Month: January 2025

January 31, 2025 – The Fourth Turning, Chapter 4

January 31, 2025 /

We are literally mid-winter around here. We are also supposed to be entering winter in the seasons of the saeculum. This chapter is all about the seasons. It covers the major categories of what defines and aligns the period. It also goes through all of the seasons and the transitions of the American focused period. There was a lot here, so let us get into it.

Remember in US history class, it always starts at the beginning? Same with this theory. In this book, it actually goes back further than most US history text. The point is to understand the cycle and subsequent turmoil to actually create the America that we know. Where US history classes focus on the what, this book makes a huge effort on the why.

Like the previous chapters, we ultimately have to add some more labels. Don’t get mad, I didn’t do this but be darn sure that you get this or you will get lost in all of the comparisons. Last week I talked about the generations and their nicknames. This week we get schooled in those time periods. The heroes are still the heroes no matter what stage of the saeculum we are in.

  • First Turning – High
    • 0-20 years old: Profit (Baby boomer) generation
    • 21-40 years old: Hero (GI) generation
    • 41-60 years old: Artist (Silent) generation
    • 60+ years old: Nomad (Lost) generation
  • Second Turning – Awakening
    • 0-20 years old: Nomad (GenX) generation
    • 21-40 years old: Profit (Baby boomer) generation
    • 41-60 years old: Hero (GI) generation
    • 60+ years old: Artist (Silent) generation
  • Third Turning – Unravelling
    • 0-20 years old: Artist (Millenial) generation
    • 21-40 years old: Nomad (GenX) generation
    • 41-60 years old: Profit (Baby boomer) generation
    • 60+ years old: Hero (GI) generation
  • Fourth Turning – Crisis
    • 0-20 years old: Hero (GenZ) generation
    • 21-40 years old: Artist (Millenial) generation
    • 41-60 years old: Nomad (GenX) generation
    • 60+ years old: Profit (Baby boomer) generation

The list above highlights the generations and their positions during each turning. The thing that sticks out in my mind is that Gen Z is the hero generation. This means we need to pay particular attention to that generation because they will be the precedent setters for the next High and unity period. In this theory, the Nomad generation should be solidly in charge by this point but given the size of the Baby Boomers versus GenX, I still do not see that to be universally true.

This chapter also goes into the factors that comprise the individual turnings. Those would be things such as politics, foreign affairs, economy, family and society, population, social disorder and culture. All are fascinating and seem to hold true thirty years after the book was written. I cannot write about all of that, it is too much detail for a weekly summary so I encourage you to read for yourself.

One thing I can say for sure is that each of those factors has a high and a corresponding low. Generally speaking, that is a unifying period in a high to a completely decentralized period in the unraveling. This is to say that the opposite of the hero generation is the nomad generation and so tastes and expectations will keep riding this circle as the saeculum moves on. The same is true with the profits and the artists. The profits start the descent from the unity until the nomads complete it. Then the artist generation starts the unification until the heroes complete it (that is if the Millenials survived the ‘Tide Pod Challenge’).

But that is just it. Social media is unifying the culture in ways that we can even imagine. Yes the Tide Pod challenge was highly stupid. In my opinion so were flash mobs, Ice Bucket challenge and likewise VSCO girls and Tik Tok dancing. It is not the activity nor the platform but the desire to ‘go viral’ that seems to live inside of everyone. It the reason nobody cares people spew opinions to their circle of fiends. I guess that includes myself in that statement.

The thing that this book has really impressed on me is that I used to believe that generations rebelled from rebellion sake. When a society is in a high, what is the purpose of rebellion and destroying that? What I have come to understand is that the cycle is unavoidable. It is the destiny of each generation to fulfill their position in the respective saeculum.

I never expected to get this perspective realignment from this book. It has actually opened my eyes to be more accepting to all of these new ideas and practices that the new generations adopt. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t plan to embrace or even adopt most these new ideas but I can understand where they are coming from and will temper my tendency to denigrate them.

