From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use
it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to
use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

Nick
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

Nick Odell <nickodell49@yahoo.ca> wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use
it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to
use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

Nick

Smarty 4G via my iPhone, noisy alarm and massage on the screen.
--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Mine did just what it should. I think it was about 3 minutes late last time.

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use
it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to
use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

No SIM. I'm surprised.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

I'm inclined to say no. The number of phones on Wi-Fi is probably very
small (and surrounded by phones connected to the mobile network). There
could be quite a few tablets connected. It might work using public
access points but if connected privately how would it know where you
are? The internet used to think I was in north Worcestershire (I
wasn't). Now it often seems to think I'm in Manchester (I'm not) or
several other locations (I'm almost certainly not). I haven't moved.
There's an awful lot of other stuff connected wired and wireless too
that wouldn't be interested, but smart speakers might be.

Nick

--
Ric
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On Sun, 7 Sep 2025 17:57:57 +0100, Joe Kerr <joe_kerr@cheerful.com>
wrote:

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Mine did just what it should. I think it was about 3 minutes late last time.

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use
it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to
use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

No SIM. I'm surprised.

I've always believed one may call the emergency services from a phone
with no SIM so I would have expected that the Emergency Broadcast
ought to be able to do the reverse.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

I'm inclined to say no. The number of phones on Wi-Fi is probably very
small (and surrounded by phones connected to the mobile network). There >could be quite a few tablets connected. It might work using public
access points but if connected privately how would it know where you
are? The internet used to think I was in north Worcestershire (I
wasn't). Now it often seems to think I'm in Manchester (I'm not) or
several other locations (I'm almost certainly not). I haven't moved.
There's an awful lot of other stuff connected wired and wireless too
that wouldn't be interested, but smart speakers might be.

True. Just to complicate matters, my broadband comes from a mobile
connection: I have a router with a Smarty/3 data SIM in it and it
might have been nice if what was broadcast from local phone masts had
triggered something useful. A bit too much to ask for really, when I'm
reading reports of people using perfectly normal phones on perfectly
normal networks who didn't get anything. On the bright side, if there
is a nuclear emergency I won't spend 4mts worrying about things: the
first I'll know about it will be when my flesh starts evaporating off
my bones.

There's a nice, cheerful thought for a Sunday night!

Nick
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 07/09/2025 19:03, Nick Odell wrote:

On Sun, 7 Sep 2025 17:57:57 +0100, Joe Kerr <joe_kerr@cheerful.com>
wrote:

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Mine did just what it should. I think it was about 3 minutes late last time. >>

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use
it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to
use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

No SIM. I'm surprised.

I've always believed one may call the emergency services from a phone
with no SIM so I would have expected that the Emergency Broadcast
ought to be able to do the reverse.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

I'm inclined to say no. The number of phones on Wi-Fi is probably very
small (and surrounded by phones connected to the mobile network). There
could be quite a few tablets connected. It might work using public
access points but if connected privately how would it know where you
are? The internet used to think I was in north Worcestershire (I
wasn't). Now it often seems to think I'm in Manchester (I'm not) or
several other locations (I'm almost certainly not). I haven't moved.
There's an awful lot of other stuff connected wired and wireless too
that wouldn't be interested, but smart speakers might be.

True. Just to complicate matters, my broadband comes from a mobile connection: I have a router with a Smarty/3 data SIM in it and it
might have been nice if what was broadcast from local phone masts had triggered something useful. A bit too much to ask for really, when I'm reading reports of people using perfectly normal phones on perfectly
normal networks who didn't get anything. On the bright side, if there
is a nuclear emergency I won't spend 4mts worrying about things: the
first I'll know about it will be when my flesh starts evaporating off
my bones.

Now there's a weight loss plan that is guaranteed to work!
No chance of putting the weight back on again later.>

There's a nice, cheerful thought for a Sunday night!

--
Sam Plusnet
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

My Nokia dumbphone (105 I think, 2G I think) did nothing.

I had thought it would: such simple 'phones are surely likely to be had
by those for whom such alerts are particularly important.

Also: the relevant branch of authority put out notes on nextdoor on how
to turn off the alert, for those victims of domestic abuse who might
have a hidden emergency 'phone that might be revealed by the alert
sounding. But they only gave the instructions for iPhone and Android.
Possibly as a result of my replying that they ought to cover dumbphones
too, in that such people might have those (I didn't say, but the reasons
being [a] much longer battery life [b] on the whole smaller), they later included such guidance - but when I tried to follow it on mine, I
couldn't. (Probably impossible as such 'phones maybe vary widely? At
least they tried.) But if such 'phones don't sound the alert anyway,
academic.

