chanter1944 | Chanter's adventures in QSLing, updated as necessary

chanter1944

This is going in here on the highly unlikely chance that anyone's interested in which stations I've successfully QSL'd so far.

For general information's sake: Chanter is a shortwave listener (SWLer), as well as a ham (amateur radio operator). She's also a DXer in both arenas (a seeker of distant, rare, or otherwise hard to catch stations - DX is the radiotelegraph abbreviation for distance). QSL's are cards/letters/sometimes other swag received from stations around the world in response to valid reception reports a person sends in (QSL is the radiotelegraph code for understand, or I understand). I can't see the cards I get, but since when has that stopped me?

SWL QSLs are usually in response to listener letters, whereas hams often exchange cards after making contact. If I decide to post the ham QSLs I've received, I'll do it in another entry. This one's delightfully long as is! :)

Argentina beacon LU4JJ, Concordia, Entre Rios: card received January 27, 2015
Argentina beacon LU1FHH, La Plata: card sent registered mail, received November 24, 2015
Radio Australia: card with a regional map and transmitter sites on the obverse, received July 2, 2012
Radio Australia: card with a local outdoor scene on the obverse, received July 14, 2012
Radio Austria International: QSL letter with a snowy Salzberg image on the obverse, received September 15, 2012
Radio Belarus: card with a cathedral on the obverse, received March 22, 2013
Belgium's DX Antwerp DXing club: card for the club's 30th anniversary broadcast with radio waves on the obverse, received in May 2012
Brazilian time station Observatorio Nacional do Brasil: card and letter received March 14, 2013
Radio Nacional da Amazonia: QSL letter with transmitter images received in late August, 2012
Radio Difusora de Macapa: QSL letter received November 7, 2012
Radio Aparecida: card with saints and other religious imagery on the obverse received September 30, 2013
Radio 9 de Julho: letter, window sticker and key chain received July 8, 2014
Radio Itatiaia: card with the station transmitter on the obverse and small station stickers, received June 9, 2015
Radio Brasil Central Goiania: card received June 26, 2015
Brazil beacon PY2WFG, Ipiranga, Sao Paolo: card with antenna setup received December 10, 2014
Brazil beacon PT2SSB, Brasilia: card received January 27, 2015
Brazil beacon PY4MAB, Pocos de Caldas, Minas Gerais: card received May 20, 2015
Brazil beacon PY2RFF, Sao Pedro, Sao Paolo: card received December 23, 2015
Radio Canada International: two bilingual bookmarks and multiple stickers received in April 2012
Radio Canada International: card with station antennas on the obverse, received June 19, 2012
Radio Canada International: card received July 13, 2012
Canada time stationn CHU: card with an image of a nineteenth-century historical figure on the obverse, received in April 2012
Canada local CFRB, Toronto, Ontario: card received October 22, 2012
Canada local CFRY, Portage La Prairie, Manitoba: e-mail confirmation of reception as of September 5, 2012
Canada local CHAM, Hamilton, Ontario: E-QSL received June 25, 2012
Canada local CKDM, Dauphin, Manitoba: e-mail confirmation of reception as of September 3, 2012
Canada local CKLW, Windsor, Ontario: E-QSL received June 26, 2012
Canada beacon VA3KAH, Kah-She Island, Ontario: card received October 28, 2014
Canada beacon VA7PL, Kelowna, British Columbia: card featuring a festively-lighted Kelowna received December 11, 2014
Canada beacon VE9BEA, Fredericton, New Brunswick: card received late December, 2014
Canada beacon VE1VDM, Truro, Nova Scotia: card received January 7, 2015
Canada beacon VE2REA, Quebec City, Quebec: card received December 9, 2015
Canada amateur VE6AO: card with Calgary stampede info on the obverse received December 26, 2013 - letter went astray, my fault
Chile (religious) CVC La Voz: card and wristband (really!) received August 13, 2012
China time station BPM: card and eclipse viewer received April 16, 2013
China Radio International: card with the diverse Chinese family on the obverse, received in May 2012
China Radio International: card with a member of the Shui ethnic minority on the obverse, received August 9, 2013
China Radio International in Spanish: card with a member of the Drung ethnic minority on the obverse, received April 24, 2015
China Radio International in Russian: card and cut paper artwork received in early December, 2015
China National Radio 1: card with presumed studio building on the obverse, received March 7, 2013
Alcaravan Radio: card received January 22, 2013
Voice of Croatia: card received in April/May 2012
Voice of Croatia: card received June 12, 2012
Voice of Croatia: card with a blue globe image on the obverse received September 13, 2012
Radio Habana Cuba: card received November 2, 2012
Radio Rebelde: card received November 2, 2012
Radio Prague: card and ruler (really!) received August 14, 2012
Radio Okapi: card received February 20, 2013
HCJB Voice of the Andes in German: card with vintage station image received May 24, 2013
France beacon F5ZWE, Foix: card received in late December 2014
Deutsche Welle: card received April 1, 2015
Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Gruss and Bord 2012: card with shipboard/shoreside imagery on the obverse, received January 15, 2013
Norddeutscher Rundfunk Gruss An Bord 2013: card received February 16, 2014
Voice of Greece: card with ancient Greek jewelry on the obverse, received January 19, 2013
Greece ERT3 Makedonias: card with temple and metalwork on the obverse, received December 17, 2012
All India Radio: card with floating tealight candles on the obverse received September, 2013
Athmeeya Yathra: E-QSL with a hand tuning a radio pictured, received August 22, 2012
Voice of Indonesia: card, travel brochure and sticker received March 25, 2014
Galei Zahal: card with green microphone and desk on the obverse, received November 7, 2012
Italy time station Asociazione Amici de Italcable - card received January 26, 2013
Italy beacon IW3FZQ, Rovigo: card received January 29, 2015
NHK World: card with an image of Mount Fuji on the obverse, received May 2, 2013
NHK World: card received April 30, 2013
NHK World in French: card received March 28, 2016
Radio Nikkei: card with transmitter site on the obverse, received May 9, 2013
Mexico beacon XE3WMA, Merida, Yucatan: card received June 25, 2015
Radio PMR Pridnestrovye: threefold card received July 20, 2012
Radio Netherlands: card for the station's marathon Dutch broadcast with blue sky and RNW globe logo on the obverse, received June 11, 2012
Radio Netherlands: card with Dutch morning on the obverse, received July 11, 2012
Radio Netherlands: card for the station's marathon English broadcast received July 25, 2012
The Mighty KBC: card with station logo and information received in December 2012
Radio Dabanga: red thank you for listening card received February 5, 2013
Radio Tamazuj: yellow thanks for listening card received February 12, 2013
Dutch pirate Bluestar Radio: E-QSL and antenna picture received March 31, 2013
Radio New Zealand International: card with the Asia Pacific region and transmitter sites on the obverse, received July 23, 2012
Radio New Zealand International: card received in early August, 2014
Auckland volmet: QSL letter received July 21, 2016, after a delightful E-QSL and personal note from their QSL manager!
New Zealand beacon ZL3TEN, Christchurch: card with the cathedral of Christchurch on the obverse, received May 19, 2015
FEBC Philippines (it seems fairly innocuous): card with a monkey-eating eagle on the obverse received November 25, 2013
Radio Veritas Asia in Tagalog: card with a waterfall scene on the obverse, as well as two station stickers, received March 21, 2014 (17 months!)
Radio Romania International: card received in May 2012
Radio Romania International: card received May 22, 2013
Radio Romania International: card received April 18, 2016
Voice of Russia: card with Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space on the obverse, received in May 2012
Radio Sonder Grense: QSL letter received May 30, 2013
KBS World: card with the Princess Man - featuring people in ceremonial dress - on the obverse, received in April 2012
KBS World in Spanish: station card, stickers and desk calendar received May 22, 2013
Radio Nacional de Espana: globe card received September 22, 2012
Radio Exterior de Espana in Sefardi: card received November 19, 2013
SLBC Sri Lanka: card received November 28, 2014
Radio Sweden: personal note and cloth tote bag (!) received June 8, 2015
Radio Taiwan International: card with a painting 'The Green Grass Lake?' on the obverse, received in April 2012
Radio Taiwan International: card with an MRT subway image on the obverse, received March 21, 2014
Radio Taiwan International: card with a train station image on the obverse, received April 20, 2015
PCJ Radio International: QSL letter received August 15, 2013
PCJ Radio International, Christmas 2013 broadcast: card honoring Victor Goonetilleke received March 21, 2014
Voice of Turkey: card with a snowy/icy landscape on the obverse, received in May 2012
Voice of Turkey: card with a fortress or castle on the obverse received November 18, 2013
Voice of Turkey Russian service: card and tasseled bookmark received August 22, 2016
BBC Worldservice: multiple program schedules received in May 2012
Chelmsford Calling: pictorial card, 'thank you for listening card' and business card received October 14, 2015
US time station WWVH: card with images of the transmitter on the obverse, received in May 2012
US time station WWVH: card received May 1, 2014
US time station WWVH: card received April 17, 2016
US time station WWV: card with transmitter images on the obverse, received August 3, 2012
US time station WWV: card with transmitter images on the obverse, received unexpectedly August 3, 2012 for a late March broadcast, as I thought the report had gone astray!
US time station WWV reactivated on 25mHz: trifold card received June 28, 2014
Voice of America in French: card and calendar received November 23, 2012
US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS via Key West): card received June 15, 2012
Radio Free Asia in Mandarin: 18 years of broadcasting card with coverage map on the obverse, received October 10, 2012
Radio Free Asia in Uyghur: card with a Vietnamese dan tran on the obverse, received June 17, 2014
Radio Free Asia in Khmer: card received February 28, 2015
KPH Night of Nights 2012: marine radiotelegram received October 25, 2012
WBCQ The Planet: card with globe and rainbow on the obverse, received October 18, 2012
Adventist World Radio (in Urdu, and it's a rare catch, so I QSL'd it): card with two young women on the obverse, and postcard of an Indianapolis church received October 11, 2012
US local WHO, Des Moines, Iowa: card with an owl image on the obverse received in late 2012
US beacon N8PVL, Livonia, Michigan: card with the state of Michigan on the obverse received June 26, 2014
US beacon K4JEE, Louisville, Kentucky: card with a cardinal on the obverse received June 28, 2014
US beacon K5AB, Goldthwaite, Texas: card received July 2, 2014
US beacon KG4GVV, Summerville, South Carolina: card received July 9, 2014
US beacon W0ERE, Highlandville, Missouri: card received July 15, 2014
US beacon AA1TT, Claremont, New Hampshire: card received September 10, 2014
US beacon AB8Z, Parma, Ohio: card received August 5, 2014
US beacon WA4ROX, Largo, Florida: card with a Florida radio listening image on the obverse received November 7, 2014
US beacon NM0V, Monument, Colorado: card with dogs playing in the snow on the obverse received November 13, 2014
US beacon KW7HR, Prosser, Washington: card with antenna setup on the obverse and personal note received December 2, 2014
US beacon W1DLO, Calais, Maine: card with a US map highlighting the state of Maine received December 11, 2014
US beacon W7SWL, Tucson, Arizona: card and letter received December 26, 2014
US beacon WL7N, Ketchikan, Alaska: card received December 22, 2014
US beacon KA7BGR, Central Point, Oregon: card received January 14, 2015
US beacon K0HTF, Des Moines, Iowa: card received January 15, 2015
US beacon N7MA, Rose Lake, Idaho as of January 2, 2015: card with Rose Lake scenery on the obverse received March 24, 2015
US beacon KH6WO, Laie, Oahu, Hawaii: battleship USS Missouri card received March 25, 2015
US beacon WJ5o, Troy, Alabama: card received May 31, 2015
US beacon NT4F, Wilmington, North Carolina: card received June 18, 2015
US beacon WA2DVU, Cape May, New Jersey: card received June 19, 2015
US beacon WI4L, Dalton, Georgia: card received June 22, 2015
US beacon WB5DXZ, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: card received early September, 2015
US beacon KG4ERE, Franklin, Tennessee: card received September 12, 2015
US beacon N5MIG, Helena, Arkansas: card received May 19, 2016
US beacon KE5JXC, Pecan Island, Louisiana: card received July 28, 2016
US beacon WB9OTX, Versailles, Indiana: card received August 1, 2016
US local WHO, Des Moines, Iowa: card received in 2012
US amateur k4LKL, Lakeland, Florida: card received August 10-11, 2012
US amateur W1OP, Providence, Rhode Island: card received July 14, 2012
US amateur W4UG, Virginia Beach, Virginia: card with a lighthouse on the obverse received August 3, 2012
US amateur WA0DX, Otumwa, Iowa: card received August 16, 2012
US amateur W8EDU, Cleveland, Ohio: card with a sunset on the obverse received August 31, 2012
US amateur WX9PIA, Illinois: card received February 20, 2013
US amateur W8UM, Lansing, Michigan: multiple cards received April 17, 2013
US amateur W7FO: card with US map with highlighted Montana received January 3, 2014, after a year and a half!
US pirate Northwoods Radio: card with mallards on the obverse, received in June 2012
US pirate The crystal Ship (TSC) via High Plains Relay Service: unexpected E-QSL featuring a literal crystal ship, globe, baseball and other images, received June 21, 2012
US pirate Pirate Radio Boston: E-QSL featuring the jolly Roger and a ship, received June 24, 2012
US pirate Radio Ronin Shortwave: card with a red sun and samurai figures on the obverse, received July 16, 2012
US pirate WPON the weapon: card with a QR code and two guns! :( on the obverse, received August 16, 2012
US pirate X-FM: E-QSL received August 29, 2012
US pirate X-FM: E-QSL received September 28, 2012
US pirate Radio Paisano: E-QSL received October 18, 2012
North American pirate Boom Box Radio: card with cartoon character and boom box on the obverse received February 23, 2013
US pirate Radio Casablanca: E-QSL received September, 2013
Radio Vaticana: card with a photo of the Chapel of the Annunciation on the obverse, received July 2, 2012
Radio Vaticana: card with an image of Pope Frances I on the obverse received in September, 2013
Voice of Vietnam: card with an outline of Vietnam on the obverse, received June 29, 2012
Voice of Vietnam: card with Hao Long Bay on the obverse, received September 18, 2012
Voice of Vietnam: card received April 25, 2016

