Classic Repost: LoRD - Complete Espionage Conspiracy

 Originally Posted:  November 9, 2009

(1:09:53 PM) working vanlandw: VANBERGE
(1:10:31 PM) vanberge4: yo
(1:10:38 PM) working vanlandw: do you know if staying at the inn restores your hp?
(1:11:13 PM) vanberge4: i do not know actually
(1:11:25 PM) working vanlandw: this game is bullshit everybody is ahead of me there is nothing i can do everybody obove me is just going ot keep poaching me
(1:13:57 PM) vanberge4: actually i htink you’re ok now
(1:14:05 PM) vanberge4: people can only attack you if they are at your level or 1 higher
(1:14:09 PM) vanberge4: 2+ and it fails
(1:15:38 PM) vanberge4: you should slay flo and payner in their respective inns
(1:15:43 PM) vanberge4: you can use death knight attacks
(1:15:48 PM) working vanlandw: tomorrow
(1:15:50 PM) vanberge4: nope
(1:15:51 PM) vanberge4: NOW
(1:15:55 PM) working vanlandw: i should have enough money ot buy the next armor upgrade
(1:16:00 PM) working vanlandw: then i’ll have the 30,000 upgrades
(1:16:03 PM) working vanlandw: then i should have a chance
(1:16:27 PM) vanberge4: you should try vanlandw! you can do it!
(1:16:36 PM) vanberge4: if you kill them you’ll get some G
(1:16:47 PM) working vanlandw: i’m not strong enough
(1:16:54 PM) working vanlandw: i tried killing flo
(1:16:54 PM) vanberge4: dude it doesnt matter with DK attacks
(1:17:01 PM) working vanlandw: it didn’t work
(1:17:02 PM) vanberge4: i hit jja for 600 damage when i was a level 7
(1:17:08 PM) working vanlandw: tomorrow
(1:17:17 PM) working vanlandw: right now i’m just going to bide my time till i have enough dough to upgrade
(1:17:26 PM) working vanlandw: then i’ll upgrade and i should have enough money tot ake out flo or payner
(1:17:30 PM) working vanlandw: hopefully lol
(1:18:24 PM) vanberge4: do you have hte long sword ?
(1:18:27 PM) vanberge4: or the “huge axe”
(1:19:15 PM) vanberge4: ** YOU ARE STOPPED BY A MESSENGER WITH THE FOLLOWING NEWS: **

Vanlandw has left the realm.