On 2025/9/7 19:29:58, Sam Plusnet wrote:

On 07/09/2025 19:03, Nick Odell wrote:

On Sun, 7 Sep 2025 17:57:57 +0100, Joe Kerr <joe_kerr@cheerful.com>
wrote:

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

[]

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to >>>> use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

No SIM. I'm surprised.

I've always believed one may call the emergency services from a phone
with no SIM so I would have expected that the Emergency Broadcast
ought to be able to do the reverse.

Ah, but from an engineering point of view, it's a much more difficult
problem. Calling 999 from a SIMless 'phone means the network (the base stations) suddenly receiving signals from a device they were previously
unaware of - but they can respond, and triangulate. But having the
system alert all SIMless 'phones means it has to know of their
existence. I suppose if they broadcast something on the calling channel,
so don't _interact_ with 'phones, i. e. the alert is entirely one-way in
the same way as one over the AM/FM/DAB "network" would be, that could
work - the system not interacting at all, so it doesn't know how many
'phones it reached. Yes, that might work.>>>

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

I'm inclined to say no. The number of phones on Wi-Fi is probably very
small (and surrounded by phones connected to the mobile network). There
could be quite a few tablets connected. It might work using public
access points but if connected privately how would it know where you

If it's a truly unidirectional system, it doesn't need to know where you
are, or even that it reached you: if it can just alert all 'phones in
the affected area, that would work. I don't know if 'phones are set up
to receive such "broadcasts" that require no interaction.

I was thinking it ought to alert landlines too. But (a) that would
require many sequential calls (b) the POTS is going to be turned off one
of these years. [Incidentally I've just renewed with PlusNet (albeit at
a painful 32% increase) _including_ the landline, which surprised me: I
was under the impression that they weren't including it in any renewals,
in anticipation of the POTS end.]

are? The internet used to think I was in north Worcestershire (I
wasn't). Now it often seems to think I'm in Manchester (I'm not) or
several other locations (I'm almost certainly not). I haven't moved.
There's an awful lot of other stuff connected wired and wireless too
that wouldn't be interested, but smart speakers might be.

Oh, companies frequently think I'm in a completely different part of the country; I presume that's based on the IP and is where PlusNet is/are.>>

True. Just to complicate matters, my broadband comes from a mobile
connection: I have a router with a Smarty/3 data SIM in it and it

I've occasionally thought of going that way instead of my wired
connection - it would give me mobile use for the rare occasions I go out
(and mobile 'phone too [I currently have an emergency PAYG SIM]). When
I've looked into it in the past, though, it's always been a lot more
expensive than my home broadband/phone package, and concerns about data
limit and/or speed problems. However, with the hefty price increase I
maybe ought to look again, thought the data amount and speed concerns
would remain.

might have been nice if what was broadcast from local phone masts had
triggered something useful. A bit too much to ask for really, when I'm
reading reports of people using perfectly normal phones on perfectly
normal networks who didn't get anything. On the bright side, if there
is a nuclear emergency I won't spend 4mts worrying about things: the
first I'll know about it will be when my flesh starts evaporating off
my bones.

Sadly, Tom Lehrer died recently, but had a song about that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIoBrob3bjI&t=19 - such a cheerful song! (Written when the world population was under 3 billion!)>

Now there's a weight loss plan that is guaranteed to work!
No chance of putting the weight back on again later.>

There's a nice, cheerful thought for a Sunday night!

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Who were your favourite TV stars or shows when you were a child? Sadly
they've all been arrested ...
- Ian Hislop, in Radio Times 28 September-4 October 2013
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On Sun, 7 Sep 2025 19:29:58 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

On 07/09/2025 19:03, Nick Odell wrote:

is a nuclear emergency I won't spend 4mts worrying about things: the
first I'll know about it will be when my flesh starts evaporating off
my bones.

Now there's a weight loss plan that is guaranteed to work!
No chance of putting the weight back on again later.>

To a fanfare of regal trumpets, he unlocks the cabinet doors and
withdraws the ceremonial keyboard. It has lain in that dark space,
unwanted and unloved, for so long that a film of dust has formed over
the keys. Pulling on his white, cotton gloves he tenderly brushes the instrument with an ostrich-feather duster until it is gleaming again.