Currently waiting on:
United Nations beacon 4U1UN, New York City, New York
Radio Tirana special DS contest as of November 2015
Radio Algerienne as of October 15, 2012
Radio Nacional da Angola as of April 10, 2016
Radio Argentina al Exterior as of June 9, 2012
Argentina beacon LU2ERC, Ensenada, Buenos Aires as of December 5, 2014
Argentina beacon LW6DJD, La Plata, as of late October 2015
Bangladesh Betar as of April 5, 2013
Radio Santa Cruz as of September 1, 2012
Radio Clube do Para as of September 1, 2012
Radio Inconfidencia as of December 4, 2012
Radio Bandeirantes as of April 26, 2014
Radio Daqui Goiania as of May 27, 2014
Radio Gaucha as of May 27, 2014
Brazil beacon PU2NJO, Embare Santos, Sao Paolo as of September 27, 2014
Brazil beacon PU5AZA, Navegantes, Santa Catarina as of late November, 2014
Trenton volmet as of September 1, 2012
CBC Nord-Quebec as of November 7, 2012
CKZN, CBC 1 Newfoundland simulcast as of November 7, 2012
Canada local CBK, Watrous, Saskatchewan as of October 2, 2012
Canada local CBW, Winnipeg, Manitoba as of August 22, 2012
Canada local CFAM, Altona, Manitoba as of September 3, 2012
Canada local CFCO, Chatham, Ontario as of July 28, 2012
Canada local CFMB, Montreal, Quebec as of June 9, 2012
Canada local CFRB, Toronto, Ontario as of summer 2012
Canada local CFTR Toronto, Ontario as of August 21, 2012
Canada local CFZM Zoomer Radio, Toronto, Ontario as of May 2012
Canada local CHIN, Toronto, Ontario as of January 13, 2013
Canada local CHML, Hamilton, Ontario as of June 12, 2012
Canada local CHKT, Toronto, Ontario as of June 14, 2012
Canada local CHTO, Toronto, Ontario as of July 4, 2012
Canada local CIAO, Brampton, Ontario as of August 30, 2012
Canada local CINA Radio India, Mississauga, Ontario as of June 11, 2012
Canada local CJEU, Gatineau, Quebec as of January 13, 2013
Canada local CJMR, Oakville, Ontario as of late June, 2012
Canada local CJMS, Saint-Constant, Quebec as of February 28, 2013
Canada local CJRB, Boissevain, Manitoba as of September 5, 2012
Canada local CKAC, Montreal, Quebec as of October 2, 2012
Canada local CKDO, Oshawa, Ontario as of July 25, 2012
Canada local CKGM TSN Radio, Montreal, Quebec as of late June, 2012
Canada local CKJH, Melfort, Saskatchewan as of November 11, 2012
Canada local CKLQ, Brandon, Manitoba as of August 30, 2012
Canada beacon VE4ARM, Austin, Manitoba as of August 2014
Canada beacon VE7MTY, Pitt Meadows, British Columbia as of late October, 2014
Canada beacon VE1CBZ, Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick as of December 1, 2014
Cape Verdian amateur station D4C as of May 1, 2013
China time station BPM as of April 10, 2016
Radio progreso SW as of February 2014
Cuba local Radio Progreso, 880kHz as of October 15, 2012
Cuba local Radio Rebelde, 710kHz as of September 11, 2012
Cuba local Radio Reloj, 1020kHz as of December 26, 2012
Radio Republica as of August 2, 2012
Radiodiffusion Television de Djibouti as of March 2, 2013
Voice of the Tigray Revolution
Afrique No.1 as of September 1, 2012
Radio Verdad as of December 4, 2012
CVC Voice Asia as of October 26, 2014
Radio Payam-E Doost
Shannon volmet as of August 29, 2012
IBC (Italian Broadcasting Corporation) as of late July 2016
Italy beacon IZ1EPM, Chivasso City as of October, 2014
Radio Kuwait as of August 1, 2012
Radio Mauretanie as of early June 2012
Radio Educacion as of October 23, 2012
Mexico beacon XE3D, Merida, Yucatan as of October 2014
Mexico beacon XE1RCS, Cerro Gordo, Querétaro as of late October 2014
Mexico beacon XE2O, Allende, Nuevo Leon as of December 1, 2014
Mexico local XEG - la ranchera de Monterrey, Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon as of September 1, 2012
Mexico local XERF, Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila as of July 25, 2012
Mexico local XEX - Estadio W, Mexico City, Mexico DF as of August 21, 2012
Mexico local XEW, Mexico City, Mexico DF as of October 19, 2012
Morocco Medi 1 as of August 21, 2012
Voice of Nigeria as of June 19, 2012
Radio Pakistan as of December 1, 2014
Russia time station RWM as of June 3, 2014
Radio Rwanda as of February 18, 2013
International Radio Serbia as of June 19, 2012
Channel Africa in Swahili as of July 4, 2016
Radio Omdurman Sudan as of August 8, 2012
Ibra Radio as of November 30, 2012
ZBC Tanzania Zanzibar as of November 16, 2012
Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne as of September 12, 2012
RTT Tunis as of early June 2012
FEBA Radio Akhbar Mufriha as of September 2015
Afia Darfur Radio as of July 1, 2012
US beacon K3FX, Neptune City, New Jersey as of June 18, 2014
US beacon K5TLJ, Trumann, Arkansas as of June 29, 2014
US beacon KG4TIM, Vance, Alabama as of June 25, 2014
US beacon W8YT, Martinsburg, West Virginia as of late July, 2014
US beacon N1KON, Centerville, Indiana as of late July, 2014
US beacon W6WX, San Jose, California as of January 2, 2015
US beacon N7SCQ, Dixon, California as of January 2, 2015
US beacon W5BUB, Cedarville, Arkansas as of September, 2015
US beacon K1SPD, La Vergne, Tennessee as of September, 2015
US territory beacon NP2SH, Saint John, US Virgin Islands as of July 1, 2014
US territory beacon KP3FT, Ponce, Puerto Rico as of late November, 2014
Venezuela beacon YV5LIX, Caracas as of October 2014

Crossposts: http://chanter-greenie.livejournal.com/225261.html

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

ysabetwordsmith

So I came to your journal after you commented about Schrodinger's Heroes, and I saw this and thought, you could totally do a radio-based crossover. I've posted some radio/podcast type scripts, so there's background already laid. Radio is a great geek hobby, and it's fun when people use their own knowledge base for writing things.