(1:19:29 PM) working vanlandw: i got idle
(1:19:32 PM) working vanlandw: i’m on the phone
(1:19:44 PM) working vanlandw: are you going to murder me in the field?
(1:19:45 PM) vanberge4: I am going to transfer you 60,000 dollars to get your upgrades and fight flo. You have had a bad start and I want to help you
(1:19:50 PM) working vanlandw: LOL
(1:19:55 PM) vanberge4: if you say no, then I’m going to murder you
(1:20:03 PM) working vanlandw: do you have enough funds?
(1:20:09 PM) vanberge4: yeah i have like 300k in the bank
(1:20:11 PM) working vanlandw: you have already lent me a series of dollars
(1:20:18 PM) working vanlandw: i don’t know if ic an beat them
(1:20:23 PM) working vanlandw: i have the axe
(1:20:44 PM) vanberge4: you’re going to try
(1:20:50 PM) vanberge4: use your D attack
(1:20:54 PM) vanberge4: it’ll be a gg
(1:21:00 PM) working vanlandw: lmao
(1:21:03 PM) working vanlandw: that would be pretty funny
(1:21:08 PM) working vanlandw: i don’t know if i have more then one d attack
(1:21:30 PM) working vanlandw: i have 3 “Death knight skills”
(1:21:34 PM) vanberge4: vanlandw you have to take a chance
(1:21:41 PM) working vanlandw: i guess i have to
(1:21:42 PM) vanberge4: i started off really crappy
(1:21:50 PM) working vanlandw: i started out really crappy
(1:21:50 PM) vanberge4: but I killed kramer when he was at the top
(1:21:56 PM) vanberge4: using my D attack
(1:22:03 PM) vanberge4: it was a great risk but well worth it
(1:22:18 PM) working vanlandw: you are now number one
(1:22:26 PM) vanberge4: yup
(1:22:27 PM) working vanlandw: and vo is not doing very well
(1:22:31 PM) working vanlandw: he died int eh field today
(1:22:33 PM) vanberge4: because i fight people who are ahead of me
(1:22:52 PM) vanberge4: i slayed jja yesterday and he was way above me in exp
(1:23:00 PM) vanberge4: it’s all in the “D”
(1:23:27 PM) vanberge4: it said it transferrred the money but I dont see any of it
(1:23:34 PM) vanberge4: see if you have it
(1:23:43 PM) working vanlandw: ok i will
(1:25:35 PM) vanberge4: how much would you need for a way higher weapon ?
(1:26:15 PM) working vanlandw: 100,000
(1:27:07 PM) vanberge4: what armor do you have
(1:27:27 PM) working vanlandw: leather
(1:27:32 PM) working vanlandw: i was saving for the next one at 30,000
(1:27:49 PM) vanberge4: buy the iron armour
(1:28:01 PM) vanberge4: actually im going to give you more money so you can upgrade both of these
(1:28:07 PM) vanberge4: i want to make sure you can kill flo
(1:29:01 PM) vanberge4: i have sent you 200,000
(1:29:07 PM) vanberge4: buy good shit; kill flo and payner
(1:31:12 PM) working vanlandw: wow
(1:31:15 PM) working vanlandw: that is so funny
(1:31:54 PM) vanberge4: i am helping a fellow van who has had a rough go of it
(1:32:01 PM) vanberge4: i make like 30k per forest fight so iz gg
(1:35:14 PM) vanberge4: you HAVE to try fighting them now.
(1:35:16 PM) vanberge4:
(1:35:26 PM) working vanlandw: i’m workin on it
(1:35:32 PM) vanberge4: if you still say “tomorrow” im going to go in administratively and take that money away and make your guy dead
(1:35:38 PM) working vanlandw: no i’m going to
(1:35:43 PM) working vanlandw: i just gotta do a few work things
(1:35:43 PM) vanberge4: =D
(1:35:59 PM) vanberge4: i love you vanlandw
(1:36:11 PM) vanberge4: harness the engergy of lendale white and ricky williams to help you through it
(1:37:37 PM) working vanlandw: i wonder if i’m not high enough level to buy that equpiment
(1:38:11 PM) vanberge4: it shouldtn matter
(1:39:17 PM) working vanlandw: i have the bone cruncher and graphite armour
(1:39:20 PM) vanberge4: amazing
(1:39:46 PM) working vanlandw: seriously he’s going to kill me
(1:39:53 PM) vanberge4: D
(1:40:01 PM) working vanlandw: Being a trained warrior, he jumps up suddenly, aware of your
presence!

**PLAYER FIGHT**

You have encountered E-Flo!!

E-Flo surprises you.