The letters stand proud and clear. There is now no possibility, bad
eyesight notwithstanding, of mistaking an E for and F, an I for an L
or finding one has written [;7w instead of plus.

He massages his finger joints and flexes his knuckles (or was it the
other way round?) There must be no mistakes so he does it again until
his fingers are sure and supple and will be obedient to his will.

He is holding his breath as if the slightest tremor could throw the
whole plan into disarray. He has only one chance. One opportunity to
do what he must do. He poises over the keys and he types...

...

...

...

...

BTN




Nick
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

On 07/09/2025 19:03, Nick Odell wrote:

On Sun, 7 Sep 2025 17:57:57 +0100, Joe Kerr <joe_kerr@cheerful.com>
wrote:

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Mine did just what it should. I think it was about 3 minutes late last time.

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use >>>> it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to >>>> use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

No SIM. I'm surprised.

I've always believed one may call the emergency services from a phone
with no SIM so I would have expected that the Emergency Broadcast
ought to be able to do the reverse.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

I'm inclined to say no. The number of phones on Wi-Fi is probably very
small (and surrounded by phones connected to the mobile network). There
could be quite a few tablets connected. It might work using public
access points but if connected privately how would it know where you
are? The internet used to think I was in north Worcestershire (I
wasn't). Now it often seems to think I'm in Manchester (I'm not) or
several other locations (I'm almost certainly not). I haven't moved.
There's an awful lot of other stuff connected wired and wireless too
that wouldn't be interested, but smart speakers might be.

True. Just to complicate matters, my broadband comes from a mobile
connection: I have a router with a Smarty/3 data SIM in it and it
might have been nice if what was broadcast from local phone masts had
triggered something useful. A bit too much to ask for really, when I'm
reading reports of people using perfectly normal phones on perfectly
normal networks who didn't get anything. On the bright side, if there
is a nuclear emergency I won't spend 4mts worrying about things: the
first I'll know about it will be when my flesh starts evaporating off
my bones.

Now there's a weight loss plan that is guaranteed to work!
No chance of putting the weight back on again later.>

There's a nice, cheerful thought for a Sunday night!

This weight loss technique has a name: New Clear.
--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 08/09/2025 00:01, Nick Odell wrote:

On Sun, 7 Sep 2025 19:29:58 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

On 07/09/2025 19:03, Nick Odell wrote:

is a nuclear emergency I won't spend 4mts worrying about things: the
first I'll know about it will be when my flesh starts evaporating off
my bones.

Now there's a weight loss plan that is guaranteed to work!
No chance of putting the weight back on again later.>

To a fanfare of regal trumpets, he unlocks the cabinet doors and
withdraws the ceremonial keyboard. It has lain in that dark space,
unwanted and unloved, for so long that a film of dust has formed over
the keys. Pulling on his white, cotton gloves he tenderly brushes the instrument with an ostrich-feather duster until it is gleaming again.

The letters stand proud and clear. There is now no possibility, bad
eyesight notwithstanding, of mistaking an E for and F, an I for an L
or finding one has written [;7w instead of plus.

He massages his finger joints and flexes his knuckles (or was it the
other way round?) There must be no mistakes so he does it again until
his fingers are sure and supple and will be obedient to his will.

He is holding his breath as if the slightest tremor could throw the
whole plan into disarray. He has only one chance. One opportunity to
do what he must do. He poises over the keys and he types...

...

...

...

...

BTN

Hurrah!
--
Jenny M Benson
Wrexham, UK
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 08/09/2025 00:01, Nick Odell wrote:

On Sun, 7 Sep 2025 19:29:58 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

On 07/09/2025 19:03, Nick Odell wrote:

is a nuclear emergency I won't spend 4mts worrying about things: the
first I'll know about it will be when my flesh starts evaporating off
my bones.

Now there's a weight loss plan that is guaranteed to work!
No chance of putting the weight back on again later.>

To a fanfare of regal trumpets, he unlocks the cabinet doors and
withdraws the ceremonial keyboard. It has lain in that dark space,
unwanted and unloved, for so long that a film of dust has formed over
the keys. Pulling on his white, cotton gloves he tenderly brushes the instrument with an ostrich-feather duster until it is gleaming again.

The letters stand proud and clear. There is now no possibility, bad
eyesight notwithstanding, of mistaking an E for and F, an I for an L
or finding one has written [;7w instead of plus.

