Patriot Rising

I received this e-mail earlier and wanted to share it with you. We are so very fortunate to have men and women serving our country. Whether serving as commissioned officers or the enlisted corps, I know each and every one of us has nothing but respect and adoration for what these young people are doing. Unfortunately, the current ruling regime doesn’t seem to appreciate the sacrifices made by our military members and continues to dishonor and disrespect the military at every chance. The 2013 USAF Academy Graduation is no exception. To be honest, I have no idea where this e-mail originated but I have every reason to believe it is legit.

“Good friends of ours from here in Elizabethtown, KY just got back home from a visit to the Air Force Academy,  in Colorado Springs where they attended the commencement exercises of the graduating class of 2013.  In fact John’s grandson was one of the graduates and John, being a retired US Army officer was able to swear in his grandson as a brand spanking new US Air Force 2Lt.  

What an honor that must have been for John and his family, but that’s not the real story nor is it the historic significance of the 2013 commencement celebration.  You see 2013 is the first Air Force graduation on record that has occurred under a Sequester created by a non functioning Congress and an unyielding Obama Administration.  Due to operating under this Sequester the ceremonies proceeded as follows:

President Obama regretfully declined the kind invitation of the Commandant of the Air Force Academy to be speak to the graduates and their families on the occasion of their graduation saying he was committed to addressing the graduates at West Point.  Instead it was established that Vice President Biden was free and he would come to Colorado Springs.  And, as to the request for the usual fly-over by the US Air Force Thunderbirds that was declined again due to the Sequester.

After consultation with his chain of command the Commandant of the Air Force Academy notified the White House that due to the Sequester cancelling the traditional fly-over of the Thunderbirds that he was confident that the nation didn’t need the added $1 million + expense to fly Air Force 2, of any configuration or model, and the added expense of the Secret Service and their entourage required when the Vice President traveled.  So just cancel the initial request for a speaker from the White House for the commencement.

So the commencement went off as planned sans representation from the Obama Administration.  It looked like this:

The featured speaker was an Under Secretary of the Air Force, who is a decorated Viet Nam veteran.  The Secretary flew back and forth from Andrews AFB to Peterson AFB In Colorado Springs on routine training flight conducted by the Air Force thus costing the American tax payers nothing. 

John tells me that there were nearly as many Air Force General Officers in attendance as there were family members.  He thinks a dozen or more 4 Star General, three or four times as many 2 and 3 Stars an untold number of 1 Star Generals.  And, of course countless Colonels and below.

Most of these officers were themselves alumni of the Air Force Academy and wanted nothing less than to present a perfect program for the graduating class.  Since the Congress and the Obama Administration could not see fit to allow for a fly-over by the Thunderbirds, a number of the senior generals took matters into their own hands.  And so, when the speeches, the hats were all thrown into the air, and all the family hugs were all made and it became time for the fly-over a roar of engines was detected from the West of the air strip and parade grounds there at the facility and everyone was treated to a fly-over by the Confederate Air Force.  Looking up they saw all kinds of vintage aircraft from B-17s B-24s, B-25s, P-38s, P-51s and others all represented by manufactures such Corsairs, Grumman, Lockheed and Boeing who still provide parts availability for these aircraft, and flown by our hero’s from prior conflicts that still see fit to stay active for services such as this.  It was a wonderful experience for all who were there.

I am sure you will join me in offering a salute to these serving officers who saw fit not to rob the 2013 graduating class of their day of celebration, and to our hero’s who flew the planes for this worthy occasion and oh yes to the many private donors who pitched in and covered the expenses involved in bringing these aircraft in to Colorado Springs from various locations across the country.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE SALUTE YOU!”

Dear Heavenly Father,

With a sober heart we come before You this Memorial Day. We pause for a moment and call to mind all the men and women who have died in the service of our nation since 1776.

Dear God, please look with mercy on our brave and selfless brothers and sisters, who did not shirk from their task but gave themselves completely to the cause of defending and protecting us all. Bless all who have given their lives for the sake of liberty, and grant them eternal rest with You.

We remember also our brave men and women now serving in our Armed Forces, both at home and abroad. Dear God, send out Your angels to protect them all. Help them discharge their duties honorably and well. Please bring them safely home to their families and loved ones. Please bring Your peace and mercy to our troubled world.

