# Alaska Airways Flight 66 Hits Bear While Landing At Yakutat Airport



## FastTrax (Nov 23, 2020)

Police believe the now expired bear is same suspect bear that visited with a man last week.



www.avherald.com/h?article=4df460bc

www.cnn.com/2020/11/16/us/alaska-airlines-hits-brown-bear/index.html

www.flightaware.com/live/airport/PAYA

www.flightradar24.com/data/airports/yak

www.airnav.com/airport/PAYA


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 23, 2020)

Very sad.   Surprised the runways aren't monitored better for live beings before a landing.


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## FastTrax (Nov 23, 2020)

SeaBreeze said:


> Very sad.   Surprised the runways aren't monitored better for live beings before a landing.



I feel your pain. Most international airports are completely fenced and/or strictly controlled. Oldman can elaborate further on this. I did a ride along with Orlando International Airport Airside Operations crews and they have shotguns with noise cartridges to scare birds off the taxiways. Quite an elaborate operation. Much more exciting then Landside Operations crews which mostly deals with passenger situations.


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## Timetrvlr (Nov 24, 2020)

I worked in a fly-in camp up north and our company always had a pickup drive down the runway immediately before takeoff to clear animals off the runway. Still, a moose wandered onto the runway as we were taking off. Fortunately, he stopped before reaching the middle of the runway so we missed him.


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## jerry old (Nov 24, 2020)

FastTrax, where do you locate all these interesting topics.


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## FastTrax (Nov 24, 2020)

I just love documentaries and non-fiction subjects. I first got into this when I was told by straight up Little Italy friends just how much of a farce TV shows and movies were in depicting the "REAL" world of the five families.


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## FastTrax (Nov 24, 2020)

I also subscribe to a number of news alert websites including IPN. I also stay in contact with independent news stringers and I listen to live stream Broadcastify and other media networks from radio-locator and check my dropbox every 24 hours. If you want I can send you a zip file if you PM me.


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## jerry old (Nov 24, 2020)

We have enough auto accidents in the lower 48, without chancing our plane running into bears, moose, mercy!

FastTrac is documentary fan-post #6
I am enthralled by the folks living in Siberia, the hardships. the struggle to survive and the hermits.

Have more to say, but shouldn't take thread south...


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## FastTrax (Nov 24, 2020)

jerry old said:


> We have enough auto accidents in the lower 48, without chancing our plan running into bears, moose, mercy!
> 
> FastTrac is documentary fan-post #6
> I am enthralled by the folks living in Siberia, the hardships. the struggle to survive and the hermits.
> ...



Jerry old you know me. You can take this thread North, East, South or West Just like every one of my threads I just started this thread but any and all members are more then welcome to contribute as they see fit. So have at it and have a hearty Turkey Day. I already ordered my feed from Cracker Barrel GOD forbid my new tenant should cook a Rock Cornish hen.


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## FastTrax (Nov 24, 2020)

Siberia huh. You got it.


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## jerry old (Nov 24, 2020)

Scratching my head watching the 'Running of the Bulls'  in Spain and Portugal-not that many fatalities-still...
It beats watching an American Documentary on folks like Ted Bundy-bring on the bulls!


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## oldman (Nov 24, 2020)

FastTrax said:


> I feel your pain. Most international airports are completely fenced and/or strictly controlled. Oldman can elaborate further on this. I did a ride along with Orlando International Airport Airside Operations crews and they have shotguns with noise cartridges to scare birds off the taxiways. Quite an elaborate operation. Much more exciting then Landside Operations crews which mostly deals with passenger situations.


Well, let me think. I have been retired for awhile now, so I have to recondition my brain from working in a grocery store back to aviation. You are correct. The airfield is lined with fencing to protect the taxiways and runways from many different things that may have ventured out onto it, including people, which has also happened.  

