.

The quote emphasizes the importance of learning from history to avoid repeating mistakes.

Stalin knew this.

Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1953, recognized the power of the pen as a tool for propaganda and control. He used the written word to shape public opinion, promote his political agenda, and suppress dissenting voices. Stalin widely disseminated his speeches, articles, and books, playing a significant role in shaping the political and cultural landscape of the Soviet Union.

Stalin often focused his writings on promoting the ideals of communism and the Soviet Union’s role in the global struggle against capitalism and imperialism. He used the pen to justify his policies, such as the forced collectivization of agriculture and the rapid industrialization of the Soviet economy. Stalin’s writings also significantly promoted the cult of personality that surrounded him, with his image and words being ubiquitous in Soviet media and propaganda.

Besides promoting his agenda, Stalin also used the pen to suppress dissenting voices and opposition to his rule. He established a vast network of secret police and censorship agencies that monitored and controlled the flow of information within the Soviet Union. Widespread censorship marked Stalin’s regime, with writers and journalists being arrested, imprisoned, or executed for expressing views that were deemed critical of the government or the Communist Party.

Stalin’s recognition of the power of the pen was also evident in his efforts to control the education system and advocate for a specific version of history that highlighted the role of the Communist Party and its leaders in forming the Soviet Union. He established a system of political education that instilled loyalty to the Communist Party and its ideals in the minds of young people.

There have been many historical figures who controlled the public through propaganda. Some of these figures include:

  1. Julius Caesar: Caesar used propaganda to maintain power and control over the Roman Empire. He wrote extensively about his military campaigns and presented himself as a heroic figure essential for Rome’s stability and prosperity.
  2. Genghis Khan: Khan used propaganda to create a sense of loyalty and obedience among his followers. He presented himself as a divine figure who was chosen by the gods to lead his people to greatness.
  3. Napoleon Bonaparte: Bonaparte used propaganda to promote his image as a heroic figure who was essential for the stability and prosperity of France. He presented himself as a military genius who would conquer Europe and spread the ideals of the French Revolution.
  4. Adolf Hitler: Hitler used propaganda extensively to promote his vision of a pure Aryan race and to justify his aggressive foreign policy. He presented himself as a charismatic leader who was destined to lead Germany to greatness and to restore its place as a dominant power in Europe.
  5. Joseph Goebbels: Goebbels was the head of propaganda for the Nazi party and played a key role in promoting Hitler’s image and policies. He used propaganda to create a sense of fear and paranoia among the German people and to justify the persecution of Jews and other minorities.
  6. Mao Zedong: Mao utilized propaganda to promote his vision of a communist society and to justify his brutal policies. He presented himself as a heroic figure who was essential for the stability and prosperity of China.

The Sheepdogs

A few major corporations control the bulk of the media worldwide. Some of the largest media conglomerates include:

  1. Comcast: Comcast is a global telecommunications conglomerate that owns NBCUniversal, Sky, and Xfinity. It is the largest cable TV and home internet service provider in the United States and Europe.
  2. The Walt Disney Company: Disney is a multinational entertainment and media conglomerate that owns several film studios, including Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. It also owns several cable networks, including ESPN and Disney Channel.
  3. National Amusements: National Amusements is a privately held American entertainment company that owns ViacomCBS, Paramount Pictures, and Simon & Schuster.
  4. AT&T: AT&T is a multinational telecommunications conglomerate that owns WarnerMedia, which includes HBO, CNN, and Warner Bros.
  5. Sony: Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate that owns several film and music studios, including Columbia Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment.
  6. Bertelsmann: Bertelsmann is a German multinational conglomerate that owns several publishing houses, including Penguin Random House, and several radio and television stations.
  7. News Corp: News Corp is an American multinational mass media company that owns several newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post, as well as several cable networks, including Fox News.
  8. Time Warner: Time Warner is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that owns several film and television studios, including Warner Bros. and HBO.
  9. ViacomCBS: ViacomCBS is an American multinational mass media conglomerate that owns several cable networks, including MTV, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central.
  10. Tencent: Tencent is a Chinese multinational conglomerate that owns several social media and gaming platforms, including WeChat and Tencent Games.

How do they control our minds?

Public opinion is shaped by the media through a variety of mechanisms, including agenda-setting, framing, priming, and gatekeeping. These mechanisms work together to influence how people think about political issues, leaders, and events.

  1. Agenda-setting: The media plays a central role in determining which issues and events are considered important and newsworthy. By choosing which stories to cover and how much attention to give them, the media can shape the public’s perception of what is happening in the world. This is known as agenda-setting, and it can have a significant impact on public opinion.
  2. Framing: The media also shapes public opinion by framing issues and events in a particular way. Framing refers to the way in which the media presents information, and it can have a powerful influence on how people think about an issue. For example, the media can frame an issue as a matter of national security or as a social justice issue, which can influence how people view the issue and what actions they are willing to take.
  3. The media has the power to shape public opinion by highlighting specific matters or events, priming them in people’s minds. Through priming, the media effectively prompts individuals to focus on particular issues, ultimately molding their thoughts and impacting their actions.
  4. Gatekeeping: The media’s responsibility in selecting which stories to prioritize and which to disregard is referred to as gatekeeping. The media’s influence on public perception is evident through their decisions on which stories to prioritize and which ones to omit.

Besides these mechanisms, the media can also shape public opinion through the use of propaganda, which is the deliberate use of false or misleading information to influence public opinion. Propaganda can promote a particular political agenda or to discredit opposing viewpoints.

Another more powerful way the media mis represents the facts is through Yellow Journalism.

Yellow journalism is a form of media that uses sensationalism, exaggeration, and misrepresentation to attract readers or viewers. The use of dramatic headlines, colorful illustrations, and emotional appeals to appeal to the public’s emotions and fears characterizes it.

While yellow journalism was most prevalent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it continues to be used in various forms of media today.

One example of yellow journalism in modern media is the use of clickbait headlines. These headlines are designed to be attention-grabbing and often misrepresent the content of the article they are promoting. Another example is the use of sensationalized news stories that play on the public’s fears and anxieties. These stories are often presented as objective truth, but in reality, they may be based on unverified or incomplete information.

In addition to traditional media outlets, yellow journalism can also be found on social media platforms. These platforms allow for the rapid dissemination of sensationalized news stories and misinformation, which can be amplified by users who share and promote these stories.

All of these form the public opinion that sway voters. Those who pay little attention to what is going on and only watch anchors that are paid millions to spew half-truths or downright lies through NLP or other emotional triggers shape the world.

If the government were truly working for us, they would put a stop to it.

The true peril lies in the limited ownership of media by influential individuals who undoubtedly hold a specific agenda.

Therefore, The Fairness Doctrine was concocted in 1949.

Originally devised by Democrats, it aimed to suppress the emergence of right-wing radio stations that dared to discuss or report on falsehoods.

The Fairness Doctrine

The Fairness Doctrine, a policy that required broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on issues of public importance, was in effect from 1949 to 1987. The policy aimed to ensure that the public could access diverse perspectives and accurate information, enabling them to make informed decisions in a democratic society.

The Origins and Rationale of the Fairness Doctrine

The Fairness Doctrine stemmed from the recognition that radio and later television stations were granted licenses to use public airwaves. As a result, these broadcasters were seen as trustees, responsible for informing and educating the public. The policy was rooted in the belief that the free flow of information is vital for a functioning democracy, and that broadcasters should not abuse their power by promoting one-sided viewpoints.

The Fairness Doctrine required broadcasters to present diverse viewpoints on issues of public importance, and it held them accountable for airing misleading information. This accountability extended to providing equal opportunities for opposing viewpoints to respond to attacks or misrepresentations, as well as airing opposing viewpoints on political candidates during election seasons.

