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November 23rd 03, 01:58 PM

(Len Over 21) wrote in message ...

Vocations
in radio are to be pejorated, denigrated, spat upon, reviled, made fun
of and other niceties of the TURF where chat room homies consider
their 'hood.

You mean like this sort of thing, Len?

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From: (Lenof21)
Subject: Morse monkeys are the worst!
Date: 2000/03/28
Message-ID:
References:
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.policy
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In article , (Jeffrey Herman)
writes:

Jim wrote:
(Jeffrey Herman) wrote:

Gee, I was originally WA6QIJ (from '76). Two-by-three calls *can* be an
OTer's call.
Jeff KH6O (formerly WA6QIJ WH6AEQ NH6IL KH2PZ KH6OO WH6U)

Yeah, Jeff. But you're different. You talk the talk, but you don't
walk the walk......
73, Jim KH2D

I don't "walk the walk," eh? Try 12 hours on, 12 hours off for four
years straight, copying CW. 12 and 16 MHz in the left earphone, and 22
and 26 MHz in the right during the day, or 4 and 6 in the left, and 8
and 12 in the right at night -- the Collins receivers automatically
scanning the calling segments in each of those bands.

Pile-ups? How about one every six hours around the clock -- hundreds of
ships calling so as to pass their time-sensitive WX observations; at
the same time let's not forget that several ships are standing by with
distress situations -- medical emergencies, mechanical difficulties,
engine room fires, men overboard, shifted cargo / listing due to heavy
seas and taking on water. You'd wet your pants sitting one hour of a
typical shift. It wasn't a contest where you could turn off the radio and
take a nap if it got too stressful -- this was the real life stuff --
lives being lost or saved.

That's all very nice and dramatic but this was the United States
Coast Guard, right? The same USCG that gave you food, lodging,
shelter, and free clothes that you could wet in as needed? The
same USCG that taught you morse code cognition? It wasn't
amateur radio, was it?

Jeff, the time for demanding Medals for Meritorious Service in
the USCG is past for you. That was not amateur radio, it was
PROFESSIONAL radio. You were paid for what you did (in
several ways). It was your JOB. I'm sure that the USCG did
not put you on watch if you couldn't cut it. I don't see how
all that makes you some Number One Ichiban HAM Honcho
NOW.

HF CW too much for you? Okay, sit the evening MF CW watch, instead.
500 kHz in the left phone, 499 in the right (even you're bright enough
to figure out why). What's that? An Auto-Alarm? Don't wet your pants
again, Jim, just realize that those twelve four-second dashes with
one-second pauses are setting off alarm bells on board every ship
in the Pacific within radio range -- the ship's in grave distress,
breaking up in heavy seas. Imagine the intensity of a storm that
would rip a ship in half. Have you ever heard what a transmitter
sounds like when the radio room gets flooded with sea water? It
emits a scream-like sound -- here are the final words the RO was
sending to me at the moment his transmitter screamed:

SOS NMO DE D*** HV TO LEAVE SHIP NOW TU OM FER high pitched whine

That's where the log entry ends.

Transmitters don't "scream" Jeff. They are inanimate things that
run on electricity. When the radio room on that unfortunate ship
flooded, many things could have temporarily put the transmitter
on full Continuous Wave and also to shift frequency slightly.
The "scream" you heard, if it was not in your head alone, could
have been a true CW with a frequency shift just enough to make
it sound something like a "scream."

Now sit there, Jim, and try your best to comprehend that the man
you were just in QSO with has drowned; he was one of the last men
aboard the ship -- most of the others had taken to lifeboats.

You were safe on shore, listening to a radio...provided by the
USCG, the same military service that provided you with food,
lodging, shelter, clothes (to wet in), and a modest monetary
stipend each month for your JOB. I'll bet you even got Rank
with that USCG service.

Meanwhile, in time NOW, the last officer in charge has only
to start the GMDSS...which will send distress call AND the
position of the sinking ship. As accurate as possible without
having to wet pants or make some heroic, dramatic act out
of it. No "screaming" transmitters.

Maybe the voice position is more to your level of ability. Now don't
be overwhelmed -- you'll have to listen to about 30 voice channels:
2182 kHz, 2670 kHz, the 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, and 22 high seas maritime
and aeronautical SSB channels, and four remote VHF sites, with each
site piping in marine channels 6, 12, 16, 22, and 23. Don't worry,
each of the 30 speakers has a little LED which will flash so you'll
know which transmitter to key up to answer someone's call. Let's
see how good you are at juggling: You have a sinking motorboat on
Kauai ch. 16 with too many family members and not enough life jackets
-- listen to those screams in the background, Jim. You'll have to
phone the air-station to launch a helo and phone CG station Kauai to
launch their 41 footer, all the while extracting as much info from
the downing family as possible. What now? The Maui ch.16 speaker has
someone yelling for help -- he's aground on a reef; phone Maui fire
department so they can launch their helo and rescue boat. Whoops -- now
you've got a ship on 12 MHz SSB with a medical emergency -- crewman with a
burst appendicitis; get USPHS on the phone and set up a phone patch
between the duty doctor and the ship. Now you've got the helo and 41
footer on channel 23 asking you to take their radio guard while they're
enroute to the drowning family. Uh oh -- the two-tone SSB Auto Alarm on
2182; oh, it's just the drunk Mexican fishermen again, playing with their
radios and singing to each other; but don't touch that volume control --
you'll have to listen to their singing all night long.

What was your comment again?

....you knew the job was dangerous when you took it...

As I said, the time for Medals For Meritorious Radio Service in
the USCG is past for you, Jeff. You were safe on shore, no
lifeboats needed, and, when your watch was over, you could
go off duty, hit the bunk, or chow down on USCG food after
changing your pants.

Yeah, Jeff. But you're different. You talk the talk, but you don't
walk the walk......
73, Jim KH2D

You're right, Jim, I didn't walk any walk; I ran a marathon each
shift, a marathon that would have left you exhausted at the *starting*
line.

Thank you Superham, once more you've saved Metropolis.

Of course, if you want some "comparisons," you can always
hang around a TRACON sometime at a busy Center if
radio "marathons" are your cuppa. Plenty "runners" in that
radio "marathon," a whole room full plus lots in the sky,
all doing things on voice. If there be "screams," then
they can be heard on cockpit voice recorders.

Enjoy your little walk, Jim. And change your wet pants.

Jeff KH6O

Jeff, you've never been under Incoming, have you? While
trying to get return artillery support on a radio while your
ears, your whole body is numbed by HE infall on your
position? Most folks in that position don't wet their
pants...every sphincter tightens up, ears go deaf, eyes
close tight, and every breath may be the last.

I just helped plant my bro-in-law, another veteran.
Why don't you quit the shore station histrionics and go
back to ancient radio history. It will ease your troubled
mind...and keep your pants dry.

Len Anderson
ex-RA16408336

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