Did you know that some of the vehicles that you see driving around on the tarmac have huge magnets under them to pick up any steel lying about that may have fallen off of a vehicle or plane? Most airports do have cameras, but if no one is monitoring the cameras, then it is possible for a big animal like a bear to walk through a weak fence and onto the runway/taxiway. For years, the FAA has considered making airports install sensors above the runways to protect it from outside sources. A few airports have been attempting to use it as a matter of functionality. Check it out. GTT I am not real familiar with these systems. They were being used in trials mostly when I retired. 

This brings to mind the accident with the piece of metal that fell off a Continental Airline's plane taking off in France and then it laid on the runway for the Concorde to run over causing its tires to explode and when the pilots retracted the landing gear back up into the belly, it caused the plane to catch on fire. Terrible, terrible day for aviation. From time to time when you are in the airport and looking out at the planes landing and taking off, you may see a pickup truck or car going up and down the runways. They are checking for debris on the runway. 

Personally, I have seen debris on the runway and reported it to the ATC in the tower. When that happens, they stop all traffic using that runway and have it swept.  

You seldom hear of runway incursions with animals. The noise seems to keep them at bay. If anyone has ever heard a jet that has landed and then hear the reverse thrusters activated, it would definitely scare anyone, or any animal to get off  the runway. Especially, like the old 
B-747's with their four engines. 

I love aviation and miss it more than anyone will ever know. 

Again, sorry for the long post. Now aren't you sorry you asked?


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## Tish (Nov 24, 2020)

So very sad.


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## FastTrax (Nov 24, 2020)

oldman said:


> Well, let me think. I have been retired for awhile now, so I have to recondition my brain from working in a grocery store back to aviation. You are correct. The airfield is lined with fencing to protect the taxiways and runways from many different things that may have ventured out onto it, including people, which has also happened.
> 
> Did you know that some of the vehicles that you see driving around on the tarmac have huge magnets under them to pick up any steel lying about that may have fallen off of a vehicle or plane? Most airports do have cameras, but if no one is monitoring the cameras, then it is possible for a big animal like a bear to walk through a weak fence and onto the runway/taxiway. For years, the FAA has considered making airports install sensors above the runways to protect it from outside sources. A few airports have been attempting to use it as a matter of functionality. Check it out. GTT I am not real familiar with these systems. They were being used in trials mostly when I retired.
> 
> ...



Sorry I asked? Absolutely not. I believe on an earlier thread about "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" I said I didn't even know planes had radios until the Indianapolis ARTCC scene. Now that with all the railroads in Florida using like only 10 frequencies out of the 97 VHF AAR/FCC allocated channel plan with lineside transmitters spaced 25 miles apart I can only receive SunRail a/k/a rumored to be central Florida's 5 day a week limited service plastic commuter train with aluminum wheels and inward facing cameras not to mention the operating department personnel have to wear uniforms like the Japanese railway crews, AMTRAK Autotrain op's in Sanford and CSX runs 90% of their trains at night. 118 MHz to 136.975 Mhz VHF aviation is fascinating especially the airline company and FBO frequencies (122.825 MHz, 122.875 MHz, 128.825 MHz to 132. MHz and 136.5 MHz to 136.975 Mhz. I listen to JAX and MIA ARTCC's at night when the TRACON's slow up and the night shift crews in the towers are snoozing. Those magnets are for what Airside ops call's FOD. You know what that is. Couldn't they just call it metal crap that falls off the planes? I mean seriously. Anyway I tried to monitor 225. MHz to 380. MHz UHF milcom (380.125 MHz to 399.975 MHz was reallocated to ISP and base operations in FM mode plus that channel plan has over 7,000 frequencies and they believe in brevity. Now I am monitoring Stratcom EAM's 24/7/365 on hf 11175 khz and 8992 khz respectively. They have two others for night and two for days. Only thing is it's all coded and after a while just listening to Offut and Andrews drone on and on you wouldn't know training from the real thing. I was on LiveATC forums last night yakking about my bear post and another guy said he heard that a jet hit a fish while descending which everybody said yeah right until another member said he heard about that to and that the tower saw an eagle fly near the plane and it probably got frightened and dropped the fish. Still sounds like a fish story to me but I'll check it out tomorrow. Sometimes these I lost the big marlin hypes are true. So now I bet you're sorry for asking if I was sorry for asking. READBACK......................