We ask this, Father, in the name of Jesus, Your Son, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

I am a bit bothered by this picture. Granted, I understand the WH Marine Detail has very specific responsibilities but I can’t help but think of this as anything but overly insulting. Oh for a very strong gust of wind!  I have no doubt that would have brought a smile to this Marines face. I truly feel sorry for this Marine! Semper Fi !

“From the Halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country’s battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean:
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.

Our flag’s unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.

Here’s health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we’ve fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven’s scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.”

Sadly, it looks like “Holding the Umbrella” for His Majesty will have to be worked into the lyrics.

by David Hathaway

Surprisingly, ham radio is something that has not been entirely messed up by state action. As a matter of fact, it has avoided most of the crazy rules that have affected commercial broadcasting and commercial two-way radio in recent years.

The ruinous policy of converting all over-the-air broadcast TV to digital transmission has greatly reduced signal coverage. On the eve of that grand edict taking effect several years ago, many historic stations went out of business rather than spending the money to convert to less effective technology that would reduce their broadcast range. The pay satellite and cable TV lobby won out on that one over the free providers. Digital doesn’t always mean better. The same thing applies to cell phones. Remember when cell phones used to sound clear, with fuller audio fidelity, and very little signal lag? That was back when 3-watt transmitters and broader band analog signals were an option. Regulators have caused the robust quality of cell phone communication to degenerate over time. Your current cell phone emanates a very low powered, very narrow band digital signal which is also plagued with multiple other state-caused unintended consequences like poor hybridization (the ability of both sides to interact at the same time) over the extremely narrow digital signal, low quality compressed audio, and latency delays in the digital stream (when you both keep interrupting each other because you think there is silence when your friend is actually talking).

Another policy change within the past year that has negatively affected users of two-way commercial radio is a new FCC requirement to use a more “narrow band” FM radio signal. This reduces audio fidelity and effective transmission distance. Hams are exempt from this requirement even though they use identical technology for two-way FM voice communication in their walkie-talkies, vehicle mounted radios, and base radios. They can continue to use the much more effective wider band FM signals.

Such requirements like mandatory usage of less effective digital signals or reduced radio signal bandwidth have not been applied significantly to ham radio. Since ham radio is largely considered an experimental amateur (unpaid) medium, most transmission modes are allowed. Ham radio operators use many diverse forms of communication including ham satellites; digital or analog transmissions; FM/AM and other modes; and a choice of bands ranging from worldwide high frequency bands to more local VHF, UHF, and microwave bands. Ham operators also send TV signals, digital facsimile images, and re-transmitted signals from unmanned mountaintop and tower repeaters over long distances. There are many linked repeater systems (most having solar or generator power back-up) that connect multi-state regions throughout the U.S. These repeaters are accessible via a small walkie-talkie like this compact full featured dual band VHF/UHF handheld radio for $114 or this one for $40. The radio and repeater technology is the same as used by many police departments for wide area coverage via handheld or vehicle mounted radios.

In many cases, hams have fewer government imposed antenna restrictions than commercial radio operators. This is due to the experimental nature of the hobby and the government acknowledged concept that hams perform a public service by providing alternate communications in emergencies.

Government allowed power limits are much higher for hams than most other non-commercial and commercial radio categories. The familiar Citizen’s Band (CB) is allowed a 4 watt signal and the Family Radio Service (FRS) is limited to half a watt. Ham radio, on the other hand, is allowed 1,500 watts on most bands. Most modern state regulated cellular phones have a maximum power output well under one watt (they are allowed up to two watts) and they self-adjust to power outputs down to 20 milliwatts (20/1,000 of a watt).

One of the best characteristics of ham radio is related to privacy. It is impractical for a government snooper to easily grab data about ham communications. The state goes for the low hanging fruit. It has become so easy to snoop en masse that the government rarely monitors anything that is not connected to a grid in this country. The extent of government domestic radio monitoring is usually limited to some review of general radio frequency activity, not usually hard-targeting any individuals. It is much easier to require Google to search for key words in stored gmails. It is very easy to do the same with Verizon wireless for text messages. It is easy to require a cooperating cell phone company to tap a cell phone from a thousand miles away and cause the Electronic Serial Number (ESN) tracked device to route all of its data and communications to a central government repository. There is practically no legwork for these mass intercepts and they are required of, and facilitated by, private communications providers under laws like the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). It is near impossible to grab stored communications content through a grid for most ham radio communications.

