Sixty years ago, there was a prospect of a ham in the White House, namely, Barry Goldwater, K7UGA/K3UIG. The October 1964 issue of 73 Magazine showed the logical conclusion, namely, an antenna on the White House. And the following cartoons, by Wayne Pierce, K3SUK, appeared in that issue.
Today is the 100th birthday of the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, the first former president to become a centenarian.
I never voted for Jimmy Carter. In 1976, I was too young to vote, and if I had been able to vote, I would have voted for Ford. And in 1980, I proudly cast my vote for Ronald Reagan, and would do so again.
But we have long admired President Carter. He is clearly a patriot and loves his country. He was appointed in 1943 to the Naval Academy, making him a veteran of the Second World War and the Korean War. He went on to serve honorably. He was undoubtedly the most intelligent person to ever serve as president, his credentials including that of a nuclear engineer.
In addition to being the oldest living former president, he is also the oldest living former governor. He achieved that position upon the death of former Minnesota Governor Al Quie (another statesman we admire) in 2023.
Happy Birthday, Mr. President.
In the last few days, we’ve seen news reports of pagers and walkie-talkies owned by Hezbollah exploding in Lebanon. Here’s how we think this operation was carried out.
The devices in question appear to be the Apollo AP-900 pager, and the ICOM IC-V82 transceiver. These models appear to be out of production, but they are still readily available. In fact, the links above are to them on eBay.
The Pagers
The first round of simultaneous explosions involved the pagers. When I first heard about it, I wondered whether it was some kind of software hack, which conceivably could cause an internal Lithium-Ion battery to explode. But it turns out that’s impossible, because the pager actually uses an alkaline AAA battery. (Since Lebanon’s power grid has collapsed, it makes sense to use alkaline batteries, rather than worrying about how to recharge the batteries.) Even if you caused a direct short in a AAA alkaline, not much would happen. Therefore, the pagers certainly had some type of explosive installed in them at “the factory.”
Hezbollah (wisely) abandoned use of things like cellular phones for communications with their people in the field. Since a cell phone relies upon transmitting a signal, even to receive, there’s always a possibility of it being monitored or tracked. Even receiving information via the Internet means that you leave a trace by connecting to some other computer. If your adversary is Mossad, it’s almost certain that they’ll eventually start tracking it or monitoring it. So it’s much smarter to use passive receivers to get your instructions.
This is a time-honored tradition. For example, the words “blessent mon cœur d’une langueur monotone” were famously transmitted by London radio to inform the French resistance that the D-Day invasion was about to begin. (The movie Red Dawn uses the phrase “John has a long moustache.” This is actually a translation of “Jean a de longues moustache,” another coded message (or dummy message) from the movie The Longest Day. I’ve still never figured out whether that phrase was really used on D-Day, or whether it was from the movie.)
And to this day, numbers stations transmit coded messages to be picked up by agents in the field. The general idea is the same: The agent needs nothing more than a passive receiver to get the message. They don’t have to transmit or make their presence known in any way. While the existence of the message (or, if the code is broken, the contents of the message) is known to the other side. But there’s no way of knowing who received the message.
The exploding pagers were just passive receivers. While that model seems to be out of production, you can buy similar ones new on Amazon. They are typically used, for example, in restaurants to let you know your table is ready. They can also be used in a hospital or factory to send messages to employees on the premises. The transmitter is kept locally. When a customer’s table is ready, or a nurse is needed, you simply push the right button on the transmitter, and the pager will sound off.
But there’s no way of knowing who has a pager. Unless you see or hear someone using it (or perhaps, if you are extremely close to them picking up spurious emissions), there’s no way of knowing who has one, or who got the message. You can receive messages anonymously.
Making it Explode
But if you get your hands on the passive receiver before the end user does, there is something you can do. You can make it blow up! All you need to do is add some explosive material, and a means of detonating it remotely. Installing that requires a bit of stealth. But once it’s in place, it’s easy to detonate.
The pager, whenever it’s turned on, listens to its frequency of about 450 MHz, listening for incoming messages. When a message is received, the internal circuitry turns it on and displays an alphanumeric message. It would be relatively easy to tap into this circuit. So, for example, when the incoming message is 011001011011001, instead of displaying it alphanumerically, it just sends a message to the explosives that it’s time to detonate.