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## FastTrax (Nov 24, 2020)

WOW I just now noticed the GTT thing. That must cost a fortune and of course the airports aviation authority will stick the cost to the airlines which in turn they'll jack up the fares. Can't win for losing.


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## FastTrax (Nov 25, 2020)

Well not only is the original alleged fish story true but there was another confirmed fish story out and about.

Read this:


www.cbsnews.com/news/fish-strike-stops-jets-takeoff-at-florida-air-force-base/

https://blog.alaskaair.com/alaska-airlines/flying-fish/





And here I thought the CIA finally had flying fish spies.


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## oldman (Nov 25, 2020)

FastTrax said:


> Well not only is the original alleged fish story true but there was another confirmed fish story out and about.
> 
> Read this:
> 
> ...


You know what they say. "you can't make this stuff up."


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## oldman (Nov 25, 2020)

FastTrax---You know more about radios and frequencies than I do. I know aviation radios and how to communicate over them and using other communications onboard, but when it comes to trains and others, I'm lost. 

I see that you listen to live communications between planes and the controllers and I do also.


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## oldman (Nov 25, 2020)

On one of my flights into Denver, we had just started our takeoff roll for departure when I heard a loud "BOOM!" I looked over at the F/O and asked him what was that noise. He said it was a bird cannon. I was preparing to abort the takeoff. 

A lot of birds fly around Stapleton Airport, depending on what time of the year it is. That was the very first bird cannon that I had heard while flying. I had heard them in a simulator, but they sound much different.


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## FastTrax (Nov 25, 2020)

oldman said:


> FastTrax---You know more about radios and frequencies than I do. I know aviation radios and how to communicate over them and using other communications onboard, but when it comes to trains and others, I'm lost.
> 
> I see that you listen to live communications between planes and the controllers and I do also.



Cool, when the Turkey Day dust settles down we need to commiserate about our listening shacks. Have you dabbled in SDR yet?


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## oldman (Nov 26, 2020)

FastTrax said:


> Cool, when the Turkey Day dust settles down we need to commiserate about our listening shacks. Have you dabbled in SDR yet?


Planes use a different type of band for radar tracking, but some airport towers use more advanced bands along with ADS. Airports are dependent upon funds they receive from the owners of the airport, which is normally the city, so they use the money for other things in their budget, instead of updating the airport, unless the FAA mandates they comply.

Airplanes are also equipped with transponders, which are used for various communications, including when pilots send squawk codes.


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## FastTrax (Nov 26, 2020)

oldman said:


> Planes use a different type of band for radar tracking, but some airport towers use more advanced bands along with ADS. Airports are dependent upon funds they receive from the owners of the airport, which is normally the city, so they use the money for other things in their budget, instead of updating the airport, unless the FAA mandates they comply.
> 
> Airplanes are also equipped with transponders, which are used for various communications, including when pilots send squawk codes.


 Yes OM I'm sure you know that the aviation industry pretty much uses the entire RF spectrum. I never got into ADS tracking or anything other then VHF, UHF voice and HF Oceanic comm's with air checks and squawk code assignments. There are some websites that actually decode ACARS-B but that's just informational I think. Can we commiserate when Turkey Day is over? If not I can understand but I can learn so much from you. I mean the real insider deal not the yak yak hype from the virtual pilot wannabes on the aviation forums. I am watching MCO on FlightAware and the skies are very busy. Well it's turkey sandwiches for the next thirty days.


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## oldman (Nov 27, 2020)

Today's aircraft uses radio waves to perform several tasks. Here are a few: ACARS, TCAS, METAR, GPS, ILS, and RNAV (each has their own operating frequency). Radios normally stay between 118.00-137.00 frequency, but are able to go down to 108.00. Pilots also send squawk codes using radio waves via a transponder. And, of course, the auto pilot. 

