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AKgringo
 
Elite Nomad
       
 
 
 
Posts: 6253
 
Registered: 9-20-2014
 Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
 
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 Mood: Retireded
  
 
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I suppose that the system is worth the price of admission if some one needs to be connected all the time.  I don't, and in pre-covid
days, I always looked forward to finding a restaurant or coffee shop with a WIFI connection once in a while to catch up on contacts. 
 
I have spent quite a bit of time in remote locations searching the AM radio band for broadcasts from distant stations.  It can be frustrating as the
station you are listening to fades out, but there is always another one that gets stronger as the atmospheric conditions change.
 
 
 
 
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space! 
 
"Could do better if he tried!"  Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers.  Sadly, still true! 
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white whale
 
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Registered: 12-15-2015
 Location: canada
 
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I'm also an AM hound, I'd be curious what signals drift down from the US. 
 
 
 
 
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin' around   Life During Wartime 
-   Talking Heads '79  
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C205Driver
 
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Registered: 8-25-2008
 
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...... Was camping at KOFA and went outside about 4AM to relieve the drought a bush was experiencing ; looked up and saw the Starlink Express.... It
looked like a lit up train in the sky! As hundreds of satellites were passing by.... No wonder astronomers are unhappy....
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pacificobob
 
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Registered: 4-23-2006
 
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the AM references reminded me of being on the Caribbean coast of central America in the 70s.  the number of stations was remarkable. fun to learn
which country  was the source. not to mention some bizarre programing.
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mtgoat666
 
Platinum Nomad
         
 
 
 
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Registered: 9-16-2006
 Location: San Diego
 
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Your kids will never know a sky free of light pollution.  Glad I saw the night sky before capitalists destroyed it! 
 
 
 
The Night Sky Will Never Be the Same 
Elon Musk’s plan for worldwide internet has sent bright artificial, lights streaking through the dark. 
 
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/02/spacex-s... 
 
 
  
 
[Edited on 2-13-2021 by mtgoat666]
 
 
 
 
Woke! 
 
Hands off! 
 
“Por el bien de todos, primero los pobres.” 
 
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” 
 
Pronoun:  the royal we 
 
 
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gnukid
 
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Registered: 7-2-2006
 
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Camping out at Ensenada Muertos after about midnight you can get hundreds of radio stations from all over, but practically zero in the day time.
Spooky
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LancairDriver
 
Super Nomad
     
 
 
 
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Registered: 2-22-2008
 Location: On the Road
 
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Here’s a good explanation of the star link system directed towards RV’s but very good for stationary systems understanding on terms of complexity
and cost. 
 
https://rvlifestyle.com/starlink-internet-for-rvers/
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David K
 
Honored Nomad
          
 
 
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Registered: 8-30-2002
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 Quote: Originally posted by gnukid    |  | Camping out at Ensenada Muertos after about midnight you can get hundreds of radio stations from all over, but practically zero in the day time.
Spooky  |  
  
 
Not spooky, it's just 'skip'!
 
 
 
 
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white whale
 
Nomad
   
 
 
Posts: 158
 
Registered: 12-15-2015
 Location: canada
 
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 Quote: Originally posted by C205Driver    |  | ...... Was camping at KOFA and went outside about 4AM to relieve the drought a bush was experiencing ; looked up and saw the Starlink Express.... It
looked like a lit up train in the sky! As hundreds of satellites were passing by.... No wonder astronomers are unhappy....  |  
  
 
Bush drought  I am going to steal that on day  
 
Yes AM long distance only comes out at night, totally normal. Todays <20's will have no idea what AM is. Does Baja have any AM channels? 
 
Newer starlink SAT's are getting some black paint on them - from what i read 
 
 
 
[Edited on 2-13-2021 by white whale]
 
 
 
 
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin' around   Life During Wartime 
-   Talking Heads '79  
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LancairDriver
 
Super Nomad
     
 
 
 
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Registered: 2-22-2008
 Location: On the Road
 
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 Quote: Originally posted by C205Driver    |  | ...... Was camping at KOFA and went outside about 4AM to relieve the drought a bush was experiencing ; looked up and saw the Starlink Express.... It
looked like a lit up train in the sky! As hundreds of satellites were passing by.... No wonder astronomers are unhappy....  |  
  
 
Jeff Bezos of Amazon is also unhappy and is petitioning to restrict Elon Musk and Space X from cluttering up space he considers to be his, although
Musk is far ahead of him in Space Technology. Bezos hasn’t got off the ground yet, much less launched satellites. Let the multi billionaires sort it
out.
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Don Pisto
 
Banned
 
 
 
 
Posts: 1282
 
Registered: 8-1-2018
 Location: El Pescador
 
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 Mood: weary like everyone else
  
 
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gonna get busy up there! 
 
Earth’s low orbit is about to become a very busy place—and not just on account of SpaceX. Similar constellations are being developed by OneWeb,
Space Norway, and Telesat for the U.S. market, which suggests this is about to become a highly competitive space. In space.
 