There is no longer a logging requirement for ham radio, so there will not be the possibility of an audit of personal logs that were previously mandated regarding your historical communications. The frequencies and modes are so varied that it would require a team to try to understand the vagaries of the communications of one small group of radio operators. There is no ESN assigned to your device that allows the government to track you. The common usage of directional antennas in ham radio would require an interceptor to not only know the band, frequency, mode, and time of the transmission but, to effectively calculate angles and azimuths and place himself in the path of the signal with suitable equipment. Too close or too far from a transmitter would cause an interceptor to miss the communication entirely when ionospheric bounces are involved in international communications. Most ham communications immediately vanish into the ether after the conversation and it would require an old school recorder, a pair of headphones, and a real-time dedicated team of government operators spinning the dial to try to grab a snapshot of your specific communications. The truth of the matter is that this is cost prohibitive and is not often attempted on a domestic level. Why would law enforcement agencies bother trying to mobilize a bunch of unionized, carpal tunnel, flexitime, flexiplace, overtime-seeking, perdiem-seeking teams for one-off targeted intercepts anyway when Americans have given up gazillions of bits of data that only require a contractor-provided computer system to profile, slice, dice, sort, and spit out the desired results.

The ham operators in your region spend lots of their own money on free access equipment like repeaters and digital radio bulletin board systems (like email sent over the radio). These ventures are usually free for any ham to use. It is very much a self-organizing activity using privately procured equipment. There is a lot of plug-and-play equipment available that requires very little technical knowledge to set up. If you have very little money, it is a perfect hobby and a perfect way to talk to your family while you are on the road because you will be able to access lots of strategically placed communications equipment belonging to others with no monthly access charges. A hundred dollar handheld radio will allow you to communicate back to your family via repeaters over a large area at no cost to yourself. China produces a fantastic array of compact full frequency products. Many ham radios can be modified to operate in other bands. Google “ham radio mods” and you will see many step-by-step articles describing how to get the most out of your radios.

Another nice feature of ham radio is that it furthers the Jeffersonian ideal of friendly relations with foreign countries that are so often demonized by the state. Ham radio operators collect proofs of contact (called QSL cards) from many countries around the world. They learn that these foreigners are normal people just like they are. The government cannot simply turn off or block access to certain countries or certain individuals like they can when the internet or a cell phone is used.

A present day positive aspect of ham radio is an improvement in international signals during the peak of the 11-year solar cycle (which we are experiencing right now). Although you have heard on the main stream media about the current negative effects of these solar flares on communications, hams eagerly look forward to this predictable point in the cycle. The almost fully digitized, feeble, weak-signal world of satellite entertainment and communications dreads this 11-year atrocity. Hams love it. The ionization of the ionosphere by heavy solar activity actually improves the ability of high frequency signals to bounce (“skip”) within the atmosphere to other distant parts of the earth allowing better communications with persons thousands of miles away.

Study for licensing in the U.S. is still easy. The main reason the system works so well is that it is privately operated by volunteer hams called “Voluntary Examiners.” Some charge a nominal fee to administer the test but, only about $10 to recoup some of their expenses for mileage, etc. Study for the license used to require a preparation book which you can still use but, all of the question pool is now available on line at qrz.com for free. You can take as many practice tests as you desire using a test generator on qrz that creates endless numbers of tests using the real questions. The question pool stays the same for a few years, so it is a memorized multiple choice gig (in case you thought the FCC would require real learning; remember the government set this up). Nine members of my family have passed the radio theory tests and obtained their licenses, some advancing to higher license classes, usually doing so as part of their homeschooling when they get to about 10 to 14 years of age.

Reciprocal usage of your U.S. license is allowed while you are travelling in many countries with no additional licensing requirements. Many foreign countries will grant you a license if you simply show them your U.S. license and pay a fee. In reality, residents of many third world countries use modern ham radio equipment for short and long distance communication as commonly as Americans use telephones and no licenses are applied for and no fees paid.

Hope to hear you on the air. 73’s from KK6HG / CP6XZ.

May 4, 2013

David Hathaway [send him mail] is a former supervisory DEA Agent. He is a cowboy and aficionado of Latin America where he has lived and traveled extensively. He homeschools his nine children and maintains the website charityendureth.com.

Ham Radio Freedom by David Hathaway.