** E-Flo Executes A Power Move **

** E-Flo hits with his Bone Cruncher for 66 damage! **

Your Hitpoints : 1
E-Flo’s Hitpoints : 149
(1:40:10 PM) working vanlandw: You have killed E-Flo!
(1:40:11 PM) vanberge4: Run and try again
(1:40:13 PM) vanberge4: LOL
(1:40:17 PM) vanberge4: you did it!!!
(1:40:20 PM) working vanlandw: i am lmfao
(1:40:29 PM) vanberge4: this has been an amazing thing
(1:40:45 PM) vanberge4: you literally had 1 point
(1:40:59 PM) vanberge4: that is just awesome
(1:41:00 PM) working vanlandw: i don’t know if i can take payner
(1:41:10 PM) working vanlandw: if flo pretty much murdered me i don’t think i can get him
(1:41:21 PM) working vanlandw: i guess i can try
(1:41:21 PM) vanberge4: do you have more D
(1:41:35 PM) vanberge4: you didnt get uch xp for that… i’m surprised
(1:41:43 PM) working vanlandw: nope no more d
(1:42:04 PM) vanberge4: you prob can level up
(1:42:07 PM) working vanlandw: nope
(1:42:09 PM) vanberge4: then you might get a new D
(1:42:10 PM) working vanlandw: i’m going to stay here
(1:42:19 PM) working vanlandw: at 4 nobody can kill me lol
(1:42:23 PM) vanberge4: VANLANDW
(1:42:26 PM) working vanlandw: i’ll prob kill flo and payner for a few days
(1:42:29 PM) working vanlandw: then wait to level up
(1:42:36 PM) working vanlandw: payner and flo are 6
(1:42:38 PM) working vanlandw: they can’t kill me
(1:42:44 PM) working vanlandw: i pretty much rather just piss them off
(1:42:56 PM) vanberge4: if you visit turgon does he say” ooh your muscles are big like lendale”
(1:43:10 PM) working vanlandw: lol yeah he does
(1:43:12 PM) vanberge4: that will refresh your D and you can take out payner!
(1:43:17 PM) working vanlandw: hmmm
(1:43:25 PM) working vanlandw: does that give you “D” leveling up?
(1:43:28 PM) vanberge4: vanlandw this is just an epic day
(1:43:30 PM) working vanlandw: lol
(1:43:31 PM) vanberge4: i think it does!
(1:43:39 PM) vanberge4: you can kill them both!
(1:43:42 PM) vanberge4: COME ON
(1:43:46 PM) vanberge4: you have to try!!!! :-/
(1:43:50 PM) working vanlandw: “You’re becoming a very skilled warrior.”
(1:43:54 PM) vanberge4: dude
(1:43:59 PM) vanberge4: heal your guy first tho
(1:44:08 PM) working vanlandw: Ye Gods!! You are a master warrior!
(1:44:29 PM) working vanlandw: i do have another use lol
(1:44:34 PM) working vanlandw: ok i’ll try to get payner
(1:44:36 PM) vanberge4: yes
(1:44:38 PM) vanberge4: you will
(1:44:39 PM) vanberge4: lol
(1:44:42 PM) vanberge4: this is so awesome
(1:45:14 PM) working vanlandw: You hit Payner for 179 damage!

You blew your master away!

You have killed Payner!
(1:45:19 PM) working vanlandw: lol?
(1:45:20 PM) vanberge4: wow
(1:45:23 PM) vanberge4: this is just amazing
(1:46:52 PM) working vanlandw: i have reutrned to the mundane world
(1:46:57 PM) vanberge4: man
(1:46:57 PM) working vanlandw: i just murdered everybody
(1:47:00 PM) vanberge4: what an epic day
(1:47:04 PM) working vanlandw: they must be so pist
(1:47:05 PM) vanberge4: that was seriously awesome vanlandw
(1:47:29 PM) vanberge4: now see what that did? you went from lik 2,000 xp to 27k
(1:47:33 PM) vanberge4: you’re right in the mix
(1:47:52 PM) working vanlandw: well without any help i would be getting my shit pushed
(1:48:38 PM) vanberge4: how awesome was that though
(1:48:51 PM) vanberge4: we have just conspired to the nth degree and committed sheer LoRD espionage warfare
(1:48:51 PM) working vanlandw: they are going to be so pist lol
(1:49:09 PM) vanberge4: i am posting this entire chat on my website
(1:49:10 PM) vanberge4: lol
(1:49:30 PM) working vanlandw: getting sold out is so funny

The Radio Rabbit Hole

So I'm totally into amateur radio now...  I have multiple handhelds, a couple desk radios, multiple antennas, and TWO different call-signs (GMRS and Ham).  It's been a fun rabbit hole to explore, so I thought I'd write a bit about how I got here. 

At a recent camp with my sons' Scout Troop, we had a group of scouts working on a bridge-building exercise.  The creek where we were assembling a "natural" bridge made of felled timber was a slow process for young scouts.  Frequent walks back to camp to get tools, supplies, ask questions, etc made things less-than-efficient.  I thought to myself: "Hmm... If we just had some real walkie talkie style radios, we could have communicated back to camp and made this whole exercise much more efficient".   I had a few kids walkie talkies from when my kids were younger; and they honestly get pretty good range (maybe a half mile).  But, that wasn't going to cut it here.  I wanted as much range as I could get!  So, I did some research over a couple of evenings and ended up ordering some Midland GXT1000 radios:

As I was reading more about them, I discovered that they could output on channels and power levels that you actually had to have a license to transmit on.  This frequency spectrum is referred to as General Mobile Radio Service, or GMRS.  

Rabbit hole #1 - GMRS 

Once I learned this required a license, I started researching what it was going to take.  I figured I'd have to study radio, take a test, and get a certification.  Nope.  All I needed to do was to pay the FCC $35, and a couple days later I had my GMRS call sign:  WSMI204.   