I would agree that planes do use a wide range of radio frequencies. 

In addition to all of that, planes have been bouncing signals and data off of satellites for years using data links. I believe as far back as the '70's and maybe even farther.


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## FastTrax (Nov 27, 2020)

Awesome oldman. Awesome.


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## oldman (Nov 27, 2020)

People used to ask me how did I understand ATC because they talk so fast and use a lot of language or letters that make no sense. I would tell them that, first, we had to learn what those letters of the alphabet meant. Like A=Alpha, B=Bravo, C=Charlie, D=Delta and so on. It's the foreign pilots that the ATC’s that would have issues from time to time.

Some of the foreign pilots had very hard accents or dialects. 

Here is some fun stuff.


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## oldman (Nov 27, 2020)

I remember the time when I was behind a Japan Airlines’ 747 coming in from Tokyo and him and I were both communicating with the ATC for landing instructions. The Japanese pilot had a hard time saying the word “three,” instead, he said “flee” I think he was flight 433, so when we are finished speaking to the Controller, we end by giving our flight number.

So, the Controller tells him “Turn left, heading 1-8-0 and clear to land, 2-4 Right.” The Japanese pilot answered by repeating the instructions that were just given to him by saying “Turn *lef*, heading 1-8-0, *queer* to land, 2-4-*white*.” Japan Air four-*flee*-*flee*.”

The F/O and I looked at each other and had a good laugh. It was really funny over the radio.


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## fmdog44 (Nov 27, 2020)

One of those exchanges sounded like a skit from Monty Python At 7:41 there is something in the sky directly above the parked plane. What is it?


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## oldman (Nov 27, 2020)

fmdog44 said:


> One of those exchanges sounded like a skit from Monty Python At 7:41 there is something in the sky directly above the parked plane. What is it?


It appears to be a plane climbing.


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## FastTrax (Nov 27, 2020)

oldman said:


> I remember the time when I was behind a Japan Airlines’ 747 coming in from Tokyo and him and I were both communicating with the ATC for landing instructions. The Japanese pilot had a hard time saying the word “three,” instead, he said “flee” I think he was flight 433, so when we are finished speaking to the Controller, we end by giving our flight number.
> 
> So, the Controller tells him “Turn left, heading 1-8-0 and clear to land, 2-4 Right.” The Japanese pilot answered by repeating the instructions that were just given to him by saying “Turn *lef*, heading 1-8-0, *queer* to land, 2-4-*white*.” Japan Air four-*flee*-*flee*.”
> 
> The F/O and I looked at each other and had a good laugh. It was really funny over the radio.





ATC: Read back please

747: Weed back preez

ATC: Cross enough


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## FastTrax (Nov 27, 2020)

...


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## oldman (Nov 28, 2020)

The ATC's at Kennedy used to be really funny on the slower nights when there wasn't a lot of traffic. On one of those slow nights, there was an American and Continental planes using the same taxiway out to their designated runway. One was behind the other with about 400 feet between them. Ground ATC was guiding them out. If I remember correctly, they had to make three turns to get out to the proper runway because of the direction of their scheduled takeoff. This was on a Wednesday before Thanksgiving. 

The ATC gave instructions something like, "American 408, take Bravo to X-ray and turn left onto Whiskey and hold. DO NOT cross the active runway. Continental 600, follow the American and maintain proper distancing." Everything went OK, until the American came to a complete stop. The ATC radioed the American and asked the pilot why he stopped in the middle of the taxiway. The pilot radioed back to the ATC and told him that there was a gaggle of geese walking across the taxiway and heading for the runway and if he didn't get someone out here in a hurry, we would soon be having goose for Thanksgiving. 

After a long silence, The ATC came back onto the radio and said, "Everyone stop where you are until we get this figured out." Then, another long silence. The ATC again talks by asking the question, "What the Hell is a gaggle of geese?" After that, maybe eight pilots let the ATC have it with all kinds of silly remarks.


