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Mr Tony

Supporting Founder

Last reply Feb 9, 2007 · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion

combining multiple units through a modulator?

Since I mainly have FTA, I'm posting it here

So I was over at Sadoun's site today and I see these Vsat modulators
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Order/VSAT/Modulators.htm

So I check them out and there are combiners, demodulators, and micro modulators.
12/16/24 channel combiner, etc

Now I guess here is my question.

I've seen them other boxes where you combine 1 or 2 inputs and send it through the house to other TV's and they just tune a channel. But I was thinking something a little bigger…something that I can 6 or 7 items into. With a StarChoice box, Dish, OTA and 9 FTA boxes I'd like to have one central spot and pump it through the house.

Can I get by with just one of the combiners like so?
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/JVI/95-TPHC12-Passive-Combiner.htm

or do I need the combiner above and a demodulator for each input I need (to designate a channel)
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/JVI/95-TMD-Micro-Demodulator.htm

I know some people have worked in cable TV or setups like this. How does it work (or am I just smoking something)

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Anole

Feb 2, 2007

two success stories

The hard way:
One of my friends is a retired engineer from a major L.A. TV station.
I just got off the phone with him, to verify these facts...
He moved out into the boonies where there are only a couple of VHF stations around: 3, 6, & 12.
From the TV antenna, he runs through three band pass filters, one for each channel.
Next, he's got a pre amp, and then runs that via RG 6 into the house.
Somewhere along the way, he picked up some surplus commercial modulators.
They're made by Blonder Tongue, and would have been around $350 each, new.
He's set them on channels 7, 8 , 9, & 10.
Because they're commercial quality, they can actually be placed on adjacent channels, unlike consumer units!
The modulators feed some sort of rack-mount commercial combiner, which he says is a pretty simple box.
The combiner's output is fed through the house, where any TV can select the three local stations, or the output of his four satellite receivers.
Yes, he actually leaves three of them on fixed channels for easy access.

The easy way:
Another buddy wanted to combine his cable TV with the output of several satellite receivers.
Obviously, most of the channel frequencies were already in use.
We experimented with some frequency agile modulators like the ones Sadoun sells.
These came from a close-out deal at Radio Shack last year, and look almost identical.
The features are certainly the same.
His cable went up through about channel 79, as I recall.
He tried using a standard high frequency TV splitter backwards to combine the two signals, but had interference between cable and his modulator.
In the end, he got a $30 filter from Minicircuits (I think it was a low-pass) at channel 80
The output of the filter cut the cable-carried garbage above channel 80.
Then, he used a 4-way TV splitter -backwards-, and combined the filtered cable with 3 modulators set to channels 82, 84, and 86.
That seemed to work fine, with no more cross interference.
Now he feeds his three video sources throughout the house, along with regular cable TV.

I described this approach to my TV engineer, and he was impressed.
He didn't knock the design at all. :up

-[30]-

vfrjim

Feb 4, 2007

Anole said:
The hard way:
One of my friends is a retired engineer from a major L.A. TV station.
I just got off the phone with him, to verify these facts...
He moved out into the boonies where there are only a couple of VHF stations around: 3, 6, & 12.
From the TV antenna, he runs through three band pass filters, one for each channel.
Next, he's got a pre amp, and then runs that via RG 6 into the house.
Somewhere along the way, he picked up some surplus commercial modulators.
They're made by Blonder Tongue, and would have been around $350 each, new.
He's set them on channels 7, 8 , 9, & 10.
Because they're commercial quality, they can actually be placed on adjacent channels, unlike consumer units!
The modulators feed some sort of rack-mount commercial combiner, which he says is a pretty simple box.
The combiner's output is fed through the house, where any TV can select the three local stations, or the output of his four satellite receivers.
Yes, he actually leaves three of them on fixed channels for easy access.

-[30]-

I actually do this with mine(Also, there are different manufacturers then Blonder Tounge that are less costly, if you need manufacturers, just ask), but it is not difficult (or even expensive when you find the modulator and combiners on ebay) and since analog transmissions are going away, they are very common to find on ebay for the CHEAP. The pluses out way the minuses due to the fact that the quality of the picture is OUTSTANDING. I HIGHLY recommend this method, especially if you have a rack to mount it all in.

Jim

V_H

Feb 4, 2007

vfrjim said:
I actually do this with mine(Also, there are different manufacturers then Blonder Tounge that are less costly, if you need manufacturers, just ask)

I am asking. Please elaborate on which manufaturers, type of equipments, lines of products, model numbers etc. to look for on ebay.

