Channel Title: Geerling Engineering Channel Description: Fun experiments, thoughtful guides. All things tech, electronics, and computing! <video> Meshtastic off-grid radio: Fantastic? Waste of Plastic? Or... Description: A few months later, is Meshtastic all it's hyped up to be? We test range, radios, antennas, communications, and tell you all that we've learned. Here's my video on the T-Deck: https://youtu.be/2Ry-ck0fhfw Some of the resources mentioned in this video: - Meshtastic: https://meshtastic.org - Muzi works H1 / R1: https://muzi.works/collections/all - Lilygo T-Deck: https://www.lilygo.cc/products/t-deck - Heltec V3: https://heltec.org/project/wifi-lora-32-v3/ - Augustana College students build Meshtastic nodes: https://www.wqad.com/article/news/local/meshtastic-devices-text-without-internet-cell-service-satellite/526-80a1a95a-4734-4ba9-8e2d-4b13561fef10 - Asheville residents talk Meshtastic after Helene: https://www.reddit.com/r/asheville/comments/1fw5022/is_anyone_considering_meshtastic_as_a_starlink/ Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://www.redshirtjeff.com 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GeerlingEngineering 3rd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Level2Jeff Contents: 00:00 - We have some opinions on Meshtastic 00:49 - Jeff's radios 01:37 - Dad's radios - and a spicy pillow! 02:15 - Drones and Line-of-Sight 05:13 - Truly-off-grid T-Deck 07:05 - BETA 08:31 - Privacy and self-doxing 09:34 - "Long" Range and overloading the mesh 10:22 - Good radio, bad radio 12:11 - Antennas and 915 MHz 13:18 - Physics is physics 15:21 - No license required 16:42 - Emergency use </video> <video> This old tech could cost automakers BILLIONS Description: The Center for Automotive Research says it would cost the industry $3.8 billion dollars to solve interference problems in EVs to put AM radio in new cars. It's a wonder any EVs on the road today have AM radio tuners, then! But they don't seem to happy with new legislation, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. We dive into this spat between the radio industry, automotive manufacturers, and the US government. Resources referenced in this video: - CAR estimated $3.8 Billion cost: https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/report-solving-analog-am-interference-in-evs-could-cost-billions - AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1669 - Ars Technica coverage: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/05/am-radio-is-a-lifeline-lawmakers-say-tech-and-auto-industries-disagree/ - CTA EAS Test Survey results: https://cdn.cta.tech/cta/media/media/pdfs/cta-u-s-adult-emergency-alert-survey-2023.pdf - CTA's page against the AM radio mandate: https://www.cta.tech/Advocacy/Issues/AM-Radio - How the EAS Alert was Broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsp_N83_AzE The AM radio we're using in the video is the Sony ICF-506, in case you were wondering. If you want one, you can use our affiliate link to pick one up! https://amzn.to/3UPWGdz Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://redshirtjeff.com 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GeerlingEngineering 3rd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Level2Jeff Contents: 00:00 - 3.8 billion dollars 01:30 - Asking a radio engineer 07:56 - AM interference (spurious emissions) 10:19 - What must be done? </video> <video> This 100-year-old tech splits my voice in five Description: Geerling Engineering encounters a phasor at the 8-tower site of WSDZ-AM in Belleville, IL—formerly a Radio Disney station! Special thanks to Aaron Cox and Relevant Radio for letting us see this tower site! Resources mentioned in this video: - Antenna Theory Directivity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysNkjEnoRsU - How Does Starlink Satellite Internet Work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs2QcycggWU - We made a hot dog talk... with RF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgDxXDV4_hc - If I touch this tower, I die: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aax-ehkRTnQ Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://redshirtjeff.com 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/GeerlingEngineering Contents: 00:00 - It splits your voice? 