MovieChat Forums > Frequency (2000) Discussion > question on old radios? and movie?

question on old radios? and movie?

posted 15 years ago by saybow69
7 replies | jump to latest

on those old radio`s you have to press down on that button to talk dont you? seem`s like thier were several scenes when john was just entering house and he would yell out "im here" and frank would hear him? had to press down on that button to talk dont you? thier were scenes were they were pushing down the button, yet scenes when they wernt? but were heard both times? and i loved movie!! seen probly 30 times now, movies and cable? but just seems like his dad would have got satch involved and on the radio? was a cop and frank even told son he cant do this he is a fireman? its clear john could talk to his mom and his younger self and gordo? so just seems like frank would have satch involved also? would have belived eventualy, like his dad did? and first girl frank saved at the bar, i know he messed up? but he knew this killer was gonna kill his wife the next week? so i dont think he would have messed up and sat with her all night? he was there to catch guy! saved her, but did nothing to catch killer? witch was main goal? and lastly john tells satch the next day after frank saved that first girl that they got a dental match on the first girl he killed? a dental match takes 30 years? dont know how that exactly works? but 30 years seems a little long to match up someones dental records? and i know all serial kilers are different? but at the time he had killed 3 nurses in less then 2 years? seems like if he would have went uncaught for 30 years? like he was? seems like he would have killed more then just 10 nurses? but all different i guess? no doubt cleverly written! but just few questions? guess if frank tell satch, movie is not as good? so i can see that? but still few questions? but still a great movie!

[–] ShadowsGathered 15 years ago

I'm a little unclear on what your question(s) is?

The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.

[–] saybow69 15 years ago

sorry not clearer? but pretty much 3 questions - those radio`s, u had to piush down on them too talk, yet there many scenes were frank or john was pushing down on the radio and his voice was being heard? shows then pushing alot of scenes, yet john yelled when he came in the door "ya im here dad" yo uhave to push down to be heard? and whne he had bat in his hands and talkng about mcgwire and sosa breaking record? he wasnt pushing down? so just wanted to know if those old radio`s, yo uhad to push down on button to talk? movei made it look like you did most of time? and there was button there? so assumed that was an error? the other question was just how frank didnt get his best friedn satch involved? (he was a cop!) and yes he woudl have believed after a while, like frank did (thought mayeb only those 2 coudl commuicate? but move made obious when he talked to mom and himself as boy and gordo, just found it hard to belive either could keep secret?) but i know movie woudl have been as good? so i can deal with that, but the 3rd was john told sath they jsut got dental match? 30 yrs later and with all the upgrades in ploice work and they were just getting a dental mathc in 2000? (when movie made) that didnt seem right? adn also, i thought buy his mom savign him that night at the hospital and nevr beign caught? 10 killings over 30 yr period? just seems liek 30yrs of never beign caught, would be more? but no big deal? just the part bout radio button not beign pushed down and finding dental match after 30 yrs?? seemed odd? loved movie! but just those 2 parts seemd odd, and coudl have told bout yahoo also? haha but hope that helps? i know not the best at grammar?

[–] saybow69 15 years ago

sorry not clearer? but pretty much 3 questions - those radio`s, u had to push down on them too talk, yet there many scenes were frank or john wasnt pushing down on the radio and his voice was being heard? shows them pushing alot of scenes, yet john yelled when he came in the door "ya im here dad" you have to push down to be heard? and when he had bat in his hands and talkng about mcgwire and sosa breaking record? he wasnt pushing down? so just wanted to know if those old radio`s, you had to push down on button to talk? movie made it look like you did most of time? and there was button there? so assumed that was an error? (seen those radios before and all have that button) the other question was just how frank didnt get his best friend satch involved? (he was a cop!) and yes he would have believed after a while, like frank did (thought maybe only those 2 could communicate? but move made obvious when he talked to mom and himself as boy and gordo, just found it hard to belive either could keep secret?) but i know movie wouldnt have been as good? so i can deal with that, but the 3rd was john told satch they just got dental match? 30 yrs later and with all the upgrades in police work, computers and they were just getting a dental match in 2000? (when movie made) that didnt seem right? and also, i thought buy his mom saving him that night at the hospital and never being caught? 10 killings over 30 yr period? just seems like 30yrs of never being caught, would be more? but no big deal? just the part bout radio button not being pushed down and finding dental match after 30 yrs?? seemed odd? loved movie! but just thought those 2 parts seemed odd, and could have told dad bout yahoo also? haha but hope that helps? i know not the best at grammar?

[–] TheCheezWhiz 15 years ago

I'll take a crack at only the first question. Yes, actual 2-way radios do require the transmit button to be pressed when speaking. Also, they can not transmit and receive at the same time time as seen in the movie.

That said, there were several times when the father was shown purposefully trying to talk over the other end by pressing the transmit key without affect. This demonstrated that the magic of the surreal connection broke not only the space-time continuum but all the real-world rules of 2-way radios. It allowed the radio to not actually transmit and receive but speak through itself in two different time periods.

"It's supposed to be hard... The 'hard' is what makes it great"

[–] jsprine-2 15 years ago

Actually, with VOX one does not have to actually press the microphone button to transmit...VOX means "Voice Operated" and it is very common on many radios, and it can be installed easily on earlier transmitters that did not come equipped that way. Radio Amateurs tend to be very good at modifying their rigs <g>.

I have a nice headset with a boom microphone and when my rig is set to VOX, all I have to do is speak, and voila, the transmitter is engaged. In a quiet environment, I can dispense with the boom mike and talk in the clear without any problems.

As for not being able to transmit and receive simultaneously, that is incorrect. Back in 1969 it was very common to have separate receiver and transmitter rigs and it was (and is) very easy to transmit on a given frequency and listen on a separate frequency, simultaneously.

Hope this clears things up a bit!

BTW, it's just a movie fellas, not an introduction into amateur radio <g>.

73 de KC5JLA

[–] ronnieaka 15 years ago

@ jsprine-2

thanks mate... very nicely explained, i was going to bring up my analog and digital electronics book of this and last sem

Yvaine: Let's see if you can work it out for youself. What do stars do?

[–] andy-1394 15 years ago

the movie takes a lot dramatic license in the operation of the radio.
starting with the radio shown only being the receiver, the transmitter would have been another box about the same size.
no antenna was plugged in, and while it wasn't seen, the same can be said about the mike, as the receiver doesn't have a connector for it.
and yes, the radio in question, even if complete, would only work in "simplex mode" meaning while transmitting it can't receive. (during the scene following the accidental burning of the desk, frank hits the transmit key, but releases it immedially, the realisation that the other side can't hear him while still transmitting on his face)
even if rigged for duplex mode, transmitting and receiving similtanously, what with both sides using open speakers, there would have been feedback noises.

when john ran the fingerprints, and gave the info about them to frank, there just wasn't time to act on it, satch showed up almost imedially. they were still working out what to do and frank just went with the flow.

the skeleton of the first victim was found after 30 years. so how could anyone make a dental match before that? if anything is sketchy there, then it is that the dental records of a person missing for 30 years still exist.

and jack being in hiding for 30 years isn't a stretch at all. he also would know to keep a very low profile, maybe go abroad for the duration. if anything then it's one hell of a coincidence that he comes back in exact syncronicity with the earlier attempt on the family.

there's some other inconsistencies, but most are neccessary to allow for the plotline in the first place.
and overall, i would say no matter what htey are, the movie doesn't suffer from them at all.

I remember words that fell
like coins into a wishing well