Let me get this out of the way first; I’m a fan of the TGIF Network. I really do like the admins and the community behind it. It’s vibrant, different and flexible. It’s a fantastic network and group of hams.
I also like the notion of the TGIF Spot hotspot, but it still sucks and I’d never buy or use it.
Various software companies are defeating the entire purpose of the emoji
concept. What prompted this article, was that Apple and other large software
companies, finally implemented the long-awaited Unicode 1F6FB emoji released
in Unicode 13.0 – and in seeing the various companies varied implementations,
I felt compelled to write this article.
With the advent of multiple digital voice modes, and the onslaught of hotspots, linked and bridged repeaters, cross-mode reflectors, etc., it’s important to remember that operating your digital radio and how its signal propagates to myriad repeaters and networks, is vastly different than plain-old analog operation. Digital voice radio and the interconnected technologies and modes, present new challenges many hams aren’t accustomed to.
Hamshack Hotline (“HH”), a “free” (not really) ham operator VoIP service is becoming all the rage right now in the world of ham radio (read: clueless hams drinking the kool aid). I haven’t used it, I won’t use it, and I can say that it sucks…
With the advent of DMR/YSF/D-Star/etc. networks being online and the resulting wonderful hotspots, there has been an onslaught of turnkey, ready-to-use hotspots hitting the market over the past few years. One of the new hot new players in hotspots, is the BridgeCom SkyBridge. The price? Just shy of $300.
That is quite a bit of coin, yes. And the hams out there complaining about the price is absolutely overwhelming.
For the love of fuck, stop referring to standards as trade names.
Go ahead…try to type Ø on your computer instantly. I’ll wait. Yeah…no. Not happening.
I see many hams using this special character in their call signs when denoting a zero digit, Guess what? it’s not a digit, geniuses…