End Your Programming Routine: Next week you will get a break, the chapter is only a couple of pages long. Expect that I will be briefer than normal. Following that we will be reading and talking about the seasons in our current saeculum. That should be interesting to do a deep dive. If you are reading along with me, I am sure that you will agree that mastering the vocabulary is the critical step to really getting enriched by this though provoking theory.

January 30, 2025 – Roads of Our Fathers

January 30, 2025 /

It is a hike of sorts, but it is mostly on paved roads. I have done this twice now and that is a perimeter walk around the defunct military base called Camp Adair. It was a World War II training facility used to gear up soldiers primarily for the European theater. It was a POW camp for a short period of time and it was a nuclear radar facility up until 1969.

The extent of the base is much larger than what today is the official portion of the wildlife area. As an example, in the picture below the closest hill in the picture is actually a garbage dump. This was originally an artillery range which was deemed too dangerous to reclaim as productive land. In the surrounding area, unexploded ordinance is still occasionally found.

What today is the wildlife area was originally the heart of the base. You can see from the picture that I am standing on a paved road. This is an actual road around that heart. I am amazed that something paved over eighty years ago still looks this good. As you walk around the property, most of what remains are foundations and footings. There are still some structures, those contain the active facilities of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. By and large it is whatever the earth has reclaimed since it’s former mission.

I have lived within five to ten miles from this facility most of my life. It sits in-between where I grew up and where I live now. As I have been walking this loop, I have encountered hunters running dogs, I assume rabbit hunting. While I have fished the stocked pond a number of times, it makes me feel like I have not taken advantage of the hunting opportunities throughout my life.

This is one of those places that gets tons of multipurpose use. The newish archery range has been packed since it was built ten years ago. Mostly what I have known was the fishing pond. It is one of the rare places that people fish all year long. The most consistent year around users are dog and people walkers, My parents have picked blackberries, I see many apple trees and who knows what else can be found. The flat, paved roads make a leisurely bike paths. So, while it is a designated sporting property, many other people use it as well.

If you are paying attention, then the title might sound vaguely familiar. Yes, I modified it from the Clint Eastwood film ‘Flags of Our Fathers’. This movie is a historical recreation of the invasion of Iwa Jima. I think the point of the film is to highlight the grit of the figures instrumental in raising the flag on that island. For that reason, it is not purely rah rah patriotisms but showing the fabric and foundation of what people went through to complete an assigned task.

My grandfather was at training here. He was drafted where he promptly dropped out of college playing football for Oregon State University. Then he went to basic training at Camp White and finally here at Camp Adair before shipping out to drive Jeeps around both Europe and the South Pacific. As I walk around the perimeter, I cant help but wonder Is this a road that he was on eighty years ago?

For me, it is a little more emotional question than average. What I mean is not the street or the location but the exact pavement that was there. The level of fear and uncertainty that was awaiting deployment must have been palpable. He arrived in France in 1944 as the war was inevitably winding down. But, during those training years of 42 and 43 the outcome was far from determined.

With Europe in hand, they sent him to Okinawa to serve out his term. The Americans were heavily involved in rebuilding both theaters but Asia was almost exclusively American. Even today, Okinawa has the largest permanent military presence outside of the United States.

Was he a hero in the Iwa Jima sense? Probably not. He never talked about the war even when asked. The only story I ever heard from him was being offered wine in France. As the son of an violent alcoholic, he never drank. I had an assignment in US History to ask a Vet about their experience. I don’t think my teacher had much appreciation for the pain and trauma that war really had. I had three combat vets as immediate relatives and really don’t have a single story, just vague innuendo.

End Your Programming Routine: We have had a nice clear snap for the last several weeks. With the cold north wind blowing on me, I keep imagining this place filled with buildings, people and vehicles. I hear gunshots, not from rifles or artillery but a shotgun blast from a hopeful hunter. These are the roads of our fathers.