He massages his finger joints and flexes his knuckles (or was it the
other way round?) There must be no mistakes so he does it again until
his fingers are sure and supple and will be obedient to his will.

He is holding his breath as if the slightest tremor could throw the
whole plan into disarray. He has only one chance. One opportunity to
do what he must do. He poises over the keys and he types...

...

...

...

...

BTN

Nick

Nearly missed that! Only the second one this year. Weak, but accepted.
--
Jane
The Amethyst Artist
BTM

http://www.clothandclay.co.uk/umra/cookbook.htm - Umrats' recipes






--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 07/09/2025 19:03, Nick Odell wrote:

On Sun, 7 Sep 2025 17:57:57 +0100, Joe Kerr <joe_kerr@cheerful.com>
wrote:

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Mine did just what it should. I think it was about 3 minutes late last time. >>

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use
it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to
use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

No SIM. I'm surprised.

I've always believed one may call the emergency services from a phone
with no SIM so I would have expected that the Emergency Broadcast
ought to be able to do the reverse.

I had forgotten about that. And hadn't thought of the reverse scenario.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

I'm inclined to say no. The number of phones on Wi-Fi is probably very
small (and surrounded by phones connected to the mobile network). There
could be quite a few tablets connected. It might work using public
access points but if connected privately how would it know where you
are? The internet used to think I was in north Worcestershire (I
wasn't). Now it often seems to think I'm in Manchester (I'm not) or
several other locations (I'm almost certainly not). I haven't moved.
There's an awful lot of other stuff connected wired and wireless too
that wouldn't be interested, but smart speakers might be.

True. Just to complicate matters, my broadband comes from a mobile connection: I have a router with a Smarty/3 data SIM in it and it
might have been nice if what was broadcast from local phone masts had triggered something useful. A bit too much to ask for really, when I'm reading reports of people using perfectly normal phones on perfectly
normal networks who didn't get anything. On the bright side, if there
is a nuclear emergency I won't spend 4mts worrying about things: the
first I'll know about it will be when my flesh starts evaporating off
my bones.

Having given it a little more thought I realised that the internet
doesn't need to know where you are, only your ISP, and they probably
have a better, but still vague, idea of your location. I also remembered
your set-up and see no reason in theory why it couldn't work provided
your router has a screen and appropriate software.Having it forward an
alert to a connected device could be awkward and the number of people
without a suitable phone who are sitting next to a Wi-Fi router at the relevant time is probably likely to be too few to make it worth the
effort of making it work.

There's a nice, cheerful thought for a Sunday night!

Nick

--
Ric
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 08/09/2025 00:01, Nick Odell wrote:

On Sun, 7 Sep 2025 19:29:58 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

On 07/09/2025 19:03, Nick Odell wrote:

is a nuclear emergency I won't spend 4mts worrying about things: the
first I'll know about it will be when my flesh starts evaporating off
my bones.

Now there's a weight loss plan that is guaranteed to work!
No chance of putting the weight back on again later.>

To a fanfare of regal trumpets, he unlocks the cabinet doors and
withdraws the ceremonial keyboard. It has lain in that dark space,
unwanted and unloved, for so long that a film of dust has formed over
the keys. Pulling on his white, cotton gloves he tenderly brushes the instrument with an ostrich-feather duster until it is gleaming again.

The letters stand proud and clear. There is now no possibility, bad
eyesight notwithstanding, of mistaking an E for and F, an I for an L
or finding one has written [;7w instead of plus.

He massages his finger joints and flexes his knuckles (or was it the
other way round?) There must be no mistakes so he does it again until
his fingers are sure and supple and will be obedient to his will.

He is holding his breath as if the slightest tremor could throw the
whole plan into disarray. He has only one chance. One opportunity to
do what he must do. He poises over the keys and he types...

...

...

...

...

BTN

Nick

After that build up I was expecting at least a bit of Bach in some post-apocalyptic setting.
--
Ric
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 08/09/2025 13:49, Joe Kerr wrote:

On 08/09/2025 00:01, Nick Odell wrote:

On Sun, 7 Sep 2025 19:29:58 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

On 07/09/2025 19:03, Nick Odell wrote:

is a nuclear emergency I won't spend 4mts worrying about things: the
first I'll know about it will be when my flesh starts evaporating off
my bones.

