beastlykings
@beastlykings@sh.itjust.works
- Comment on The crossbow 😭 1 week ago:
This actually got me into a car accident as a young driver.
I had just gotten on the highway heading home, rural towns. The gas gauge was broken so I had to count miles on the odometer to know when I was low, and I realized at that moment that I was desperately in need of gas.
So I took the first exit, and started looking for a gas station. I’m driving the speed limit, 55mph, and coming around a very large slowly sweeping curve I see what looks like a gas station up ahead on the left. There are no other businesses on the road. It had a tall sign out front. I didn’t recognize the sign, I was trying to read what it said, to see if it was a gas station or not. But I couldn’t read it. I was struggling to make sense of what I was seeing, honestly. A Martin Glass? An olive? I don’t remember all the things on it. But the point is, it was items, party items, that spelled out the word… party? It was a party store… and then I hit the guy in front of me who was stopped dead in the middle of the road waiting to turn left into a driveway.
I was so distracted trying to read that stupid sign, I didn’t even see him until the last second. I had time to swerve a bit, and I locked the brakes. I ended up hitting his back right bumper and crushing it in, a glancing blow that didn’t even touch his trunk. Just the bumper. He drove away no problem.
My car was a different story, it tore my lower control arm and snapped my tie-rod. Took out the front left quarter panel, hood, bumper, and headlight too. I had to get towed home, like 2 hours.
Technically my fault, and I got the ticket. But dang it if to this day, I don’t still blame that stupid sign. The Martini glass was the Y, I think the olive was the A? I don’t remember, I should try finding it again.
- Comment on Minecraft confuses me 2 weeks ago:
Know that feeling 😂
- Comment on Minecraft confuses me 2 weeks ago:
That’s the point. The first option like everything but the player. This kills only the cows.
- Comment on What's a good feel good film I can watch next week? 3 weeks ago:
Also good
- Comment on What's a good feel good film I can watch next week? 3 weeks ago:
That’s a good one
- Comment on What's a good feel good film I can watch next week? 3 weeks ago:
I am Sam
- Comment on What are you watching and, what do you recommend this week? 4 weeks ago:
That’s the one. Eh, teens = kids in my vocabulary 🤷♂️ Though I admit teens is more accurate. My goal was to convey that it’s not necessarily written with adults in mind. But it’s still enjoyable.
- Comment on What are you watching and, what do you recommend this week? 4 weeks ago:
Pantheon. Haven’t finished it, but so far it’s quite good. Ignore the fact that it’s a kids show, the writing ain’t half bad
- Comment on [Sub exclusive] Operation Moarteen – Prepare for Hype! 4 weeks ago:
Aww man I missed this, didn’t know it was happening. Happy for you all!
- Comment on Clothes company cannot "cancel" an order that hasn't shipped, must ship it and do a return. 4 weeks ago:
I did not expect that. That’s a big company.
- Comment on 6* months away now. If you're on 10, do you plan to upgrade? Make the jump to Linux? 4 weeks ago:
This is a minor issue compared to the security risks. See the other comment in this thread for a good explanation.
- Comment on 6* months away now. If you're on 10, do you plan to upgrade? Make the jump to Linux? 4 weeks ago:
Definitely you should look into Linux, it’s really gotten quite good. Especially if you don’t need games with anti cheat.
But if you just want to use Windows 11, it’s super duper easy. Just Google “download Windows 11 iso” and grab the iso file from Microsoft website.
Then download Rufus.
Then pop in a thumb drive that’s at least 8gb. Open Rufus, select your thumb drive and the iso, then choose the option to remove windows requirements, then click start.
Backup your files on Windows 10, save them somewhere. Then pop in the thumb drive and install windows 11 fresh.
The requirements aren’t actually required. Win 11 runs fine on all sorts of hardware. Support stops at 8th Gen Intel, but I’ve installed it on 5th Gen. My work laptop is 2nd or 3rd Gen. It’s fine 🤷♂️
Technically less secure? Yeah, in some ways. But it’s miles ahead of running unpatched windows 10 after September.
- Comment on 6* months away now. If you're on 10, do you plan to upgrade? Make the jump to Linux? 4 weeks ago:
Got a new laptop about a month ago. Put Fedora Bluefin on it immediately. Couple other computers/server have been running Debian flavors for year or two.
My main desktop is still Windows, but I literally never use it, especially since getting the laptop. I’ll switch it over when I get time.
I’m still tied to windows for three apps. I’ve found a Linux replacement for one, I just haven’t done the work to convert the database.
Another one I’m trying to run it’s Android version in a waydroid docker, but I’m hitting walls, no time to dig deeper.
And the last one has no replacement, and it’s too delicate to try emulating, I don’t want to nuke the shared database it’s attached to, it’s not worth the headache. So I keep a Windows VM around for the once a month I need to use that program for 🤷♂️
I’m purposely being vague about the programs, they are very identifying, but trust me there’s no alternatives.
Even with all that, I’m not looking back win11 sucks.