From:

chanter1944

Hi there! :) Oh my goodness, now I am *intrigued* by this radio crossover idea! You've got me pondering multiple universes, shortwave-based and oldtime radio-based alike, that could suffer a surprise! connection to the SH universe via oopsie!dimensional portal. Imagine if the Whistler got in... *giggling*

Oh my gosh, or a universe where RNW still exists as it should, and the bells are... Ahem. If I go into details about all these ideas, I'll be here for a month and you'll probably get monumentally bored.

My brain has now proceeded to start whirring at about fifty miles an hour. <3! Thank you! :)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Oh my goodness, now I am *intrigued* by this radio crossover idea!<<

Yay! Go, plotbunnies, go!

>> You've got me pondering multiple universes, shortwave-based and oldtime radio-based alike, that could suffer a surprise! connection to the SH universe via oopsie!dimensional portal. <<

I've always considered radio as something that could easily slip between worlds. Ephemeral, nonphysical things are inherently easier to transit than material things.

Here's a radiofic poem that I wrote, "Come Back."

>>Oh my gosh, or a universe where RNW still exists as it should, and the bells are...<<

Quantum physics is naturally akin to alternate history and branching possibilities. If you look at the episode descriptions, you can see that all over the core canon.

>> Ahem. If I go into details about all these ideas, I'll be here for a month and you'll probably get monumentally bored.<<

It'd take a while to lose me. I like looking for overlaps between what I know and what other people know, or our respective writing interests. Radio is more your area of expertise than mine, but I can follow along tolerably well.

Oh, and Pat has a seriously tricked-out car, if you haven't come across Scarlett yet.

>>My brain has now proceeded to start whirring at about fifty miles an hour. <3! Thank you!<<

You're welcome. I have that effect on people.

From:

chanter1944

Re: quantum physics and alternate history: *nodsnods* I love that aspect of SH's core canon. As for Scarlet, yes! I've spotted her, and now I'm imagining Pat getting unexpected radio signals from across dimensions... oooooh... That idea involving a cross-dimensional RNW (Radio Netherlands Worldwide) has just taken a turn for the possible.

Re: radio signals being fairly easy to transit between worlds: That makes sense, now I think about it. Energy versus matter, hm?

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>I love that aspect of SH's core canon.<<

Yay!

>> As for Scarlet, yes! <<

Scarlett with two T's: she is named after Scarlett O'Hara.

>>I've spotted her, and now I'm imagining Pat getting unexpected radio signals from across dimensions... <<

That would work.

>>oooooh... That idea involving a cross-dimensional RNW (Radio Netherlands Worldwide) has just taken a turn for the possible.<<

So that's your linchpin. What I do when I find a point in history like that is look earlier (what must have changed to enable this?) and later (what else will change because of this?) to create an alternate flow of time affecting the story.

Looking at the Wikipedia page for Radio Netherlands Worldwide, I note that it started with a grassroots effort toward positive programming and free information, reaching out to other nations as well as its own citizens. So one thing that could change is, maybe more people really liked that idea and started working together. What just gutted the program was the Dutch government removing most of its funding. But what if there were other folks contributing to keep everyone's radio services alive?

Of course, if you're working with anything radio-related, another avenue of exploration is Nikola Tesla. Boost his status in history, and radio naturally floats up too. It's not hard to imagine him behind the roots of tesseract development in another universe.

I also noticed Radio Oranje because I'm a language geek with an eye for symbolism. We've got "Scarlett" (who is red) in the core dimension. Alter!Scarlett could be Oranje. Scarlett is a Bentley car; the Continental GT Speed comes in a color called Orange Flame. So that could be dropped in as an easteregg for radio geeks. I could easily see Pat and/or Bailey as radio geeks.

>>Re: radio signals being fairly easy to transit between worlds: That makes sense, now I think about it. Energy versus matter, hm?<<

Precisely. Energy waves can travel as resonance (the way plucking a string on one musical instrument can cause an unconnected but sympathetic string to vibrate on another instrument) or reflection (which is how radio normally travels around a planet's atmosphere) without requiring direct transit through a portal the way material does. It's like a message in a bottle, cast across the manifold. Signals traveling to unexpected places, that's part of the science; fiction just stretches it a little further.

From:

chanter1944

Re: Tesla. Yay, another Tesla fan! :) He gets so little of the recognition he deserves, at least in this dimension. I can very easily see him developing a tesseract in another universe.

Re: Scarlett: Ooooops! Beg pardon. Blame that on the screenreader not differentiating between the sound of one variation on the name and another.

Re: RNW: I've actually started giving serious thought to the reason behind its continued existence in another timeline. I like the idea of a grassroots effort assisting in keeping the signal going, as it were, but I've wanted to play with what amounts to clandestine or opposition broadcasts to the States for a while now. Blame my interest in WWII, radio, and variations of the Resistance. I can easily imagine, given current factions involved in politics, a severely rightward-leaning America - think shades of A Handmaid's Tale rather than an overblown stock supervillain - and RNW acting as a source of unbiased news for the population. A Dutch government similar to this universe's current one could hardly object to rekindled transmissions, with their freedom of speech mandate laid on RNW the way it's been. Here, hang on. I'll share what notes I've scribbled so far.

Re: Scarlett and flame orange: I *like* that! And Bailey as a radio geek? Definitely. I still think it'll be Pat who initially picks up a displaced signal, though. He may call in Bailey for greater information. Hmm, yes. I can see this.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Yay, another Tesla fan! :) He gets so little of the recognition he deserves, at least in this dimension. I can very easily see him developing a tesseract in another universe.<<

Yes. I love Tesla. He discovered many exciting things, and got so little credit for any of them. I have written various poems about him, including "The Second Coming of Fire" and "As Genius Does."

>>Re: Scarlett: Ooooops! Beg pardon. Blame that on the screenreader not differentiating between the sound of one variation on the name and another.<<

That's okay. Adaptive technology has its limits. From reading your journal, I gathered that you are vision-impaired.

Something that hasn't come up much in Schrodinger's Heroes, but that does in my other writing, is character diversity across disabilities. I have a very active blind character, Rai, over in Torn World; plus a bunch of others in various places. If you like that sort of literature, it's worth investigating. I have enough friends with different disabilities -- plus my body's quirks -- to augment research and manage reasonably accurate portrayals.

>>I've wanted to play with what amounts to clandestine or opposition broadcasts to the States for a while now.<<

I have taken to cross-checking news between different countries because I don't really trust American media anymore. BBC and Al-Jazeera are favorites. Haiti had some private radio stations that were very progressive; I remember reading about them after the earthquake. Central and South America have guerrilla radio with the equipment carried by trucks or even burros. Maybe RNW could be part of a global grassroots network using radio to provide facts in places that are fact-hostile?

>>Blame my interest in WWII, radio, and variations of the Resistance.<<

Works for me. I like resistance fighters. *chuckle* That's why Ash has the "Homeland Security" t-shirt with Geronimo on it.

>> I can easily imagine, given current factions involved in politics, a severely rightward-leaning America - think shades of A Handmaid's Tale rather than an overblown stock supervillain - and RNW acting as a source of unbiased news for the population.<<

I like this! It's very plausible. Fox News takes over and suddenly nobody has access to facts. Trouble with facts is, they go on being true even if you don't believe them, and they will bite you in the ass.

>>A Dutch government similar to this universe's current one could hardly object to rekindled transmissions, with their freedom of speech mandate laid on RNW the way it's been.<<

True, and historically the Dutch had a trading/exploration empire for a while. They're used to thinking globally.

>>Re: Scarlett and flame orange: I *like* that!<<

Yay!

>> And Bailey as a radio geek? Definitely. I still think it'll be Pat who initially picks up a displaced signal, though. He may call in Bailey for greater information. <<

Pat first, then Bailey, sounds plausible.

I really want to read this.

From:

chanter1944

These are my notes so far, as I wrote them down earlier this morning. Excuse any disjointed bits. For information's sake, the Ross Revenge was one of the ships used by Radio Caroline when transmitting to a music-seeking Britain. She still is, actually. Sackville is a current Canadian radio transmitter site.