The Benefits of the Fairness Doctrine

  1. Promoting Informational Democracy

The Fairness Doctrine helped to create a more informed citizenry by exposing listeners and viewers to a variety of perspectives on important issues. This exposure is crucial for fostering informed decision-making and promoting a more engaged and active citizenry. In a democratic society, it is vital for citizens to have access to accurate, diverse, and balanced information in order to participate effectively in public discourse.

  1. Encouraging Responsible Broadcasting

By holding broadcasters accountable for the content they aired, the Fairness Doctrine encouraged responsible broadcasting. This responsibility included not only presenting various viewpoints but also ensuring that the information presented was accurate and not misleading. This accountability helped to prevent broadcasters from becoming echo chambers for certain ideas or political viewpoints, promoting a more balanced and diverse media landscape.

  1. Providing a Check on Corporate Influence

The Fairness Doctrine served as a check on the influence of corporations and powerful interests in the media. By mandating that broadcasters present diverse viewpoints, the policy helped to prevent the consolidation of media power and the domination of the airwaves by a small number of influential voices. This, in turn, helped to ensure that citizens had access to a wider range of information and perspectives, free from the undue influence of powerful interests.

It seemed like a good idea, why was it repealed?

Some of the opponents of the Fairness Doctrine included President Ronald Reagan, who was a strong advocate for free market principles and limited government intervention. Reagan’s FCC panel voted to repeal the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, with a 4-0 vote.

Members of Congress who said the FCC had tried to “flout the will of Congress” opposed the decision and the decision was “wrongheaded, misguided and illogical.”

In addition to Reagan, other opponents of the Fairness Doctrine included conservative media outlets such as Fox News, which argued that the policy stifled free speech and limited the diversity of viewpoints on the airwaves. Critics of the policy also argued that it was used by both the Kennedy and Nixon Administrations to limit political opposition.

Overall, the Fairness Doctrine was controversial and was opposed by many journalists, politicians, and media outlets who argued that it violated the First Amendment rights of free speech and press. The policy was ultimately repealed in 1987, and its legacy continues to be debated to this day.

The doctrine was created as a political cudgel against conservative media. Some politicians who were in favor of the Fairness Doctrine include Bill Ruder, Assistant Secretary of Commerce during the Kennedy administration, and Martin Firestone, who presented political strategies to combat small, rural radio stations unfriendly to Democrat politicians. Other politicians who supported the doctrine include those who sought to use it to challenge and harass right-wing broadcasters and hoped that the legal challenges would be so costly to them they would be inhibited and decide it was too expensive to continue.

Once more, the history of media manipulation reveals the use of the judicial system to suppress opposing viewpoints.

Since the fairness doctrine was repealed, how should you react to contentious news stories?

  1. Diversify your news sources: Use a variety of news sources to get a well-rounded view of the news. This will help you to avoid being exposed to only one perspective or bias.
  2. Check the credibility of the news source: Look for news sources that have a reputation for accuracy and impartiality. You can use media bias charts, such as the All Sides Media Bias Chart or the Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart, to help you determine the credibility of a news source.
  3. Look for evidence: When reading a news story, look for evidence that supports the claims being made. If the story is based on opinion or speculation, be skeptical of its accuracy.
  4. Consider the source: Be aware of the political affiliations or biases of the news source. This will help you to understand how the news source may be influencing the coverage of a particular story.
  5. Check multiple sources: If a story is particularly important or contentious, check multiple sources to see if they are reporting the same facts. This will help you to identify any inconsistencies or biases in the coverage.
  6. Be aware of your own biases: Everyone has biases, and it is important to be aware of them when reading the news. This will help you to avoid being influenced by your own biases when evaluating the accuracy of a news story.
  7. Use fact-checking websites: There are many fact-checking websites, such as Snopes or FactCheck.org, that can help you to verify the accuracy of a news story.

But what if the ‘multiple sources’ are all owned by a few people with an agenda?

There are several fact-checking organizations that strive to be non-biased and impartial. Be wary of them and triple check what they report as we see today that we are not to believe our lying eyes regarding the economy, the state of the world or overwhelming preponderance of evidence that the swamp in DC is alive and well. Some of these organizations you can evaluate include:

  1. FactCheck.org: This is a non-partisan, nonprofit website that describes itself as a “‘consumer advocate’ for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.” It is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
  2. PolitiFact: This fact-checking website rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics. It is a project of the Tampa Bay Times and its fact-checking partners.
  3. Snopes: This fact-checking website debunks urban legends, hoaxes, and other viral misinformation. It is a privately held company owned by liberal folks who often get it wrong. Typically, they will attempt to debunk something they don’t like by saying it is partially false. That is an easy claim to make.
  4. Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC): This independent online media outlet is dedicated to educating the public on media bias and deceptive news practices. It is a project of Dave Van Zandt.
  5. OpenSecrets.org: This is the Center for Responsive Politics’ nonpartisan guide to money’s influence on U.S. elections and public policy. It is a nonprofit organization.
  6. Logically: This fact-checking website uses artificial intelligence to analyze and debunk fake news. It is a privately held company.
  7. Check Your Fact: This is a fact-checking website that is a subsidiary of the Daily Caller. It is a privately held company.
  8. The Reporters’ Lab at Duke University: This is a fact-checking project of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media & Democracy that maintains a database of fact-checking organizations worldwide.
  9. International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN): This is a non-partisan organization that sets a code of ethics for fact-checking organizations. It is a project of the Poynter Institute.
  10. Dubawa: This is a West African independent verification and fact-checking project. It is a project of the Premium Times Center for Investigative Journalism.
  11. Facebook’s fact checking is questionable at best, often leaning towards subjective opinions, according to a group I’ve dubbed the “man bun mafia.”The man bun mafia form a collective of individuals who struggle to secure employment with their liberal arts degree from an educational institution that prioritizes indoctrination over historical accuracy and the teaching of how to implement critical thinking abilities. Conservative media dubbed them useful idiots.

Like guns for hire, many useful idiots can be easily manipulated and used for someone else’s agenda. No matter the cause, they will promote the flag of the highest bidder, without hesitation.

Although no fact-checking organization can be entirely impartial, it’s important to acknowledge inherent biases. When fact-checking information, it is crucial to consult multiple sources, as this helps ensure accuracy and minimize the chance of bias.

While Jack Nicholson might have a point in the movie A Few Good Men, perhaps we are not ready for the truth. However, I would rather confront it than be fed biased information by wealthy news anchors or scripted talking heads.

We need some Walter Cronkite’s and not the liberal sycophants and obvious racists on MSNBC.

Can video games alter the way people think?

While conventional media parrots talking points of the elite, I often wondered if they are also using video games to target audiences that are rife for mind control. The answer is yes, video games can sway people’s political opinions in various ways. Here are some examples:

  1. Storyline and characters: The storyline and characters in a game can influence people’s political opinions. For example, a game that portrays a particular political party or leader in a positive light may sway players to adopt a more favorable opinion of that party or leader. Conversely, a game that portrays a particular political party or leader in a negative light may sway players to adopt a more unfavorable opinion of that party or leader.
  2. Game mechanics: The game mechanics, such as the controls, user interface, and gameplay mechanics, can also influence people’s political opinions. For example, a game that requires players to make decisions that align with a particular political ideology may sway players to adopt that ideology. Conversely, a game that requires players to make decisions that align with an opposing political ideology may sway players to adopt that ideology.
  3. Social influence: People may adopt the political opinions of others who play the same game or share similar interests. This can happen through online gaming communities, forums, or social media groups where players discuss their experiences and opinions about the game.
  4. Personal experiences: People’s political opinions can be influenced by their personal experiences with the game. For example, if a player finds the game’s storyline or characters engaging and relatable, they may develop a positive opinion about the game’s political message. Conversely, if a player finds the game’s storyline or characters uninteresting or unlikable, they may develop a negative opinion about the game’s political message.
  5. Media coverage: Media coverage of video games can also influence people’s political opinions. If a game receives positive reviews and coverage in the media, people may develop a positive opinion about the game’s political message. Conversely, if a game receives negative reviews and coverage in the media, people may develop a negative opinion about the game’s political message.

