Saturday, November 26, 2011

"Super 8", "Frequency", and Ham Radio

We just finished watching "Super 8" tonight, and there's a town meeting scene in it where an old guy tells the Sheriff that there's been a lot of unusual interference caused by military chatter on his Ham Radio. The Sheriff has everybody bring any and all receivers they own in, and they start monitoring all the frequencies the old Ham gave them. In one scene they show a remarkably well preserved Heathkit Seneca, and they all listen to the Air Force talk about "Operation Walking Distance".
Only one problem.....the Seneca is a TRANSMITTER.
In "Frequency", the character played by James Caviezel talks to his dead father on HF (short-wave) using a Heathkit SB-301.
Only one problem....the SB-301 is a RECEIVER.
Now when my son and I saw "Frequency", I spotted it right away and mentioned it to him, and he laughed and said "Dad, only YOU would spot that!".
Tonight when I told my wife the Seneca was a transmitter, she laughed and said "Jim, only YOU would know that!".
Yeah, but if I know it, there's gotta be other people who know it.
Oh, well....what can we expect from Hollyweird.....

5 comments:

  1. Hollywood blowing a detail like that? Get out!!!

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  2. Still, I get a kick out of seeing "Radios I Have Known and Loved" in the movies!

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  3. Yep, noticed there was 'something' wrong, but on a 5 inch screen I couldn't tell what...LOL At least now I know I'm not nuts!

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  4. One of the funniest ham radio faux pas was in "Phenomenon" where Forest Whitaker's character's call sign was WB6QLF. QLF for the non-ham-non-cw readers means "send with your left foot," usually in connection with someone sending with a bad "fist" or sloppy Morse code.

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  5. Yeah, "Phenomenon" had probably the best Hollywood depiction of Ham Radio.
    And it's fun to watch old gear turn up as "Police" or "military" radios. Sheriff Taylor had an Eico 723 in his office, and I've seen dozens of other ham rigs over the years.

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Keep it civil, please....

Annnnd.....We Got Zip.....

 Total snow was about 6~8", but half o0f it melted as soon as it hit, and we never had more than 3" on the ground at any one time....