If you are on the other side, it’s not particularly difficult to figure out what frequency the pager is listening for. If you capture one enemy pager, then you’ll know that information. Or if you just listen long enough, you’ll realize that there’s a new pager transmitter on the air. All you need to do is transmit on that frequency and send the detonate code. If you’re not sure, or if the pagers are using multiple frequencies, you simply repeat the message. You already know the detonate code, because you’re the one who put it there.
The Walkie-Talkies
IC-V82. eBay image.
Update: Icom Japan has issued a statement pointing out that this model has not been manufactured for ten years. It seems likely that the radios in question were counterfeit, even before the addition of the explosive.
The ICOM VHF transceivers are a slightly different issue, but it’s a quite easy matter to come up with the electronics to detonate one. The IC-V82 is a fairly popular amateur 2 meter transceiver, as shown by these reviews. The version sold to Amateurs in the U.S. cover 144-148 MHz, but other versions probably cover approximately 144-175 MHz.
The radio can be tuned to multiple frequencies, and your intelligence needs to figure out which one. Again, if you are unable to capture one, it’s an easy enough matter to simply listen and figure out what frequencies the enemy is using. When the time comes, you can transmit on all of them, and most radios will be tuned to one of those frequencies. If they hear the right tone or code, they will detonate.
This radio probably does have a Lithium-Ion battery. It’s not involved in the initial explosion, but once the small bomb inside goes off, the battery probably adds considerably to the destruction.
Even though this radio is also capable of transmitting, you are relying only upon the receiver in order to blow it up. You send a signal on whatever frequency the receiver is tuned to. That signal activates the detonator you installed. That circuit can be simplicity itself.
About 40 years ago, I built a circuit that could be used in that application. It never really caught on, but for a time, U.S. Amateur Radio operators were toying with the idea of a “long tone zero” protocol. If you needed help in an emergency, you could transmit a zero on your Touchtone pad, hold it down for a few seconds, and that tone would be used to turn on a receiver at someone’s house. It was a good idea, but it never caught on. But I built a decoder and hooked it to a receiver that I left on 24/7. If someone needed to waken me, all they had to do would be to hold down their zero button for a few seconds, and my radio would come to life, full blast.
In my case, that circuit was on a PC board measuring a few inches. But such a device could easily be constructed to be microscopic, and inserted into another component. It’s hooked up somewhere in the radio’s normal audio stages. When the correct tone is received, the circuit, instead of turning on the speaker, would detonate the explosive.
Sending the Detonate Signal
Once the Israelis know the frequencies, it’s an easy matter to transmit a signal to all affected devices. The distance from Tel Aviv to Beirut is only 208 km (130 miles). The distance from the Israel border to Beirut is even less. So it’s a fairly trivial matter to transmit a signal from an airplane on the walkie-talkie’s frequency (about 150 MHz) or the pager’s frequency (about 450 MHz). According to this line-of-sight calculator, an airplane at an elevation of 10,000 meters (30,000 feet) has a line of sight of 357 km. In other words, a VHF or UHF signal transmitted from such an airplane over Israel will be heard loud and clear in Beirut, or almost anyplace in Lebanon.
Getting the bombs inside these devices was quite a coup by Israeli intelligence. But they would be quite easy to disguise. The circuit could be small enough to squeeze inside a replica of a capacitor or resistor that was already there. But once it’s in place, the task of actually detonating it is trivially simple.
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Image, Angel Studios.
My wife and I just got back from seeing “The Sound of Freedom,” a thriller originally produced in 2018 but shelved by Disney. It was eventually picked up by independent Angel Studios, and is now in theaters.
It’s a movie about human trafficking. It follows the true story of two children kidnapped in Honduras and whisked away to Colombia. The younger brother was rescued by law enforcement in the United States, and the agent involved took it upon himself to rescue the older sister, still in Colombia. I’m sure this true story is embellished somewhat for the silver screen. But given the societal decay we are currently witnessing, it is very plausible. It’s a story where the good guys win. And it should be noted that the good guys include Colombian law enforcement and military.
