"an old friend" wrote


You're not even eligible for QCAO membership! BSEG

which ever gruop they are



The QCAO (Quarter Century Appliance Operators) was founded
in the early 1950's by a small group of Amateur Radio operators
from the Pacific Northwest. They had been active in their hobby
for over 25 years, yet still lacked the basic knowledge of radio
electronics and had no idea of how their equipment worked.

They banded together to try and protect each others honor
and pride. At radio gatherings and club meetings in the 1950s
one was considered unworthy of the name Ham Radio Operator if
he or she couldn't not only name components, but know how to
solder them together and make a radio work, or fix a broken set!

When faced with insults and dreision, those few hardy
pioneers banded together and formed the First Chapter and
National Organization of the QCAO. This was known as the "Cold
Solder" Chapter. They even coined the now-famous club byword
"e pluribus ignoramae" which is Latin for "We don't have to know
how to solder, we just wanna talk on our radios."

No veterans of that first chapter are known to be active on
the air today. In the late 1950s and early '60s, with the
worldwide interest in science and space and technology, the QCAO
membership went underground.

It is with great pride and dignity that today in the 21st Century
the revived QCAO stands ready to rise from the ashes, and become
the standard of mediocrity it once proudly was. In honor of
those first pioneering members, QCAO hereby invites all eligible
applicants to step forward and join!

The benefits of QCAO include not only the pride of
membership. Think of the warm glow you will feel at club
meetings and gatherings showing off your new all-plastic
imprinted QCAO pocket protector! And that's not all! For your
minimal membership fee, you will also receive a handsome,
suitable-for-framing, certificate of honor, with hand-lettered
name and Charter Membership Number. Other QCAO memorabilia
will soon be available for members, including T-shirts, caps,
pins, etc. At this date charter membership numbers are still
available. Membership requires a 25 years (more or less)
interest in Amateur Radio, coupled with a basic ignorance of how
radios work and how to repair them.

Think of meeting other QCAO members on the air! No more
embarrassing pauses when someone in the QSO mentions an RF choke
or a parasitic bleeder...Be able to exchange meaningful sharing,
talk about real things, yes, even swap QCAO numbers with each
other! And soon perhaps . . . a worldwide QCAO contest!

You no longer have to shrink to the back of the room at post-
meeting sessions of your radio club. Just display your QCAO
protector and others will be able to identify you immediately.
Who knows? Perhaps one of the originals from that old QCAO
Chapter is just waiting for you to find him. Join now! Remember
"We don't have to know how to solder, we just wanna talk on our
radios"! Don't let technoids embarrass you and kick jargon in
your face. Stand up for what's right! Join QCAO!

"e pluribus ignoramae"