Radio bell

[wulf]

One of my characters is in a town where the fitting of a radio is under consideration. The leaders are presently trying to work out what building to put it in - should they use an occupied one so that there will be someone in there to hear the messages come through or should they use an empty building for privacy.

The problem with the latter plan is that it requires someone awake in the building to hear the message. The character in question has been pondering whether some kind of bell could be rigged up to let people outside know that a message has been received (if not a teletype machine for remote writing of notes!).

I'm envisaging something that would be built inside a building but be audible outside (the same effect as standing inside a building and knocking on a door); it would also need an on-off switch as an occupied radio hut wouldn't need th warning bell turned on.

Wulf

[Shaderon]

If a warning bell was rigged up wouldn't you need to have some sort of recording device otherwise you'd miss the message? In my experience you can only hear a radio if you are by it and if you are waiting for a message you can do other things too, e.g. repairs or manufacturing.

A bell would alert someone to the fact that a message had come through but it wouldn't allow you to hear the message unless you went back on the radio and asked the sender to repeat, but they might have "fallen asleep" or left their radio hut after sending and missed your message, then their radio bell goes off and.... hey a new game for naughty newspawns and these children were talking about!!!

[wulf]

A recording device would be great, so you'd just need to pop in every day or so to check your messages. However, I can see that the powers that be might not want to make communication too easy otherwise Cantrians will end up as reclusive types who'd rather sit round all day talking with people in far-off lands than getting out and doing any work or exploration (who does that sound like )!

I'm imagining that, for the radios to work, some kind of protocol will have to be established - for example, regular short broadcasts until you know that you've got someone listening on the other end and also a way of confirming that each message has been heard. Once the bell goes off, someone could go into the hut, pick up one of the projects there to occupy themselves, and start listening.

If there's a lot of radio traffic, it won't be so important but if there's only two or three exchanges a year, the job of radio operator will be very boring and frustrating!

Wulf

[Shaderon]

Sounds pretty much like the job of woodcutter, or repairman, or cook.
At least they'd get to listen for stuff while they do something else. I have a character right now that just sits in a hut mending, he'd love a radio to play with.

[Pie]

" HELLO EVERYONE!!! This is radio groupie, and we are having a blast in Doryiscom mountains north. We just build this radio, and we were thinking that we would transmit this message just for you menders in the world. Just remember, always be right beside a radio, or els you might not here us getting attaked by mountains goats, or us needing more carrots, so if you have any extra carrots, come to Dory mountains north, becous THE NEW RATES FOR EATING CARROTS WILL BE DEVISTATING ON US!!!! WERE ALL GOING TO DIE!!! AHHHHH! IME HUNGRY AGAIN!!! WHY DO I ALWAIS HAVE TO GET SENT THIS STUPID MESSAGE SAYING IME HUNGRY!!!