Now there's a weight loss plan that is guaranteed to work!
No chance of putting the weight back on again later.>

To a fanfare of regal trumpets, he unlocks the cabinet doors and
withdraws the ceremonial keyboard. It has lain in that dark space,
unwanted and unloved, for so long that a film of dust has formed over
the keys. Pulling on his white, cotton gloves he tenderly brushes the
instrument with an ostrich-feather duster until it is gleaming again.

The letters stand proud and clear. There is now no possibility, bad
eyesight notwithstanding, of mistaking an E for and F, an I for an L
or finding one has written [;7w instead of plus.

He massages his finger joints and flexes his knuckles (or was it the
other way round?) There must be no mistakes so he does it again until
his fingers are sure and supple and will be obedient to his will.

He is holding his breath as if the slightest tremor could throw the
whole plan into disarray. He has only one chance. One opportunity to
do what he must do. He poises over the keys and he types...

...

...

...

...

BTN




Nick

After that build up I was expecting at least a bit of Bach in some post- apocalyptic setting.

Someone the Welsh would call Die Bach?
--
Sam Plusnet
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use
it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to
use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

Hmmm, why do you need so many burners ? EMNTK

Or are you in an abusive relationship ;)
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 07/09/2025 19:03, Nick Odell wrote:

On Sun, 7 Sep 2025 17:57:57 +0100, Joe Kerr <joe_kerr@cheerful.com>
wrote:

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Mine did just what it should. I think it was about 3 minutes late last time. >>

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use
it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to
use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

No SIM. I'm surprised.

I've always believed one may call the emergency services from a phone
with no SIM so I would have expected that the Emergency Broadcast
ought to be able to do the reverse.

Exactly right.

I remember having a conversation in the pub many years ago (so long ago
that the only mobile I'd seen was the one that belonged to the office
that we could borrow if we went anywhere by car - it was too big and
heavy to carry otherwise) with our very smart network engineers.

They pooh-poohed my suggestion that the brick could be tracked, but as I pointed out, if they didn't know where you were, how could they contact
you ? Even with the small number of phones in use back then it was
impractical for every mast to broadcast a signal when someone called you...

Some very smart people can be very dim. cf Climate Change.


--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 10/09/2025 10:54, BrritSki wrote:

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use
it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to
use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

Hmmm, why do you need so many burners ?-a-a EMNTK

Or are you in an abusive relationship ;)

Why are such phones named after the inventor of the World Wide Web?
There must be a story there.
--
Sam Plusnet
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:54:06 +0100, BrritSki <rtilbury@gmail.com>
wrote:

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use
it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to
use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

Hmmm, why do you need so many burners ? EMNTK

The answer is so boring that you might well fall asleep before you
reach the end of the post. Made all the more likely if you are still
tired after your jaunt to Italy.

1)The 2G phone uses the 2G PAYG SIM that came with my first ever
mobile phone and the legacy PAYG package is cheaper than the current
offer so I keep on using it as long as I can. Plus, I get a legacy
offer of free international minutes every time I top up. Plus all my
2FAs are using that number and it would be a faff to change them all
if I don't have to.

2)I bought the 3G phone to use exclusively as a Skype handset because
I was by then making a lot of Skype calls and it was cheaper to buy
that Moto than buy a proper Skype handset. It's never had a SIM
fitted. Now that Skype has gone (see 4 below) I continue to use it
just as a micro-tablet on wi-fi

3)I bought the 4G handset because I knew that one day I would have to
abandon the 2G phone when the 2G signal is inevitably switched off
eventually. But I never got around to doing anything with it because
Skype got switched off before 2G and I put the 4G SIM in phone no. 4)
instead.

4)After Skype was switched off, I was loaned a 5G iPhone so that I can
continue my regular Skype calls using FaceTime as an alternative and I
have put the SIM from the 4G phone in that phone, instead.

It's my understanding that SIMs for 4G and 5G work on a different
voltage and further, that they need to contain different and/or more information than the simple 2G SIM so I have never tried to cur down
the old 2G SIM to use with the newer phones. Anyway I don't want to
risk damaging it while the prices and the promo keep working.

Are you asleep yet?

Or are you in an abusive relationship ;)

;-)

Nick
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On 10/09/2025 19:46, Nick Odell wrote:

On Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:54:06 +0100, BrritSki <rtilbury@gmail.com>
wrote:

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use
it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to
use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

Hmmm, why do you need so many burners ? EMNTK

The answer is so boring that you might well fall asleep before you
reach the end of the post. Made all the more likely if you are still
tired after your jaunt to Italy.

