From: "John Smith" on Fri 22 Jul 2005 16:44
Len:
Dumb it down a bit man, you have them confused!
Not my fault...they were confused when I first got here...:-)
Now they think they are clones! They even suspect you of being a
clone!!! (too much startrek when young I suppose.)
Careful there, "John," I watched the OS since the 3rd episode
aired in '67 (was away on biz trip for first two aired). :-)
The neo-20s, neo-30s Re-Enactor pioneers of the airwaves with
"CW" seem to think that ham radio is some kind of 25th Century
subspace radio. HUGE technology gap. But, no different than
the re-enactors of Civil War battles, Revolutionary War
battles, etc., etc. in this modern age.
Back just after the FIRST Gulf War, some BS slinger came in
here announcing he was a "colonel" (retired) and that his
son "was 'behind enemy lines' (supposedly in Iraq) and that
"he sent intel on CW" during that short, brief, brutal,
fast-moving ground action. Pure BS, of course. In 1990 the
military had grown out of the 1940 era of two-tube modulated
oscillator and super-regen battery portables and used a VHF-
UHF portable (PSQ-3) having a 1200 BPS "chiclet" keyboard
that relayed through the military aviation band and orbiting
aircraft (or satellites). The ground war lasted only about
four days with Plan 73 Easting topping ANYTHING that famed
Rommel panzerfausts couldn't hope to top. This BSing dingbat
had overloaded on antiquated History Channel footage or other
pipe-dreaming and wanted to be a "name" in here. Back in
1997 - before the announcement of the "restructuring" NPRM -
some PCTA (that's Pro-Code Test Advocate if you weren't here
back then) types still thought the military USED "CW" for
communications. They don't, but I couldn't convince anyone
(except a very few) of that. It upset their FANTASIES and
the high regard they had for their "valuable skill" (which
no other radio service wanted).
They want to be thought of as special, with each one having a "stark
in contrast" and "special religious fervor" to CW for their own very
PERSONAL and UNIQUE reasons...
Some seem to NEED being "better than others" on SOMETHING. :-)
They have spiffy ready-built radios (designed and built by
others) costing many $$$ or they have spiffy designed and
built by themselves for less than $100 (using state-of-the-
art vacuum tube technology of the 1990s). They use that
wonder of all radio modes, On-Off Keying of a Continuous
Wave carrier ("OOK CW"). Those PCTAs are probably very good
at this "CW" and could get a nice job as a "radio op" of the
1930s era in "shortwave communications." Trouble is, this
is the New Millennium and the year 2005. Ain't NO demand
for such "radio operators." But, they are the BEST! :-)
Some common arguments are "CW is what amateur radio is all
about!" or "CW is the heart and soul of amateur radio!" or
that "'Anyone' can learn morse"...provided they devote a
large part of their free time "to show their dedication and
committment to the amateur community!" Whoopee on the last
since that makes them top-notch radio ops for the 1930s...
75 years too late.
I've never seen the address of this "amateur community" or
seen it on a map...nor is there information on how this
"community" rates new amateurs...it must all be some kind of
transcendental telepathic ability from the epiphany of passing
a morse test.
Now, it's not all that absurd to label the CW fanatics as
members of the ARS...the Archaic Radiotelegraphy Society.
[not my original line, just picked up from another in here
and used unmercilessly] If they want to be "expert" at a
skill that is 75 years out of date, why "FB OM." Thanks,
but I prefer this New Millennium just fine after pursuing
a radio-electronics career begun over a half century ago,
working REAL HF comms en masse on 24/7 "DX" circuits.
I am afraid unless you are able to maintain that fantasy for
them--there is going to be trouble....
straight-faced-look
Well, "that's how it goes..." straight-faced look in return
The fantasizers keep insisting They ARE ham radio and
everybody (by damn) better well take that morse test in
order to be "as good as They." As the old latin phrase
has it, screum. :-)
bit bit