Video games are being used as propaganda. Governments and political organizations have recognized the potential of video games as a tool for propaganda and have used them to spread their beliefs and promote their ideologies.

For example, Iran has produced propaganda games that promote its political agenda, while North Korea has released a game that portrays the United States as an aggressive and hostile power.

In addition to government-sponsored propaganda games, private organizations and individuals have also used video games to promote their beliefs. For example, the game “IS Defense” puts players in the role of defending Europe against waves of Islamic attackers, while the game “Quest for Bush” satirizes former President George W. Bush.

The use of video games as propaganda is not limited to political ideologies. The game “Spec Ops: The Line” uses the medium of video games to explore themes of war, morality, and the consequences of violence. The game’s creators have stated that they intended to use the game as a form of anti-war propaganda.

Other unsettling evidence of the Israel-Palestinian conflict can be seen in various ways.

There are several video games that explore the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a Palestinian perspective. Some of these games include “Fursan Al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” “Under Siege,” “PeaceMaker,” and “Raid Gaza!”

These games allow players to take on the role of Palestinian fighters and engage in combat against Israeli soldiers.

Some of these games have faced criticism for promoting violence and terrorism, while others have garnered praise for offering a unique perspective on the conflict and increasing awareness about the plight of the Palestinian people. Notably, game creators may possess varying motivations and intentions, leaving it to individual players to judge the educational or offensive nature of these games.

Many of these players are deeply entangled in the political aspects of the game, making it difficult for them to objectively analyze the facts without being influenced by their emotions and preconceived notions.

There is zero rationale for cruel treatment of anyone. Laws exist to deal with the transgressions of individuals, and no one should ever tolerate the rape and murder of innocent people.

Society should remove any game that promotes this type of behavior. IMO…

While future stories might include more research on video games and the mental health of those who play them, the scope of this paper on Fake News is to find out how people digest the news of the day and process it. Are we being brainwashed by the media?

It’s difficult to determine the exact amount of media people can handle before tuning out, as it differs from person to person based on their preferences and tolerance levels.

However, studies have shown that people tend to consume media for several hours a day, with some estimates suggesting that the average American spends around 8 hours a day on media consumption.

For example, a study by Nielsen found that adults in the United States spent an average of 11 hours and 27 minutes per day interacting with media in 2018. Another study by eMarketer estimated that U.S. adults spent an average of 4 hours and 43 minutes per day on digital media in 2020.

It is important to note that excessive media consumption can have negative effects on mental health and well-being, such as increased stress, anxiety, and depression. Therefore, it is recommended to limit media consumption and engage in other activities that promote mental health and well-being.

In conclusion, it is evident from this blog post that the media operates with a clear agenda. The media you consume is controlled by a select few, while deliberate detractors and bots on all platforms aim to divert you from the truth.

Neuro Linguistic Programming is frequently used to manipulate your emotions and convince you to adopt the desired narrative and take action.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts entirely. From the days of the Mafia and Al Capone to those who walk the hallowed halls of congress, many are corrupt and need to be fired. Money and power loom as formidable adversaries for those who venture to DC to advocate for the people. It is evident that their sole focus is on their bank accounts, raising suspicions about their actions.

To address the issue, term limits should be implemented, and policies should be changed to prohibit former officials from becoming lobbyists.

In my opinion, the removal of the fairness doctrine was a deliberate move to grant politicians unrestricted control over the American people. The removal of it might also have been to stop the left from attempting to cancel opinions not favorable to the liberal agenda.

The media, once vigilant guardians, now appear muzzled or compromised by the powerful ruling class in Washington, DC and corporate giants.

Do you know what a journalist is or is supposed to be?

A journalist is a professional who gathers, writes, and reports news and information to the public through various media outlets, including newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and online platforms. Journalists inform the public about current events, issues, and developments, serving as watchdogs of government and institutions and facilitating democratic discourse.

  1. Truth and Accuracy: Journalists should strive for truth and accuracy in their reporting. They should verify information from multiple sources and correct any errors promptly and prominently.
  2. Fairness and Impartiality: Journalists should be fair and impartial in their reporting, presenting all sides of a story and avoiding bias. They should not distort or misrepresent facts to promote a particular viewpoint.
  3. Honesty and Transparency: Journalists should be honest and transparent in their reporting, disclosing any conflicts of interest or sources of funding that may influence their coverage.
  4. Respect for Privacy and Dignity: Journalists should respect the privacy and dignity of individuals, avoiding intrusive or sensationalized reporting that may cause harm or distress.
  5. Accountability and Responsibility: Journalists should be accountable and responsible for their reporting, responding to criticism and correcting any mistakes promptly and prominently.
  6. Public Interest and Service: Journalists should serve the public interest by providing accurate, relevant, and timely information that informs and educates citizens.
  7. Professional Conduct and Independence: Journalists should adhere to high standards of professional conduct and maintain their independence from political, economic, or other external influences.

See how many of the talking heads on TV, radio, and cable news that you can apply these standards to.

It is my belief that mental health is at a breaking point in this, and other countries. Stress, anxiety, fear, and the misery index caused by this administration and world tensions will lead to more atrocities before it gets better.

I have listed some ways that your opinion is formed, such as taking into account your personal biases and being open to examining them for a more informed perspective. Your mental health should always be your top concern.

There is far too much fake news, propaganda, and downright lies passed around for political purposes. Lawfare is a real problem, and we must stop it. Jan 6th was a red flag to the world and this administration, instead of lowering the fire under the pressure cooker, they have raised it.

You are not…

  1. Deplorables: This term was popularized by Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign when she referred to some of Trump’s supporters as a “basket of deplorables.” It is often used to describe those who hold conservative or right-wing views and are perceived as intolerant or bigoted.
  2. MAGAts: This term is derived from the acronym “MAGA,” which stands for “Make America Great Again,” a slogan used by Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign. It is often used to describe Trump supporters who are perceived as fanatical or blindly loyal to the former president.
  3. Trumpsters: This term is a play on the word “deadheads,” which refers to fans of the Grateful Dead rock band. It is often used to describe Trump supporters who are perceived as fanatical or blindly loyal to the former president.
  4. Trumpanzees: This term is a play on the word “chimpanzees” and is often used to describe Trump supporters who are perceived as unintelligent or irrational.
  5. Smelly Walmart Shoppers: The phrase “smelly Walmart shoppers” was coined by former FBI agent Peter Strzok in a text message to his girlfriend, FBI Attorney Lisa Page. In the text, Strzok wrote, “Just went to a southern Virginia Walmart. I could SMELL the Trump support.” The phrase gained attention during a congressional hearing in 2018, where Republican representatives questioned Strzok about his personal views on President Trump’s supporters.

You are Americans, no better or no worse, than those who think Biden is the next Messiah. You, like they are victims of a dishonest media bought and paid for by corporate giants, looking for more ways to take your money as taxes, fees, fines, and through inflation or even wars. They do this by buying politicians. Their path to victory began with secretive contributions, known as dark money, that helped fund their campaign.

Yes, wars are big business, and the profits outweigh the cost of human life as long as the humans lost are the peasants, and not a part of the ruling class.

If the rulers of the opposing factions were forced into a death match, you would quickly see an end to the foolishness of war.

America is not a racist country.

There are the haves, and the have nots, and that is by design of the government to keep you as livestock on the government tax farm.

They do this by propaganda to dumb down society and use emotional triggers through NLP to have you aim your hostility towards your fellow American vs those who are pulling the strings.

Education or knowledge is power. The less you know, the better they like it. So, visit a library and educate yourself. Information on the internet is mailable and not to be trusted as the gospel.

  • That is why they hired the useful idiots to rip down statues and create absurd diversions and distractions.
  • This is why the democrats bailed out the useful idiots who burned down cities.
  • This is why swing states are implementing ways to cheat at the election by implementing drop boxes that are not secure and most certainly will allow dead folks to vote.
  • This is why they are giving illegal immigrants voter registration forms while fact checkers are assuring you it is illegal for them to vote, so nothing to see here. Really?