00:59 - Set Phasor to 'stun' 05:26 - Day and night patterns 07:33 - A 'dummy' load? 10:38 - Signal routing and monitoring 11:44 - Power and a massive grounding system 13:59 - Strange parts 17:14 - Designing an 8-tower array </video> <video> If I touch this tower, I die Description: KMOX-AM is a 50kW clear channel station in St. Louis, MO; take a tower of the tower and transmitter site! Special thanks to Audacy and KMOX-AM engineers for assisting us with this tower tour. Find KMOX online here: https://www.audacy.com/kmox Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://redshirtjeff.com Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/GeerlingEngineering Contents: 00:00 - 50,000 Watts 00:23 - The tower is the antenna 04:12 - The ATU (Antenna Tuning Unit) 11:30 - Transmitter building 14:03 - PEP Station (EMP-proof) 15:28 - Transmitter building (and power distribution) 20:50 - Giant tower lights, and the !@&(* button 23:41 - Guy wires and a full-service restroom 25:31 - Transmitter room 37:43 - Backup studio and MREs 39:34 - A century of tools in the workshop 41:21 - Fried frogs and other tails </video> <video> Cooking with AM radio Description: DO NOT ATTEMPT! Full video coming soon, but here's a taste of our experiments with the 12kW AM transmitter, cooking hot dogs on a stick. Any questions? Please comment! Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://redshirtjeff.com Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JeffGeerling </video> <video> This AM radio still costs thousands of dollars—why? Description: My Dad put his Potomac FIM-21 Field Intensity Meter on the bench. In 1986, this radio cost $1,950—which is nearly $6,000 today! (And this isn't even the most expensive AM radio today—there's a newer version for $15,000!) It measures the field intensity of AM radio signals in volts, and a calibrated unit like this one can be used for official readings sent to the FCC for broadcast stations in the US. A few other things we mentioned in this video (some links are affiliate links): - Potomac FIM-21 Field Intensity Meter: https://pi-usa.com/legacy-products/ - RTL-SDR v4 dongle: https://amzn.to/3KvDbku - SaferCCTV AN-200 Indoor AM Loop Antenna: https://amzn.to/3KvDdZE - Gqrx SDR software: https://www.gqrx.dk - We made a hot dog talk... with RF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgDxXDV4_hc - Workbench build video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV1Iv9bXkdI Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://www.redshirtjeff.com 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GeerlingEngineering 3rd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Level2Jeff Contents: 00:00 - Field Intensity Meter 21 01:13 - Over 900! 02:22 - How to take a measurement 03:14 - Loop antennas, nulls, and SDR 05:56 - External antenna testing 08:16 - What about FM? 09:16 - Why it costs thousands of dollars 10:46 - Field Calibration 13:33 - Is it still useful? 14:46 - The importance of calibration 15:50 - Justifying the cost... with a hot dog? </video> <video> Why is the invisible part of this radio tower so important? Description: Huge thanks to Kevin Kidd for coming to the tower site and talking to us! You can find out more about his work here: http://www.amgroundsystems.com Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://www.redshirtjeff.com Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JeffGeerling 3rd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Level2Jeff Contents: 00:00 - The Ground Whisperer 00:45 - Exploring the base of an AM tower 05:26 - The most important part of a grounding system 07:04 - How many ground rods do you need? 08:42 - Why so many radials? 11:11 - What causes the most damage to grounding systems? 11:59 - Does depth matter? What about hot dog VSWR? 13:37 - How do you test a grounding system? 17:19 - Guy wire effect on tower performance 19:36 - Is it safe to live near an AM tower? 20:40 - How do you learn cadweld and soldering technique? </video> <video> We made a hot dog talk... with RF Description: DO NOT TRY THIS. Seriously. That out of the way, we devised a test to see just how dangerous the RF energy can be on an AM tower, if someone were to touch it while it was transmitting. This tower was operating under 10 kW. There are many AM towers broadcasting at _much_ higher power levels, so they are even _more_ dangerous. RF burns can kill, and there's a reason there are fences around these towers. Hopefully we have satiated your curiosity with this video. Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://redshirtjeff.com 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/GeerlingEngineering </video> <video> Building the ULTIMATE Electronics Workbench (with my Dad) Description: It's finally time to start setting up the new Geerling Engineering workbench! This video shows the setup process in the studio, and some of the first tools to go on it. Here are some of the things we mentioned in the video (some links are affiliate links): - UltraHD Workbench: https://amzn.to/44A93h5 - We Made a Hot Dog Talk... with RF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgDxXDV4_hc - ShelfLink Shelf Brackets: https://amzn.to/4b8Tnnl - DataVac Duster: https://amzn.to/3yaXfFX - ATEngeus AC Air Duster: https://amzn.to/4du6e5b - Scientific Americas ESD Mat: https://www.ebay.com/itm/272769915697 - Ken's Custom Crafts (he made the beautiful magnetic pickup tool!) https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090090706988 - QUANSHENG UV-K5 Radio: https://amzn.to/3QDAG2S Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://redshirtjeff.com Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JeffGeerling Contents: 00:00 - A workbench to honor a brother and uncle 01:21 - The bench 02:08 - Shelves with ShelfLinks 05:35 - Cutting wood 07:17 - Screwing in wood 08:23 - Jeff goes solo 10:59 - Setting up the bench 11:25 - Dad's back! 12:19 - Initializing the gear 14:19 - The final touch 15:54 - What are we missing? 17:13 - Spurious emissions 18:04 - Audience participation 19:29 - The memorial workbench's many arms </video> <video> This radio tower fries frogs! Description: That's what 50kW'll do to you, be safe around RF! Full video of our tour of the KMOX-AM transmission site coming soon, stay tuned ;) Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://redshirtjeff.com Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JeffGeerling </video> <video> They stole the WHOLE TOWER?! Description: The 200 foot radio tower for WJLX-AM in Alabama went missing. Is there more to this story? It seems like a lot of information is missing from early news reports—and just what is an FM translator, anyway? We'll cover all that in this video! More info and articles mentioned in the video: - WJLX 101.5 FM (1240 AM) website: https://www.wjlx1015.com - FCC AM Station Profile for WJLX: https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/am-profile/wjlx - Coverage from CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/08/us/stolen-transmitter-radio-tower-jasper-alabama/index.html - Discussion on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/1am3iza/alabama_station_in_disbelief_after_200foot_radio/ - Discussion on Radio Discussions: https://www.radiodiscussions.com/threads/wjlx-200-tower-reported-stolen.769741/#google_vignette - Video of AM transmitter off air (2013): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Srg9WEPzw Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://redshirtjeff.com Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JeffGeerling </video> <video> We found the strangest AI tech at CES 2024 Description: CES 2024 got weird. AI was everywhere, and the theme of the year was "add AI before any word and see what sticks". Here's our take from the show floor! Here are links to some of the things we mentioned: - Kohler's Smart Toilet: https://www.kohler.com/en/products/toilets/shop-toilets/numi-2-0-one-piece-elongated-smart-toilet-dual-flush-30754-pa?skuId=30754-PA-HB1 - AI Crap: https://waterplantir.com - Indy Autonomous Challenge: https://www.indyautonomouschallenge.com - Marvoto Fetus Camera M2: https://www.medicalexpo.com/prod/marvoto-technology/product-4577699-1069669.html - DolbomDream Huggy Vest: https://en.dolbomdream.com/ - Straffr Smart Fitness Band: https://en.straffr.com/en-us - Apex Storage X21: https://www.apexstoragedesign.com/apexstoragex21 - Cammy AI Highchair Cam: https://mastodon.social/@geerlingguy/111741678105702486 - Marvoto Ultrasound Z2 Pro Body Fat Scanner: https://www.fptmed.com/products/ultrasound-scanner-marvoto-z2-muscle-fat-scanner - eVTOL Flying Car: https://www.aeroht.com - AI Life: https://ailife.ai - Nomo smart care: https://nomosmartcare.com - Concha Labs OTC Hearing Aids: https://conchalabs.com - Stern Pinball: https://sternpinball.com - Proto Hologram: https://protohologram.com - iNixie Nixie Tubes: https://inixielab.com - Interview with Eben Upton at CES 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lky4FSfbc1E Special thanks to Arm for sponsoring our trip to CES 2024 (they did not sponsor this video, but they did pay for our travel for a video on the Jeff Geerling channel!). Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://redshirtjeff.com 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/GeerlingEngineering #CES2024 #AI Contents: 00:00 - AI hype train 01:03 - Our top 3 04:16 - WIERDEST tech at CES 07:29 - What tech's coming home in 2024? 09:53 - More sightings at CES 11:42 - Expensive tech </video> <video> How dangerous is AM radio? (ft Plasma Channel) Description: What do you get when you touch a bratwurst or a pickle to 7 kW of AM RF? Science! Note: DO NOT mess with AM towers. Or, really, any towers which you're not qualified to work on. RF burns hurt—and they don't really heal. Check out all our experiments at the 12 kW AM radio transmitting site just outside St. Louis, MO, with special guest Jay from @PlasmaChannel! Related videos: - Plasma Channel's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NowhPAMDOTo - Original hot dog experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgDxXDV4_hc - Phasor video - 8 tower AM array: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49bwwQxUgcs And huge thanks to Covenant Network for allowing us to do our testing on their equipment, and to Adam Wright, who coordinated with us for the bratwurst experiments :) Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://redshirtjeff.com Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JeffGeerling Contents: 00:00 - Plasma and high-power AM radio 00:57 - Hot Dog 02:02 - Pickle 02:48 - How does AM radio work? 04:04 - Pickle, Analyzed and Tasted 05:40 - Bratwurst 06:05 - Vegan Hot Dog 06:47 - Corn Dog 08:14 - A.M. Breakfast Sausage 08:39 - Hot Dog Warmer 09:50 - Did we break the transmitter? 11:52 - How is the signal affected? </video> <video> When smartphones fail — free P2P wireless mesh networking Description: Open source, off-grid, decentralized mesh networking on small, affordable devices. That's Meshtastic! You can learn more about the protocol and how to get started at https://meshtastic.org HUGE thanks to Muzi Works for reaching out after Open Sauce and sending over their H1 and R1 pre-built Meshtastic radios! You can find out more about them and see all their products here: https://muzi.works They did not pay us anything to make this video, but they did send the radios that we're using to learn Meshtastic (thus the 'Paid sponsorship' disclosure at the beginning of the video!). I've also ordered a few extra radios and my Dad and I are starting to learn about this fancy new radio tech! The map I showed near the end of the video is here: https://meshmap.net There's another map here: https://meshtastic.liamcottle.net — and there are even others out there too... it's kind of the wild west right now in Meshtastic-land! Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://www.redshirtjeff.com Jeff's Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JeffEngineering 3rd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Level2Jeff Contents: 00:00 - What is Meshtastic? 01:33 - Setting up the node 04:30 - First mesh message! 06:08 - We're still learning 07:41 - Meshtastic uses? </video> <video> Engineers React to 1100 ft Radio Tower Climb Description: Watch an 1115 ft tower climb, inspecting the Supertower's combined antenna system. Special thanks to Aaron Cox for sharing this footage, and talking to us about the tower and how he got the shots! Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy Merch: https://www.redshirtjeff.com 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GeerlingEngineering 3rd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Level2Jeff Contents: 00:00 - 250 kW to 1115 ft 00:20 - Drone footage 02:35 - RF safety during a climb 03:26 - Drone safety and communication during a climb 06:54 - Hanging out on a line 08:21 - Multiple antennas 10:13 - What if they drop something? 11:47 - Antenna history and installation 12:36 - Grave humor and near-field effects 13:31 - Climbing 1100 ft... and then starting the job 14:42 - Beautiful conditions 16:10 - Engineering's Awesome </video>

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Fun experiments, thoughtful guides. All things tech, electronics, and computing!

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