This is true also Walt and Peter and unfortunately not just in Ham radio. For
many
years I restored 1950s vintage sports cars. My circle of hobby friends included
people who could rebuild a transmission or engine in their sleep, hammer a
crumpled
Jaguar XK-120 fender into an original condition and could name the great
mechanics
of sports car development. Soon the hobby was taken over by speculators and
well
heeled yuppies who just wanted to drive a sports cars and didn't care one lick
about the mechanics or history or the time and money it takes to do a proper
restoration. They just wanted a car to look good at the country club in.
Like you, I tired of them and gave it up. But before I gave it up I took a
lot of
their foolish money with me. Now I find that Ham Radio is my hobby. At 48
years
old I'm considered a new Ham by all standards. I work in the microwave
industry so
I'm not dazzled at all by new technology but often wonder why Hams, who are
supposed to be the innovators and experimenters, seldom have any interest in
the
revolutions taking place in the communications industry. You can't blame the
Japanese manufacturers. They are only responding to a demand and if the demand
dries up they will be the first to stop making radios. I got my tech license a
few
years ago because I was interested in packet radio, APRS, Emergency
Communications
and the UHF spectrum. It was only last year that due to inheriting a shack
full of
Collins radios that I decided to devote some time to upgrading. I became a tech
plus and last Saturday became KC2DGW/AG. I have an extensive collection of
boatanchors, a Ten Tec Scout and an Omni VI+. I use ICOM 2 meter rigs but have
my
name on the list to buy the new Ten Tec all mode 6/2 meter radio. I consider
Ten
Tec to be the Collins of silicon era radios.
So what is the hobby supposed to be? Is it just ragchewing? Is it just CW or
DX or
Contesting or HF or VHF or UHF? Well its all of these things. Some people
don't
want any more from it than an HT to ragchew on the repeater. Some long for the
days when Hams built their own equipment. But no matter what you want or long
for
from the hobby the fact remains that technology does not stand still. Our
hobby is
just that, a Hobby not an avocation. In the face of so many politicians and
corporations that want our spectrum, that would like to see us dry up and blow
away, can we really afford the internal bickering that divides us? There are
corporate lobbyists in Washington putting a lot of money in the coffers of
politicians to get rid of us. These lobbyists have money and influence and we
have
arguments over those no code techs who are ruining the hobby. If I were the
FCC,
given what a pain in the ass administering the amateur radio spectrum is, I
would
recommend to congress that it be auctioned off to the highest bidder and we can
save the taxpayers some money. Why should the taxpayers and the FCC put up
with
us? What service do we provide that is worth keeping. If we're just a bunch of
bickering old farts fighting over who does what to whom then they should do away
with the spectrum as soon as possible and put an end to our obvious misery.
But if you open up any Ham radio magazine you see that we do provide an
important
and free service to taxpayers and citizens. Read about any disaster of major
proportions and who was there giving of their time and equipment to provide
emergency communications? We were. Hams risk their own property, livelyhood and
sometimes lives to help those in need. That is Amateur radio, all the other
stuff
is bullshit. This alone is the only reason we have left to exist, service to
our
fellow man. If not for that aspect we would have been erased from the ether a
long
time ago. So all of us who don't participate in disaster relief, emergency
communications, Weather Watch, Red Cross and Salvation Army communications
coordination are basically enjoying our part of the hobby because other hams do
this for us. And I'm not saying that that's a bad thing, its just how it is.
And
many of those who work in emergency communications, ARES, Weather Watch and
disaster communications, health and welfare nets, phone patches etc are No-Code
Techs. So I am guilty of generalizing and I apologize. There are good and bad
people in every hobby and avocation. I'm just growing weary of the same
argument
when there are more important issues for our hobby. While we are eating each
other
in this cannibalistic argument other people are waiting for the meal to finish
so
they can take over our domain. I'm weary of the discussion and starting to have
second thoughts whether all of this is worth the energy. Sorry for the
bandwidth
today but I think its a good discussion. 73s to all of you and I hope to join
the
Ten Tec nets this weekend with my new call.
Walter S Delesandri wrote:
> The "use" of UHF/SHF "consumer" junk from yaecomwood does not an amateur
> make......Carl is right.....but the "techs" have even less knowledge and
> ability than the "dinosaurs".......(Carl excluded, of course)
>
> Carl, IF you've done what you say, you are NOT representative of 99.99% of
> the folks that "no-code" have lured in.....I'm sorry, it's just fact.
> Generalization and stereotypes are NOT 100% inclusive....I'm an exception
> to several (non-ham) stereotypes......but that doesn't mean diddlyshit as to
> the validity of the generalization.
> If you're what you say you are, don't make a fool of yourself by "defending"
> the kind of garbage that has come into our ranks since the 'decicion' --
> or since the 'easing' of the code tests (with the advent of the VEC system)
>
> There will alway be "a" ham radio...of this I'm convinced.....but no,
> change is NOT always good, even thought it always happens....
> In the audiophile world, of the 50s, most built their gear, or at least
> understood the kits they built....the world of "vintage" or "contemporary"
> tube audio is alive and well!!!-- but the "appliance" operators of
> the audio field don't know anything about their gear....they're just
> (usually well-heeled) consumers of a product....they bring it to me to
> fix....until I threw them all out of my house, that is...
Carl Hyde
carl.s.hyde@lmco.com
Desk: (609) 866-6386
Fax: (609) 866-6414
POLITICS: From the Latin prefix "Poli" meaning "Many" and the word "Tics"
meaning "blood sucking parasites"
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