These are the folks who already thumbed their noses at us, Mexico’s laws, our laws and so forth and you expect us to believe that they will have a red line at voting for their savior? You really don’t have any respect for the working people of this country, do you?

You would have to be really stupid to believe that. The Dems are in panic mode and will do anything to stay in power. IMO the dems need to come up with another candidate, and Neusom is not it. He might have nice hair, but his state is a disaster, and it is his doing. If those celebrities and other elites were forced out of their gated communities, they would quickly become Trump voters.

Whether you are on the left or the right, you don’t want the current administration to stay in office, from the Senate to the House, and absolutely the White House. They all need to be fired.

So, how do you protect your mental health through this overload of propaganda?

There are several activities that can promote mental health and well-being. Some of these activities include:

  1. Exercise: Regular physical activity can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also improve mood, increase self-esteem.
  2. Mindfulness meditation: Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment and observing thoughts and feelings without judgment. This practice can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
  3. Socializing: Spending time with friends and family can help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.
  4. Creative expression: Engaging in creative activities such as painting, writing, or playing music can help reduce stress and anxiety, and improve overall mental health.
  5. Volunteering: Helping others can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
  6. Spending time in nature: Spending time in nature can help reduce stress and anxiety.
  7. Getting enough sleep: Adequate sleep is essential for good mental health. Getting enough sleep can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
  8. Practicing gratitude: Practicing gratitude involves focusing on the positive aspects of life and expressing gratitude for them. This practice can help reduce stress and anxiety.
  9. Engaging in hobbies: Engaging in hobbies that you enjoy can help reduce stress and anxiety.
  10. Seeking professional help: If you are struggling with mental health issues, seeking professional help can be an important step in improving your mental health and well-being.

The portal to propaganda that lives in your back pocket is the first thing you should leave behind when you focus on your health. I believe the smartphone is arguably one of the largest viruses employed by the people of this planet today.

Although smartphones or tablets may appear harmless, they are far from it. The flashing lights and funny sounds of media can easily captivate a child’s reward center, leading to potential indoctrination and brainwashing from a very early age. We see it today in a restaurant, just about any public venue and of course, walking down the street. People addict themselves to the mindless content streamed from all over the world, including a reel of some woman using a bidet for the first time. “Really, is that the content you want floating around your head?”

It is my belief that the smartphone has made us more dependent on media, that is most probably being used to change the way we think, act and vote.

It is my prayer that I didn’t spend hours creating this blog post to have it ignored by you. Share it, repost it, and feel free to comment.

LATE BREAKING NEWS….!

George Soros is pressuring the FCC to allow him to purchase a controlling interest in coast-to-coast radio stations.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/feb/14/george-soros-scoops-220-us-radio-stations-ahead-20/

Why would someone possibly be doing this during such a politically charged time?

I think he and Stalin would have been good friends. IMO

-Best

Hamarama © 2022

Carpe Diem

That title won’t mean much to most of my friends, colleagues, or folks who stumble across this post.

It will, however, mean much to those who know what it is.

The cliff note version is straightforward. Amateur radio operators have been around since Tesla and Marconi discovered ways to transmit and receive noise. They didn’t call them that in those days, but I would argue they were two of the first. If you think about it, they were doing what we do today.

No FCC or regulatory board was selling them permission to transmit a signal. No Japanese or Chinese companies were marketing expensive radios or other products, gadgets, etc. There was only raw determination, a pioneering spirit, and scientific discovery.

When I got into the hobby, I built my first transmitter out of TV parts. That might sound impressive, and it was for a ten-year-old, but I built it from a schematic created by an engineer.

We stand on the shoulders of giants.

Many of those giants, in my world, were the attendees at an event called Hamarama. A convention of folks organized by caring individuals for those like-minded is impressive.

Unlike most conventions for different hobbies, ham radio conventions and activities have ‘non-pecuniary’ as the cornerstone of their existence. Their motive is not for profit.

Most have a servant’s heart.

When there is bad weather, and your TV personality reflects his brilliance by what the ‘storm chasers or spotters’ are seeing, those people are genuine heroes. They are ham radio folks performing volunteer service that is risky and costly. They do this to keep you safe. And still, the FCC charges them for the right to have a license to use that same radio. Something is very wrong with our system of government.

Think about that as you try to relate your hobby to this one.

Contrast this hobby with the hobby of writing as an example. I can speak to this as I am a writer and author and out to change how writers think of themselves.

Conventions for writers are ridiculously expensive. Maybe someone can tell me or justify why someone should spend $500 on a ticket to hear these authors. They do public speaking to promote their brand.

I know many of the authors that would speak at this event. The draw for the writers is simple, access to an agent. Whoopie.

I realize that the description is vague, but the conventions for radio operators have the same programs, speakers, and alike that assist those who want to learn more about their craft. A ticket to Hamarama in Ardmore, Oklahoma, is $8, $10 at the door. That money goes back to the convention center rented for the event.

The speakers at writer’s events do it for notoriety, and they have pecuniary interests. They want to sell their books.

I have slogged through the trenches of both hobbies. Being an autodidact, striving for perfection is my way of life.

Marconi, Tesla, and Mark Twain were autodidacts. You could add Bill Gates to the list.

During my last trip to Ardmore, I realized that many of those people I looked forward to seeing were no longer with us.

Time is precious and fleeting. Don’t let it slip away from you.

Carpe Diem

-Best

Is it wise to purchase the latest greatest technology?

Is it wise to purchase the latest greatest technology?

When considering an investment in technology, the first thing to know is that you buy the Sizzle, Not the Steak.

What does that mean?

If you drive past a steak house, you will undoubtedly smell mesquite smoke or some other aroma to stir the juices accompanying that reward center of your brain. A wise entrepreneur will attempt to use all the senses as bait. The sizzle is the bait. Regarding steak, the payoff is delivering it to you exactly as you expect.

Theatres use popcorn. The fragrance will trigger memories. Possibly you are at the mall to look for clothes but, the scent, along with signs and lines of patrons, will trigger a diversion in many who are not on a tight schedule. The sizzle is reliving the memory even if the movie and company are different.  The first time you enjoy a movie with popcorn and friends is precious and becomes part of who you are.

Technology is loaded with promise. Unfortunately, it is also packed with inexpensive microcomputers and software with a finite lifetime.

Case in point and the reason for this article.

I collect and restore vintage radios. As long as the case is in good shape, I will consider the rest of the process of laying out cash for something that has little practical value in this world today. Why does only the case matter?

The components in that radio are still available.

My original entry into this hobby was Amateur Radio. The sizzle for me is to restore a radio and have it functional. The memory of when that radio was new transports me to an earlier time.  Many purchase things on eBay for the same reason.  The sizzle is that connection to a time when you sat on Grandma’s lap as she read to you. Perhaps it was that first easy bake oven or set of Legos.

With me, it was listening to a baseball game with my grandfather. The old floor model Zenith with that prominent speaker transported him and me to the game.  This event was a magical time and a fond memory.

Without beleaguering the point, my first expensive transceiver (A Swan 350D) still works. Yes, I have had to replace parts along the way but, I can still get them. That radio was the first hybrid to incorporate tubes, transistors, and some digital technology.

From HeathKit to Collins, even today, if you buy one at a swap meet, the odds are great; you will be able to find what you need to get it back on the air.

While technology marches on and offers us more whistles and bells, conversely, it takes longevity away.

In my closet is a costly modern radio. Built-in the 1990’s, this radio performed well, until one day it didn’t.  Not only was the radio a solid performer, but it also looked nice. Some would argue that the FT 990 was one of the best radio’s Yaesu ever built.

Once I narrowed it down, I knew what I needed; there was a catch.  The manufacturer no longer has the parts. Purchasing parts on eBay and other online sources is a crapshoot, as I found out.

