Leixen VV-898: Available on AliExpress

You can now order the Leixen VV-898 dual-band 10W mobile from AliExpress for $159.00.

Main Feature:

1.        Dual band: TX:136-174MHz/400-470MHz

                              RX:136-174MHz/400-470MHz/200-260MHz/87.5-108MHz

2.        Dual Reception/Dual Display

3.       APRO: Voice Companding and Scrambler

4.       Multi silent mode (QT/QTADT/QTXDT)       214 groups DCS/58 groups CTCSS

5.       DTMF encoding and DTMF decoding

6.       PTT ID(Voice broadcast PTT ID)

7.       All calls, group calls and selective calls

8.       RX Inhibit/ RXTX Inhibit/Revive(Stun/Kill/Revive)

9.       Monitor, SMQ,MOLO

10.   Scan/Scan add

11.   Channel name edit available

12.   199 memory channels

13.   High/Low power(10W/4W)

14.   APO(Auto Power Off)

15.   TOT(Time-out timer)

16.   Font Set(Big/Small)

17.   VOX(Level adjustable)

18.   Busy channel lockout

19.   Keyboard lock (Auto/Manual)

20.   Multi scan mode (TO/CO)

21.   Channel steps (2.5K/5K/6.25K/10K/12.5K/25K)

22.   Wide/Narrow band selection (25KHz/12.5KHz)

23.   TX Stop

24.   Emergency Alarm

25.   RPT Offset(Single/RPT+/RPT-)

26.   Reverse frequency function/ Talk Around/1750Hz burst tone

27.   Lease Function(can program lease time of the radio at a exact time)

28.    Input frequency by using Keypad

29.   Four key programmable

30.    Wireless changing frequency

31.    Timepiece

32.   PC software disable frequency input

33.    Passwords for menu functions Set

34.    PTT Times per Minutes Set

35.    All/Function reset

36.    13.8V DC Power Supply

37.    Size: 120*85*40mm

Ripe for Abuse

So using this idea, setup a rule for a "friend" in their Outlook when they are away from their desk. Have it trigger on some common e-mail they get frequently. Hilarity and a fist fight ensue.

Hello Computer

To quote Mr. Scott's encounter with an old computer, "Keyboard. How quaint."


Via Alphecca

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Win One

Win one here.

Xiegu X108

So take all this with a grain of salt, because it is just a couple of pictures and a title... but it is from the X1M guy. I figure I'll post it, so we have more eyeballs looking out for it.

"X108 - 20W portable shortwave transceiver"

Wouxun KG-UV8D: 2.5K Steps

BuyTwoWayRadios has the updated KG-UV8D with the 2.5K Steps. They are also including a free 2600 mAh battery upgrade for $159.99 (free shipping.)

Retirement

Well, you guys let me down. Of the 100,000,000 purchases of Ham Radio for Dummies Kindle book that I needed for you to make, so I could retire... you were 999,999,997 short.

And the worse news is the price has jumped back up to $13.99.

Oh well, maybe next time.

;)

Thanks to those who did use the link!

Underemployed and Overqualified

When you put it that way, maybe I will just start saying I am employment-challenged. Some choice quotes:

“There’s no such thing as overqualified, only ‘I can find a job I prefer more’.”

First of all the word “overqualified” should be stricken from the dictionary. Overqualified implies a person with one set of skills is inherently too awesome to do a job which relies on a different (subjectively lesser) set of skills. If you’ve got your head in the clouds it makes sense. If you’ve lived in the real world you know it’s utterly untrue. 

“Overqualified” is an idea which should be killed with fire. It’s a failure of reasoning that crawled from the gaping maws of pinheads who should know better. Nitwits that tend to confuse “someone who can make more money doing something else” with “radioactive”. They also confuse “we treat employees like scum and they crawl on their hands and knees to escape us” with “all those employees that ran screaming from our little hellhole were overqualified”.

So, I'm still looking for a job and I have in my mind what that job should look like. I've struggled with the whole idea of being overqualified - part of the problem is ego (which is basically what the Adaptive Curmudgen is talking about), but on the flip side, I have been passed over for a job because the employer thought I was overqualified and would bolt for greener pastures. They came to that decision after three face-to-face interviews and having at least a couple of unsolicited references provided on my behalf. (Speaking of opposites, there are a lot of jobs where I am underqualified despite twenty years of experience, two masters degrees, and several certifications as I'm not as hands-on as I once was.)

I find there is much less stress when I think in terms of what will make me happy regardless of being under or overqualified:

- staying in Knoxville
- interesting work
- being surrounded by nice people
- not a sweat shop
- opportunity for growth and development
- a good salary and benefits

My desire to stay in Knoxville is the biggest hurdle in finding the right job. Fingers crossed that I will find the job here for which I am qualified and will give me a chance at being happy.

Ham Radios for Dummies - Kindle Version $1.99

You can get the Kindle version of Ham Radios for Dummies for $1.99 on Amazon.com.

There are several other inexpensive titles covering the Raspberry Pi, Arduino, etc. that hams might find interesting as well.

(As usual, if you purchase using my link, I will get paid something through the Amazon Affiliate program. So if about 100,000,000 of you would purchase the book through my link, I could retire. Thanks in advance!)

Via Lifehacker

Game of Thrones OpSec

An isolated computer - no network connectivity. I wonder how many WordStar 4.0 viruses there are out there?