Thanks.

vfrjim

Feb 4, 2007

V_H said:
I am asking. Please elaborate on which manufaturers, type of equipments, lines of products, model numbers etc. to look for on ebay.

Thanks.

I currently have a few Drake VM2410A modulators and a Holland Electronics HMA-500H , these are all Mono and are too hot (too much signal to feed my distribution amp) so they need to be reduced in power and combined by my Blonder Tongue Headend Combiner model ZHC-12 does the job fine. I use a Channel Vision model T2/8PIA-II that I got here : http://www.asihome.com/ASIshop/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=31&products_id=155 as my distribution amp.

Hope this helps you.

V_H

Feb 4, 2007

vfrjim said:
Hope this helps you.

Thanks.

kstuart

Feb 7, 2007

So, the Radio Shack 15-2541 kits arrived today, and they do indeed include a RS 15-2525 RF modulator.
I hooked up the modulator to my Fortec Mercury II, and - voila - stereo on FTV - over RF - as indicated by both the Wega's onscreen "STEREO" indication as well as the obviously stereo sound. Visual PQ is fine too - as good as the Mercury's onboard modulator.
So, it seems that - just as with many other electronic devices - a several hundred dollar printed circuit board can be replaced by an entirely equivalent IC chip costing pennies.

Sat_addict

Feb 9, 2007

Modulators

I made my own three channel modulator out of some chips sold by New Japan Radio (NJR). The three cable channels are 84, 86, and 88. I have CCTV cameras installed on the front/back of my house on 84,86 and my Pansat 2500a on 88. I bought the Pansat UHF kit so I can have Sat TV on any TV in my house with one 2500 unit. I just bring the UHF remote to the room I want to watch TV in. If I hear something outside I switch to the CCTV channels to see what's going on. The setup works out nice. We live out in the woods so it's also nice to eavesdrop on the deer and other animals that visit us through the CCTV cameras.

I don't think it was mentioned here, but the best place to feed the cable with a modulator is right where it enters the house. This way it will feed subsequent splitters as splitters and not as combiners which could add signal loss to your modulators injected signal. I have a channel 80 low-pass filter installed on the cable where it enters the house to eliminate the digital cable channels (I pay for Analog only) that would interfere with my three injected channels. after the LPF I use a 1 to 2 splitter backwards as a way to combine the analog cable and the output of my home made three channel modulator.

I spaced the channels apart a bit so I would not have to do extensive filtering to the lower sideband which would step on the lower adjacent channel. NTSC is normally vestigial side band (upper side band and fraction of lower) modulated. At times my three channels perform better that what I receive from the cable company.

Anole

Feb 9, 2007

Sat_addict said:
I made my own three channel modulator out of some chips sold by New Japan Radio (NJR).
The three cable channels are 84, 86, and 88.

Sounds identical to my doing it "The Easy Way" description above.
What's the source of those chips? Got a site with a schematic?

Sat_addict

Feb 9, 2007

Anole said:
Sounds identical to my doing it "The Easy Way" description above.
What's the source of those chips? Got a site with a schematic?

The part # from JRM is NJM2259 and they are available from Mouser for about a buck. I just used the typical circuit out of the data sheet which you can easily find doing a search or maybe Mouser has it. I deviated from the data sheet by adding a varactor diode in the oscillator circuit so I could use a 10-turn pot for easier tuning.

I did not document the filter circuit and amp that I added after the output of the chips so I don't have anything I can give you. I have a habit of designing as I go without documenting it when I'm playing at home. I have an old spectrum analyzer which makes RF work easier. The filter was was a double tuned filter for knocking down the lower sideband a bit on each channel and reducing any harmonics. Since I have three channels, I created three separate circuits which obviously needed three 2259's. I combined all three circuits into a 1 to 3 splitter inserted backwards as a combiner. The output power from each channel was about +15 dbmV which equates to about -33 dBm. You may be able to just drive the cable system with the output of the chip without filtering or anything if you can tolerate the sidebands. In my case, even with the filtering, I needed to separate the channels two apart to avoid the lower sideband which was not quite attenuated to standard.