Some people buy radios like mine, cannibalize them, much like the junkyards of old did with cars, and sell it one piece at a time. The part I ordered was butchered in the process and was worthless when it got to me.

As radio enthusiasts, I say all that to say this: we might need to shift our mindset, including how we spend our money.

In the 80’s I began the process of learning about computers. As an engineer, I saw the transition in progress.  Electronic devices were becoming something one used and trashed when they malfunctioned. Televisions are a perfect example

When asked about a contract on that new TV, ‘just in case,’ my response was ‘hell no.”  Firstly, it is wasted money, and secondly, when the thing dies, it will be time for something newer.

In the early days of home computers, a device with less power than your smartwatch costs a bundle.  Five hundred dollars for sixteen meg of ram was the going price. That ram was soon outdated, as was the entire computer.

Even back in the day, we should have realized we had purchased the sizzle. What could we do with that PC then? Word processors were indeed a novelty, as were spreadsheets.

Today, we have redesigned the radio to resemble a radio of old, but that ends with its appearance.

Menus instead of knobs and displays instead of an S meter which can be daunting to the older ham. There are also multiple ways to integrate your radio with your computer.  All of this ‘sizzle’ depends upon how long there are parts available, and your level of interest.

When you purchase a used radio, that mindset shift needs to include it’s age.

Much like an old car, it can only go so many miles. The radio is only viable as long as the replacement parts are available. The clock starts ticking the day it leaves the factory.

My Yaesu FT 990 is worthless as a radio; what about the other vendors?  My Kenwood TS 520S, along with the 830 S, still works perfectly. They are both much older than the FT 990. What if I purchased a used, but newer Kenwood of the same age as the FT 990? I suspect that parts for it might also be an issue.

My Alinco DX 70 went silent one day.  Alinco no longer carries that little speaker it uses.  My point is not to bash the vendors. If you are like me and enjoy the soft glow of a dial light along with watching an S-meter lazily sway with the QSB, consider only buying a new radio, not used.

Either stick with the vintage equipment you know you can get parts for or spend the dollars on a radio with warranty and longevity.

Research part availability before you invest your money and time in a new old radio.

The Chinese have sent a message to the world via products like the Baofeng.

I realize that many speak poorly of that radio but, I have several expensive handhelds that the replacement battery will cost more than a new radio with a battery.

Perhaps the cost of this radio is about what we should be paying for software-defined products with little longevity.

My name-brand handheld radios perform no better than the thirty-dollar version. Again, the only difference that I can see is the interface to program the radio.

If the Chinese radio stops working, I am not going to worry about finding parts. If my radio’s that cost a small fortune falter, I will invest the time and energy to repair them. Either the name brand manufacturers need to acquire the mindset that Hams value the radio as more than just a commodity, or the off-brand manufacturers can continue to design and sell radio’s that we can all agree are disposable once they die. 

The message is clear. If you want to sell a handheld or other product for hundreds of dollars more than the Chinese counterpart, the vendor’s mindset also needs to change.

We keep our radios and value them not as a commodity but as something we could pass on to our kids. Stocking replacement parts for expensive radios would benefit the community, and it would be a selling point.

While radios are not the only technology to suffer the fate of progress, we also see how the automobile industry is suffering because of the lack of computer chips.

If I were Ford, I would offer a ‘back to basics’ automobile. You would genuinely need to sell it and have people interested, but in truth, I would love to have a (new old car) with three on the tree, roll-up windows, and an AM radio with half a dozen presets. We don’t need chips to run the damned thing; we need a spark, gas, compression and air mixed and timed with points that need adjusting every so often.

Can you tell me what the sizzle might be? 

-Best

Watch Out For Crap Like This.

Watch Out For Crap Like This.

From the early 70’s I was tinkering with electronics.  While my peers were playing ball or getting their hearts broken, I was getting shocked and talking to people all over the world.

Peering through the back of a radio or perhaps the TV, one would see all these glowing amber lights.  Soon after my fascination with the front of the radiant dial on the old floor model radio piqued, I wanted to know how it worked.

Garage sales and discarded appliances became a source of amusement for me.  Boxes of small parts from different devices soon lived in the closet, under my bed, and soon I had to pare down the collection.  A borrowed receiver, some junk box parts, and a crystal as were the rules back then, I was on the air as a newly minted Novice Amateur Radio Operator.  The glowing 6AQ5 tube was the final for a whopping 7 watts unmodulated Carrier wave controlled by the steady fist of what they used to call ‘brass pounders.’

Today, 47 years after the date, I still remember Morse code, but I must confess I have not pounded a key in eons.

Tubes gave way to transistors, which soon turned into integrated circuits. Now we have software-defined radio that minimalizes the power usage and, of course, exaggerates the complications if you need to troubleshoot it.

Time marches on. 

A man once stipulated that we stand on the shoulders of giants, and the same is true of the law of accelerated return of advancement regarding technology.

Most teenagers today have more technology in their back pocket or on their wrist than we used to send a man to the moon.  What they do with it remains to be seen but, the possibility of great things is within their grasp.

Licensing for the Amateur Radio Service is nothing like it was.  One could argue that nobody builds anything anymore, so it does not need to be as difficult as it was back in 1973.

I still tinker, albeit minimally and mostly with antenna design and theory.  All that said to get to the point of this blog.

When I purchased this switch box online, I knew what to expect.  Never in a million years would I push any wattage through this thing.

When I wiggled the wires a number of them came lose of their own accord, cold solder joints.
Here is the inside of the box. Wow.

In my office resides a desk, with several different apparatuses on it.  From state of the art to antique, I still listen to and ‘mess’ with them on occasion.  You see I always appreciate the glow from the dial light of old shortwave radios.  I wanted a way to control the RF from my antenna to the different devices without messing with cables.

The name of this device is miss-leading, and I am confident if put to the test, they would call it a ‘name’ and say they never meant it to handle 1000 watts. With the wording CB in the advertisement, they could argue the illegality of using more than 12 watts PEP ergo ‘what were you doing with this thing?’

A smart person could take them to task, in that this thing would perform miserably at 27mhz.

Whoever designed it had a handle on DC but not AC.  The integrity of the 50 ohms impedance is violated, making this a horrible device even for switching between receivers.  Again I knew what to expect when I spent the $20.  Why then did I buy it?

IMG_5771

Real coaxial switches have the same essential components, they are just well thought out.   If you look at the contact on the switch, you can tell that any kind of wattage would burn the connections and or arc over to the next.  In its original construction, I would not even use it for low wattage use.

Below you can see how I modified it with coax and common grounds.  One last modification is to add a ground lug to it, so I can ground the box to earth ground.

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Enjoy your hobbies, and be very wary of crap from the Far East.  While it is all made there, ‘for the most part,’ some companies have a reputation at stake, while some just want to sell cheap junk.

In its original form, it was just that, junk.

-Best

Scott

 

Don’t throw it away just yet!

Don’t throw it away just yet!

 

Batteries are a troublesome thing and can be a real source of irritation.  Batteries used in devices like this keyboard, for instance, can be in there a long time before they need to be replaced.  The Current draw is small so the battery could last years.

My mouse was recently acting squirrely so I decided to change the batteries.  When I opened the battery cover the familiar white crystals of “leaked battery” were everywhere.  Managing to clean the contacts I decided to change those in my keyboard as well.  Also leaked everywhere but not near as easy to clean.  Removing about 25 screws to separate the keyboard I was indeed able to clean the contacts and remove the crystals which had formed.

The batteries had a shelf life until 2023.  They were indeed still working.  I had another device that I had used at Christmas last year and put up with the batteries in it.  Retrieving it from the closet I took pictures for you.  Also still had power in them which was amazing but defective.

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Duracell has been my go to battery for decades.  Occasionally I get the other brand and it is a good thing that I did.

Another apparatus that I depend on is a lightening defector by Acurite.

As a radio enthusiast and a bit of an outdoor nut, I want to know if there is weather around.  Here in Texas, we get some rather nasty cloud to ground lightning.

