On 6/26/2012 2:39 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
> So I don't want to hear a lot of crap from guys who don't contribute a
> thing about how I need to slow down and mentor others. I do that, and
> I'd bet that I do at least 100 times more of it than those who are
> giving me the crap.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Gee, Jim, I don't recall that being the point of
any criticism... instead... I think the objection
was more directed to your chastising the Old Fart
who (perhaps) needlessly repeated his message
and took longer, and who said more than the bare
minimum, to complete the Field Day exchange, that
spawned any criticism. You sorta came off sounding
condescending and hyper-critical of anyone who did
not handle the exchange as would a super efficient,
highly practiced, world class contester.
It is unfortunate the ARRL modeled its Field Day
assessment scheme in the style and fashion of a major
contest. That seems to have transformed Field Day
from a nationwide training exercise into more of
a contest.
I understand Field Day to be an invitation to
ALL HAMS to devote at least one day each year to
setting up the type of station that might be required
for a large scale emergency event, and then sharpen
one's operating skills by making a lot of quick,
pithy, exchanges - which is, at least, where the
contest format makes more sense.
But I also thought Field Day is an invitation to
ALL HAMS - of whatever stripe, to participate in
a large scale, nationwide event, both for public
service, and to promote and publicize the hobby,
placing it in a good light in the community - sort
of a radio open house, as it were.
I also thought hams come in many different stripes,
and that ham radio is a VERY BIG hobby - big enough to
accommodate and embrace all sorts of guys - whether they
are casual rag chewers, highly efficient contestants,
properly trained Em-Comm volunteers, guys that only
do phone, or just CW, or both... or even who just do
digital modes, and even big enough to embrace guys
who like to operate radios, without knowing how to
build one, and so forth.
So, I think some guys (I did) took your original
comment to mean slow poke old farts should stay off
the air on Field Day, if they cannot get with the
&^%$# program! It sounded pretty harsh and
unforgiving.
In contrast, I thought Field Day was for EVERYONE
- young, old, fast, slow, experienced, or rookie,
smart and otherwise.
I figure if some Old Fart participates in FD from
his home station, and working CW slowly, at his
own pace, and repeating himself more than may be
necessary - TRYING TO BE SURE HE IS COMMUNICATING
clearly - that he is doing the right thing...
and he should be accepted on Field Day as just
as any other guy, who might be a super-fast, super-
efficient contester type ham, who can make the
exchange faster than fast.
So, if Field Day is for everybody... should we
not take everybody as we find them? Is there
not room for the 15 wpm code guy? Was he really
all so wrong for repeating his message... slowly...
trying to make sure it was received correctly
the first time ? Should we contact THE BLOKE
after the event is over, and tell him he is a lid?
After all, he probably did not realize you are a
world class operator, and he may have slowed down
thinking you must might be a regular guy like he
is, and appreciate some slow, but clear, copy.
Was he really all wrong in how he approached it?
I think that was the point of any criticism...
certainly NOT that you are not a good mentor or
that you don't pull your share of the freight.
Did that guy really have it so fired wrong ?
Footnote - in our local traffic nets, they REQUIRE
the traffic handlers to say apparently unnecessary
stuff like, "Please copy..." and they also REQUIRE
them torepeat certain heavy portions of the messages,
so I wonder if the O F thought he was doing it right,
at least under local conditions...
That is just My take...
Happy Trails and Good DX y'all.
====================== K8JHR ==========================
.
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