They've got a ship, akin to the Ross Revenge, off the coast of the Atlantic. That's how they manage some transmissions to the States.
Potential lower-powered emergency transmitter in friendly Canada? Sackville!
Transmissions from Hilversum, shortwave, the bells are their interval signal. Of course.
They broadcast full-length programs in English, Spanish and Dutch, plus news bulletins in Hmong, Creole and a few First Nations languages - Cherokee, Chippewa, Navajo - to the severely altered America.
This America has gone as far to the right, politically, as certain elements of the modern Republican Party would have it go. Abortion is outlawed, as is contraception; pregnancy begins two weeks before conception; borders have electrified fences; unions and union activities are illegal and discouraged with force; the vote is openly suppressed, largely along racial and political lines; the 'your papers, please' law of Arizona is nationwide and enforced much like the union ban; there are rumblings hinting at an impending attempt to disenfranchise women, though it hasn't happened yet; gender and sexuality discrimination are no longer objected to in most political arenas. Public broadcasting, both radio and television, has been defunded, and the public education system is foundering under a wave of unprecedented budget cuts; meanwhile, private, often unregulated for proffit institutions flourish.
This America is not intended to be an overblown parody. Think A Handmaid's Tale, rather than stock supervillain. The scary thing is, the ideas are all real and recent.
A group of stubbornly steadfast familiar voices got the station going again, bells and all. Dheera Sujan, Howard Shannon, Martha Hawley, Louise Hidalgo, Ginger Da Silva, Jonathan Groubert, others. The Dutch government couldn't object, with its free speech mandate in place and the state of the States deteriorating rightward by the day. RNW became a lifeline for those Americans seeking actual news of happenings both in and outside the borders of their own country. The bells became a well-known signal.
Almost like a Resistance signal, or an audible Resistance symbol.
Yes, listening to transmissions from non-American media sources in this universe is intended to read like listening to Resistance radio during WWII. It's frowned upon pretty severely.

Oh, and these are the bells I keep going on and on about.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>These are my notes so far, as I wrote them down earlier this morning. Excuse any disjointed bits.<<

No problem, I can work from rough notes.

>> For information's sake, the Ross Revenge was one of the ships used by Radio Caroline when transmitting to a music-seeking Britain. She still is, actually. Sackville is a current Canadian radio transmitter site.<<

Okay ...

>>They've got a ship, akin to the Ross Revenge, off the coast of the Atlantic. That's how they manage some transmissions to the States.
Potential lower-powered emergency transmitter in friendly Canada? Sackville!<<

What's the range on those? Schrodinger's Heroes (in the core dimension) is just outside of Waxahachie, Texas. That's a long way from the Atlantic and Canada, but within easy reach of the Gulf of Mexico.

>>They broadcast full-length programs in English, Spanish and Dutch, plus news bulletins in Hmong, Creole and a few First Nations languages - Cherokee, Chippewa, Navajo - to the severely altered America.<<

I don't suppose you speak Dutch? I don't speak it, although my general linguistic aptitude is so high that I can hack my way through a fair bit of most Indo-European languages. I like to include bits of foreign language in my writing where appropriate, and this seems like an ideal place to put some Dutch.

Moving along, standard use for this series is "core" for the team I write most about, and "alter" for other versions of the characters or setting. Since you have a whole dimension with its own team, I'm going to vary that a little and say "scarlet" (spelled like the color this time) and "orange" (English spelling) to distinguish my team from yours.

Okay, scarlet!Ash speaks English, Spanish, Navajo, and some other languages. I doubt any of the scarlet!team would speak Dutch, although they might recognize it in a broadcast. In the orange dimension, if the broadcasts have been running for a while, and assuming that RNW continues the educational language programs mentioned in its history, then it's plausible for scarlet!Ash and maybe some of the other team members to speak Dutch as one of their languages. Indeed, Dutch might be a favored language of the Resistance. It wouldn't stop the government from inserting trained spies but would keep out casual moles.

>> This America has gone as far to the right, politically, as certain elements of the modern Republican Party would have it go. <<

I love this idea. It's exactly the kind of thing that turns up in quantum science fiction. Basically, every proposed law reduces to a simple yes/no question, it passes or it does not. So there's a vector where the radical right keeps winning those votes, and this anderspace is far down that line.

>>Abortion is outlawed, as is contraception;<<

It amazes me that nobody stopped to think how many more brown babies this would cause. The same people lobbying for conception = birth also usually hate brown people.

>> pregnancy begins two weeks before conception; borders have electrified fences; unions and union activities are illegal and discouraged with force; <<

Okay.

>> the vote is openly suppressed, largely along racial and political lines; the 'your papers, please' law of Arizona is nationwide and enforced much like the union ban; <<

Now here you should consider whether you want that to affect the team.

melannen wrote the character thumbnails with very little canonical detail outside of sexual orientation, which of course in a quantum setting is also malleable. I used a dice generator to randomly roll for sex and ethnicity on most characters. That gave me a team with maximum diversity.

Alex and Chris are white; Alex is rich and Chris comes from a good ol' boy family, so they have mainstream advantages. Quinn is French Canadian. Ash is Native American (Wichita/Navajo etc.), Bailey is mixed race, Pat is black, and Morgan is mixed Hawai'ian/Asian/American.

With that many people of color, in Texas, the orange team would have a very hard time. They couldn't use Pat as their face man, for instance: nobody would listen to him. Even Quinn would have a harder time than in the scarlet dimension, because Canada is freedom-sympathetic, even before considering that he is (some flavor of) genderqueer. Would orange!Chris still be hero enough to rescue Pat, as in the episode "Why Pat's Not at Work Today" ...? He might, or he might not be part of the team. Then again, one of Chris' cousins might take his place; scarlet!Luke belongs to the Ku Klux Klan, but if things went too far he might have been shocked toward better sense.

Whatever the exact makeup of the team, they belong to the Resistance. They have a tesseract which could transport them out of their eigenspace, or bring things into it. Presumably they have chosen to hold down the fort instead of escaping to save their own skins. So they're doing ... well, pretty much what I'm doing with fiction instead of a tesseract: searching other dimensions for portable ideas that might make the world a better place. The inherent tension is tremendous, because they're like a sandbag team trying to hold back a flood. They know they're in a bad place and the tide is against them, but they won't leave, because they are heroes.

Not only have you got a great background for an introductory story or two (Bailey observing Quinn, Pat discovering interdimensional radio signals) but also this scenario could spark an ongoing series just by following wingnut news articles. Any interesting article in that direction could inspire a story about its impact on the orange!team when it goes into effect.

>>there are rumblings hinting at an impending attempt to disenfranchise women, though it hasn't happened yet;<<

That would be a great ongoing storyline, undermining women's rights and the team trying to slow the fall.

>> gender and sexuality discrimination are no longer objected to in most political arenas. <<

Like color, that would impact many or most of the team, depending how you interpret the ones whose sexuality is not fully specified in canon.

>>Public broadcasting, both radio and television, has been defunded, and the public education system is foundering under a wave of unprecedented budget cuts; meanwhile, private, often unregulated for proffit institutions flourish.<<

Actually this shores up your radio theme: as public education founders, literacy drops. Texas already has a low rate; of the ten least literate cities in America, three are in Texas. When people can't read, they listen. People in orange!America would therefore rely on radio a great deal more than people in scarlet!America, and the internet would appeal to them less. What remains of the internet would probably be more audio or video and less text.

>> This America is not intended to be an overblown parody. Think A Handmaid's Tale, rather than stock supervillain. The scary thing is, the ideas are all real and recent. <<

That's what makes the orange setting so compelling to me! It is plausible. I like to use concrete details from real life to anchor my speculative fiction. In my Fledgling Grace series, I do it with bird species for angel wings. In the orange version of Schrodinger's Heroes, it could be done by anchoring every political stance to a specific proposal made in this world. In fact if you linked to the original references, it could help educate people about these issues. Sometimes science fiction is all about staking a sign that says "DANGER! Do Not Enter!"

>> A group of stubbornly steadfast familiar voices got the station going again, bells and all. Dheera Sujan, Howard Shannon, Martha Hawley, Louise Hidalgo, Ginger Da Silva, Jonathan Groubert, others. <<

So there's a chance to educate people about some of your favorite heroes. Science fiction is primarily about astronomy and engineering, occasionally biology, and barely a sliver of any other sciences. But there are so many other sciences! Let there be radio science fiction. It would be original and interesting, yet still touch at the edges with established science fiction which has sniffed around things like the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence via radio.

>>The Dutch government couldn't object, with its free speech mandate in place and the state of the States deteriorating rightward by the day. RNW became a lifeline for those Americans seeking actual news of happenings both in and outside the borders of their own country. <<

That makes sense.

Hmm! Would the orange Schrodinger's Heroes be broadcasting or rebroadcasting? Presumably they would have the money and technology to do that. The question is whether they would consider it safe enough, or if it would be too much of a trouble magnet on top of the tesseract. As dumbed-down as the rest of the country has made itself, though, they could probably stealth their radio activities. Sheesh, they run rings around people in the scarlet dimension. In the orange one, it would be like running rings around an opponent with one foot nailed to the floor.

>>The bells became a well-known signal.
Almost like a Resistance signal, or an audible Resistance symbol.<<

I love this. People could use the tune for recognition. (Scarlet!Ash plays Native American flute, for example.) Even a bell, or an image of a bell, could be a clue to Resistance activity. Symbolism is powerful.

>> Yes, listening to transmissions from non-American media sources in this universe is intended to read like listening to Resistance radio during WWII. It's frowned upon pretty severely. <<

By all means, play it up. Maybe even look for identifying features of WWII Resistance broadcasts or descriptions of people listening to them. One thing I suspect would be different: in the war, radios were often banned or confiscated. If you've de-educated much of your population, however, you still need a way to tell them what to do and they need practical information like the weather reports. So I don't think banning radios would be feasible; it would be more about trying to detect what people were listening to.

