[Myrddin]

I haven't done much with my license since the early days of packet radio (late's 80's). We've had a bunch of earthquakes near Pocatello in the last week (over 200). I've refurbished the batteries on all 4 HTs (144/450) and have a openSPOT (sharkRF) coming as a DMR gateway. We have no digital VHF/UHF repeaters in Pocatello. I have a $93 TYT MD-380 coming from Amazon. The community has md380tools with a superb replacement image for the radio and uploads of every DMR registered user on the planet. Connecting the openSPOT to the house network will gateway the DMR radio all over the globe. My wife has a license too, so I registered her call for a DMRID too.

My goal is to put up a UHF DMR repeater with a C bridge to the outside world and coverage over most of SE Idaho. The radios are inexpensive. Technology is mature. The HT is small enough to cart along on trips to San Diego where there are lots of DMR repeaters. DMR is live amateur radio with the convenience of Zello. The intercity networking does rely on a functioning network. Local area repeaters with 2 slot TDMA provide coverage similar to standard analog FM. DMR rigs can talk "simplex" in DMR mode and most have a dual capability to handle analog FM with full CTCSS support.

[Strac6]

Never has the discipline to learn the 5 WPM let alone 13 as a teenager.

As a “Senior”, forced self to get serious about the theory section, got a General.

It was a great mental exercise.