Now that I had a call sign I started scanning channels, listening for things that were catching my attention.  One night while walking my dog, I heard a group of people talking on channel 17.  I learned later, this was called a "net" - they were asking people to check in, and I couldn't seem to get through with my Midland radio.  So, then I learned that GMRS worked heavily off of repeaters which require channel selection as well as frequency adjustment and tone-setting.  My Midlands couldn't connect to the repeaters that everyone was talking on.  Bummer!  But, This meant I got to buy some more gear. 😆  I did some more research and landed at the brand TIDRadio. I purchased an H3 model which I could flash a custom firmware on, and I also purchased an H8 model which could transmit on 10 watts instead of 5.  

I learned how to program these radios and look up repeaters on MyGMRS.com. And, now I have a nice Motorola 4550 desktop radio to scan all the repeaters in the West Michigan.  I can reach repeaters ~20 miles away and it's been fun way to start getting into the hobby.

Rabbit hole #2 - Skywarn

On one of the local GMRS nets, there was an announcement about storm spotter training happening in a couple weeks.  I've always been interested in weather, storm chasing, and tornadoes. So, this was a no-brainer!  Combine my new enthusiasm in radio with something like storm spotting and helping out the National Weather Service?  Count me in.  I wasn't able to attend the in-person training due to another scout camp unfortunately.  But, there are options for doing the training online as well.  The training was fun actually.  I did a self-paced one as well as an instructor led virtual training and received my Skywarn Spotter certificate.  

This is when I learned that Storm spotters mostly use actual ham Amateur radio. Sure, GMRS is used, but the real pros were on other frequencies I couldn't legally transmit on...  So, the rabbit hole must be continued.

Rabbit hole #3 - Amateur Radio

The 3rd stage of this new hobby took me to Amateur radio.  I started researching how to get certified; and I found there are 3 levels of ham radio certification

• Technician
• General
• Extra

Technician is the entry level, allowing you to transmit on UHF/VHF frequencies. It opens some doors above GMRS, but stops short of being able to talk to people in different states or across the world.  That's where the General class comes in, allowing you to transmit on HF which can actually bounce off the Ionosphere!  This is how people can talk to other operators across the world.  I was starting to get ahead of myself; because this information was totally foreign to me. I needed to spend some time studying and figure out a way to learn alot of materiel as fast as possible. Enter https://hamstudy.org/ - this website and accompanying mobile app give you practice tests, study mode flash-cards, and allow you to track your knowledge across all the tested areas.  It was amazingly helpful learn about electronics, concepts, usage, and radio wave physics.

I also found a very helpful YouTube channel, Ham Radio Crash Course, which has a series of videos helping cover the information on these tests (not to mention very helpful videos on gear, radio strategies, and the hobby overall).  

With the practice on HamStudy.org and watching the video series on the harder parts I struggled with, I was able to pass my Technician exam with 33 correct out of 35!   You know what that means?  Another call-sign.  On ham, my call sign is KF8GNZ.  Of course, this also meant I had to get some more gear as well!  My next purchase was an Anytone 778UVii radio which could operate on the ham frequencies and repeater systems.  Michigan has a very rich linked repeater network where I can easily talk to people across the state. Look at this coverage:

 

This is where things have really gotten interesting for me. I've kept learning new things and finding new ways to do more in the radio hobby.  For example, I was able to tune in and hear the International Space Station as it flew overhead.  Who knew that functioned as a ham radio repeater?  I was able to tune in airport frequencies and can often hear aircraft communicating with our local airport, which is awesome.  There's also a fun program called Parks on the Air (POTA for short) where radio operators set up mobile base stations to create a temporary radio community in state/national parks and try to make 10+ new contacts over radio.  I think that's awesome, and I'm looking forward to trying it.  

Near future goals for me are to make some contacts via satellite.  Although I have heard the ISS, and at least 2 other satellites, I haven't been able to have anyone seemingly hear my transmissions so I can't record them as contacts.  I'd also like to get some better antennas for longer distance communications.  Mid-term goals I'll certainly be looking to get my general certification, and then I'll be able to use the HF frequency bands (and, will have to buy more gear) to open up loner range communication as well. 

I'll keep track of some of my gear and efforts on the Amateur radio page here.  And, maybe even blog further as I get more interesting things done.  For now, I'm still an amateur radio noob and working to keep learning.  

But, it's been an awesome new hobby to explore. Thanks for reading!