I'm reminded of the tagline from one of the Terminator movies, "If you're listening to this ... you are the Resistance." We could use something like that for this context, maybe along the lines of "Let freedom ring."

>>Oh, and these are the bells I keep going on and on about. <<

Wow. It's a pretty tune, but as much eerie as uplifting for me. Does that go all the way back to WWII as a keynote for that station?

From:

chanter1944

Unfortunately, I don't speak Dutch. I can pick up a little here and there, but that's about it. I'm limited to English, Spanish, Morse code and a little Portuguese, and I can catch bits of other romance languages through their Latin roots. Dutch is a sharding lovely language, though, and I'll absolutely be including it in orange!verse fics. As for Dutch being the preferred language of the Resistance - yes! This literally made me squeak 'Yes!' and clap my hands together. I didn't want to go there, as I was afraid it'd take this over the top into shameless and obvious wish fulfillment territory on my part, but if it's plausible... Get outta my brain! I'm totally going there. I can very much see RNW reviving their language by radio programming, especially with an eye to educating those who may not otherwise have access, and Resistance-minded types picking up the basics from there.

You're another one who likes to include multiple languages in stories? Yay! It's not just me! :) I'm a sucker for language-shifting characters. Just ask the people I RP with.

I'm pondering over the composition of the orange!team. I may bring in an astronomer more mainstream to the orange!verse's American politics, but have Morgan be an outside contact known to at least Alex. Pat and Chris might well be working more quietly, outside rather than inside, so to speak. I do think Luke will be joining Chris in that capacity; the swerve to the right knocked at least some sense into him in this reality. Ash will still be around, defiantly so, and I can see Bailey as cautious but equally active in his normal role. Alex is in. Quinn is in - not much is going to stop him, is it? - and maintains contacts with Canada. Kaye... is harder to place. She might be a full team member, or might simply be a security guard. As for PR... that's tricky. That duty might shuffle between team members as needed, for want of a face person.

I can imagine the orange!team rebroadcasting occasionally, assisting the Ross Revenge analog the rest of the time. I'm sure they're in contact with at least the southern rebroadcasters, and I've got an idea that Quinn might know at least one of the northern ones at Sackville. Considering locations for the ship, I'm now imagining her in the Gulf of Mexico rather than the Atlantic, safely out of U.S. waters and broadcasting to cover the southern half of the States, while Sackville takes the north. I'm deliberately playing off Radio Caroline North and Radio Caroline South here, not to mention it makes much more sense geographically. Thanks for that.

A bell, or an image of a bell, could be a clue to Resistance activity.

I told you, get outta my brain! XD I love this! Again, I wasn't sure I should go there for fear it'd be waaaay over the top and into the melodrama category, but yes. This was an idea of mine, and I think I'll run with it, now. Possibly also an orange scarf or sash tied in a window... that idea's still germinating. The tune played for recognition--eeeeee! I love this too! It has lyrics, if someone wanted to sing it.

It would be more about trying to detect what people were listening to.

I'm now remembering reports I've heard and read of vans going round occupied countries in WWII, great loops of antennas mounted atop them, searching for outlawed programming from street to street.

Wow. It's a pretty tune, but as much eerie as uplifting for me.

Isn't it, though? It's simultaneously uplifting and haunting. I'm seriously considering Pat picking strongly up on that when he first hears it.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Unfortunately, I don't speak Dutch. I can pick up a little here and there, but that's about it. I'm limited to English, Spanish, Morse code and a little Portuguese, and I can catch bits of other romance languages through their Latin roots.<<

Well, Spanish is useful too.

I've formally studied Spanish, Russian, and Japanese although I'm not fully fluent in any of them. I'm also linguistic SillyPutty so I've picked up portions of many other languages, on out to nonhuman ones.

>>Dutch is a sharding lovely language, though, and I'll absolutely be including it in orange!verse fics.<<

Okay, great. I usually use online translators for foreign stuff I can't do off the top of my head, and check a couple different ones for confirmation. Though maybe we could find someone who speaks Dutch to proofread those bits for orange!fic.

>>As for Dutch being the preferred language of the Resistance - yes! This literally made me squeak 'Yes!' and clap my hands together.<<

Yay!

>> I didn't want to go there, as I was afraid it'd take this over the top into shameless and obvious wish fulfillment territory on my part, but if it's plausible... <<

There are various points to consider ...

1) This is essentially an overlap between fanfic and canonfic, given that the canon isn't fully loaded in our universe and I created the project to ship the show anyhow. So go for things that make you squee. They're likely to make other folks squee too.

2) In terms of grounding and melodrama, there are two main places where fanfic gets itself into trouble. The first is throwing in unfounded stuff that doesn't really fit, and the second is overpowering the main characters to marysuedom.

When you're deriving fictional content from a factual source, you can put in almost anything from the source field. Look how much of quantum physics I've put in, partly because it's cool, but also because that's a mainstay of the show. You've designated Radio Science as a mainstay for orange!fic so that's very solid ground. From there, look at historic examples; resistance movements always develop recognition symbols and filters to find sympathizers and exclude oppressors. Work from your core out and keep the foundation solid, and you'll do fine.

As for character balance, just make sure you keep a mix of strengths and weaknesses, and pit them against a comparably powerful enemy. Schrodinger's Heroes vs. AmeriKKKa sounds like one hell of a cage fight to me.

Don't be afraid to use things that you love, that you find exciting, if you can show readers why they are exciting. If it can affect the story action -- like "I dunno what they're sayin' but they're sayin' it in Dutch which makes me mighty suspicious!" -- then it's probably justified. If you're not sure, because everyone is tempted to chuck in the kitchen sink sometimes, ask yourself why you want to include it and what it could do.

>>Get outta my brain!<<

I'm going to assume that's teasing. (I can't always tell the difference perfectly.) I'll tell you now, when I resonate with people, and especially when we're sharing a project like this, that kind of synchronicity is common. It can get stronger than this and some folks find it very startling. Just in case it ever does get to a level that weirds you out, let me know.

>>I'm totally going there. I can very much see RNW reviving their language by radio programming, especially with an eye to educating those who may not otherwise have access, and Resistance-minded types picking up the basics from there.<<

Once the Resistance decided on Dutch as their language, they would be able to draw on other resources if they did it soon enough -- obtaining Dutch dictionaries and teaching materials from stores, schools, or libraries. But once the authorities realized it, they'd probably ban or at least restrict Dutch written materials, making those items key targets for raiding.

>>You're another one who likes to include multiple languages in stories? Yay! It's not just me! :) I'm a sucker for language-shifting characters. Just ask the people I RP with.<<

Yes, I do it in writing, roleplaying, and liturgy. Let's see, there's Navajo in "Pat Meets Ash," French in "French Military Victories," both pidgin and 'olelo Hawai'ian in "THE Woman."

>>I'm pondering over the composition of the orange!team. I may bring in an astronomer more mainstream to the orange!verse's American politics, but have Morgan be an outside contact known to at least Alex.<<

That makes sense. There's a list of Texas observatories. Burnet and College Station aren't too far from Waxahachie.

>>Pat and Chris might well be working more quietly, outside rather than inside, so to speak. I do think Luke will be joining Chris in that capacity; the swerve to the right knocked at least some sense into him in this reality.<<

Scarlet!Luke is a blame fool bigot, but not quite devoid of virtue; he is just barely capable of being civil and honorable to black folks under extreme circumstances. Orange!Luke with a clue knocked into him could be a much better person.

>>Ash will still be around, defiantly so, and I can see Bailey as cautious but equally active in his normal role.<<

Yeah, Ash has a ruthless core to her. She takes a darker edge in some of the dimensions.

>>Quinn is in - not much is going to stop him, is it? - and maintains contacts with Canada.<<

Quinn also has revolutionary chops in canon, from another dimension; I later detailed that in the poem "Crosswise."

>>Kaye... is harder to place. She might be a full team member, or might simply be a security guard.<<

Kay is spelled K A Y, without the "E" on the end. (I'm not being fussy, just trying to compensate now that I know your technology doesn't always pick up subtle spelling differences.)

Orange!Kay being just security is possible; in a more oppressive world, she might not have put herself forward as readily. A more worrisome thought: she may have been kept for combat only, and not given the extra medical training that scarlet!Kay received. So then the team would be down their medic, unless someone else picked up that skill set. You know how bad an idea it is for the party to have no healer.

>>As for PR... that's tricky. That duty might shuffle between team members as needed, for want of a face person.<<

It's an odd thought, but consider Luke. He can be devastatingly good at politics when he chooses to be; you don't get to the top of an organization like the KKK without being skilled at manipulating people. His style would be totally different than Pat's, but he could face the world for them -- and leave Pat and Bailey as the quiet, subtle, social lubricant inside the team.

>>I can imagine the orange!team rebroadcasting occasionally, assisting the Ross Revenge analog the rest of the time.<<

Ah, that's a good idea: if they're not doing it all the time, there's less chance of getting caught.

>>I've got an idea that Quinn might know at least one of the northern ones at Sackville.<<

Good idea. Quinn goes as far north as the road runs, I think Sept-Iles in Quebec; and then south all the way to New Orleans. In the scarlet dimension he favors Quebec, his home, but Sackville is in New Brunswick right under it, so that's not far off.

>>Considering locations for the ship, I'm now imagining her in the Gulf of Mexico rather than the Atlantic, safely out of U.S. waters and broadcasting to cover the southern half of the States, while Sackville takes the north.<<

Ah, that works! You know the radio field well enough to figure out good matches. I'm glad I could help.

>>I told you, get outta my brain! XD I love this! Again, I wasn't sure I should go there for fear it'd be waaaay over the top and into the melodrama category, but yes. This was an idea of mine, and I think I'll run with it, now.<<

I think it's awesome. There are enough cultural symbols for bells that it wouldn't be too obtrusive, just a hint.

