radiochaser

I am not going to say that the U.S. does not now have an intell base in Taiwan, but they did back in the 1970's and possibly the early 1980's, but they pulled them out. I used to know people that worked at them.

Yes, even at the altitude the balloon was at, radio communications collection may have included intercept of VHF and UHF radio transmissions, which is mostly line of sight. That VHF radio signal you cannot receive 50 miles away a few feet above sea level, on the ground, can be intercepted more than 100 miles away from a receiver that is at a high altitude. That is why you see so many antenna on mountain tops. It increases the transmit and receive range for VHF and UHF radio communications. Edited to include, I forgot about having cameras on board the balloon platform. If the Chinese military did not put cameras on board, to spy on ground, non communications activity, they they are very, very stupid. But I am sure there were cameras on board. As an example about cameras (pictures). The Russians had a transmitter that was located in the Kamchatka Peninsula, which they denied having when confronted about it by someone in the State Department (SD). The SD representative tossed pictures of the transmitter on the table. The Russian rep responded back with, how the F did you get pictures of the transmitter, then realized he had just acknowledged there was a transmitter he denied was there a minute ago! Now days, that picture could be faked though. But, pictures of military bases and other locations provide extremely important intell, where it is impossible to get pictures any other way. The balloon probably had extremely good telephoto lens cameras that could read a newspaper from it's altitude! I know a place that has a sign at the gate, that lists prohibited items. One is, undeveloped photographic film. If you are on the base and found to have undeveloped film on your person, you are arrested for espionage. Better have a very good reason for having the film if you do not want to go to prison!

Monitoring of radio communications of all types, primarily it could be government but also any other communications that an intell collections agency will find useful. Non secure comms provides a cornucopia of information about activity that could include military, financial, commerce related, finance related, aeronautical, international marine traffic, local and federal goverment etc. Most of the intercept would be shortwave communications. Both encrypted and non encrypted (clear text) communications provides intell. Most certainly the intell base in Cuba would have a radio direction finding (RDF) section with appropriate RDF equipment that would provide line of bearings (LOB) to a shortwave transmitter. That RDF site in Cuba would be fixed, but in addition there will probably be Chinese government ships located at strategic points in the ocean that will also have RDF capabilities to enable geo location of radio transmitters. Most of the above listed types of radio traffic at some time uses shortwave communications. If not daily, then at some time when other means of communications fail, such as SAT COMMS. All commercial and many private aircraft uses both VHF and short wave radios. That aircraft you are in when flying from your country, uses VHF on the ground to communicate with the ground control tower, but when that aircraft reaches cruising altitude or before, they switch comms to shortwave. RDF can track that aircrafts route via RDF to locate its geographical coordinates. The RDF you may have seen in movies is mostly an oversimplification of RDF geo locating, but sufficient to give you a good Idea of how that works. e.g. Biden flies to Europe on Air Force One. That aircraft can be tracked with RDF. Even they must use shortwave comms to communicate with international ground to air enroute stations, stations located in every (or almost) country. The intel base would also listen for the "squawk" from an aircrafts IFF (I forget what IFF stands for) which provides a code sent out to identify the aircraft. Regarding encrypted communications. Intell collection does not need to know what is said but can discern information based on amount of activity, locations when first used, and the new locations as the transmitter is moved. When you read about in the news or hear on radio/TV news stations about near misses of intell collection aircraft of a country, that are flying close to another country (e.g. Americans flying near China, or Russians flying near U.S.) with claims of dangerous flying, there are reasons that the intell aircraft do that. The other country will activate certain types of defensive or offensive communications (e.g. radar, or command and control voice comms) that provides intell data. There are too many reasons why a Chinese intell base located in Cuba would be for intell collection for China, to use against the U.S, for me to list here.. This is just a brief bit of explanation. There could be upwards of 2000 Chinese military personnel stationed associated with intell collection in Cuba, if they take over the old Soviet Union / Russian intel base. They might even be infantry trained as well. Most assuredly, there will be non intell personnel that will provide security, logistics, etc support.

Having experience in electronic intelligence gathering, I disagree. Using satellites and the internet are only two different ways to gather intelligence. Even human intelligence gathering is still a viable option for collection of intelligence.

Bolts loose due to having worn out threads is what I read. Worn out threads means the bolts were removed and replaced multiple time, or probably overtightened by not using a torque wrench, or were cross threaded one or more times. If the bolt threads were worn out, so were the threads in the holes the bolts were supposed to screw into. Objects that are connected by bolts with worn out threads and bolt holes with worn out threads are easy to find or diagnose. You screw the bolt in and you can feel there is something wrong, unless you don't know what you are doing or have no mechanical understanding of what you are doing. Not just Thai people (yeah, there are those that will say that) but even in the U.S. I have watched people screw up (pun intended) screwing bolts into bolt holes and not know that they were doing it. On occasion I have screwed the bolt screwing act up myself. When it happens, almost every single time I can feel it happen. At least I knew I had done it after the fact and was able to resolve the problem!

Yeah, but that M577 was sure fun to drive!

I wonder whagt tall falang would have thought of my dad, who, after my mother died when I was 8, married a woman closer to my age than his, back in 1957. As I recall hearing, most of the comments about my step mother was, but, she is Japanese! Why couldn't he marry an American girl. I don't think my dad gave a rats patootey about what they thought. She was a good mom to me too! Step mom took care of my dad until he died in 1989!

I used to drive a vehicle that used 3 gallons to the mile. That's 13.63827 liters per 1.6 kilometers.

To all who responded with advise, thank you. I found the Thai model of the Microsoft keyboard and a different version of the Logitech mouse along with a couple of different items I wanted/needed. Thanks for the advise.

I found the Thai model of the Microsoft keyboard and a different version of the Logitech mouse along with a couple of different items I wanted/needed. Thanks for the advise.

I never found a way to play it backwards.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I will be in Bangkok next week. I want to buy a Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard and a Logitech ERGO M575 Wireless Trackball Mouse. Can anyone tell me where I can buy these two items in Bangkok?

Since there is reports of landlords (owners of residences) not reporting foreigners in this thread and I will shortly be staying in one of two condominiums, alternately, one owned by my daughter and the other by my wife, both of who will be in the U.S., who will do the TM30? Me I assume. Is this correct?

Buy one for me and I will wear it, if it isn't pink or red.

I will tell my ophthalmologist, who advised me to wear a baseball cap to help protect my eyes from too much sunshine, that you consider it a criminal offense. Her and my dermatologist too.

Thank you Mr. bkk6060. Now I have a list to choose from when my wife arrives in Thailand, after I do. She already informed me that I would be taking her to a good restaurant next month.

" warning the public to keep guard dogs and valuables securely stored" ... does this mean, he steals guard dogs? ????

Sounds like what I had about 2 weeks ago. But I am in the U.S. of A.!

This? Again?

I think the windshield may have something to do with the job not being done. The guy could have been shooting military full metal jacket bullets that are not that effective as soft points or hollow point projectiles.

I read an article last year reporting that feces was found on all the order screens that were tested. So I don't use them. But that leaves the question, do the credit card machines also have feces on them?

I was walking along a road and saw one starting to crawl across it, so got my cell phone out and started a video. Within a minute I captured it being run over.