ericjohn
Enlightened
I don't know if I'm posting in the right sub forum or not, but I want to talk about to interests that I enjoy aside from flashlights.
I've posted many times before how I am a foamer. That is someone who enjoys all things pertaining railroad operations but doesn't work for the railroad. I believe I am also becoming a gongoozler as well. That is someone who enjoys all things pertaining to marine traffic in canals but doesn't work for any marine entity.
There is plenty of both railroad and canal activity going on in my part of Louisiana.
I've come to realize that gongoozling is safer than foaming because there is less criminal activity near canals than near railroads. In fact just two towns away from me is a family friendly marina along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. So that is my main reason. The other reason is railroads will be upgrading their communications in the next very few years to a system that any [affordable] scanner is incompatible with. Whereas VHF marine will still be in FM for years to come. Also, if VHF marine changes its modulation format an affordable transceiver will still probably be available at any sporting goods retailer.
Finally I think I'm becoming a gongoozler because my wife likes to watch marine canal traffic with me. She hated when I would bring her watch trains, but she comes gongoozling with me at the drop of a hat.
I use similar equipment for my marine hobby that I do for my railroad hobby. I use my Uniden BC75XLT, but also a Standard Horizon HX-290 (which was a gift from my wife.) I only use the latter device for monitoring and I dare not transmit no matter how tempting it may be. I would love to tell the boat crews "God bless you!" and ask "Where are you heading?" or "What are you hauling?" Of course pray over the radio that they have a safe trip and that God watches over them as they pass by me. However, I cringe at the fact that I could cause a serious accident. I also know that it is illegal and carries stiff punishments to transmit on a marine transceiver while on land without special permission. So I just listen, that is all. By the way it is just as illegal [and dangerous] to transmit on railroad frequencies if one doesn't have consent from the said railroad company. It is VERY tempting to want to talk on the radio to people in these operations, believe me I know, but it's not a good idea.
Railroads will always have a place in my heart there is no doubt about it, but now I'm looking forward to broadening my horizons, learning new things and meeting new people.
I've posted many times before how I am a foamer. That is someone who enjoys all things pertaining railroad operations but doesn't work for the railroad. I believe I am also becoming a gongoozler as well. That is someone who enjoys all things pertaining to marine traffic in canals but doesn't work for any marine entity.
There is plenty of both railroad and canal activity going on in my part of Louisiana.
I've come to realize that gongoozling is safer than foaming because there is less criminal activity near canals than near railroads. In fact just two towns away from me is a family friendly marina along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. So that is my main reason. The other reason is railroads will be upgrading their communications in the next very few years to a system that any [affordable] scanner is incompatible with. Whereas VHF marine will still be in FM for years to come. Also, if VHF marine changes its modulation format an affordable transceiver will still probably be available at any sporting goods retailer.
Finally I think I'm becoming a gongoozler because my wife likes to watch marine canal traffic with me. She hated when I would bring her watch trains, but she comes gongoozling with me at the drop of a hat.
I use similar equipment for my marine hobby that I do for my railroad hobby. I use my Uniden BC75XLT, but also a Standard Horizon HX-290 (which was a gift from my wife.) I only use the latter device for monitoring and I dare not transmit no matter how tempting it may be. I would love to tell the boat crews "God bless you!" and ask "Where are you heading?" or "What are you hauling?" Of course pray over the radio that they have a safe trip and that God watches over them as they pass by me. However, I cringe at the fact that I could cause a serious accident. I also know that it is illegal and carries stiff punishments to transmit on a marine transceiver while on land without special permission. So I just listen, that is all. By the way it is just as illegal [and dangerous] to transmit on railroad frequencies if one doesn't have consent from the said railroad company. It is VERY tempting to want to talk on the radio to people in these operations, believe me I know, but it's not a good idea.
Railroads will always have a place in my heart there is no doubt about it, but now I'm looking forward to broadening my horizons, learning new things and meeting new people.