The backlight in the detector was dim so I decided to replace the batteries before the last storm.

Installing the new batteries the apparatus did not work.

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Taking a closer look at the batteries it became apparent that the new version of Duracell AAA batteries has a smaller tit on the positive end.  This means that it may very well not make contact with the battery contacts.

batt1

If you look carefully you can see that there is a gap of a few thousandths of an inch between the end of the battery and the terminal.  This is a common type of connector in radio’s and other battery operated things.

If your device fails to work after replacing the batteries, check this!

If you happen to know anyone at Duracell you might forward this to them.

Houston you have a problem!

Save the landfills and your hard earned money, check the batteries and the connections.

-Best

Kits and other fun stuff from eBay

Kits and other fun stuff from eBay

 

I admit it; I am a gadget freak!  Ever since I was a little guy and I heard an announcers voice come out of a radio, I was hooked.

radio parts

There was indeed something magical about listening to a baseball game on the radio.  We had this Zenith floor standing Radio with that magic green eye in the dial.  Lights from the dial illumined the room as often you would find yourself transfixed on their voice and their description of the action on the field.

Those days are gone.

We have ample flat screen TV’s in super ultra 4 K extra high definition! Whatever all that means.  Much like having a stereo that faithfully reproduces a square wave frequency from 20 to 20 KHz when the human hearing is good up to 12khz or 14Khz tops, one has to wonder.  How many colors can my eye slash brain actually discern?

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Satellite Radio offers some nostalgia for those of you who like Johnny Dollar or the Shadow knows.  There are many more stations that one can listen to on road trips.  The art of producing such a radio broadcast is probably all but lost today.

What you can hear on the radio itself, pales in comparison to what the radio used to provide.

AM radio is basically talk radio or news all day.

FM radio, of course, is everything from soup to nuts.

Portable radios of not too long ago, 70 years or so, were tube based.  Two batteries were required, and of course, the longevity of the batteries was not that great.

The TR-1 was the first radio that was a joint effort between two companies.

tr1

 

Other companies jumped on the bandwagon with the advent of the transistor.  Now you could build a portable radio and power it with inexpensive batteries.  This device would fit into a shirt pocket or purse comfortably.

I have purchased two kits from eBay sources that are radio’s that mimic those of today.

One was a straight AM radio with a similar design to those of 60 years ago.  There were no directions included with them that a non-Chinese writing, reading person, could make much sense of.

Building the device using the knowledge that I have, I was able to get it working satisfactorily.  The AM FM radio kit that I bought was also lite on instructions and some parts.

Thankfully the parts missing were easily obtained from my supplies of parts.

This radio contained SMT (surface mount technology) which is always somewhat fun to “weld” as they say in their instructions.  I don’t guess that there is a word for solder in Chinese.

I am always thrilled when I first power up a kit, and it works from the get-go.  No smoke or other short circuits. Noise with modulation did indeed emanate from the speaker.  Soon enough there was a ball game being broadcast which, caused me to pause for a moment.

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After everything seemed to work as it should, I finished the assembly installing it into the case provided.

The difference between this radio and one of the 70’s was that there are three integrated circuits inside this radio.

  • One of them is the AM radio.
  • Another is the FM Radio
  • The third is the amplifier

Now give that some thought for a second.  The significant parts of the radio were all on chips.  The SMT chip is the FM radio.  The eight-pin DIP is actually a stereo amplifier chip.  The third which had I not looked carefully at resembles a transistor complete in a TO 92 case.  Three legs only.  That is the AM radio which is actually a several transistor AM radio.

All of the rest of the components are supporting components that they could not build inside the chips.

A handful of capacitors and a few resistors, switches and one variable capacitor.

The FM radio oddly enough does not track linearly as it should.  At either end of the band the stations come in, but in the middle, there are “birdies” and dead space.  This might very well be a design flaw in the circuitry.  You can get all of the stations, but they are not where the pointer says they should be.  After adjusting the trim cap on the variable capacitor, I was able to get stations to come in but again not where they belong.

The AM radio is another disappointment.  Yes, it works, and I can get the stations to come in where they should however…. The strong stations swamp the weaker stations.  I have two strong stations close to my house, so they indeed swamp the receiver.  If you ever had a crystal radio, this is much like that only it has a speaker and power.

Some quick research on the AM chip, I learned that this is a flaw of the chip.  One person has designed a circuit to lower the voltage to the semiconductor alone.  This modification supposedly allows the AGC to act correctly inside the chip enabling the radio to have more selectivity.

I have ordered some of the AM chips.  I plan to “play” with that design myself to see if indeed there is a way to build a radio with that chip that is satisfactory.

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As a Ham Radio Enthusiast, when I see a complete dual band handheld radio with a flashlight and FM broadcast radio built in for under $50 dollars, one has to wonder how the major brands will compete with this.

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In short the Chinese have multiple “kits” that are on eBay.  I firmly believe that many of these kits were sub-assemblies for larger apparatuses that were discontinued.  The market for DIY folks like myself is rife with such things as most of us don’t need instructions.  If on the other hand, you are one of those “step one, step two, folks these kits may not be for you.

The lack of instructions requires that you bring to the table a wealth of experience.  Knowing how to “weld,” solder is mandatory.  Having some idea of what you are building so you can take precautions with static electricity and of course high voltages is also a good idea.

One of the “kits” on the way is a device modeled after the Tesla coil.  There are high voltages present.  If this turns out to be worth it, I will blog about it.

tesla plasma

If it works as expected audio from some device should modulate the plasma.

Why, why not?  It might modulate the gases inside CFL tubes or neon lights too!

Hope you enjoy the blogs and of course take advantage of your tinkering time.

-Best

 

Are we cooking ourselves? Here is some food for thought.

Are we cooking ourselves? Here is some food for thought.

 

As a technology minded person, I often wondered about those who design cordless devices.  In particular, I am addressing phones.  I assume some government agency somewhere spent millions of your tax dollars to come up with what someone thinks are safe levels of radiation.

Maybe these people know more than the rest of us, or maybe they don’t.

Case in point.

The standard cordless phone in 2017 most probably transmits to the base either at 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz.  While your phone may advertise the higher frequency of 5.4 GHz that is most probably from the base to the phone.

Split frequency designs like this are prudent as it takes more power to transmit higher frequencies.

Now, these cell phones that we all carry around transmit either in the 850 MHz range or 1.8 ~1.9 GHz range.

MHz (Mega Hertz) stands for millions of cycles per second,  GHz is (Giga Hertz) or billions of cycles per second.  So every second depending upon the frequency, the RF (radio frequency) cycles millions or billions of time.  IE 2.4 GHz is 2 billion, four hundred million, cycles per second.

Frequency should not be confused or conflated with power.

Power for our conversation today is watts.  How much power or how many watts of RF (radio frequency) are we talking about?

Cell phones transmit up to 1.7 watts of power.

Cordless phones transmit as much and possibly more than a cell phone.  The interesting aspect of this is there is this DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) technology that has been around for a little while now.  They sell it as a plus but European studies have shown this might be more hazardous to your health than its predecessor.

The base of this technology is transmitting full power all the time whether your phone is in use or not. If the base is next to your bed or on your desk you are constantly bombarded with 5.4 GHz or at the least 2.4 GHz of radiated power in the form of RF.

Move it away from your body.

Why am I writing about this?

Ever since the first cell phones came out I wondered what they were doing and why.  These phones are always talking to the cell towers announcing their availability and telling them where they are while checking in.  The phone was and is smart enough to adjust its power level depending upon what is needed to communicate with the tower effectively.  The reasons are many but the main idea is to “talk” with one cell tower at a time.

My phone, even today will often time be warm in my pocket, or just sitting on the desk.

While we really have no idea what a smartphone is doing all the time, you can bet if it is warm, it is transmitting something.