1)The 2G phone uses the 2G PAYG SIM that came with my first ever
mobile phone and the legacy PAYG package is cheaper than the current
offer so I keep on using it as long as I can. Plus, I get a legacy
offer of free international minutes every time I top up. Plus all my
2FAs are using that number and it would be a faff to change them all
if I don't have to.

2)I bought the 3G phone to use exclusively as a Skype handset because
I was by then making a lot of Skype calls and it was cheaper to buy
that Moto than buy a proper Skype handset. It's never had a SIM
fitted. Now that Skype has gone (see 4 below) I continue to use it
just as a micro-tablet on wi-fi

Zzzzzzzzzz

3)I bought the 4G handset because I knew that one day I would have to
abandon the 2G phone when the 2G signal is inevitably switched off eventually. But I never got around to doing anything with it because
Skype got switched off before 2G and I put the 4G SIM in phone no. 4) instead.

4)After Skype was switched off, I was loaned a 5G iPhone so that I can continue my regular Skype calls using FaceTime as an alternative and I
have put the SIM from the 4G phone in that phone, instead.

It's my understanding that SIMs for 4G and 5G work on a different
voltage and further, that they need to contain different and/or more information than the simple 2G SIM so I have never tried to cur down
the old 2G SIM to use with the newer phones. Anyway I don't want to
risk damaging it while the prices and the promo keep working.

Are you asleep yet?

Did somebody say something ?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.media.radio.archers

On Wed, 10 Sep 2025 20:15:27 +0100, BrritSki <rtilbury@gmail.com>
wrote:

On 10/09/2025 19:46, Nick Odell wrote:

On Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:54:06 +0100, BrritSki <rtilbury@gmail.com>
wrote:

On 07/09/2025 16:47, Nick Odell wrote:

The Emergency Alert test at 15.00 today?

Only one of my phones did anything. It sounded the alarm and left the
test message on my home screen. None of the others did anything.

2G Voda own brand - legacy SIM - nothing. I didn't expect otherwise.
But I keep it and use it for 2FA and because I have a legacy deal on
the SIM for free international calls.

3G Voda Moto - no SIM - nothing. But Voda have already switched off
3G. I used to use it only for Skype (remember Skype?) and now just use >>>> it as a mini tablet on wi-fi

4G Voda Nokia - no SIM - yet it squawked and messaged as it should.
But I only switched it on for the test out of curiosity. I've never
used this Nokia because when Skype skipped, I was loaned the iPhone to >>>> use for FaceTime and put the Nokia SIM card in the iPhone instead.

5G Voda iPhone 12, 5G SIM but set on airplane mode and did nothing.
Not surprising but surely taking account of phones operating only on
wi-fi would be a good idea since this is an emergency system, no?

Hmmm, why do you need so many burners ? EMNTK

The answer is so boring that you might well fall asleep before you
reach the end of the post. Made all the more likely if you are still
tired after your jaunt to Italy.

1)The 2G phone uses the 2G PAYG SIM that came with my first ever
mobile phone and the legacy PAYG package is cheaper than the current
offer so I keep on using it as long as I can. Plus, I get a legacy
offer of free international minutes every time I top up. Plus all my
2FAs are using that number and it would be a faff to change them all
if I don't have to.

2)I bought the 3G phone to use exclusively as a Skype handset because
I was by then making a lot of Skype calls and it was cheaper to buy
that Moto than buy a proper Skype handset. It's never had a SIM
fitted. Now that Skype has gone (see 4 below) I continue to use it
just as a micro-tablet on wi-fi

Zzzzzzzzzz

3)I bought the 4G handset because I knew that one day I would have to
abandon the 2G phone when the 2G signal is inevitably switched off
eventually. But I never got around to doing anything with it because
Skype got switched off before 2G and I put the 4G SIM in phone no. 4)
instead.

4)After Skype was switched off, I was loaned a 5G iPhone so that I can
continue my regular Skype calls using FaceTime as an alternative and I
have put the SIM from the 4G phone in that phone, instead.

It's my understanding that SIMs for 4G and 5G work on a different
voltage and further, that they need to contain different and/or more
information than the simple 2G SIM so I have never tried to cur down
the old 2G SIM to use with the newer phones. Anyway I don't want to
risk damaging it while the prices and the promo keep working.

Are you asleep yet?

Did somebody say something ?

:o)

N.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2