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TRG

Pub Member / Supporter

Last reply 4 minutes ago · posted in Local Radio Discussion

House Passes AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act

House Passes AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act

(Washington, DC) - The U.S. House has passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, marking a major step forward for broadcasters and listeners who have pushed to keep AM radio available in new cars and

wabcradio.com

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Phil T

Sep 20, 2026

I am an old time radio DXer. Always liked to listen to distant stations on car radio and local news while traveling.

Recently bought a Tesla without an AM radio. Thought I would miss AM more then I do.
During 4000 miles of road tripping this summer I found most major cities have AM stations on FM translators.
Granted, a lot of them are low power.
Found most AM stations are available on Tune-in.
FM stations do have EMS and received several weather alerts through them.

The Tesla FM takes some getting used to. You can directly input a frequency if you know it, but the radio mainly will show Icons or stations it can receive. It's different but very useable.

I find myself usually listening to XM or other sources since the sound system is so good.

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Juan

Sep 20, 2026

Phil T said:
I am an old time radio DXer. Always liked to listen to distant stations on car radio and local news while traveling.

Recently bought a Tesla without an AM radio. Thought I would miss AM more then I do.
During 4000 miles of road tripping this summer I found most major cities have AM stations on FM translators.
Granted, a lot of them are low power.
Found most AM stations are available on Tune-in.
FM stations do have EMS and received several weather alerts through them.

The Tesla FM takes some getting used to. You can directly input a frequency if you know it, but the radio mainly will show Icons or stations it can receive. It's different but very useable.

I find myself usually listening to XM or other sources since the sound system is so good.

There is a phone app called " tune in" that streams most am and fm radio stations

N5XZS

Sep 20, 2026

Streaming is nice but by cheating, a no no!!

Better to do true DXing by mother nature!!

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harshness

Sep 20, 2026

Juan said:
There is a phone app called " tune in" that streams most am and fm radio stations

There are thousands of miles of roads that have no practical broadband access. That's why they invented satellite radio.

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meStevo

Sep 20, 2026

Was curious about timing and carve-outs, via Claude:

Yes, the bill has a few carve-outs and softening provisions:

Small manufacturers get extra time. The rule can't be applied to manufacturers that made 40,000 or fewer passenger motor vehicles for sale in the U.S. in 2022, at least not on the same timeline as everyone else — they get extra compliance time. house
An "interim" workaround exists. Until the final rule takes effect, automakers can still sell new vehicles without AM radios — they just have to clearly and conspicuously label those vehicles to inform buyers that they lack AM broadcast reception, rather than being barred from selling them outright. senate
Sunset clause. The mandate isn't permanent — it comes with a sunset provision of eight years (trimmed down from the ten years originally proposed) so Congress has to revisit it as technology evolves. Radio World
Study requirement, not a full carve-out. For self-driving/autonomous vehicles, there's no outright exemption, but the House Energy and Commerce Committee added a requirement that the Department of Transportation study potential safety and innovation issues around AM reception in new vehicles with autonomous driving systems. Radio World

The Senate version (S. 315) is Markey and Cruz's companion bill and carries essentially the same exceptions as the House bill — they're near-identical texts, which is why they've been advancing in parallel. Specifically:

Small manufacturer carve-out. Same threshold as the House version: manufacturers that made 40,000 or fewer passenger vehicles for sale in the U.S. in 2022 get more compliance time — most manufacturers would face a 2-to-3-year compliance window, while smaller manufacturers would get at least 4 years. policyrisk
Interim labeling option. Same as the House bill: until the DOT's rule takes effect, manufacturers could sell vehicles without AM as long as they clearly label that the vehicle lacks it, and they can't charge extra for AM access once it's required. policyrisk
No-fee requirement. AM access has to be standard equipment, not a paid add-on — same as the House version.

One difference worth noting from committee reporting: the Senate Commerce Committee's report on S. 315 found the mandate would have a "minimal impact" on automakers, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating the cost at a few million dollars annually industry-wide, and the law bars automakers from passing that cost on to consumers.

As of now, S. 315 has cleared the Senate Commerce Committee but hasn't had a full Senate floor vote yet — after the House passed its version on September 15, 2026, the Senate received the House-passed bill, read it twice, and placed it on the legislative calendar, where it's awaiting further action. So the two chambers still need to reconcile which version (or a merged one) actually goes to the President. yourNEWS

On timing:

Nothing takes effect yet — the bill still needs to pass the full Senate and get signed into law. But once it's enacted, here's the timeline baked into the bill:

Rulemaking deadline: The Secretary of Transportation has to issue the actual rule within 1 year of the bill being signed into law.
Rule's effective date: The rule itself then takes effect 2 to 3 years after it's issued.
So in practice: For most manufacturers, that's roughly 3 to 4 years after enactment before AM radio is actually required as standard equipment.
Small manufacturers (40,000 or fewer vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2022) get extra runway — at least 4 years from enactment.
In the meantime: Any new vehicle sold without AM radio during that gap just has to carry clear, conspicuous labeling saying it lacks AM reception — it's not banned outright until the rule kicks in.
Sunset clause: Once in force, the mandate itself expires after 8 years, unless Congress acts again to renew it.

