Path: ...!3.eu.feeder.erje.net!feeder.erje.net!news2.arglkargh.de!news.karotte.org!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: "Carlos E.R." Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design Subject: Re: AM radio law opposed by tech and auto industries is close to passing Date: Sat, 4 May 2024 22:29:46 +0200 Lines: 53 Message-ID: References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net 5iK1Y3N90thJ64uFnmzm9AgJRpeEOKJYLUHRYkFmchrljvUdZF X-Orig-Path: Telcontar.valinor!not-for-mail Cancel-Lock: sha1:SmYAiV3b3Xgz78RgAPeGmfE9aw0= sha256:oJ9JRIb7V/eui2Uy8YQmCAW6TtuUhRFY2W4InTE5dPQ= User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Content-Language: es-ES, en-CA In-Reply-To: Bytes: 3308 On 2024-05-04 12:33, Don Y wrote: > On 5/4/2024 3:23 AM, Carlos E.R. wrote: >> On 2024-05-02 21:34, Don Y wrote: >>> You can legislate requirements for broadcasters (as a condition of >>> granting them use of the air waves) mandating they "conduct periodic >>> tests of (an) emergency broadcast capability".  But, you are ultimately >>> reliant on them to maintain that capability, despite any pressure on >>> profits, etc. >>> >>> We routinely lose TV reception due to outages on the mountain (where >>> most of the transmitters are located).  Imagine the consequences of >>> an earthquake or wildfire in areas where transmitters (or repeaters) >>> are located.  Or, hurricane, tornado, flood, etc. >>> >>> Not everyone owns a cell phone -- or keeps it ON for the convenience >>> of CALLERS!  The same can be said of all broadcast media (do I have >>> to keep a radio/TV ON 24/7/365 "just in case"? >> >> The cell network is very vulnerable to disasters, you can not rely on it. > > Especially if the disaster is "local" to the folks you want to inform. Or takes out the exchange, which controls a large region. Depending on the population, 50 to 500 Km radius, I think. > >>> AM radio can be leveraged for wide area coverage without requiring >>> lots of other technology to keep it operational.  And, the receivers >>> can run for long periods of time on batteries (that are likely >>> stale) or clock-spring mechanisms (emergency radios). >> >> I have seen radios with a hand spun dynamo. > > I have one with a clockwork mechanism -- wind up a large spring and > it drives a small "generator" as it unwinds.  It takes about 5 minutes > to unwind completely so it's a relatively low "winding" duty cycle. > > But, it is large-ish. > > It also has solar cells and a small, internal battery (which is toast; > but, attempting to disassemble it to replace the battery would likely > result in a mess of gears and torsion spring parts!)  As the spring > mechanism > will run the radio despite the bad battery, it seems a safer plan to just > tolerate the bad battery! That's a bad design, that the battery of such a thing can not be replaced "easily". -- Cheers, Carlos.