The Everglades, Florida

[Larry N.]

I have a ham operator buddy here today, and I told him you are a ham operator guy.

Are you allowed to tell your radio call sign on here?

If you look at Don's signature in each post you'll see "-Don- AA6GA" so AA6GA is his call sign, just as you'll note the "de N8GGG" in my signature.

Yep, my buddy just said you are way out of his calling area.

Calling area, in this case, likely means the number digit in each call sign, where Don's number 6 indicates the California area, a 7 covers a lot of the west, including Wyoming and Montana, a 0 (zero) indicates Colorado and many plains states, a 4 call is in the east, etc. Most any ham in the U.S. is allowed to talk with other hams almost anywhere in the world, with certain frequency limitation and some things restricted by certain other countries.

But what Don meant about Tech, HF, CW, etc. is that a Technician license only allows very restricted operation below the 50 MHz frequency, and most things they're allowed below that are only Morse code (CW, in ham speak). But a General license allows use of a LOT of the spectrum below 50 MHz, in ALL modes (voice (SSB, FM, AM), data of various kinds, and CW), while the Extra class license allows all possible operations on all frequencies that hams may use.

Some folks (such as Don) restrict themselves (their choice) to CW only, while some of us prefer voice operations (maybe some CW and or data as well), and others have other preferences.

Don is an Extra class licensee, so has his choice of anything that amateur radio allows, and he told you his choice, which is an area that a tech isn't allowed to use.

Probably more than you wanted to know, but hope this helps.

 

[DonTom]

After my breakfast and such, I start off every morning with a hike of a mile or two.

Today, I took the unpaved road that goes from the lake inside this RV Park to Research Road (on Research Road the gate says "Gate 2B"). This side says of the gate says nothing at all. Short hike (mile or so) but is MANY miles if via pavement. From there I followed the creek on Research Road for a while and then came back and went around the lake in this RV Park.

At one place, as I was hiking around the lake, I heard a loud big splash from just a few feet away. I think I scared a gator down deep into the water, but I never saw it. But it probably scared me more than I scared the gator. All that noise when nobody is around. Anyway, something large jumped into the water. If not a gator, what else could it be?

It sure is warm here, I am typing this outside in the dark using my RV door light and a lot of 40% DEET. From the picnic table at this site.

Here is a photo of an Anole lizard I saw on the pole at the gate this morning. Another of the island in the lake, for those who have never been to Long Pine Key.

-Don- Everglades, FL

 

[DonTom]

Today, I took the 3in1 trail to the Long Pine Key Trail. Parts of this trail reminds me of the
Central Highland Jungles of Vietnam. Very shady dark in there.

The trailhead sign below shows why it's named 3in1. This trail starts on the opposite side of the lake and across the road there.

This trail looks more like a trail than an unpaved road until getting to the Lone Pine Key Trail.

-Don- Everglades, FL

 

[DonTom]

I saw another one of those large insects tonight on the trail to the "2B" gate on Research Road. About the same time, just starting to get dark. This one is smaller than the other, but this time I put a nickel down by it so we can get an idea of the size:

This is my last night in the Everglades. I head for Lake O. in the morning.

-Don- Everglades, FL

 

[Oldgator73]

Looks like a praying mantis.

 

[DonTom]

Looks like a praying mantis.

If they are brown out here. I noticed it looked much like one as well. But in the west where I am from, they are bright green.

-Don- Everglades, FL

 

[Old_Crow]

It's a Walking Stick.

 

[SeilerBird]

It is probably a cricket, a locust or a grasshopper. You would probably have to catch it and kill it to figure out what it is.

 

[DonTom]

It's a Walking Stick.

I thought Walking Sticks were a lot thinner.

-Don- Everglades, FL (leaving here today)

 

[Oldgator73]

This is a praying mantis.

 

[Oldgator73]

This is a walking stick.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Hey Don;

Looks like you're having way too much fun there. I think you might sing a different tune if you were there during the heat of the summer but I know I sure would enjoy wandering around and exploring the flora and fauna this time of year.

Want to mention your photos show your lens is dirty. Phones are handled and invariably get smudges on the glass over the lens. Try wiping it off before you take pictures, it'll help the clarity and contrast.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[SeilerBird]

I thought Walking Sticks were a lot thinner.

-Don- Everglades, FL (leaving here today)

I used to think so too. I did a Google Image search of Florida walking sticks and found out that they come in a lot of different sizes;

This is a praying mantis.

This is a walking stick.

Just like walking sticks, praying mantises come in many different sizes and shapes.

 

[SeilerBird]

Want to mention your photos show your lens is dirty. Phones are handled and invariably get smudges on the glass over the lens. Try wiping it off before you take pictures, it'll help the clarity and contrast.

I was going to say the camera is an old flip phone with a cheap lens, but you might be right that it is just a dirty lens. Either way the photos look bad.

 

[SeilerBird]

I just did another search to discover which walking stick looked so bizarre and found a great article on walking sticks:

How a Praying Mantis Says ‘Boo!’ (Published 2020)

A study of startle displays hints at why provoked creatures have such a wide range of reactions.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Larry N.]

If they are brown out here. I noticed it looked much like one as well. But in the west where I am from, they are bright green.

-Don- Everglades, FL

We have both brown and green here, Don. And I'm certain what they are because they get on one of my screens and hang there for days. That triangular head is a key identifier.

 

[ziplock]

Why are praying mantis green or brown?

Carnivorous and camouflaged, the praying mantis gets its name for the way their front legs are bent in a “praying” motion. Most mantis species are colored green or brown so they can blend in with leaves and foliage which enables them to patiently stalk insects like flies and grasshoppers.

askinglot.com

Additionally, are brown praying mantis female? The basis principle is simple: female praying mantises have 6 abdominal segments while males have 8. The final segment of the female is much larger than the others while the male has several small segments towards the end of the abdomen.

Regarding this, why are praying mantis different colors?

Praying Mantids use camouflage to hide from predators and sneak up on prey. Different species vary in color from dark brown to green. These colors allow them to blend into their natural surroundings such as tree bark or green plant leaves.

 

[DonTom]

Phones are handled and invariably get smudges on the glass over the lens.

It's not a phone at all. It is this model camera shown here, which has been dropped a few hundred times or so.

-Don- Lake Okeechobee, FL

 

[SeilerBird]

It's not a phone at all. It is this model camera shown here, which has been dropped a few hundred times or so.

-Don- Lake Okeechobee, FL

Well that explains it. Lenses are designed to work either in air or in water depending on their use. Cameras like the one you have put a compromised lens that can work either in air or underwater. But in order to do that they had to build a lens that would be a compromise and therefore it would not be as sharp as a lens dedicated to air or water. To understand why the lenses were different just put a soda straw into a clear glass of water and watch the straw bend in the middle. Water refracts light differently than air.

 

[Krazeehorse33]

Beware, those dark hummingbirds are mosquitoes.