Log into YouTube to watch the whole movie “Flags of Our Fathers”. Link below.

January 29, 2025 – Grinders: The Real Truth

January 29, 2025 /

Coffee has been big in the Pacific Northwest for over forty years now. I remember when the first coffee shop opened in my small town in 1992. There was one in the town over that was a product of the hippies and enlightenment of the 1970s but it was shortly before the explosion of drive through joints and ten years before Starbucks came south.

We used to think that we were sophisticated when we would buy whole beans and grind them ourselves at the store’s communal grinder. Occasionally, someone would give you a bag of whole beans, now what? Conventional advice was get yourself a small grinder often used for spices. They were a two bladed operation and were inexpensive at about $15.

No, no, no my friends. It is true that a small grinder will turn beans into powder. But that is wrong for most brews. I should say, I am not a purest nor a snob. I am giving this advice for user satisfaction purposes, not religion. That coffee powder tends to pack dense in the grinder and fall out at the most inappropriate times when you are trying to sweep it into the basket. Instead spraying all over the counter and floor.

The coffee is often serviceable with lots of fines in the pot if using the mesh filter. They will also plug the mesh filter over time because the grind is so fine. We stopped using the small grinder because of the hassle. Instead we tried the ‘Grind and Brew’ type models with similar complaints because it is the exact same technology, just built into the machine.

I have been using the Baratza Encore for three years now. It is not cheap at $200 but it is cheap compared to most in the category. Something like this is what you need for coffee beans. I have no complaints about it from a coffee standpoint. I will admit that it was not properly assembled for the first year and I kept wondering why it was so bad with all of the good reviews. Shame on me, I didn’t have the bowl seated properly and it was actually wide open no matter how much adjustment I gave it.

This is what I have observed. I see very little difference between the highest and lowest grind settings in terms of coarseness. I have also seen different roasts gets different results. I suspect that the beans shatter as they are going through the mill and the more brittle, the more fine they become. As I said above, I am not a purest. The results are fine for me

Maybe a small grinder is really best as a spice grinder? Nope. If you have a volume of spices that you want to make powder, it works OK. Much of the powder gets stuck to the walls and top making it difficult to handle small quantities (less than a tablespoon). That all has to be removed for cleaning unless you like turmeric with your cinnamon and electric motors do not like submersion in water.

Truthfully, I have done very little spice grinding over the years because of what I have reported. But, after inheriting a mortar and pestle, I choose that method over the spice grinder. Rarely do I need spice powder. Mostly what I want are cracked, reduced and mixed spices. Powder can certainly be made with some effort but it is a whole lot easier to clean.

End Your Programming Routine: Is there a role for the small grinder? My answer is yes in something like a vacation rental where flexibility is more important than performance. But then again, who cleans and maintains that thing? Maybe just have the guest buy pre-ground coffee and spices. It is an inexpensive stepping stone to a proper coffee grinder and mortar and pestle. If I didn’t have one, I wouldn’t buy one but I will keep it because it takes a small footprint and has a niche place.

January 28, 2025 – Is This Appropriate?

January 28, 2025 /

Last weekend, I actually got all of my seeds out to see what exactly I had and what I might want to start. As I have alluded to previously, I probably will start plenty more than I need with an eye toward keeping one and seeing if I can give away the rest. Maybe more aptly said, hopefully I can get one to live.

To me what actually makes the cut are hot plants. That would be primarily peppers and tomatoes. I did discover that I have no tomato seeds left but I have bell, jalapeno and habanero so good to go there. I will probably spend the $2.50 or maybe go to the library for a free package of tomato seeds before I start.

More than anything, I want to get a thyme plant going so that also made the cut. I will also plant as much Italian basil as I can grow. These can take a pruning and keep on going but I love to get a huge bundle and make pesto for the freezer. It is fast and economic if I substitute walnuts for pine nuts and so much better than jarred without the weird preservative taste.