- Comment on What Can We Do to Get Youth into Ham Radio? 1 month ago:
Kind reminder that words have meaning, and your tone, to me at least, is coming across very combative. I’m just trying to have a conversation 🤷♂️
I’m sorry that $100 is out of your reach. The economy isn’t getting any better, it seems.
Truly it seems to me that based on your requirements for hobbies, this is one you may have to pass up. Which stinks, but sometimes that’s how it goes.
For a lot of people, $100 is still a lot of money, but not out of the realm of possibility for a hobby startup. If they were interested, that is.
All that said, going to a club and hanging out with people who have the equipment and would love to share and teach you, is completely free, and a valid option. My club’s radio room is open every Saturday for anyone who wants to warm some clouds with RF. If you’re not licensed, someone will sit with you so you can use their callsign.
There are some crusty old curmudgeony farts in this hobby, sure. But if you only ever look at the negative, you’ll never see the positive. Lot of chill people, some normal, some weird, all harmless, who want to help you 🤷♂️
- Comment on What Can We Do to Get Youth into Ham Radio? 1 month ago:
City living is tough for ham activities, that’s fair. I’m in an apartment myself. But I go hiking and bring the radio, set up a hammock and vibe. But that’s not for everyone either.
I agree wholeheartedly, local repeaters don’t really have much of a place anymore. My buddies and I used to chat on our respective drives to work every day, and home. That was a fun way to keep in touch. But we kind of drifted out of the habit.
You have a transmitting SDR? That’s basically a ham radio, which is cool! And also technically illegal to transmit anywhere without a license as it’s not type certified. Maybe the ISM bands are ok? I can’t remember. Anywho I’m no snitch, just letting you know 🤷♂️
Bottom line I guess is yeah, sometimes it’s just not for everyone. And that’s ok.
- Comment on What Can We Do to Get Youth into Ham Radio? 1 month ago:
There are some good ideas in there. I definitely agree more needs to be done, and there are definitely lots of bad actors out there. I’m not sure what the final solution will be
- Comment on What Can We Do to Get Youth into Ham Radio? 1 month ago:
That’s a misrepresentation.
800 for the last radio you’ll ever need. I didn’t say start with it.
4 to 500 for a middle ground radio.
300 if you want to learn to fix it, it’s a feature not a bug. And it’s not for everyone, I never said it was.
You can get a 5w HF radio for $100, plenty to learn on, but can be frustrating if the solar cycle is down.
If you really want to get your foot in the door, get your foot out the door and over to your local club, they lend you gear, or even give it to you and has happened to me a time or two when I was starting. Or you can use their club station, or go out and do a POTA with someone. That’s what I do with my buddies kids, and they love it 🤷♂️
There’s plenty to do, nobody is trying to gate keep here. It’s just a hobby with a very high cost ceiling, and a lot of people who’ve been doing it for decades and built up equipment stores. It’s a lot to come into, and yes we do need to be more welcoming.
- Comment on What Can We Do to Get Youth into Ham Radio? 1 month ago:
That’s fair, yeah important to make it clear what’s available and what will do the job.
A lot of people have a buy once cry once mentality, which I do agree with in a lot of ways, but that’s a hard sell.
RC cars is probably worse, because your equipment takes a literal beating. That’s how it was in the fpv drone world, 100mph into a tree and you’re done for the day, probably a hundred or two in damage, if you’re lucky. So n in that world too I flew cheaper stuff, still fun, but still hurts to take a crash and destroy a $50 camera it vtx, etc.
That’s where loaning equipment out comes into play. I loaned out drone stuff, to be used with me present and teaching. And that’s what I try to do with ham radio, come hang out, we’ll do a POTA or chase some DX. But I feel like a lot more people these days are losing social skills and don’t want to hang out, or as evidenced in this thread they don’t even want to use their voice to talk on the radio. There are digital options, but this complicates the lending/teaching/social aspect 🤷♂️
Again, I don’t have the answers, it’s a complicated problem in a changing world. But there sure are a lot of black and white opinions in here.
- Comment on What Can We Do to Get Youth into Ham Radio? 1 month ago:
I guess that’s fair. My “it’s ok if it’s not for you” was more of a specific platitude for him because we’d already discussed some of the options available, and he’s already put some effort in and decided it wasn’t for him 🤷♂️
I agree we need to entice more people, I don’t have a good answer as to how. If someone looks into it, and makes an informed decision, then I’m not going to twist their arm.
One thing I’ve tried with my friends kids is to take them out and do POTA in the woods, let them run a pileup. They really seem to enjoy it, enough to stay studying, but not enough to follow through. What can you do? 🤷♂️
- Comment on What Can We Do to Get Youth into Ham Radio? 1 month ago:
I mean, if you look at it that way, yeah. But to me the science is cool, and there’s a few other aspects that I enjoy as well. I outlined it here.
You can learn the technology for significantly less if you’re motivated, and handy. $100 for a 5w HF radio. That’s half the fun is learning.
But also, if that’s not enticing, then maybe it’s just not for you, and that’s ok 🤷♂️
- Comment on What Can We Do to Get Youth into Ham Radio? 1 month ago:
There’s digital modes galore these days. Some people never speak ever on the radio.
