In article ,
John Kasupski wrote:

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 04:53:44 -0600, Graybyrd wrote:

Yet, maybe even the FCC would grant ARRL Field Day a "free ride" ... it
serves no purpose as an emergency exercise, no information of any value
whatsoever is exchanged, and sufficient equipment is knocked out of
service to ensure less QRM in the weeks and months following.

On this last point in your post, it is now I who beg to differ. Field
Day serves no useful purpose as an emergency exercise? Personal
experience here would seem to indicate otherwise.

[snip]

If this were 1950, I would agree that ARRL Field Day is a relevant and
valuable exercise. Today, I disagree. Sad truth is, the element least
welcome at the Federal/State civil emergency authorities table is the
amateur radio community. The federal/state power structure and
self-perpetuating control structure are increasingly hostile to
"amateur" intrusion as any truly significant part of the professional
organization mission.

Things have changed greatly in the last 40-50 years, and most
catastrophically during the government's rush to "absolute security"
following 09/11/01. The "involved citizen" is honored in lip service
only nowadays. Perhaps this is why the old guard at the ARRL is
frantically trying to find a new look for the old ARES .. hoping against
hope to cloak it in digital, commercial, internet garb (WinLink 2000) to
make it appear more attractive to the federally-dominated emergency
structures.

Field Day used to be fun, any maybe it still is .. but it sure is
pointless for anything serious .. unless you're thinking we'll be
tapping out CW on scavenged, converted transistor radios from our caves
during the post-nuclear accident epoch.

Gray K7VGW

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