Finally, from my seed stash, I have a lot of purple coneflower (or echinacea) seeds. I love all the flowers in that group be it Black Eyed Susan or Daisy and other varieties. They are extremely tough and for me they are perennial (unless you dump four inches of soil on the top of the bed like I did). I would like to find a place to do some mass planting in my yard.

A new development came up about a week ago. My son purchased a lot of tobacco seeds as a birthday present. Within the Liberty and Freedom movement, I have heard of people growing tobacco as a form of tax freedom, so this was not revolutionary to me. But, it is probably not a good idea for my son to be promoting my involvement with tobacco.

I have a deep reverence for tobacco in relation to the historical fiber of this country. Between that and rum, it was a primary motivator the fiber of our cultural heritage. Both of those certainly come with their own baggage related to history as well but the fact remains that the brown gold was an instigator for fortune seekers and the liberty minded.

My view on tobacco is mixed. I do see it as a personal choice. It is definitely muddied by the industrialization of the product. The more fiddling, the more addictive, the more it becomes less of a choice. My personal opinion is that traditional use, say native use came without most of those trappings of crippling addiction and chronic health problems. This would be my same view of recreational marijuana.

Using a different carcinogen, somewhere, somehow a person was exposed to asbestos and that one event was life altering. I am not denying that recreational use of tobacco comes with risks. But I also wont deny that other culture’s relationship with smoking (primarily) has a much smaller chronic effect. That has much to do with diet and exercise and less to do with the habit.

This is not an argument for or against smoking. My own experience has told me that I could never be a day in day out smoker. I suspect that a large part of it is mental but ultimately, I found that I didn’t like how I felt after the initial buzz. It is just not a choice that I want to make.

All that being said, I think I am going to grow some tobacco this year. I would be curious if I could do it and I am sure that it would be a unique skill to know. Even though I have seen it growing in South Carolina and I have been around the processing, I think that there is probably a lot more to know.

There isn’t a ton of information on the seed package but it seems like different varieties are better for certain things. The indications are that certain varieties make better wrappers for cigars. Some make better fillers and so on. Given my limited space, I will probably try and grow something that might work as a pipe tobacco and probably one plant. From what I have seen, they are big plants.

There are a lot of plant sellers at the farmers market. I could definitely see a specialty booth where you are selling a cigar pack of plants with some information on how to process. I could easily see the novelty going for $50. But, that is getting way ahead of myself, it is just an idea of the potential. For this reason, I am going to give it a try.

End Your Programming Routine: I may not get tobacco to grow. I may give it my usual neglect in the ground and never make it to harvest. I also may never harvest or process. I did find myself wondering how much a pipe would cost and I found what seemed like a nice one to me at $75, imported from Italy. In my area, I was in shock that cigarettes cost $10 a pack. You do the math on that.

January 27, 2025 – On True vs. While True

January 27, 2025 /

I say pretty much what I want to say in the podcast. This concept is sufficiently nuanced and complicated that I won’t do it justice in a short paragraph. This is a programming concept and I do my best to distinguish how you would use each type. The reason that I think it is important is all about that ever sharpening logic saw that I keep pushing and working on myself.

January 24, 2025 – The Fourth Turning, Chapter 3

January 24, 2025 /

What can I say, there is a lot here. As I read further, I get a little more confused or muddled because of the context switching and lack of total command of the subject matter. This is one of those books I should probably read more than once to get the best value from it. But, never fear. I am doing my best to get an accurate explanation out.

Generations I get. Seasons I get. Architypes I get. Moving from architype to season to generation, not so much. Let me try to use an example. I am Generation X. At the time the book was written, it was called Generation 13, Gen-X had yet to be universally adopted as Gen-X was used to describe the very latest Baby Boomers (more on that in a bit).