So best case, if the Senate passed it quickly and it were signed into law soon, you'd be looking at somewhere around 2029-2030 before the requirement is actually binding on most automakers — and that's assuming no further delays in the legislative process, which given this bill's multi-year history is not a given.

Jimbo

Today at 8:35 AM

I am 1 that wants the AM to Stay ....
That said, since '08 I have had Sat radio available to me ... I think I have turned on AM 3 or 4 times, just to see if its still there.

Fwiw, if theres a Major disaster or bad weather or whatever, the chances of me finding out about it by going to the AM side of the radio is SLIM and None.
Even FM, I haven't really had on since '13ish, I may turn it on from time to time, just to see if its still there.

harshness

4 minutes ago

Jimbo said:
Fwiw, if theres a Major disaster or bad weather or whatever, the chances of me finding out about it by going to the AM side of the radio is SLIM and None.

Automation has seen to that. You can't get evening drive traffic reports where I live, much less disaster reports.

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Scott Greczkowski

Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge

Last reply 14 minutes ago · posted in The Chit Chat Club

Song Name Game Part 3!

Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne

Get it?

An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....

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long_time_Dish

Today at 1:41 AM

Lonely People - America

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hwkn

Today at 2:50 AM

PEOPLE Are Strange-The Doors

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ClarkGable

Today at 6:01 AM

You're Still A Young Man - Tower Of Power

dishstaller

47 minutes ago

In the Still of the Night - The Five Satins

harshness

14 minutes ago

Still Loving You - Scorpions

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Ramy

Supporting Founder

Last reply Today at 8:45 AM · posted in The Sports Section

2026-27 NCAA College Football

Really excited for this season with Kentucky having a new coach and some really exciting recruits. Probably won't last long, but here's hoping this season is great.

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Yespage

Yesterday at 3:04 PM

You mean other than Miami being in the final last year... and Indiana being the only bye team to win a game?

Jimbo

Yesterday at 9:19 PM

Yespage said:
You mean other than Miami being in the final last year... and Indiana being the only bye team to win a game?

No, I was actually referring to outside of the Top 8, but should have been Top 12 ...

I guess I should have looked at the bracket from last year first ...

I'm more thinking about them trying to expect a 15 to beat a 5 seed or there abouts .

AZ.

Yesterday at 9:38 PM

And no teams deserve a bye! Injuries are the largest part of the game that you cant practice for them. Any team can suffer the worst injury at any position on any play. No favorites.

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Yespage

Yesterday at 9:59 PM

AZ. said:
And no teams deserve a bye! Injuries are the largest part of the game that you cant practice for them. Any team can suffer the worst injury at any position on any play. No favorites.

While the bye can help the top four teams and those the Cartels would like to protect in the playoff, I think the bye is also about making the Cartel championships mean something. One problem with a playoff is it does diminish the conference title a bit.

Jimbo

Yesterday at 11:12 PM

Yespage said:
While the bye can help the top four teams and those the Cartels would like to protect in the playoff, I think the bye is also about making the Cartel championships mean something. One problem with a playoff is it does diminish the conference title a bit.

Once the 24 gets here, there won't be anymore Conference Championships .... or so they say.

Oh what the hell, we really don't need Conferences anymore either ... :coco

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Ronnie-

Today at 7:24 AM

Jimbo said:
I'm more thinking about them trying to expect a 15 to beat a 5 seed or there abouts .

I mean you get upsets all the time.

Just a couple of weeks ago. Unranked Florida knocked off number 7 texas. Unranked Auburn beat number 1 Georgia.

This week unranked Cincinnati beat number 8 texas Tech. Unranked UCF beat number 2 BYU.

No reason to think similar upsets wont happen in the playoffs where a low seed can upset a higher one.

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AZ.

Today at 7:53 AM

Ronnie- said:
I mean you get upsets all the time.

