thebaldgeek

 I've been forced to make some changes in how I use X. I was 'happy' (not really - but) to pay the $8 per month to get two key features: 1. Longer tweets. I do tend to go on but I try and pack as much actual content and knowledge into the longer tweets as possible. Once you add a link, the longer option was very useful. 2. Tweetdeck (x Pro). Man, this was my lifeblood to using the platform. I had lists setup in it - this cannot be understated just how CRITIAL lists are to using the platform even without Tweetdeck - but most important, x Pro updated with chats, DM's and comments in real time much much much better than the native website browser or Android phone app. (Both of which are a glitchy mess). Early April, X decided to lock X Pro behind the next level of subscription. A jump from eight bucks a month to $40. Nope. That's it. I'm out. Since my $8 a month now only gives me long tweets and a blue blob, I've canceled that as well. It will end in a few week...

 tl;dr I've mostly fixed this - but take a read just the same. (Spoiler - Tankers are on Iridium). I happen to be DMing with one of the #TwitterRandos about some C-Band stuff and they mentioned that KC-135T tankers don't show up on the global mission code table very often (if at all).  Now, I would not know a T tanker from a Q tanker, but the observation was interesting, so I poked at my search a bit... The first thing to note is that before this DM exchange, my site only looked for mission codes on L-Band. See, they are all from L-Band, granted, they are from the different satellites as they come in live. But yeah, my site only looked for mission codes on the L-Band. But why thebaldgeeek? WHY only L-Band? History lesson. Many years ago, back when mission codes where first filtered automatically on the site, someone told me they only come from the ground dispatch side of things - they are a 'go fly this mission' sort of thing so they can't come FROM the aircraft. No...