Based on my current age, my season is Fall. Zero to 20 is Spring, 21-40 is Summer, 41-60 is Fall and 60+ is winter. When the book was written, I was in Summer so you have to keep remembering the context of theory and not trying to tie in current day which is somewhat confusing.

Now this is where things get kind of confusing. My architype is nomad. This has to do with the characteristics of my generation. One word to describe that would be alienated. In contrast, the GI generation was the Hero – heroic generation, the Korean war vets (Silent) were the Artist – sensitive and the Baby boomers were the Profit – narcissistic generation.

Imagine the confusion when the book bounces between 13ers/Gen-X/Summer/Nomad. Not only do you need to master time context but also the terms. As I am reading I have to keep recalibrating that calculus to follow along. But it is all good.

This chapter is all about seasons, so hopefully we have all the basic vocabulary down finally. The point is that as the generations move through time, they have roles to play. As an example Fall is the season that generation assumes power or control. In theory, at this time Generation X should be becoming the predominant generation for power.

We should all know from national politics that Trump is a Boomer and Biden is the Silent Generation. As far as VPs go Harris is Generation X and Vance is a Millennial. I think the fundamental question is will Generation X ever assume control? This chapter answered one of my fundamental generation questions. There is a hard line in terms of generation inclusion based on birthdate. But, the reproductive cycle is unpredictable.

For this reason, Boomers and Gen-X have had children that fall into the Millennial generation. The generation that is the most powerful (usually the largest) will have undue influence over the new generation. For this reason, we are seeing the Boomers still hanging on in politics and business leadership. But it goes much farther and deeper than that.

It has to do with societal group think. What are the school board policies? How should the public react to untested vaccines? Gay marriage? Marijuana? Even though a generation might universally agree with positions, it wasn’t until the Boomers were solidly in power that we saw those changes come into effect.

For that reason, I suspect that the Millennials will shortly grab the torch from the Boomers. We will likely see adoption of Trans rights when that generation is solidly in power. Where do those ideas come from? Their spring season of course. Remember which generation had undue influence, the Boomers. See, it is not that hard.

Given that Boomers were born all the way to 1964, that puts the very youngest at 61. It is very likely that Trump will be the last Boomer president. Though not impossible to have one last Baby Boomer president, are we ready for a Gen-X or Millennial president? Ready or not, here it comes and all that goes with it.

End Your Programming Routine: I definitely could have written a lot more today. I feel like I have a much better handle on generations and what there are influences and why. If you are not reading with me, then you are definitely missing some stuff. As an example, the book uses famous names to the generations as well as more than a one word definition to the Archetype. That also helps with context.

January 23, 2025 – A New Year, New Gear Part 3

January 23, 2025 /

It is not as sexy as a new pack for sure. But one of my worries has been having enough water during the day. I have never been in love with the water bladder but it might be something I warm up to. The volume, form factor, weight and the fact that all packs are designed for it are starting to change my mind. The one I have pictured is what I am calling my practice setup.

The reason it is practice is two fold. The bladder pictured is smaller than I intend on carrying. It is also sized to carry in some of my smaller packs that will use for day hikes and less ambitious endeavors. The other is that it is inexpensive. I plan on primarily filling it with water and just carrying around for additional training weight. I would rather do that with a $10 item than a $50 item.

I have been thinking. I may in fact choose to carry two bladders. Here me out, if water is a mile away, then I don’t want to fill up at the end of the day and then cook, wash, etc only to have to go back another mile the next day before starting. That would give me the capacity to carry additional water to the camp site without making an extra trip.

It is also a known fact that I am preparedness minded. Water is primary to life, I can loose all my food to a bear or something but without water, that can be terminal. If for some reason my one reservoir breaks, doesn’t hold water or doesn’t work there are no other options. I was also trying to solve how to carry up to 6L of water, I think this is it.

My boys are users of water bladders for years. It is common for me to see them sitting on the dish drying rack for a month while I patiently wait for the boys to deal with them until I finally have had enough. For that reason, I invested in a cleaning kit that also includes a hanger or spreader. I take care of my stuff, even cheap stuff but I hope that they will too.