IMG_4513

I built this little device with a few diodes.  I will not belabor the technical aspects of this device other than to say it does not have any batteries.  These devices are passive in that the only way that they are energized would be by outside energy fields or EM (electromagnetic) forces.

I got the idea from the crystal radio of my youth.  Yes, I built one and housed it inside a pen casing.  With a single diode and a coil and very little know how I had a radio that would pick up local radio stations and never needed a battery.

Since my original device that I designed and built years ago, I found this version on the internet for a few dollars.

Setting this thing on top of my phone it soon became obvious that the cell phone is transmitting constantly.

  • Is it looking for data?
  • Is the phone talking to the tower?
  • Is the phone talking to my Wi-Fi network?

The answer is yes.  We really have no idea if the phone is doing anything else in the (tin foil hat category).

Now with 1.7 watts of RF at 2GHz, give or take, right next to your ear hole, one has to wonder if that is healthy.

Out of curiosity, I moved my device around the phone to discover that the most of the radiation or highest amounts come out of the phone right by the earpiece.  Why?

Knowing RF and the possible link to brain tumors, lymphoma and other nasty things why would the engineers put the transmitting antenna where it would be closest to your head?

This is the iPhone 6S.

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My curiosity got the best of me so I checked my cordless phones.

IMG_4513

The light powered strictly by RF from the phone is very bright, right on the ear hole and down by the mouthpiece, the light, or power output is nonexistent.

IMG_4510

Imagine that your phone has enough RF power to illuminate an LED to full intensity and that energy is being pumped into your head right through your ear hole and of course next to your skull.

Tell me; why in the hell would you not put the antenna at the base of the phone where it would be furthest away from the body/brain?  The energy required to light the led dissipates with distance.  Logic would dictate that the less energy radiated close to your brain would be a good thing.

The pictures speak for themselves but now you know what you are looking at.

What can we do?

First off, we should ask the government for our money back that they paid for these studies.  One would think that if they can come up with SAR (specific absorption rate) and what is safe that just maybe they might have said, “you know, you phone makers should place the transmitter/antenna away from their brains.”

It is kind of like that commercial where the bank is being robbed and the guard says, “Oh I am not a guard, just a monitor… you are being robbed.”  What good is the FCC if they cannot think outside the box? The government, which they are part of, is to protect its citizens from faulty designs, much like the Corvair of the 60’s.  Where is Ralph Nader these days?

It is amazing to me that they did scientific studies to figure out how much tissue would cook or be damaged by rf.  Then they came up with the acronym SAR and finally did nothing more about it.  “Look for a phone with a low SAR rating.”  Are there labels, using this phone can cause brain cancer?”

What is so germane about 2.4 GHz and why am I sounding a little stressed about this?

That box in your kitchen that burns popcorn so nicely happens to work in that same frequency range.

Since there are millions of microwave ovens out there the FCC put broadband Wi-Fi, cordless phones, and many other unlicensed transmitters that the public uses in that same frequency range as the microwave oven.   Part of your license on each piece of equipment reads something to the effect that this device must accept and deal with  RFI or radiofrequency interference.

How does the microwave oven work and what does that have to do with my phone?

Microwave energy excites the molecules in stuff causing them to move faster.  Much like rubbing your hands together you get friction which causes heat.  That is how a microwave heats your lean cuisine dinner or left-overs from Sunday Brunch.  Yes it uses more power but I ask you, would you stick your head in your microwave to see how long it takes to fry your brains?  Consider the cell phone or cordless phone like a microwave crock pot, it might take longer but eventually, something is bound to be heated up.

Just for you people who think that I am a tin foil hat kind of person think of this one. 

How many of our urchins you call grade schoolers now have the very latest iPhone sticking out of the back pocket.  A trip to any mall will answer this question.  Even if it is a hand me down generation 5, it puts out all sorts of power right next to that thinner more malleable skull and younger more tender, still forming brain tissue.

Then there is this whole blood brain barrier thing that doctors talk about.  Does it really seem like a wise idea to put that kind of power that close to those newly formed brain cells?  They are future tax payers you know. Wink wink…

Possibly one of them will say, “someone should really put the transmitter in the base of this thing away from my brain.” Will it take a child to figure this out?  Maybe a riot on the Berkly campus to get the attention of corporate america who might tend to overlook such things.

I know, I am gettin my tin foil out… 

With telecommunications being a multi-trillion dollar industry it is no wonder that this is overlooked.  Much like the back scatter x-ray porn scanners at the airport which virtually strip search you, there is a greater good.  Bombarding our bodies with ionizing radiation is not harmful as long as the government says that it is ok. (sarcasm)

Calling attention to it might cost Nokia or Apple or Panasonic a few dollars.  What is the big deal about a few brain tumors, “can you hear me now?”

Since industry will probably not respond, how can you protect yourself?

Blue Tooth technology also uses RF in the same 2.4 GHz range but the power is very low.  A class one transmitter uses about 1mw or Millie Watt.  There is a newer headset that wraps around your neck with the earpiece extending from them.  That would put the blue tooth transceiver around your neck away from your brain.

Try to always use a headset or speakerphone, and if they still have them, a corded phone.

Use e-mail or text and by all means try talking to people face to face.  I know that is a radical concept but, I don’t think you are in danger of getting exposed to radiation that way.

About the device…

While the original crystal radio of my day used a 1N34 germanium diode this device uses nine 1SS86 diodes one tied to the other with an LED as one of the diodes.  The legs are purposefully left long like that as they act as the antenna to capture any energy that might be present.

If you are creative you could make it look like a bug with a tail and a head that glowed.  Just a thought.

I am not claiming to be an expert on any of this.  Just a person who thinks common sense is in limited supply.  These days we too readily accept that which is, without asking why.  Ask Why!

Cheers!

Scott

 

Am Radio kit from China

Am Radio kit from China

Cheap Chinese Radio Kit

As a radio enthusiast from way, back I thought that it might be fun to build a radio from a kit.

A quick search of eBay turned up a simple six transistor kit for less than $10.

I was interested in a kit that was as close to the radio’s we had in the 1960’s which would leave out anything with integrated circuits.

Ordering the kit it was about 3 weeks  before it arrived and another 2 months before I opened it.

 

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Radio kit from China
Not wild about the color of the case nor the front plate, but this is a kit, not a work of art; right?

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notice the 2 transistor places marked v4

The board looks pretty straight forward.

Problem 1… the instruction are all in Mandarin.

T2, T3 and T4 Are not interchangeable.

 

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Parts list for AM Radio
Those character by the purple blotch are the designations of which are which.

On another part of the document is a chart for the resisitor color code.  Since I know what it is I can work it backwards and figure out what the colors should be.

 

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There you go…the primer as it were. BBROYGBVGW 
Now working this backward…The IF cans were identified.

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T5 is the audio output transformer and it too has a key.  Notice the white dot on the board and the slightly raised up bump on the housing of the transformer.

The rest of this was simply to populate the board correctly and see if you guessed right.

 

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board before final parts installation.
I noticed on the circuit board that there were traces that were not completed for some reason.  If I could read Mandarin I am guessing that possibly those are stages at which you could do tests before completing the entire circuit.

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Notice the C and the D… There is also an A and a B which are not completed either.

 

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Over to the left of the board you can see two of the incomplete circuit paths.
 

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This is why the kit is so inexpensive.
If you look carefully at the parts layout you will notice that V4 and V5 should really be V5 and V 6 as there are two V4’s wich in our nomenclature would be Q4,5 and 6.

So not only are the instructions worthless to those who cannot interpret Mandarine the printing is flawed.

 

IMG_0930
Schematic showing amplifier. 
My review and guess of this “kit” is that someone bought a bunch of them because they were dirt cheap as the printing was flawed.

The kit does not use a detector diode which causes it to lack sensitivity.  My guess is that they are using the driver Transistor as part of the detector as well.

Since these are silicon transistors and not germanium that too hinders the performance as a detector.

Once built you must insert a 455Khz signal with the variable capacitor open and tune the black If can for maximum sound output.