 
 
 
 there's only two things in life but I forget what they are........ 
John Hiatt 
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LancairDriver
 
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Registered: 2-22-2008
 Location: On the Road
 
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Very few are aware of how vulnerable all of these assets in space are. Any one of the rogue nations such as N Korea, Iran, et al. that now have the
ability to get into space can do a very simple launch into low orbit and detonate a high powered explosive, nuke or conventional, full of shrapnel
that can destroy or keep anything from entering or leaving earth through the low orbit belt.  It’s just a question of who has the least to loose.
What a game changer and change of life for the world. Not a popular discussion, but the powers that be have little influence besides warning  “
Better Not, serious consequences will result”. I have heard this possibility discussed as much of my working career was spent in many of the
aerospace company’s.
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Alm
 
Ultra Nomad
      
 
 
 
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Registered: 5-10-2011
 
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 Quote: Originally posted by PaulW    |  way expensive 
Starlink @ $99/mo for 50Mb/s 
My wireless @ $70/mo for 10Mb/s   
Telcel and Telnor wireless @ $20/mo for 9-10Mb/s 
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Satellite i-net has never been cheap.  This is for people who have no wireless and no cable.  After they will have built enough customer base they
will probably jack the price up, like others.  And then, there is equipment lease - I think it's already more expensive than from other providers.
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Alm
 
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Depends where you are.  On a regular telescopic antenna of portable radio - not much, as you go farther South.  You can get these LA stations: KFI AM
640 and KNX AM 1070 - news, weather. Some preachers - those have lots of money, powerful transmitters.   
 
[Edited on 2-13-2021 by Alm]
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caj13
 
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Registered: 8-1-2017
 
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heres a good explanation of starlink,  speeds,  history comparison etc 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXPnvt0XaRI 
 
and if you really want to know how bad hughesnet sucks -  heres my current speed from them 
0.78  Mbps download 
 
0.28  Mbps upload 
 
Latency: 50 ms 
Server: Chicago 
 
[Edited on 2-16-2021 by caj13]
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mtgoat666
 
Platinum Nomad
         
 
 
 
Posts: 20163
 
Registered: 9-16-2006
 Location: San Diego
 
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 Mood: Hot n spicy
  
 
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 Quote: Originally posted by Alm    |    
Depends where you are.  On a regular telescopic antenna of portable radio - not much, as you go farther South.  You can get these LA stations: KFI AM
640 and KNX AM 1070 - news, weather. Some preachers - those have lots of money, powerful transmitters.   
 
[Edited on 2-13-2021 by Alm]  |  
  
 
At night you can pick up AM radio stations many hundreds of miles away because of radio waves bouncing off the ionosphere. 
In the USA many AM radio stations reduce their power at night because of this sky wave effect, and many broadcast directionally after dark,... if
everyone broadcast omnidirectional at full power after sunset, the radio dial would be chaos. 
 
That’s why AM radio is interesting to listen to at night, being able to listen to obscure stations far off. 
During day there is no sky wave effect, and all you hear is local stuff. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Woke! 
 
Hands off! 
 
“Por el bien de todos, primero los pobres.” 
 
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” 
 
Pronoun:  the royal we 
 
 
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RFClark
 
Super Nomad
     
 
 
 
Posts: 2470
 
Registered: 8-27-2015
 
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 Mood: Delighted with 2024 and looking forward to 2025
  
 
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We paid our deposit for Starlink a couple of days ago. It’s the same price as the point to point we’re currently using and a lot faster.
Ultimately it will work here in Mexico allowing VOIP phone and internet. 
 
As for DXing AM Radio, I built my first Xtal receiver in the mid ‘50s when there were still weekly radio shows! In the ‘70s Wolfman Jack aired
from the radio station in Rosetta Beach. At night you could hear his show north of Whitehorse in Canada! That requires multiple reflections off the
Heaviside layer (Google it!)
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msteve1014
 
Senior Nomad
    
 
 
 
Posts: 947
 
Registered: 12-2-2006
 
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 Quote: Originally posted by Alm    |    
Depends where you are.  On a regular telescopic antenna of portable radio - not much, as you go farther South.  You can get these LA stations: KFI AM
640 and KNX AM 1070 - news, weather. Some preachers - those have lots of money, powerful transmitters.   
 
[Edited on 2-13-2021 by Alm]  |  
  
 
In La Bocana I also get a few from the bay area. Sports news and traffic info. that fades away as the sun comes up.
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msteve1014
 
Senior Nomad
    
 
 
 
Posts: 947
 
Registered: 12-2-2006
 
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Baseball games on radio are the best, every game sounds exciting. 
 
or boxing. 
 
[Edited on 2-16-2021 by msteve1014]
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Alm
 
Ultra Nomad
      
 
 
 
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Registered: 5-10-2011
 
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Yes, AM waves reflect off the upper layers of atmosphere in the night.    
 
What puzzled me was many FM stations from the mainland when camping on the coast about 60 miles South of BOLA. These frequencies don't reflect from
atmosphere and normally can't be received farther than 20-30 miles.  They do reflect off water, but I was surprised to hear it so loud and clear. 
While in the actual BOLA you could barely get 1 or 2 FM stations with poor signal quality.  
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