Ham Radio in PLUR1BUS - Apple TV series *** SPOILER ALERT ***

Mike VE3CKO

This is definitely a SPOILER ALERT:

Without getting into too much details of the sci-fi series, if you do watch TV be sure to watch this series. In a couple episodes it shows a character name Manousos from Paraguay who uses a Kenwood TS-940S to search for signals. From the length of the logs in his book you can assert he spent hours upon hours going up 3kHz increments, writes down the frequency, listens for a minute until a buzzer goes then if nothing heard crosses out the frequency. Shows him doing this on 40m, every 3kHz.

I am impressed with how they portray this guy playing radio, how the camera pans the station and the unused microphone, he isn't transmitting, just listening. A later scene shows him on 9.999 mHz, there is no WWV, **** aliens even shut that down too, must be a reason, we will find out. His logs notes something he finds on 8.613 mHz, he goes back to that frequency and we get to hear this signal, then in his log he puts a question mark beside it. This is significant and will play a role in the final two episodes which I am going to watch later this afternoon.

Ok, I bet I am not the only one in the community who has watched this and said, "come on, give me a break". Why is it Hollywood or any of those movies and shows always use decades old radios. We have had SDRs for quite some time now! You have a choice of using any radio on the planet to search for signals, and you choose a decades old radio with a digital frequency readout, hmmm. Gotta get a FlexRadio into one of these shows man !

I told my wife, "with a FlexRadio and it's panadapter you can see a wide range of frequencies all at once and I could accomplish in minutes what took him days. You can actually see the makeup of a signal, not just hear it.".

I know if it were in that scenario I'd be ordering things to help the current situation and to plan ahead if civilization would ever get back to normal. Ordering a few dozen Aurora AU-520 and AU-520Ms. Then get new PGXLs sent to each station modified to transmit outside of ham bands, particularly 8.613 mHz. Again, I have not watched the final two episodes so I'm guessing 8.613 mHz will play an important part.

PGXLs, etc, I'd ask them send me new stock that has been fully tested, preloaded with the latest plus release. Try not to steal from existing orders, in case things get back to normal. Then get them to build me complete stations including antenna farms at per-determined locations. A few crankup/tiltover towers with beams, verticals, loops, 9-cricle receive array, multi-directional beverages and what the heck a few dipoles too, with 1.5" hardline to Antenna Genius's, and then there's the shack. Would take weeks to design but that would pass the time by so I would have to think that there would be nobody to talk to.

They have shutdown the internet too. I'd make a further series of demands, a fibre connection and as backup a private StarLink network to each remote station, both accessible via ip address, fibre using a subnet of 1.1.1.x and 1.1.2.x. Since no doubt most if not all of the FlexRadio engineers are part of the collective, I'd demand they get the band back together and continue software development and release a software update (immediately or I'll scream) with a series of updates including and not limited to, bypassing the need of an authentication server so SmartLink can be used effectively without the internet so I can remote in to any of these stations. While I'm at it I'd get them to send me the MARS modification for each radio so I can transmit outside of ham radio bands. Cuz I think I'm going to need to xmit on 8.613 mHz Oh and get them to enable SMARTSDR+ with a license that doesn't expire, who know what other future features I'd want them to supply me with.

Convince the other survivors to accept one of these complete station so to keep in contact rather than use landline. Otherwise it will be pretty boring listening to static. Key thing to note that I'd be sure to have a good QTH, enough gear, backup power and so on.

This is just the beginning, this can turn into an interesting thread, selfish, yes but all for fun, lol.

On a side note, since they cannot lie, it would be fun to come up with a list of questions to ask them, any takers?

David Decoons, wo2x

I was involved with a short film that will be coming out first half of this year. The Director contacted our local radio club for advice to make the radio scenes more realistic (setting up a “shack” with props, dialogue in script, etc. It was filmed at my friend’s house for the scenes involving radio.

I brought my Maestro C and it was used in the kitchen and living room scenes as the main character was listening for “someone”. I don’t want to give away the plot.

Rhe radio room scenes were using my friend’s K3S and one monitor had SmartSDR SmartLinked to my station.

I could have had it filmed here but my friend’s radio room layout was better suited plus there was more room to shoot the scenes.

Outdoor scenes were shot in a nearby park.

I had fun being involved and getting to see it from the other side of the camera. I will have an invitation to the screening of the final cut.

I will check on release date but again, a short movie. Maybe if it catches on it can be expanded.

Mike VE3CKO

I do now remember you detailing this some time ago. Yes please do let us know what the name of the movie is and where/when it is being released so to hunt it down.

Pierre_VE3KTB

Mike,

Many years ago in my first year of undergrad studies (before the IBM PC changed things) at the University of Waterloo (ON, Canada, a well known computing school up here) there was a large IBM computer room that had been replaced by something much smaller. In those days, smaller meant the size of your bathroom rather than the size of your living room. Anyway, on my tour of the computing facilities, our guide informed us that the large old computer had just been used in a movie, and they wanted the old computer because "it looked like a computer". Lot's of spinning tapes and flashing lights. I suspect the same for the portrayal of radios in many movies/tv shows, the TS-940 "looks" like a ham radio. Our modern sdrs are likely not be conducive to the target vibe. 😁

73,

Pierre VE3KTB

University of Waterloo Physics grad (1981-86)

Mike VE3CKO

Pierre, I was in Waterloo for a few years after college, live on Columbia St near U of W. You must have heard of and/or use Volker-Craig terminals.

Pierre_VE3KTB

Hi Mike,

It's likely, though to be honest it's all a blur looking back that far!

I lived in the "Poets" area west of Westmount.

73,

Pierre VE3KTB