Just a couple of weeks ago. Unranked Florida knocked off number 7 texas. Unranked Auburn beat number 1 Georgia.

This week unranked Cincinnati beat number 8 texas Tech. Unranked UCF beat number 2 BYU.

No reason to think similar upsets wont happen in the playoffs where a low seed can upset a higher one.

Yep, wonder why we rank the top 25 in 2 poles still? Do the ranking change much if they are unranked or have many loses? They sure do, any given day never take your opponent as a cake walk.....

Jimbo

Today at 8:20 AM

Ronnie- said:
I mean you get upsets all the time.

Just a couple of weeks ago. Unranked Florida knocked off number 7 texas. Unranked Auburn beat number 1 Georgia.

This week unranked Cincinnati beat number 8 texas Tech. Unranked UCF beat number 2 BYU.

No reason to think similar upsets wont happen in the playoffs where a low seed can upset a higher one.

Correct, you Do get upsets from time to time ....however .
You Don't get teams UPSETTING teams for 5 weeks in a row.

They are trying to make this Basketball and its a far cry from the way that is played.

How long till they go to 32 teams ? Then they will say, well, the NFL is 32 teams, we can make more money that way .... except the NFL is 32 teams, that are a set number of teams and divisions, you don't have that in College ... oh but they will try.

They would have to choose what teams they would want in and thats it.
Hopefully that NEVER happens.

I can see the NCAA going away and the CFP taking that portion over and a Collective Bargaining agreement coming in the not to distant future.

rvvaquero

Today at 8:45 AM

The problem with rankings and playoffs is that they are designed to hype the game and make money. Period.

The only reason that BYU and Texas Tech were upsets is that they were hyped up in the standings in the first place. I love watching BYU and Bear Bachmeier. They are a fun and talented team, but not nearly so strong, fast, big, and skilled as a true top ten team. Does anyone truly believe they could compete with the likes of Georgia, Ohio State, Indiana, Alabama, etc.? Yet, they were ranked above those teams.

Each year, there are 10 to 12 teams who truly could compete for the championship if it depended on winning more than one game in a playoff. Including teams like James Madison, Tulane, BYU, etc. in a playoff has nothing to do with determining a national champion. It's just about money.

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TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Today at 3:12 AM · posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Whiskey Pick: Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omPQDqqbatQ

Direct YouTube Link - Whiskey Pick: Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed

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JSheridan

Lifetime Supporter

Last reply Today at 2:09 AM · posted in DISH Network Support Forum

All DMA's now Western Arc

I know HipKat said that they were working on conversions but we got the official news yesterday right from Dish that starting next month all DMA's will be on the western arc, and all customers will be assigned to that. That's gonna mean a lot of customers around here aren't gonna get Dish unless there are exceptions. Too many mountains and trees.

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MikeD-C05

Sep 26, 2026

I don't know why DISH doesn't just start a streaming version of DISH and then if you can't see the western arc you go with streaming versions and then they could keep customers if they had good internet speeds. I mean Sling TV could be changed to Streaming DISH TV if they wanted since both companies are under Echostar. Then you would still be able to use your ota antenna with Air TV devices like I do with Air TV Anywhere with 4 ota tuners.

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Scott Greczkowski

Sep 26, 2026

MikeD-C05 said:
I don't know why DISH doesn't just start a streaming version of DISH

I have the same wish.

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Strega

Friday at 10:01 PM

Even if you are broadcasting old SD-only shows, I would think advertisers would still want their commercials to look good.

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Jimbo

Friday at 11:17 PM

Strega said:
Even if you are broadcasting old SD-only shows, I would think advertisers would still want their commercials to look good.

Advertisers on SD channels are probably Far and Few, very hard to find, they have very few viewers to watch them.

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Mister B

Saturday at 7:35 AM

Jimbo said:
Advertisers on SD channels are probably Far and Few, very hard to find, they have very few viewers to watch them.

I watch mostly SD channels (H&I, Start and ION, etc.). There are plenty of advertisers, this time of the year it is mostly Medicare Advantage plans, auto extended warranties and the occasional walk-in-tub. They know who is watching.

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slow_poke_pete

Yesterday at 10:40 AM

Mister B said:
I watch mostly SD channels (H&I, Start and ION, etc.). There are plenty of advertisers, this time of the year it is mostly Medicare Advantage plans, auto extended warranties and the occasional walk-in-tub. They know who is watching.

can't forget the little blue m&m's

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charlesrshell

Yesterday at 11:23 AM

slow_poke_pete said:
can't forget the little blue m&m's

That's what my wife calls my Viagra!!