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## jerry old (Nov 28, 2020)

deleted


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## FastTrax (Nov 28, 2020)

Hey oldman. Lots of USStratcom EAM's on 11175 khz and 8992 khz lately. I mean lots. We're talking nonstop EAM's consisting of several dozen to 200+ letter/numbers transmissions out of Andrews.

Go to k3fef.com/:8901 click on the green Chrome extension icon on the right side of the screen then select 25 meters then click on skyking-5 on the left of the waterfall spectrum display. Don't click on the squelch icon as the atmospherics are pretty bad lately.

You can listen to EAM's from the last week at EAM.watch.

FlightRadar24.com says a USN E-4B' here on the East coast is simulcasting on 364.2 MHz which I am not too sure of since it's a National NORAD AWACS circuit. Too far for me to hear.


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## oldman (Nov 29, 2020)

The link didn’t work.


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## FastTrax (Nov 29, 2020)

FastTrax said:


> Hey oldman. Lots of USStratcom EAM's on 11175 khz and 8992 khz lately. I mean lots. We're talking nonstop EAM's consisting of several dozen to 200+ letter/numbers transmissions out of Andrews.
> 
> Go to k3fef.com/:8901 click on the green Chrome extension icon on the right side of the screen then select 25 meters then click on skyking-5 on the left of the waterfall spectrum display. Don't click on the squelch icon as the atmospherics are pretty bad lately.
> 
> ...



OOPS Here ya go

www.k3fef.com:8901

I only use his site because it is consistent and he sets no time out or refresh disconnects.


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## oldman (Dec 2, 2020)

That’s pretty cool. Shortwave?


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## oldman (Dec 2, 2020)

What’s pretty cool about these numerous wavelengths is that sometimes they cross over. For example, I can be listening to sky talk and maybe just for a few seconds, I will get some shortwave feeds. How these signals crossover has always been a mystery to me.

We had just taken off from Denver and had completed our communications with Denver Center and tuned the radio to pick up feed from Salt Lake City Center when we received some mumble jumble from a kid for about a minute. We had to warn him that he was on an illegal frequency and if he didn’t clear the channel, he may be getting a visit from the FBI. He exited in a hurry.


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## FastTrax (Dec 2, 2020)

oldman said:


> That’s pretty cool. Shortwave?



Yup. Generally commercial broadcast is AM, amateur radio is LSB and utility is USB.


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## FastTrax (Dec 2, 2020)

oldman said:


> What’s pretty cool about these numerous wavelengths is that sometimes they cross over. For example, I can be listening to sky talk and maybe just for a few seconds, I will get some shortwave feeds. How these signals crossover has always been a mystery to me.
> 
> We had just taken off from Denver and had completed our communications with Denver Center and tuned the radio to pick up feed from Salt Lake City Center when we received some mumble jumble from a kid for about a minute. We had to warn him that he was on an illegal frequency and if he didn’t clear the channel, he may be getting a visit from the FBI. He exited in a hurry.



Like other services a growing number of listeners are getting commercial grade transceivers which have much better reception than consumer grade scanners and receivers. However the problem lies with those that know it's not illegal to purchase and possess them but is a strict Federal crime to transmit on them but they are neglectful when they don't disable the transmit function on them or have the seller's tech handle that. A new problem has now surfaced recently since the George Floyd protest now that CCR has hit the market. NYPD has been constantly plagued with bogus radio calls.

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Budget_and_Entry_Level_transceivers


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## oldman (Dec 3, 2020)

I am sick with COVID right now, so I spent some of my very free time listening to more of the chatter. We get to hear some interesting things just by chance. Some of it makes no sense because I didn't get to hear the full conversation. 

What is the difference between LSB and USB? I know the frequencies change, but does one particular group use one or the other? I remember when one of my uncle's had a gorgeous boat, about a 45 footer and he used shortwave on his boat, along with two other radios, plus one for the Coast Guard. He had a lot of technical gadgets onboard, which impressed me. I was only 18 at the time. When we would go out fishing on Lake Erie, we would go from one side of the lake to the other. He moored his boat just east of Cleveland in Lakeside, I believe. 

