I have something to add about this meme. I got set a USCensus. It’s a special Census, not the mass mailer they do to all Citizens i feel so special. And it asks your name. It already knows your address…. It asks, if you sold your home TODAY, how much would you put it on the market for. How much are my property taxes, oh… ARE YOU GAY? Well… they ask, what kind of person are you and if you are in a relationship with what sex is that person… and they have EVERYKIND of person there is to list…. They ask, what time do I leave for work, and how long is that commute. What is the address of my job… and WHAT IS MY TITLE … How much I make, i can’t remember if it was before or after taxes… and then what is my commute home… what time do i typically leave… what type of router do i have in my home. how many computers do I own. How many bathrooms does my home have. I’m surprised it didn’t ask me when I took a shit…. I think some of those things are private. I don’t want to answer them. I felt, if i don’t answer the census and throw it away, They will send an enumerator and we will have todo it in person, in my home, which they state they do on all of the warning letters they sent to my home if I didn’t comply and i would be fined. I felt if i lied, they would do the same, and I would still be fined. And if they have on META glasses, or some sort of recorder, now I’m being taped. I’d despise that. Answering these questions made me feel very uneasy. They know my patterns… I hate that. I filled this thing out a few months ago, and I’m still a wreck about it. Some background… I live in Minneapolis, This Special Census went out to a few cities in southern states….not here. I’m gay. I’m an essential worker… a very unique one, very unique. I’m a civilian. I’m not MAGA. I have a passport and I travel enough to have had my picture taken enough times at the airport when DINGBAT what in charge of Homeland security. None of my neighbors got the USCensus… I called and asked them and none of my co-workers that have my title got it either. Privacy is KING. There’s diff types of privacy… you can purposely exploit yourself by being online, and get mad about your privacy rights, or you can be forced into or tricked into self exploiting, therefore your privacy has been taken.

Yes. Thanks for the recommendation and the link to follow more ham friends and get ham information.

I am in the US, and yes, online course work, and in my state, it’s 15$ to take the test at a testing site near my home for the technical license. Thanks for the recommendation on the online course, there are many to choose from, and some of the websites are … messy.

I did see the class/test was all online… easypeasy! I really don’t want to be fined… so loose the chance to not have a license. I’m def going to do it. I hear if you use a hand held it’s easier not to get “caught” as you are mobile. But it’s not expensive. Doing it.

And thank you!! I subscribed!!

Interesting!!! I am a txt chatter, but not a vocal chatter… I do like to Lurk!

No, I’m honestly asking people about ham radios… and if people think of building or if they have or are thinking of getting licensed for them, if they just buy them. I am, and didn’t know if they were thinking of using freewaves to chat with other people. I don’t like the way things are going with having my iPhone having me give so many permissions to use Siri, and Google and the Camera, they all have different rules for tracking Data about me, about what they are doing. Can’t my phone just let me use it and they stay away from my facial movements and my biometrics and store them for their data. It just concerns me. And it’s not that me and I’m paranoid they picking on little old me, it’s everyone. Makes me question why do they want it. From all of US. It feels very 1984 and Terminator. I just don’t like it and wanted to ask if people were using Grassroots equipment. Not trolling or rage-baiting. I’m not about that. That’s why I’m in No stupid questions. Non judgement zone. I don’t have all the knowledge, I have some eeery feelings and just want to ask what people are doing out there… where ever they are. ;). I got some good info from some others… places to start.

GOOD! then I will have plenty of people to talk to!

I do plan on getting licensed, I know I can buy hand held Ham, but I love a project, so I’d like to build my own out of old spare parts. The uglier the better. Any suggestions on the hand held? What sets some apart. Do you have a favorite?

Yes, I’m just feeling with all the spying on my in my home through my phone, all the Machines are just getting too overwhelming. I feel that if there was going to be a revolt from everything, going back to grassroots would be a thing, but learning it when you need it is too late. Until the FreeWaves aren’t Free anymore…… I have some research to do and a project to start! It’s feeling 1984 and Terminator all coming together at once, with Pink Floyd playing in the background, Welcome to the Machine. So Dystopian! As a person who’s getting started in this, and I will do my research, I don’t have any Linux background, and if AX25 is Linux, that is out for me. Do you have an opinion on any of these? I’ve been taking apart boom boxes since 1980s and have built my own PC years back when that was the cool thing todo.

Right!! I know that, and I’d want to get my license… I’m avoiding government officials lol.

I already was chosen for a special US Census, which non of my neighbors or anyone I knew got. I did some research on it, and they were selective on who they were choosing for it. I feel very uneasy about it, they wanted to know my route to work, my commute times, time I left, how much my house was worth if I sold it today, how many bathrooms it had, bed rooms, how much I made, how many routers I had in my home, my cell phone carrier… It was very exposing. And now with iPhone having Unit 8400 working on it and putting their entrails in it, I just feel so exposed. Grass roots is where I feel if shit hits the fan, I’m going to need to know this trade so I don’t feel isolated. If I don’t need it, GREAT! I love hearing new things! I wouldn’t say I’m paranoid, but I’m feeling 1984 and Terminator aren’t just movies anymore.

“Welcome to the Machine” —Pink Floyd.