"Steve Robeson K4CAP" wrote
fm:
to:
Dear Rich,
Some time ago a story appeared in CQ that told a story about a
young,
recently licensed operator who made the mistake of using "CB" lingo on
the
repeater.
The story went on to tell about a "crusty" old op that
subsequently read
him the riot act on the air, causing the young op to rethink his
Amateur
"career".
Can you help me locate this article?
Thanks!
Steve Robeson, LPN
Amateur Call K4YZ
Winchester, TN
fm: K0HB
to: W2VU
Hi Rich,
Just so you know what's going on......
Back in 1997 on one of the USENET newsgroups, rec.radio.amateur.policy,
I wrote the story quoted below. Today I repeated it there in response
to a related post from Jim, AA2QA, trying to promote more harmony among
the various license classes.
Another fellow there, K4YZ, has suggested I plagiarized the story from
CQ magazine, and I've called his bluff. You'll get a message from him
asking to locate the story in CQ.
73, de Hans, K0HB
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Where did Jim go?
Talked to a young fella on the repeater the other day who introduced
himself by saying "my first personal is Jim and you're my first contact,
QSL?".
He seemed like a nice sort, delighted that he had just received his
shiny new call sign, and was anxious to make some new friends. Kinda
sounded like I felt when I put my new call sign on the air the first
time way back when, except probably brighter, cuz Jim is one of those
young computer jocks. Me, I still got problems with the LL scale on my
Pickett slide rule. Yep, I think Jim sounded brighter than me, quick to
catch on to things.
But I don't think Jim will be back on the repeater. Before I had a
chance to really get to know much about Jim, or even wrangle an invite
to lunch, another station, with an impressive "senior" call sign joined
the contact, flashed his shiny Radio Cop badge, and proceeded to issue
Jim a "verbal speeding ticket" for improper lingo on the radio. "Radio
Cop" said the term "personal" (and for that matter "handle") were
unwelcome in ham radio, and that Q-signals were not to be used on VHF
voice. Just generally made my newfound friend feel like an unwashed
interloper. (Gosh, I've been saying "handle" since I was a conditional
class. Slow to catch on, you know.)
Now I should point out that "Radio Cop" took pains to appear very well
meaning. Didn't use any bad words that I noticed, was quite polite, even
seemed like he was trying to be "helpful." In other words, he thought he
was doing Jim a favor by pointing out his transgression from our sacred
Amateur Radio way of doing things. I think Jim felt just the same way I
did back in a new school in third grade when the well meaning teacher
pointed out that "we don't keep our pencil behind our ear in this room."
Sure enough, I looked around and none of my new classmates had pencils
behind their ears. Sure was embarrassing, and at that moment I really
wished I was back with my good old buddies in second grade. Now, if I'd
been allowed to hang out a couple of days, I'm sure I would have learned
how to properly stow my pencil. And if Jim would have hung around a
couple of days on our repeater I just bet he would have noticed that his
lingo, perhaps learned in another radio service, was a bit out of place,
and pretty soon Jim would sound "just like the rest of us." Like I said,
he seemed pretty bright to me, quick to catch on to things.
"Radio Cop", you have kept our hobby uncorrupted. I heard Jim down
around 27 MHz this morning, and saw his ad on eBay trying to sell his
barely used 2-meter HT. I'm gonna miss my new friend Jim, because I
think I could have learned something from him. Maybe you could have
also.
Like I said, he seemed pretty bright to me, quick to catch on to things.
But he left us. Wonder what he "caught on" to?
73, de Hans, K0HB