To the far right, is the worlds most expensive piece of aluminum. Of course the purpose is to dig holes. Reading the instructions, I was surprised to read that the initial digging was with the handle. Then you flip and pry with the spade side. We all know what the holes are for, but it would be useful for clearing tent sites and other things a shovel is for.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t appreciate water and sanitation. You might even say that I take it for granted because I have never really been effected by the lack thereof. That being said, I am a student of history and take any pre-modern event and look at the lack of sanitation. The Oregon Trail being a very famous one but more people died from disease than the battle field in Civil War.

It is not to say that pre-modern man dug holes before doing business but in a concentrated area like the PCT, nobody wants to see that. That is the real purpose, not that it is going to contaminate the earth. Another interesting factoid that I heard on the Outside podcast was that in the Grand Canyon, everything needs to be packed out, everything. Supposedly, the humidity is so low that waste never decomposes, so it is not allowed.

This is exactly the kind of thing that needs some practice and that is why I am working to get geared up in order to do that. Maybe I will find I don’t like the bladder, I haven’t used it but I have carried it. I chose the shovel because it was light. If it sucks digging holes, then it would be a lot better to know that now so I can start looking for and alternative.

End Your Programming Routine: Not every week am I going to be able to buy (and write about) new gear. Next week will be one of them. I am not sure exactly what is next on the gear list. Clearly, I have been on a buying frenzy since the beginning of the year. Christmas, my birthday and good fortune have aligned for that. No matter what I choose, I have a list of things and I will keep plugging at it until it is time to go. However you slice it, water and sanitation are not sexy but critical.

January 22, 2025 – Hot Dish Confidential

January 22, 2025 /

Hot Dish Confidential: That Year My Friends Taught Me to Cook by George Sorensen was the Left Coast Culinary book club selection for January. As it turns out, one of our club members has a shirt tail connection to the author and apparently he lives locally even though the story largely takes place in Minneapolis.

I am just going to have to play the hand that I am dealt. The book starts out really promising with a description of a family dinner at a restaurant that no longer exists about a hour from me. I couldn’t follow exactly but somehow George feels guilty about the fact that he cannot cook and starts what could best be described a dinner club.

According to the book, the author takes the lead in organizing themed dinners where each of the participants contributes something to the effort. There are a some differences between what they do and what we do. Ours is a dinner theme based on a book. It seemed like many people were actually cooking immediately before the meal in most months of the book. They sometimes incorporated costumes and there was one person in charge of wine.

The theory is that this is a story of a year learning how to cook. Therefore, each chapter is a month to make up that year. My criticism is that he never really talked about learning to cook. The way that I read it, George organized each dinner an nearest I can tell he learned by being there. On top of that, I would guess that at least a third of the book is him travelling to other countries and at least one section he talks about how he was suckered into an Amway meeting.

To be blunt, the book is poorly written and would benefit from some serious structural editing. Late in the book, he starts talking about Susan as someone special like it was obvious to the reader. I inferred that this was to be his eventual spouse but there was no mention prior and I even went back to re-read the previous chapter to see if I missed something. I got the feeling that most of the book were events in his life that were thrown into a blender and reordered to fit into the idea of the book.

I definitely understand that travel and culture can relate to appreciation of food and by proxy recipes and technique but I have never learned anything about cooking by going to a restaurant. Given that was such a prominent proportion of the book, I have to call bull on the premise in the first place. The book would have been so much better if it had just been anecdotes of a year of this supper club.

Even the title is misleading. There is a small definition of Hot Dish in the beginning. For those of you that don’t know, Hot Dish is midwestern term for casserole. It is what it is, not fine dining but as much as I like good food, I don’t turn up my nose at casserole. Other than a couple of pages, Hot Dish played no role in the book at all. Just based on title, I am disappointed that the book wasn’t more relatable or down to earth.