In terms of symbolism in guerrilla movements, my go-to example is the Underground Railroad.

>>Possibly also an orange scarf or sash tied in a window... that idea's still germinating.<<

A scarf in the north, sure. In Texas, likely a bandana. Traffic cones are orange, so are many signs and warning objects. A shirt or a quilt, a piece of carnelian in jewelry, those could work. Coral in Indian jewelry is usually pink to red but someone could look for more orange coral. One could subtly replace red with orange in a flag or a lone star quilt; the RNW orange is close to red. Basically you'd want just a bit of orange on something that wouldn't look out of place.

>>The tune played for recognition--eeeeee! I love this too! It has lyrics, if someone wanted to sing it.<<

Good idea, but eventually people might catch on. Some of the slave songs, the overseers learned about but many they never realized were being used as signals. Dropping or doubling a verse was used to send messages, for instance. What are the lyrics for the bells?

>>I'm now remembering reports I've heard and read of vans going round occupied countries in WWII, great loops of antennas mounted atop them, searching for outlawed programming from street to street.<<

I remember that. That would make a marvelously ominous scene. *chuckle* I bet Ash and Bailey make scramblers and EMP kill switches to fight back.

>>It's simultaneously uplifting and haunting. I'm seriously considering Pat picking strongly up on that when he first hears it. <<

Good idea. That's part of what got me thinking about the Underground Railroad songs, especially when you mentioned that it had lyrics.

From:

chanter1944

Thank you re: my concerns over leaping into melodrama land. That helps quite a lot, actually. :)

I like the idea of someone coming from College Station to fill the in-house astronomer position. As for PR, orange!Luke with a clue-by-four applied would probably be an excellent fit for that universe and location, interaction-wise. I think I'll use this. Thanks!

The get outta my brain remarks were absolutely teasing. I have a hard time reading things like that sometimes myself; humor is hard to translate into text if you don't know the other person face-to-face. Heck, even if you do. As for synchronicity, I'm not bothered. I'll admit I'm a little surprised, and quite impressed besides!

Orange!Kay (oopsie screenreader, mumble) and medical training: I can imagine her not having been given the medical training she has in the scarlet!verse, though she may have picked up the basics on her own. As for the medic (oh believe me, I know how badly it sucks when the party's down a healer, and when I'm gaming, I tend to end up the cleric!), I can see orange!Pat taking on some of the healer duties. I already know that orange!Quinn will have at least basic first aid skills as well. The fic that introduces him to one of the rebroadcasters at Sackville and one on the Ross Revenge analog establishes this much. I'm working on that story now, as It won't leave me alone! It's backdated a few years from the formation of things in Texas, and sets up connections between the Resistance on both sides of the border, the broadcasters over the ocean and the eventual orange!team.

I have to say, I love Quinn's tendency toward revolutionary leanings. Something about a French Canadian revolutionary just puts the stars in my eyes. Yes, I am a dork. :)

I sometimes forget that not everywhere else in the country suffers from cold weather! A bandana in the south, a scarf in the north. Yes. Or quilts! :D I didn't want to borrow Underground Railroad symbolism too obviously, as I'd feel like the girl committing grievous acts of cultural appropriation, but a quilt here or there might just work. I'm also coming to love the idea of subtle jewelry. Or a bell in a window, easily mistaken for a decorative windchime... ooh...

I will totally be playing with the ominous imagery of vans driving around from street to street, antennas at the ready. Hee, yes! Scramblers! There may be clumsy attempts by the orange!American government to jam transmissions, resulting in a low-level warble beneath Hilversum's shortwave audio. It's plausible; I've heard warble jammers from various countries, and lord are they a pain in the butt, to say nothing of the ears.

I need to look up, and then translate, the lyrics to the tune the bells play. It would be pretty obvious if someone was singing them, as they're in Dutch, but if someone were just humming under their breath... As for the Resistance adopting a language, I can imagine it happening unofficially at least at first, which might have hindered them when their language usage got more deliberate. I know there's going to be at least one scene in the fic I'm working on now where Kendra (eventual Sackville rebroadcaster) is learning very basic Dutch phrases via radio.

Edited Date: 2012-12-03 05:33 am (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Thank you re: my concerns over leaping into melodrama land. That helps quite a lot, actually.<<

*bow, flourish* Happy to be of service. One of the things I love about editing is coaching writers to develop their skills.

>>I like the idea of someone coming from College Station to fill the in-house astronomer position.<<

Cool.

There are radio stations in College Station. Some of them, the Texas and Aggie ones, are clearly conservative. But The X 1039 is alternative, there are two college stations, and there's a community radio for the Brazos Valley. That might be an additional point of contact putting the astronomer in touch with Alex & company.

>> As for PR, orange!Luke with a clue-by-four applied would probably be an excellent fit for that universe and location, interaction-wise. I think I'll use this. Thanks! <<

Yay! That will be fun. I wonder what the clue was? For scarlet!Chris, a turning point was seeing Pat chased by someone trying to kill him. Chris just couldn't stand by and let that happen. Picking something else for Luke would provide contrast. Because of a woman is a classic, as is witnessing a massacre. Or a chase could've gone the other way, with a black person saving Luke's bacon. There's just a hint of that when Pat holds him back from pursuing the slavers in "Chromatic Shrift."

>>As for synchronicity, I'm not bothered. I'll admit I'm a little surprised, and quite impressed besides!<<

Okay, great. Yes, the universe tends to be a magical place where I'm involved.

>>Orange!Kay (oopsie screenreader, mumble) and medical training: I can imagine her not having been given the medical training she has in the scarlet!verse, though she may have picked up the basics on her own.<<

I think everyone in the military gets basic first aid training, and really, more than what most people would consider "basic."

>>I can see orange!Pat taking on some of the healer duties. I already know that orange!Quinn will have at least basic first aid skills as well.<<

One thing to consider would be dividing medical skills by category across different characters. Pat might have skills related to people and everyday concerns, such as home nursing and midwifery. Quinn is more likely to know trauma care from the Resistance because people will get injured there. Also worth a thought is that when you dumb down your populace, you tend to throttle vital services such as medical care. But the demand doesn't go down, so part of the network starts to go underground. People will do things like smuggle contraceptives (this was a huge thing for a while, historically, before they were widely legal) and rough folks like to know someone who will patch them up on the quiet. You see that in poor counties, reservations, etc.

>>The fic that introduces him to one of the rebroadcasters at Sackville and one on the Ross Revenge analog establishes this much. I'm working on that story now, as It won't leave me alone!<<

*excited wriggle*

It's always good when stories won't let you go. That means they're likely to have a similar effect on editors and readers.

>>It's backdated a few years from the formation of things in Texas, and sets up connections between the Resistance on both sides of the border, the broadcasters over the ocean and the eventual orange!team.<<

So that's another interesting divergence, starting this before the team comes together. It will make good backstory. Some parts of the orange!team's development will differ, based on already specified changes, so covering this part of the storyline will help cement the details in people's minds.

>>I have to say, I love Quinn's tendency toward revolutionary leanings. Something about a French Canadian revolutionary just puts the stars in my eyes. Yes, I am a dork.<<

Ah, I love it too. Quinn is a cheerful, slightly dissipated trickster in the scarlet dimension. But push him the wrong way, and the claws come right out. It's why I made a point of highlighting some of the genderbending and rabble-rousing in some episodes and other places.

>>I sometimes forget that not everywhere else in the country suffers from cold weather! A bandana in the south, a scarf in the north.<<

The desert can get quite cold at night, but doesn't run to snow, so people dress differently. In particular, they'll wear layers because it can be sweltering during the day, but there's little heat retention at night, so the temperature plummets.

>>I didn't want to borrow Underground Railroad symbolism too obviously, as I'd feel like the girl committing grievous acts of cultural appropriation,<<

That's fair. I tend to use it lightly, going by category instead of specific, unless the match is very close. You can see an example of a close match in "Finding the Library."

>> but a quilt here or there might just work. <<

Some examples ...
Bell quilt
Liberty Bell quilt block
Christmas quilt with bells
Bats in the Belfry quilt block
Belfry quilt
Southern Belle quilt

You can see how the designs go from obvious to abstract.

>>I'm also coming to love the idea of subtle jewelry. Or a bell in a window, easily mistaken for a decorative windchime... ooh...<<

Those are great too.

Also, something that's largely a southern motif: farm bells, made of cast iron or bronze. We had one here when I was little; very useful. Move away from the developed edge and cell phones, bells become useful again.

The trick becomes distinguishing between random people's stuff and Resistance stuff. You want things common enough not to get you shot dead, but not ubiquitous. So a farm bell on an orange post, or bell quilt with orange in the pattern, or a southern belle stenciled next to the doorbell: those are stacking clues. Resistance fighters also have verbal clues, phrases that most people would recognize, etc.

>> There may be clumsy attempts by the orange!American government to jam transmissions, resulting in a low-level warble beneath Hilversum's shortwave audio. It's plausible; I've heard warble jammers from various countries, and lord are they a pain in the butt, to say nothing of the ears. <<

That's a good one. Hmm, and chaff bombs in the air, those were really popular for a while. They're messy but they seriously screw with radio and radar. You need excellent gear to get past that.

>>I need to look up, and then translate, the lyrics to the tune the bells play. It would be pretty obvious if someone was singing them, as they're in Dutch, but if someone were just humming under their breath...<<

That's a good start. Also, people will make up new lyrics for a given tune, such as "The Rising of the Moon" and "The Wearing of the Green." The Resistance might adopt other rebel songs, or songs that include "orange" in the lyrics. Songs of the Southern Rebellion would probably be overlooked indefinitely as a source of unrest; nothing fools people better than something they think they know the meaning of.