I think he used Upper Side Band on open water and Lower Side Band when near the shoreline. That's what made me ask the question of what's the difference. My guess is that USB has higher frequencies, but maybe there is more to it than that.


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## oldman (Dec 3, 2020)

FastTrax said:


> Like other services a growing number of listeners are getting commercial grade transceivers which have much better reception than consumer grade scanners and receivers. However the problem lies with those that know it's not illegal to purchase and possess them but is a strict Federal crime to transmit on them but they are neglectful when they don't disable the transmit function on them or have the seller's tech handle that. A new problem has now surfaced recently since the George Floyd protest now that CCR has hit the market. NYPD has been constantly plagued with bogus radio calls.
> 
> https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Budget_and_Entry_Level_transceivers


As long as consumers only purchase the receiver, no problem. It ‘used’ to be necessary to have a license to purchase a transmitter or transponder. Way back in the day, a small group of us kids in high school had CB radios. They were a lot of fun. I had a Midland 23, a Browning Golden Eagle 40 and a Contact 23. You could always tell when you were speaking with someone who was on a Browning Golden Eagle. When the sender squeezed the mic button, it sounded a “ping” before you heard anything else. That radio was the Cadillac at that time.

When I had my first radio, I put up a kind of sleazy, cheap antenna. My dad, who was in the Army, came home from wherever he was, asked about it. I told him all about it and a few days later when I came home from school, he had a really nice long range antenna installed. Then, he sent for his license and even put a small Midland radio in his car. Next, I met a guy online that sold boosters, which were illegal, but I bought one from him. That allowed me to speak with guys from like Ohio, Tennessee and other places.

At that time, CB radios could only push out 5 watts. Later, the FCC reduced it to 4 watts. The booster pushed out about 20 watts.
I still remember my call sign—KMG1749. The FCC never considered CB’er’s as problematic.


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## FastTrax (Dec 3, 2020)

oldman said:


> I am sick with COVID right now, so I spent some of my very free time listening to more of the chatter. We get to hear some interesting things just by chance. Some of it makes no sense because I didn't get to hear the full conversation.
> 
> What is the difference between LSB and USB? I know the frequencies change, but does one particular group use one or the other? I remember when one of my uncle's had a gorgeous boat, about a 45 footer and he used shortwave on his boat, along with two other radios, plus one for the Coast Guard. He had a lot of technical gadgets onboard, which impressed me. I was only 18 at the time. When we would go out fishing on Lake Erie, we would go from one side of the lake to the other. He moored his boat just east of Cleveland in Lakeside, I believe.
> 
> I think he used Upper Side Band on open water and Lower Side Band when near the shoreline. That's what made me ask the question of what's the difference. My guess is that USB has higher frequencies, but maybe there is more to it than that.





oldman said:


> As long as consumers only purchase the receiver, no problem. It ‘used’ to be necessary to have a license to purchase a transmitter or transponder. Way back in the day, a small group of us kids in high school had CB radios. They were a lot of fun. I had a Midland 23, a Browning Golden Eagle 40 and a Contact 23. You could always tell when you were speaking with someone who was on a Browning Golden Eagle. When the sender squeezed the mic button, it sounded a “ping” before you heard anything else. That radio was the Cadillac at that time.
> 
> When I had my first radio, I put up a kind of sleazy, cheap antenna. My dad, who was in the Army, came home from wherever he was, asked about it. I told him all about it and a few days later when I came home from school, he had a really nice long range antenna installed. Then, he sent for his license and even put a small Midland radio in his car. Next, I met a guy online that sold boosters, which were illegal, but I bought one from him. That allowed me to speak with guys from like Ohio, Tennessee and other places.
> 
> ...



Gaer told everybody you caught a case of the Corona-cooties yesterday. She's always on the top of her game with looking out for us. I just got back from stocking up on supplies for the second wave of the Corona-cooties pandemic. I see you're getting me started again with our radio thing. I'll get back with you later today. 73's Ahm gone.


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