Using a non-metallic tuning tool you can then tune for your radio stations.  The two adjustments on the back of the variable cap work in conjunction with the oscillator and the last IF can to set the stations on the dial accordingly.

Even though this kit was cheap, unless you have some pretty good radio savvy, I would take a pass.

As an FYI the speaker is very tinny sounding.

I took a short video of it working but, the video type is not compliant with WordPress.  Sorry about that.

-Best

(c) All rights Reserved 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GreCom PSR 700

GreCom PSR 700

Tacky radio

psr-700

Well, one would think that I was about to write a commentary on some DJ, or perhaps some radio personality that was messy, or ill fit for their job but, that is not the case.

This is actually a technical article regarding the GRECOM PSR 700.

This radio is actually a very nice, easy to use scanner, for the person who wants to listen immediately without punching in all of those dozens of frequencies.

The data base comes on a small SD card that you simply install in the radio under the batteries and it is then menu driven with familiar controls as it mimics the old iPod in many respects.

I picked up the radio the other day as I have not used it in over a year.  With Trumps visit coming up and all of the protesters I thought that listening in might prove interesting.

When I picked up the radio it literally stuck to my hand.  This thing was made in China and I am guessing that like their famous capacitor flub up they too did not do something right with the chemical makeup of the case on the radio.  The plastic actually started to break down and reacted with the atmosphere “I am guessing.”

If you run your fingernail along the back of the plastic the “sticky” actually comes off and adheres to your fingernail much like the glue on those nasty little labels that you find on so many things that you buy now days.

Going on the web looking for a solution there was not one.  There are others that have reported this but, Grecom is out of business.   I am guessing that the refund or warrantee of all of the radios that this affected was too much for them and they abandoned those customers.

I took the battery cover off and simply tried to wash it.  Dish soap and a brush just made a sticky mess of both the brush and my hands.

Even if it worked you could not run the radio under water so some other form of “fix” was going to have to be discovered.

Goo Gone to the rescue.

Using Goo Gone and that little plastic tool that you use to take laptops of smartphones apart worked nicely.

Simply get a little goo gone on your finger and rub it on to the area that you want to clean.

After it sits for a few minutes use the tool much like a scraper and small deliberate strokes and you will see the sticky crap come off and pile up at the end of the stroke.

If you feel comfortable dismantling the radio first that might be your best bet as any mistake will have this stuff inside your radio.

I carefully did this too all of the surfaces removing as much as the sticky stuff as possible.  I then got a cloth rag and with some force rubbed and buffed the rest as best I could.

I finished the process with “Windex,” and a paper towel. Dampen the paper towel with Windex, never spray it on to the radio.  Small deliberate forceful strokes, removed the rest of the nastiness that was nothing more than flypaper on my radio.  Cosmetically the radio is not as pristine as it once was, and the lettering that was under the sticky mess disappeared as well.

The radio is still usable, and does not stick too anything any longer.

If you are thinking about buying one of these online think twice as you may be buying a sticky mess.

This is not for the faint of heart and I am disappointed that I spent that kind of money and have a radio that clearly is not as pristine as it was when I bought it.

If you have one of these here is the page for downloads and if you want third party out of warranty service..  I contacted them several days ago and no response so, your mileage may very…

http://www.greamerica.com/

346589

108556-03 108556-04 GooGone-4oz

-Best

© All Rights Reserved 2015

Vintage Radio’s

Vintage Radio’s

  • How about a post that has nothing political in it?
  • How about a post that is instructional and interesting?
  • Think I can do it?

Me personally, sometimes I feel like someone is going to have to develop a twelve step program to break the addiction of collecting and repairing these things.  Truth be known some of these are highly collectable and some are well, just not.

I am guessing that if one saves them long enough the radios that are not collectable today will be at some point in the future.

To that end, I collect those that are “collectible” today as well as radio’s that are unique or sought after for some reason ie the Owl Radio from Clash of the Titans.

Owl Radio from the 60's

More often than not I will purchase a collection of radio’s from different sources.  I might purchase the entire collection because one of the radio’s in that collection is collectable or I might get them because I need parts that I know they will render.

Radio from lot

The bottom line is the case must be intact.  It must look good with no cracks etc.  If it is busted all to hell it turns into a parts piece and devalued substantially.

Today I worked on a radio that was marketed to the US although it is typically marketed to the Russians.

Spica
Repaired, aligned and cleaned up….

Someone had worked on it sometime in the past as the slugs were all out of place.  I guess it is terribly irresistible to resist  putting a screwdriver in the transformers and trimmer caps, as I get more radio’s that have been tweaked, by someone with a screwdriver, instead of the proper alignment tool.

IMG_0590

Having said that this radio defies common logic, in that the wire colors that we come to expect over here in the states is backwards.  Red which normally denotes positive, was the negative lead and of course that made the black wire positive.

IMG_0587

When I first apply power to one of these radios I do so with a variable supply.  Turning the radio on first, then slowly increasing the voltage from 0 to whatever the voltage should be whether it be 3,6 or 9 volts or somewhere in between.  The trick is to have a power supply with an amp meter.

Most transistor radios draw very little current.  If you start to raise the voltage and the current starts to jump and maybe hold at 10 milliamps or so, check your polarity.

Bottom line is that after I figured out that the power leads are opposite of what one might expect the next thing needed was an alignment.

In most radio’s like this you start with injecting a signal at 455khz.  After tuning the proper transformer and trimmer cap for this, than I move on to tweaking the rest of them for maximum sensitivity at 1600, 55 and finally around 800khz.

The process takes less than a five minutes and when finished the radio is as good as new.

Most of these vintage electronics need new caps “electrolytic capacitors.”  Caps made in the day were expensive so the manufacturers used the minimums that they could get by with.   Tracing and/or injecting a signal one can usually tell which if any caps are bad, and within moments, have the audio back to where it should be.

Radio needing new caps.
Radio needing new caps.

Some of the newer capacitors on the market are NP or non-polarized!  Too often I pull out and old cap to find I did not remember which direction to install the new one as I need to keep the negative and positive leg in the correct holes.  With NP caps simply install them and move on.

I suggest that you take pictures before taking too much apart as without a print if a wire pops off, you can have a devil of a time figuring out where it went.

Six transistor radio’s are the most common and really all you need to pull in strong station and actually differentiate between the different stations without too much overlap.

Eight Transistor Radios have much better sensitivity and are able to differentiate strong stations from weak ones thus, you can have much better selectivity.  My favorite radio to actually keep batteries in are the 8 transistor variety.

Some manufacturer’s in the day found that they could use the PN junction as a diode but yet claim that they had 10, 12 or even 16 transistors!  The unknowing public equated that to the “jewels in a watch.”  The more the better and so they had a gimmick until some government agency clamped down on them.  If the transistor is being used as a diode it cannot be counted as a transistor.

Ross to name just one of the brands was one of the manufacturers that became famous for this tactic.

Shortly after Bell labs came out with the transistor Raytheon and a company named Idea came out with the first transistor radio.  It was know as the Regency TR-1.

regencyTR-1

regency_mod_TR1_schematic

These are highly collectible even today.  Around $100 might get you one that the case is basically in tact.

closeup_front_gray
This is a nice looking example of the TR-1

Before this portable radio’s were tube based and used two different batteries to play them.  One of the I believe was a high voltage battery known as the “B” battery, and one drove the filaments and I think it was 1.5 volts.

HARPERS_JAPANESE_SMALL_TUBE_PORTABLE_BROADCAST_PERSONAL_RADIO_GK-501_BATTERY_COMPARTMENT

fasj_worth_feb2012

I have a few of these but, with no availability of the B battery, I think that other than something to sit on a shelf; it is a waste of time and energy to collect.  Your mileage may vary…

If I get enough interest I might post more radio stuff in the future as I work on many of these and it is a hobby.

See, no political rhetoric on this post, I can do it!  🙂

-Best and 73

© All Rights Reserved