Variety’s review of the movie dismisses the veracity of the story as “insane nonsense.” Nonetheless, the reviewer goes on to say, “let’s assume that, like me, you’re not a right-wing fundamentalist conspiracy theorist looking for a dark, faith-based suspense film…. You needn’t hold extreme beliefs to experience ‘Sound of Freedom’ as a compelling movie that shines an authentic light on one of the crucial criminal horrors of our time, one that Hollywood has mostly shied away from.”
I agree that the movie is worth seeing. It’s an exciting thriller, and it carries a powerful message that I need to research further. And it’s worth seeing now. It was shelved by a major studio, and it doesn’t have the financial backing of the Hollywood Industrial Complex. If it’s going to be successful, and it’s deserving of success, then it needs to make its mark at the box office now.
You can buy tickets online at angel.com/freedom. Eventually, I’m sure it will be available for streaming, but I think it’s important to show that a movie like this can do well at the box office in first-run theaters. There are a lot of crappy movies these days, and the way to make Hollywood change its tune is to show support for well made entertaining movies with an important message.
Tickets in most theaters run about $12 per person, and we realize that for some people, that cost is simply prohibitive. If you can’t afford it (or if you’re not sure it’s worth it), then millions of free tickets are available. The movie is being promoted on a “pay it forward” basis. Many people (including me) saw the movie for free because someone who had already seen it gave them a ticket. They are then encouraged to buy tickets for someone else. So if you’re not sure it’s worth it, the same link, (angel.com/freedom) allows you to get your tickets at absolutely no cost or obligation. If you like the movie, and if you are able, then you can buy a ticket for some stranger, just like some stranger bought a ticket for you. When you get to that site, you can click on either “Buy Tickets” or “Claim Free Ticket.” After seeing the movie, if you wish, you can return to that site and buy tickets for someone else by clicking “Pay It Forward.”
If you are on the fence, here is the official trailer for the movie:
Image, Angel Studios.
If you’re a right-wing conspiracy buff, then you’ll definitely like the movie. But even if, like the Variety reviewer, you’re don’t fit in that category, you will still find it a compelling film. And if you’re like me, you’ll want to educate yourself on the problem of human trafficking. The movie’s tag line (and the name of one of the Spanish-language songs in the soundtrack) is “God’s children are not for sale.” Let’s make it so.
Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a tomatometer rating of 88%, with an audience rating of 100%. The movie is rated PG-13, mostly for the violence (although not gratuitous violence), sexual content, and “smoking throughout.” Most of our readers will chuckle at the capabilities of GPS tracking devices shown in the movie. But they’ll nod in agreement at the capabilities of the VHF handheld radios used by both the good guys and the bad guys.
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the first time an American president addressed the nation through a hookup of multiple radio stations.
President Warren Harding was on a tour of much of the continental United States, as well as the Territory of Alaska. While in Kansas City, he gave the speech over WDAF in that city. It was also picked up by WGY in Schenectady, NY, WEAF in New York City, and KDKA in Pittsburgh. The wire service story above appeared in the Casper (WY) Daily Tribune, June 22, 2023. It was estimated that about a million Americans heard the speech.
Today is Flag Day in the United States, the anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. flag by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. A hundred years ago today, Flag Day 1923 saw the convening in Washington of the National Flag Conference, an assembly of a number of patriotic organizations, such as the American Legion and the Boy Scouts of America.
As shown by this clipping from that day’s Washington Times, President Warren G. Harding addressed the assembled delegates. The main order of business was the adoption of a code of etiquette surrounding the display of the flag. That code was ultimately enacted by Congress in 1942 as the U.S. Flag Code.
about his experiences living in Kyiv, Ukraine, in the middle of a war. Wlad, like me, is an attorney, and lived a middle-class existence similar to mine, until Russia invaded eastern Ukraine in 2014. He and his family then relocated to Kyiv, but with Russia’s 2022 invasion, he was once again in the middle of the war. His wife and teen son and daughter evacuated to Poland, where they were able to find an apartment, thanks in part to the generosity of friends in America and elsewhere.
He remained behind, partly because he was prohibited by law from leaving, but mostly because he felt the need to stay behind and defend his native land.