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bnewt

Yesterday at 3:30 PM

Scott Greczkowski said:
I have the same wish.

Why?
A lot of people do not have fast internet.
That is why they use satellite

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NYDutch

Yesterday at 7:40 PM

bnewt said:
Why?
A lot of people do not have fast internet.
That is why they use satellite

DISH will happily sell them a Starlink system and service.

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telstar_1

Yesterday at 8:12 PM

Why didn't Charlie end up launching starlink

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Foxbat

Yesterday at 9:01 PM

telstar_1 said:
Why didn't Charlie end up launching starlink

Because he didn't have a fleet of reusable rockets. Starlink works because SpaceX is able to launch hundreds (thousands?) of their Starlink satellites for what a single geostationary Internet satellite costs to build and launch on a disposable launcher.

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telstar_1

Today at 12:08 AM

But how is it reusable if it's disposable

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slow_poke_pete

Today at 2:09 AM

charlesrshell said:
That's what my wife calls my Viagra!!

My gf is 29 years younger than me :shh

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dishstaller

Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter

Last reply Today at 1:03 AM · posted in The Chit Chat Club

Well crap....Donnie Iris died today

RIP dude. Always liked his music. He was 83

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH5Arbm47IQ

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dishstaller

Today at 1:03 AM

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFmPEgNuELM

dishstaller

Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter

Today at 12:39 AM · posted in The Chit Chat Club

Yosemite HD

This video was put up shortly after I was able to take my family out to Yosemite in 2011. No AI.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6-2fVsFV8E

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dishstaller

Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter

Last reply Yesterday at 11:41 PM · posted in The Chit Chat Club

Might want to watch this before you buy a new vehicle battery

Love this guy's channel. Looks like Walmart has thrown in the towel when it comes to conventional car batteries.

I bought a new AGM battery from Walmart about a year ago, it is already needing replacing. I thought about just buying a regular battery but from what I've read, that might not be a smart move. Might check my Forscan program and see if I can change the battery type from AGM.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awe7kY5nvdU

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harshness

Sunday at 11:33 AM

When you need a battery, you need a battery.

If you can wait, new technologies are on the not-too-distant horizon.

You're probably doing something wrong if you're only getting a year out of an AGM battery. Heat and infrequent charging both significantly reduce lifetime.

dishstaller

Sunday at 12:53 PM

harshness said:
You're probably doing something wrong if you're only getting a year out of an AGM battery. Heat and infrequent charging both significantly reduce lifetime.

Huh? How can I be doing something wrong.....I took out the original battery, that was 6 yrs old and put in a new one.....kinda hard to screw that up. I figure it was just a bad battery....it happens.

The biggest takeaway I got from this video was the Walmart batteries only had something like 85% of battery life left even though they were brand NEW. The ones from O'Reilly all tested 100% of life left.

Jimbo

Sunday at 1:01 PM

dishstaller said:
Huh? How can I be doing something wrong.....I took out the original battery, that was 6 yrs old and put in a new one.....kinda hard to screw that up. I figure it was just a bad battery....it happens.

The biggest takeaway I got from this video was the Walmart batteries only had something like 85% of battery life left even though they were brand NEW. The ones from O'Reilly all tested 100% of life left.

And the Walmart ones mostly had very little warranty.

My last AGM (using now) I got from O Rielly's, its the Super Start ... I got the Platnium, they had several to choose from.

telstar_1

Sunday at 1:14 PM

He sounds like he's trying to sell me a pocket hose.

I just had to replace a car battery this week and thought I'd look into LiFePo4. Amazon has plenty of them, but all have top posts and only one 'also' has side connections (Group 75).Then I read that they're really lousy in the cold. So, an AGM, but again, almost nothing with side terminals instead of top. In researching that, I read that most mfrs in recent years have dropped side terminals and gone back to the old top posts, which is surprising to me since those are more corrosion-prone, cause the battery to need more space and are generally more hazardous. Finally I just threw up my hands and bought a regular lead-acid at Sam's Club. They had a Group 75 "Duracell" with side terminals only. It was virtually the only such battery with side posts on their shelves

arlo

Sunday at 2:20 PM

Had a Die Hard in my folks cellar for over 6 years. Pulled it out, slapped it on a charger for a day. Put it in my 'Cuda and drove it around for a week of my vacation. Next year, the same. But my dad kept it topped off for me.It was a mid 80's battery in early 1990.