It was not one hundred percent bad, I enjoyed learning about how they ran their club. There were some recipes in the book. I made the Asparagus quiche for the meeting and it turned out well. There was a number of ideas and pairings as a result the monthly menus that I think were inspirational.

End Your Programming Routine: It is not a cookbook, it is not even a cohesive story. Because this book club is a voluntary event that I enjoy, I do not regret reading the book but I cannot recommend it given so many other choices out there. If I had one piece of advice for George, the author I would say rework this thing so he could make a much more compelling argument for reading.

January 21, 2025 – Two Scanners Scanning

January 21, 2025 /

Six months ago, I had zero scanners and now I have two. Most work days I will have both of them on because I have a lot to learn still. I figured out a couple of channels by using Radio Reference. The real reason that I have two is that I would like to have one not just in my office but also upstairs, where we live.

My newest scanner (the handheld) has a neat, preprogrammed set of frequencies that are commonly used by emergency services. I have learned at least three new channels that I didn’t see on the Radio Reference database. Eventually, I am going to add them to my stationary scanner so that I get a more comprehensive listen to what is going on.

The thing about the pre-programmed scan list is that there are so many channels that it takes it takes about 5 seconds to scan through and I am pretty sure I am missing most of the conversations that are taking place. I think this because sometime I catch the tail end of the conversation on the handheld that I have been hearing on the larger scanner. This means that there is a meaningful limit to the number of channels to put into a scan group.

Another cool thing with the handheld is that is have several built in scan-lists. For instance there is a CB list. So I could run the scanner to determine a good channel to talk on. It also has a VHF channel list. This would be more helpful in a marine environment where I could listen to Coast Guard radio. Most of those channels are reserved for certain purposes like ships and harbors.

Do I need to have two scanners running? I don’t think so but once again there does seem to be a practical limit to the number of channels that effectively are scanned in any one group. I am doing it to collectively build a better list of channels. I cant say if the ones on Radio Reference are old or out of date or what. I could imagine a situation where you might not want the scanner to jump to public works while things were getting hot.

Currently, of the two I am liking the handheld better. It has an electric plug as well as batteries making it portable. It seems to get decent reception despite the fact I have the desktop version plugged into an exterior antenna. My only knock is the programming and use seems to be more complicated and less intuitive than the desktop. Actually, I have to read the manual each time I want to do anything for either. So, that is not saying too much.

Both of these I purchased from eBay for about $50 each. Don’t be surprised to find them for a significantly higher price though. You just have to keep an eye out and jump on the opportunity for lower price. What you might find for higher priced models is more accessories or possibly better condition. Then again, just keep watching for a good one.

I have yet to figure out how to handle trunking (or digital channel skipping) and that may be why I have not really figured out the Law Enforcement frequencies. Be aware that technology moves on and buying used may not get you what you want to hear. Do the best you can to research what technology your local agencies are using and compare that to the used models out there. Both of mine support dual trunking but not triple trunking. Fire, medical, public works are all using standard radio.

What I am saying is be wary of paying too much for something that might not meet your needs. You might end up disappointed. On the other hand, sometimes an out of date scanner for $20 may be exactly the entry point you want without breaking the bank.

End Your Programming Routine: Don’t be surprised if I end up with three scanners. I would love to own the Uniden Home Patrol for the very reason that it would shortcut a lot of the trial and error that I have been doing. Basically, you put in your zip code and a database with all of the active frequencies are ready to go. These are things that often come with subscription services and other costs (which is why I don’t have any now).

January 20, 2025 – Winter Is the Time For Rest

January 20, 2025 /

Since the beginning of time, man and nature rested in the Winter. I think I am inventing a new tradition. Just kidding, but today I talk about current events in my life and what my plans are moving forward. There is a reason the saying ‘No Rest For the Wicked’ is common. It describes me perfectly.