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The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
byOl Olsoc ( 1175323 ) writes:
I teach emergency communication classes. The students use computers interfaced with their radios - their radios squack AX.25 protocol audio encoded signals, with data that ends up in places like the Red Cross.
In previous years, it would take one or two classes and everyone's system is up and running - then we can work on the details of the programs we use.
Most of what we do works great on the Mac, great on Linux, but on Windows 11? Getting everyone running is a nightmare. The BOHICA updates alter sou
bythegarbz ( 1787294 ) writes:
Terrible unprofessional
Yes, using a home OS from students for any professional work is unprofessional. In the meantime places like the Red Cross will be using Windows to receive those signals (mainly because these days major vendors like Motorola only offer Windows based solutions even though their base radio controller still run some linux/unix variant) and have no problems at all because Windows used in professional settings most definitely are not at the whim of Microsoft every month (I honestly don't know how you're getting c
byOl Olsoc ( 1175323 ) writes:
Terrible unprofessional
Yes, using a home OS from students for any professional work is unprofessional. In the meantime places like the Red Cross will be using Windows to receive those signals (mainly because these days major vendors like Motorola only offer Windows based solutions even though their base radio controller still run some linux/unix variant) and have no problems at all because Windows used in professional settings most definitely are not at the whim of Microsoft every month (I honestly don't know how you're getting configuration changes every other week, are your students in a beta program?
It is a different student every time. So it all depends on when the update has been pressed on them. Get 10 students, get ten problems and different times.
As for the Windows professionals not having issues, I had the occasion of a BOHICA update on Windows 10 Enterprise that occurred during the middle of one of my working events. Subsequent investigation and dispensing of hell, it was a forced update that the respective IT guys claimed they had no control over
Yes, there are some Windows only "solutions", like Winlink and VARA. My classes are NBEMS oriented.
But it is important to recognize that these are not "professionals" in the sense of being a paid engineer/IT person working in a paid professional environment. They might be, but what they really are is unpaid radio people.
The nature of emergency communications has two different paradigms. One is that the shit hits the fan, and the intrepid operator goes to the emergency center, and assists the people there with Health and welfare messages.
The other is probably more important. SHTF situations tend to have a certain randomness to them. So the hope, and often the reality is that there will be a person in the affected area who can provide communications in and out of that area.
Some areas have emergency states occurring pretty often. Think areas that get Lake Effect snows like Northwestern Pennsylvania, Or regular hurricanes like Florida or the Southeast coast of US, or tornados like the south central US. Wheras my middle of the state of PA isn't usually hit too hard, we surely can be. Got hammered bigly in spring 2025.
But who gets hit, and who can provide communications is pretty random, so many people prepare.
My own setup is radios and computers running off generator, and also a solar setup with 200 watts of mobile panels, plus deep discharge batteries. MF, HF, VHF, UHF. Pretty professional, because I am a professional. Not everyone has that kind of discretionary money.
But for all of the protestations that these guys should be professionals running professional versions of windows, and be full fledged experts in all things Windows, there is a fact. MacOS does not have that issue. Linux does not have that issue. As I explained, to the class one night. "Okay - All of these problems you are having are officially your fault, but you can move to an operating system where those problems don't happen, and that's apparently your fault too."
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