Flooded acid batteries like a float voltage of around 13.5-13.8 voltage.
AGM needs a float of 14.2 volts. So if you slap an AGM in where a flooded was. It never gets a full charge.
"Why do they die so fast?" Question answered. There are folks who sell voltage regulators for alternators that are designed to boost float voltage for AGM batteries.
The other way around? Flooded will gas-off a little at 14.2 volts. But seems to tolerate it pretty good.

Lithium car/bike/atv batteries. After 3 batteries in my Harley. The OEM flooded and two AGM's (before the 14.2 volt float requirement to let them live was learned). I bought a lithium for it. 4 year, no gripe warranty after having it tested by an approved store.
The thing started like Thor himself sent a bolt from the sky. Except......try to start it around freezing? Nope. Needed a heating pad.
And I usually like to park it around events in the evening with the parking light on. Looks cool like that.
We could traipse around for a few hours no worries. Hop on, fire it up, and go putt around.
Lithium? A Dakota Lithium at least. The BMS shuts it right down if it discharges below <something>.
Come back. Parking lights off. Won't start. And you know the rest. But it lasted 6 years. A lot better than 'new every two'. And the fact that powersports batteries are warranted for six, maybe nine months. Ludicrous.

I called Noco. Asked all of the right questions. Great warranty. Save some bucks ordering directly, faster service that the wally world alternative.
They addressed (or claimed over the phone) that the shut down was addressed. Sure. The BMS keeps it form being damaged. But if it is shut down because it does become low. Shut down any load (key on, parking or headlights left on) for 10-15 minutes and you get a second try to start your rig. Not a bad thing if it really works. Right?!

Exide, Interstate? Be very afraid. They ain't what they used to be. In Florida my '70 Cutlass had an Interstate (early 90') that lasted 6 years until it dropped its plates at an intersection and boiled over. In Florida, mind you. The last Interstate.....done in 2. Guys down there would suck out the acid and put water in shortly before the warranty ran out. Make it to the auto parts, get them tested. And get a new one pro rated. No more pro rating.
You can't beat an Odyssey. Napa, AC Deco (the better ones). Yup.
The mom and pop Car Quest only sells Die Hard. For a reason, the old man says. So they convinced that a Die HArd Platinum was the hot ticket for me. l will see. Stand by!

You can't cut Mr. Project Farm down. He does great tests of all sorts of things. Not sponsored and pressured to slap a little sugar on his comparisons and reviews. Compared to the Brits and Aussies with their constant overzealous and same sounding (Dave from EEVblog) rant. I like P-Farm a lot. Of course I like AvE (Boltr) too.
Reminds me to beware when wearing shorts around the garage vice.

Opinions may vary.

harshness

Yesterday at 9:17 AM

Jimbo said:
And the Walmart ones mostly had very little warranty.

The days of the 84-month warranty appear long gone, regardless of brand or where you acquired it. Warranties tend to be shorter, with much greater dependence on quick prorating.

The big problem for lead-acid batteries (whether flooded or AGM) is that the US no longer produces lead (the last smelter closed in 2013) and must import it.

Recycling covers a good chunk of the need (~70%), but it isn't free.

EarDemon

Yesterday at 11:32 PM

I've always got regular OEM Ford Motorcraft batteries from the dealership and have never really had an issue. On my old Lincoln Aviator (the SUV from the early 00s, not the CUV of today), I had some phantom drain and went though a few batteries, but that was an anomaly and with the standard warranty I got free replacements. Taking the Aviator out of the picture, I've bought two batteries in my 24 years of driving. One battery replacement in my Mountaineer, one in my Navigator. But I probably would have had another one had I kept it around longer. Didn't have the Bronco long enough, and so far still on the factory battery for my Expedition.

I run more than the average bear. Dash cam, two radar detectors (yes, I'm aware that can be problematic when using simultaneously), laser jammers and a police scanner. I'm in Buffalo, 90 degree summers and 0 degree winters. Once in a while in the dead of winter I'll get an alert from the Ford app saying remote features have been disabled to conserve battery, but it starts right up.

dishstaller

Yesterday at 11:41 PM

EarDemon said:
I run more than the average bear. Dash cam, two radar detectors (yes, I'm aware that can be problematic when using simultaneously), laser jammers and a police scanner.