>> As for the Resistance adopting a language, I can imagine it happening unofficially at least at first, which might have hindered them when their language usage got more deliberate.<<

That makes sense. It would be patchy.

>> I know there's going to be at least one scene in the fic I'm working on now where Kendra (eventual Sackville rebroadcaster) is learning very basic Dutch phrases via radio.<<

Eeee! This will be such fun.

Using gendered names for new characters is okay, but it's worth remembering that the original team members all had unisex names. That remains a common, though not universal, motif in the series. For reference if you want to explore this:
Unisex Names
Unisex names A-Z
Androgynous Names

From:

chanter1944

Re unisex names: *nodsnods*. I've gone poking around at least one of those links, and plan to do so again. Thanks! Kendra sprang into my head fully formed and is refusing to have her name changed, but at least one of the other characters in the backdated fic will be going by initials. Two more have names that sound ambiguous when spoken even if they're fairly plain when written, which takes on another dimension entirely when you consider that one of them straddles a fuzzy gender line. ... Actually, make that three dual-usage names, I've just remembered another Resistance person who hasn't yet walked in in the story, but is slated to show up.

Re farm bells: I didn't know that! I'm used to cowbells and churchbells up here, and the occasional campground dining hall bell. Thanks!

Re symbols: I now have the image of someone Resistance in Texas playing the cantankerous matron, shooing away a pesky pseudo lawman bothering them about orange paint on their farm bell's post. "If I want to put something up on my bell post so's stupid drunken cowboy drivers at least see the thing 'fore they run it down 'n' kill themselves, I'm gonna do it! That ain't subversiwhatsit, that's just coverin' my ass with the lawyers! Don't you bother me about it again, and get outta here 'fore I swing more'n a broom atcha!" *pointed broom swish*

If you spy shades of Aberforth Dumbledore's marvelous misdirection there, you're spot on. XD

Re College Station's stations: That was the reason for me latching onto the idea of that particular observatory in the first place. I've DX'd one of the AM stations from there. It was a conservative one (oof), but I was pretty amazed about hearing Texas at the time. I like the thought of the local radio network coming into play in some way, hmm.

Re healing skills: *nodsnods* that makes a lot of sense. I'm establishing in the backdated fic that Quinn does have the sort of medical skills one uses on the fly, but isn't a designated medic. As for Pat, I can see him being a community's go-to man when somebody's laid up and needs looking after. That sort of thing. *nodsnods again*

Re Resistance phrases: Gimme back my braincell! *still kidding* :) That's a favorite device of mine.

Re Luke getting the clue-by-four applied: Hmm. I have a vague idea for how he gets sense knocked into him, but it isn't fully formed yet. I'll keep you posted.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>I've gone poking around at least one of those links, and plan to do so again. <<

That sounds good.

>> Kendra sprang into my head fully formed and is refusing to have her name changed, <<

Yeah, that happens to me too sometimes. Headstrong characters are a promising sign.

>> but at least one of the other characters in the backdated fic will be going by initials. <<

Cool! I haven't done that yet in Schrodinger's Heroes.

>>Two more have names that sound ambiguous when spoken even if they're fairly plain when written, which takes on another dimension entirely when you consider that one of them straddles a fuzzy gender line.<<

That sounds interesting. Had that happen with Gene/Jean once.

>> I'm used to cowbells and churchbells up here, and the occasional campground dining hall bell. <<

Cowbells and church bells would also work in Texas.

>> "If I want to put something up on my bell post so's stupid drunken cowboy drivers at least see the thing 'fore they run it down 'n' kill themselves, I'm gonna do it! <<

*laaaauuuugh* Oh, do it! This is awesome.

We actually have that problem with our mailbox, because it's across the road from the house, in the ditch by the field, and gets hit periodically by tractors. We only leave it there so the post office doesn't whine; we use a post office box for actual mail.

>>I've DX'd one of the AM stations from there. It was a conservative one (oof), but I was pretty amazed about hearing Texas at the time.<<

That is exciting!

>>I'm establishing in the backdated fic that Quinn does have the sort of medical skills one uses on the fly, but isn't a designated medic. As for Pat, I can see him being a community's go-to man when somebody's laid up and needs looking after.<<

Okay, good balance, especially as established in the backstory.

That reminds me, I wrote a poem in the fishbowl that features (a version of) Quinn's childhood.

>>Gimme back my braincell!<<

*laugh*

>>Re Luke getting the clue-by-four applied: Hmm. I have a vague idea for how he gets sense knocked into him, but it isn't fully formed yet. I'll keep you posted.<<

Okay. He's being cagey with me too. That usually means a character is embarrassed about something.

From:

chanter1944

Re names: This darn fic keeps growing on me! I don't know what I'm going to do when I get to the Texas-based fics in universe present; the backdated Resistance fic is eating my brain! I've now got at least one Adrian, a Meredith (male), a couple of people who go by nicknames/have had nicknames applied, a Lee and a Sandy, and versions of people from other worlds are weaving themselves in so seamlessly it's like they've been there since inception, which they haven't. I... am either in trouble or not, and I can't tell which.

Incidentally, one of the two who's known by a nickname might have people confused over his given name if they didn't know him, but very few people call him by anything other than his nickname. The notable exception is the other person who's had a nickname applied to her. If that made any sense at all.

Re initials: The character in question, M.J., is actually Matthew. That's known, but not often used.

Re cowbells and churchbells: Aha, that's right. Cattle country. *nodsnods*

Re nobody knocking down a bell post: I think the cantankerous matron will be appearing in future fic, yes! XD Come to think of it, she may actually mean what she says to whoever's pestering her, in addition to her political reasons for orange paint.

Re headstrong characters: Kendra's rather headstrong about most things. :) I'll take the good sign happily!

I've actually gotten information from a couple of Michigan native friends about land and water access between Detroit and Windsor, which is super important in this fic. It's because of them that Lake Saint Clair came into play, as well as details about rumrunners' methods of smuggling that would be known and relevant to sympathetic locals on either side of the border.

Edited Date: 2012-12-06 05:18 pm (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Re names: This darn fic keeps growing on me! I don't know what I'm going to do when I get to the Texas-based fics in universe present; the backdated Resistance fic is eating my brain! <<

I'm okay with that. I want to read it all.

>>I've now got at least one Adrian, a Meredith (male), a couple of people who go by nicknames/have had nicknames applied, a Lee and a Sandy, and versions of people from other worlds are weaving themselves in so seamlessly it's like they've been there since inception, which they haven't.<<

Cool! That reminds me, Midge (one of the recurring but not regular characters) is a nickname for Margaret (in her core version) or Madigan (male version from another dimension).

>>The character in question, M.J., is actually Matthew.<<

*chuckle* I can't help but be reminded of Spiderman's M.J.

>>Re cowbells and churchbells: Aha, that's right. Cattle country.<<

And sheep is pretty much a dirty word down there, because cattle and sheep are incompatible on rangeland.

>>I think the cantankerous matron will be appearing in future fic, yes!<<

Yay!

>>Come to think of it, she may actually mean what she says to whoever's pestering her, in addition to her political reasons for orange paint.<<

If she's talking to a local policeman, he'll recognize that once it's pointed out, from having to come collect drunks from the wreckage. If she's talking to an outsider, someone else local might back her up with examples.

>> I've actually gotten information from a couple of Michigan native friends about land and water access between Detroit and Windsor, which is super important in this fic. <<

Awesome! My partner Doug grew up in Detroit, so I'm somewhat familiar with that. He talked about visiting an island where people would cross the border, or pass things to someone on the other side -- I'm wanting to say Coney Island but I'm not 100% certain.

From:

chanter1944

Re cantankerous matron: I can see somebody on the orange!team backing her up with examples, potentially ducking under an unpleasant someone's radar in the process by apparently being just another local. I'm thinking Chris, for some reason.

Re Bois Blanc: Thank you! :) Much appreciated. I can absolutely see that island being of use to the Resistance, though in this setting, the Detroit River's got a sizable number of patrols running on the American side, land and water. It can and probably will be used for goods and information transfer, but it'd be harder sneaking people over that way without running afoul of someone in authority. I think I will work Bois Blanc in, though. :) Thanks again!

Re cattle country: *nodsnods* Haven't small-scale battles broken out over that sort of thing in the past? Sheep farmers vs. cow farmers? Range wars, brrrr.

Re Midge: I have to admit, I like the name Madigan rather a lot. Not stealing it, don't worry. Just saying.

Re Spiderman: I hadn't even thought of that. Heh. :) I think this particular M.J. is Matthew John. He isn't saying what his middle name is, so I'm guessing.

I've had a related story possibly in need of if not its own fic, then its own section of this one leap into my head and start bothering me. It concerns an American Resistance person now safely on the Canadian side who Kendra and company are going to meet. ... Jeez, this thing's going to be a novel before I get it done.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>I can see somebody on the orange!team backing her up with examples, potentially ducking under an unpleasant someone's radar in the process by apparently being just another local. I'm thinking Chris, for some reason.<<

Chris is a good fit for that. He's local and pretty much everyone knows his family.

>>I can absolutely see that island being of use to the Resistance<<

Yay!

>> It can and probably will be used for goods and information transfer, but it'd be harder sneaking people over that way without running afoul of someone in authority. <<

Harder, but maybe still a weaker point in the border. *ponder* Maybe if the park has gone all to kitch and kiddie stuff, the serious border patrol wouldn't want to go there and would think nobody else would consider it a good spot for illicit activity. It would be really public and really a sugar rush.

I'm thinking of the "Hang in there, baby!" poster in the Sarah Connor Chronicles and the line, "No big bad terrorist is gonna have a cute kitty-cat poster on his wall." But they did, because it meant something else to them.