See my comment here on why it’s so much cooler than two PCs over the Internet.
- Comment on What Can We Do to Get Youth into Ham Radio? 1 month ago:
The problem is that cheap equipment literally performs worse, for you. And can make the frequencies around you worse, because of poor filtering or bad circuit design.
I’m not saying $4000 needs to be spent. You can get all the radio you’ll ever need, for $800-900, with an icom 7300. Now that’s not cheap, but it’s definitely in the realm of feasibility. People pay more for cell phones in some cases.
But, if you want a more manual experience, and save some money, you can get older Kenwood hybrids for $500-600. Heck I bought my ts530s for $300 when I first started, it had an issue where it was partially broken, but I was able to fix it just by cleaning a few switches with deoxit.
But baofengs, while they can work, and heck I own them. Some of them are pretty poorly built. I definitely experienced issues with mine, adding more antenna started making my signal reception worse! I later learned it was front end overload, from cheap filtering. But that’s besides the point.
I’m sorry your experience was so bad, and that people were rude to you. And it’s a shame you never got to put that donated equipment to use. It really is a fun hobby if you can get into it.
- Comment on What Can We Do to Get Youth into Ham Radio? 1 month ago:
It’s not the access to the club or whatever, it’s how cool it is that it works at all. The science behind it.
Yeah you can call Japan right now, and your voice will get digitized, and it’ll travel thousands of miles over copper, fiber, microwave. It’ll go under the sea and to space and back through satellites, through millions of dollars of backbone and infrastructure. And that’s pretty cool, but also has become mundane. It’s so easy. But that infrastructure is delicate. Now I’m not a prepper or doomsdayer, I’m just saying, think about it it wasn’t there. Could you talk across the world? Across the country? Heck, across the state might be hard.
Back in the day, hams in Alaska would communicate with people back in the States to keep families in touch, relay information and well wishes alike, because it was all that was available, and it worked.
I got my license just before COVID, and one of my first contacts was over 6000 miles to Japan. Nothing between me and him but a piece of wire in a tree, and some radio waves bouncing off the ionosphere. His voice in my ear, milliseconds after he spoke. It was just… Kind of awe inspiring, and I was hooked.
Not just because I was talking to a guy in Japan, one with similar interests to me I’ll remind you, but because of HOW we were doing it. That’s what made it awesome.
And these radio waves are everywhere, all the time, passing through us every day. But unless you know what you don’t know, you’ll never know.
So I started playing with it more, different antennas, more power, fixing and building my own radios. There’s even games to play over the air, both related to the hobby directly, or just using it as a data backbone. You’ve got POTA, SOTA, fox hunting, digital modes, even Morse code is still heavily used. It was challenging to learn, but fun.
Now I didn’t go turbo nerd, I just did this for a number of years, pretty heavily, but I’ve eased off the gas now. I have a basic setup and I use it a few dozen times a year, maybe more. It’s still awesome but it doesn’t have to be your life. I have other hobbies. I’m a member of a club, because it costs like $10-20 a year, and they’re nice people. They’ve helped me and I’ve helped them.
IDK I guess all I’m saying is don’t discount it entirely, without knowing what you’re missing out on. It’s not just a means to an end. Just because it’s normally easy to talk across the world, doesn’t mean the hard way isn’t amazing that it even works, let alone that it still works and we still have access to the bands that let us do it. Even though corporations definitely want to take them.
But still it’s ok to not be interested in it 🤷♂️
- Comment on What Can We Do to Get Youth into Ham Radio? 1 month ago:
If this is allowed, then the bands will become so busy they will be unusable.
Not with consumer traffic, mind, but illegal commercial traffic.
These bands are extremely valuable, and corporations, especially stock traders are literally chomping at the bit to get access to it.
I hear you, encryption would be nice, but it would literally destroy the hobby. Probably for more reasons than just the one I listed. Talking in the open air isn’t that bad, you get used to it 🤷♂️ it’s a hobby after all.
- Comment on "You should probably just throw it away" 1 month ago:
It’s not fully immutable like steamos. But yes I do see your point, it could be confusing.
- Comment on "You should probably just throw it away" 1 month ago:
That’s fair, I’m a bit uninformed on wine and proton’s roots. However I’d argue that for someone like OPs girlfriend, a somewhat-immutable atomic based distro like bazzite might be better. Especially if it’s only used for gaming and YouTube 🤷♂️
But different strokes for different folks, so perhaps they’d be better off just installing steam on their distro of choice 👍
- Comment on "You should probably just throw it away" 1 month ago:
You’re… Still running windows 7?
- Comment on "You should probably just throw it away" 1 month ago:
I think the implication is that they will switch to Linux
- Comment on "You should probably just throw it away" 1 month ago:
Wine need not apply. That’s old school. Sims 4 works great in proton. Basically just install steam and the rest is handled.
Better yet, install bazzite as your distro, gaming works out of the box.
- Comment on "You should probably just throw it away" 1 month ago:
Regulations cost money. African labor is cheap. Don’t worry, the market will sort it out…