The most compelling part of his book is his account of the mundane details of life in the middle of a war. Wlad lives in a fifth-floor apartment building in the middle of a city of 2.8 million (prewar population). Some days, the supermarkets are open, and some days they are not. The mail continues to go through, but some days, it’s too dangerous to go to the post office to pick it up. Power, water, and heat are sometimes turned on, but they’re often unavailable. When he needed dental work, he was surprised to find the dental office near his home open, staffed by dental students. There are even a few accounts of his visits to court on behalf of some pro bono client. To me, the descriptions of how he navigates this dystopia are fascinating, especially since his life prior to the war wasn’t too different from mine. Many who follow this blog have an interest in emergency preparedness, and I’m sure they will also find this book compelling.
Of course, since Wlad is a ham, radio is a main character in the story. He gets much of his information from the broadcast radio, and one of his main roles has become that of radio repairman so that others can remain in touch when their radio has problems. He also recounts listening in directly to Russian pilots and both Russian and Ukrainian troops.
As the title suggests, it’s written in chronological format, and you’ll have a hard time putting it down, wondering what’s going to happen the next day.
The book is available at Amazon, as a paperback, hard cover, or Kindle.
If you feel moved to provide additional assistance to Wlad’s family, please see our crowdfunding campaign to help with their needs at GoFundMe or GiveSendGo.
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Seventy-five years ago tonight in Washington, here were your choices for radio entertainment. Prime-time offerings included Lum ‘n Abner and the Lone Ranger, as well as news commentary from Elmer Davis. And Benny Goodman appeared on the Victor Borge show.
For those wanting to dig deeper into current events, you could tune in at 8:05 to Senator John L. McClellan and Martin Popper of the National Lawyers Guild discussing whether the communist party should be outlawed. If that was no good, at 8:15, you could tune the dial to Rep. Gerald W. Landis talking about pending labor legislation.
The listings appeared in the Washington Evening Star, May 26, 1947.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve noticed that inflation is once again a thing, and prices of just about everything are skyrocketing. But the kids shouldn’t suffer just because politicians can’t get their act together. And if the kids need a nice table, then you can provide them with one at zero cost.
You simply find a cardboard box of sufficient size. (Before you take it, make sure there’s not another victim of the economy living in it.) With a sharp knife (perhaps the Opinel pocketknife we previously reviewed), you simply cut away everything that doesn’t look like a table, as shown in the self-explanatory illustration.
Your parents and grandparents had a lot of interesting stories about how they had fun during the Great Depression, and now your kids will be able to do the same thing. This idea is from the March 1962 issue of Popular Mechanics.
Chances are, the hot new toy that you planned on buying Junior for Christmas is stranded somewhere in a flotilla of container ships off the coast of Long Beach. Maybe they’ll break the logjam before Christmas, but as our Secretary of Transportation had to admit, we probably shouldn’t count on it.
But despite the official concessions of gloom, there’s no reason why ineptitude needs to spoil Christmas. If you get to work now, you can make toys that are far superior to the unobtainium Chinese imports. And for the younger children on your Christmas list, you can’t go wrong with these colorful animals from the October 1941 issue of Popular Science.
All you need is a band saw or jig saw, and a single piece of 3/4 inch plywood 12 by 24 inches. The plywood might be more expensive than usual this year, but it’s probably sourced in North America, and you shouldn’t have much trouble tracking it down. If you don’t already have the saw, keep in mind that they’re also waiting off the coast of California, so you’ll want to get that right away before everyone else gets the same idea.
Complete plans are found on page 178 of the magazine, which you can read at this link. Instructions are also given for the bases and storage box, as shown below. The pattern for cutting the animals is shown at left (click on the small image for the complete full-size version). You simply trace the design onto a piece of 1/2 inch graph paper and use that to cut. When you’re done, the animals should be painted in bright colors, and the magazine reminds readers to “be sure to use nonpoisonous, washable, enamel” paint.
When finished, the set will keep youngsters happily occupied for many hours. As the magazine points out, the toy teaches how to discriminate between colors, recognize the various animals, develop creative instinct, and rewards the child with a sense of accomplishment, all factors recognized as essential to proper development. Chances are, the Chinese toy doesn’t have all of these advantages.
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