>> Haven't small-scale battles broken out over that sort of thing in the past? Sheep farmers vs. cow farmers? Range wars, brrrr. <<

Yes! It can get very heated. Hmm, smuggling things in or with sheep in Texas, because no self-respecting Texan would have anything to do with the damn things.

>>I have to admit, I like the name Madigan rather a lot. Not stealing it, don't worry. Just saying.<<

Well, I've only used female!Midge in actual fanfic so far. Male!Midge is mentioned in a canon episode thumbnail but that's it. You could have Midge be male in the orange dimension if you wish. He'd probably play both sides against the middle and drive everyone bugfuck.

>>I've had a related story possibly in need of if not its own fic, then its own section of this one leap into my head and start bothering me.<<

Go ahead and spin it off if you need to. Some of the stuff I'm writing in Schrodinger's Heroes is linear, but then some reaches out and connect with other things that previously stood alone. So it turns into kind of a web.

>>It concerns an American Resistance person now safely on the Canadian side who Kendra and company are going to meet. ... Jeez, this thing's going to be a novel before I get it done.<<

That sounds cool. And I would not mind a novel.

I remember being surprised at the discovery of fanfic novels ... back when I started, it was all just short stories. The depth of plot and character development at the high end of the field is massively improved these days.

From:

chanter1944

Re weak points in the border: I now get the image of a teenager, maybe someone needing to flee to friendlier climes because of unaddressed mistreatment on account of their sexuality or gender, slipping through under the guise of going to the amusement park. Maybe there's a contact working at the place who's known to Resistance types, and they occasionally help people slip across. Hmm.

Re Midge: Heh, I can see this happening!
Helen puts down the phone, looking perplexed. "I have no idea who that was, honestly. Whoever they were, all they'd tell me was 'Madigan'."
"Don't talk to him," Quinn and Adrian chorus vehemently. "Nosy reporter," Adrian explains, "and worse. I wouldn't trust him so far as I could throw this house. The man switches sides... you know, it's doubtful he even has a side. The side of bad news, maybe. Mainly for us."

Re fanfic novels: Of course, you get variations in quality there too. I've read some pretty atrocious fanfic novels, as well as some amazing ones.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>I now get the image of a teenager, maybe someone needing to flee to friendlier climes because of unaddressed mistreatment on account of their sexuality or gender, slipping through under the guise of going to the amusement park.<<

Awesome idea.

>> Maybe there's a contact working at the place who's known to Resistance types, and they occasionally help people slip across.<<

Yeah, they'd need a Conductor. Catcher? Maybe get a term from radio jargon for a receiver or assistant.

Either of those could be Quinn, really. He probably didn't have a great home life, especially in the orange dimension.

>>Helen puts down the phone, looking perplexed. "I have no idea who that was, honestly. Whoever they were, all they'd tell me was 'Madigan'."
"Don't talk to him," Quinn and Adrian chorus vehemently.<<

*laaaaaauuuuugh*

Oh, save that and use it. You nailed Midge.

>> Of course, you get variations in quality there too. I've read some pretty atrocious fanfic novels, as well as some amazing ones. <<

Everything has examples that suck. What impresses me is how high the maximum quality of fanfic has gotten.

From:

chanter1944

There is some absolutely flipping phenomenal fanfic out there, I totally agree. I've literally read fanfic about a series or two that's better than the canon it sprang from. ... I know, that sounds awful. It's true, though.

Re conductor: I can see Quinn being very invested in helping folks across the border, especially if they have reasons of gender or sexuality behind their wish to get the heck out of orange!America. He's currently assisting with Kendra and two other refugees' escape. One of them is an MTF transgendered teenager, male in biology but passing as a girl to the casual observer. I can very much see Quinn taking her under his wing. Trouble is, she's a little thrown by him, given his free spirit and the reactions to transfolk she's used to. Hopefully she'll get over that after a while. Poor kid's jumping at shadows presently.

Re receiver or catcher terminology: I can see this! Let's see. QSO is the term for a confirmed contact or conversation between two radio operators, as in 'We were having a nice little QSO until the thunderstorm static broke it up.' Maybe they'd just call whoever the person is QSO, and unaware people would assume some sort of random nickname? It's often pronounced Q-so rather than spelled out. Hmm. Maybe someone could mistake it for a last name?

Re Midge: I will keep that! XD Also yay getting characters right! :) Thanks. How Madigan-Midge got the number at the safehouse outside Windsor, I don't know. Nosy bugger.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>I've literally read fanfic about a series or two that's better than the canon it sprang from. ... I know, that sounds awful. It's true, though.<<

Same here.

>> I can see Quinn being very invested in helping folks across the border, especially if they have reasons of gender or sexuality behind their wish to get the heck out of orange!America. <<

Sooth.

>>One of them is an MTF transgendered teenager, male in biology but passing as a girl to the casual observer. I can very much see Quinn taking her under his wing. Trouble is, she's a little thrown by him, given his free spirit and the reactions to transfolk she's used to.<<

Quinn is sweet on the inside, but sometimes spiky on the outside, especially in tense situations. Not everyone can see through that quickly. I'm reminded of this image:
http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/12475/234705

>>I can see this! Let's see. QSO is the term for a confirmed contact or conversation between two radio operators, as in 'We were having a nice little QSO until the thunderstorm static broke it up.' <<

I like that. It's so obscure, it would be really hard to crack from the outside; but the meaning should be obvious to anyone familiar with radio jargon.

>>Maybe they'd just call whoever the person is QSO, and unaware people would assume some sort of random nickname? It's often pronounced Q-so rather than spelled out.<<

That lets you keep QSO for its literal radio use, and Q-so for a contact person.

>>How Madigan-Midge got the number at the safehouse outside Windsor, I don't know. Nosy bugger.<<

I'm given to understand that the nickname Midge comes from being infernally good at getting through screens, as well as being small and annoying. Could be hacking, or in this dimension, eavesdropping.

Man, I should've had Kay smack female!Midge with a flyswatter instead of a hairbrush. Maybe another time.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> I've actually gotten information from a couple of Michigan native friends about land and water access between Detroit and Windsor, which is super important in this fic. <<

I asked Doug about the island. The island itself is Bois Blanc. The amusement park was Bab-lo Island. It was accessible by ferry from the American side or the Canadian side, and there was a also a nearby marina for people with private boats as a third option. Because the assumption was that visitors would leave the island in the same direction they came, there was no customs check. So it was possible to bring goods -- or even people -- from one side and hand them off to someone from the other side.

It seemed like that might be useful for the Resistance, and in a different timeline the amusement park might still be going.

$thnidu: Oh, noes! (LJ icon) You are in a maze of twisty little LJ entries (check one): All different \ All alike. lj:redaxe (mazeoftwistylittleljentries)$

From:

thnidu

(I'm not even going to try to fit into the thread that is, as I type, at 1a1a1b1a1a1, eleven levels deep.)
• QSL: Got that, I was WV2PBR for a short time in my teens.
• RNW: So you did mean Radio Netherlands Worldwide! I came into this from

ysabetwordsmith's pointer to her comment #1 and didn't see your post itself till after I Google-sought it.
• Bell image: Here in Philadelphia there are lots of uses of the Liberty Bell image, including this one that combines it with Ben Franklin's head! :-)
• Tesla: I've been a fan of his ever since reading Spider Robinson's Callahan's series.
• languages: as Ysabet knows, I'm also a language geek, professionally even.

And that's enough. Reminding myself that I'm (gasp) at the office and supposed to be working.

From:

chanter1944

Hi there! :)

Re QSL: I'm working on my technician license right now.

Re RNW: Oh yes, that's exactly who I meant. I love them dearly, and miss them as much. I'm a journalist by training, so you can guess where my standards for myself came from.

RE Tesla: Aha! I love Spider Robinson's Callahan's series! Isn't Tesla marvelous in there? Such an eloquent gentleman, to say nothing of the evident genius.

From:

technoshaman

Heh. I used to futz about with clear channel AM stuff... I've heard KDKA, KMOX, WBZ, and WCBS all from Tennessee (though ironically I couldn't pull in WSM)... and one snowy night in Rochester I managed to get WSB (Atlanta), broadcasting a Hawks game.... though my best achievement was futzing with an old low-frequency (200-400 kHz) monitor my Dad was burning in after replacing a bad tube... faint but clear I hear Morse code:

--.. -... ...-

I looked it up... ZBV. Where can that be? Bimini! A 75-watt station on the skip, way down in the Bahamas... Sadly, it's no longer there... *sadface*

From:

chanter1944

ZBV? Whoa! That is a heck of a catch! Skip is a marvelous thing. My usual receiver for longwave, my DX-398, is currently ker-busted or else I'd be chasing a few more LW beacons myself. Using that receiver of an evening, I can get multiple Canadian beacons - usually Ontarians and Quebecois - and a handful of Americans nearer home. when I hear

.-.. -.. --

that is to say, LDM out of Ludington, Michigan, I know it's likely a good night for DX on the lower frequencies.

As for mediumwave clear channel stuff, KDKA is a trickier catch here, but not impossible. WSB is usually a booming signal, although when it fades, it really fades! That leads to some distinctly interesting catches, on the order of south Texas and Melfort, Saskatchewan. If I said I wasn't still ridiculously pleased with that Sask reception, I'd be a dirty liar. :)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Profile

Chanter

March 2026

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

Page Summary

Active Entries

Style Credit

Style: Neutral Good for Practicality by timeasmymeasure

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Mar. 14th, 2026 06:10 am

Clarisse McClellan's Daughter

Chanter's adventures in QSLing, updated as necessary

Chanter's adventures in QSLing, updated as necessary

Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

Re: Hmm...

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Profile

March 2026

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Active Entries

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags