Amateur Radio
 

It's alive and well......Spread the word

Amateur Radio
 

"David Quest" wrote in message
...

#It's alive and well......Spread the word
-
Indeed. And the recent DX contest showed a huge amount of activity.

Amateur Radio
 

"David Quest" wrote in message
...
It's alive and well......Spread the word

Doing my best. I'm the President of my local club, Elmer to several and our
FD Chairman.

"Sal"
(KD6VKW)

The problem is not if it is alive or dead, it is the quality of people involved with amateur radio today.

I see a couple of different types of people.
The leaders
The followers
The Sheep
The dumb asses with the walkie talkies, cell phones, voip - computer - that doesn't want to do Ham Radio - they want to do Cell Phone and Computer radio.

Then you have the old guys - who have done it all and doesn't want to help anyone - is too old to buy anything new, spends most of their time tuning up over other peoples QSO's and only talks on nets.

Then you have the old hams - the guys that were licensed as teen agers, realizes that the old hams are going to die or retire. That thinks that the world owes them something. Wants to be the section manager or regional manager of the ARRL. The low life scum that thinks that it is political.
Who gets the sheep to blindly follow them, gets the followers to follow them - with the promise that they will help them someday - maybe.
Assumes the role of leaders at their local clubs - but doesn't really do much of anything.
For the most part - you have a lot of clubs where the President makes all the rules and demands that everyone else just blindly follow them.
The followers thinks that belonging to a club will automatically make them ham radio operators - yet the President and the officers don't actually teach anything, doesn't actually Elmer anyone and their only goal is to use the club as a stepping stone - get the votes to become the section manager etc and then the people who helped get them to where they are at - are forgotten.

Just look at the officers of the ARRL and see where they came from, and their age, and the people who are lining up to take their jobs.


Then you have the Vultures.
You know who you are!
The ones that circles a mans house when he is dead or dying.
Looking to steal all of his / her ham radio equipment when they die.
Probably the main reason why there are so few hams who becomes Generals.

Once people gets their Technician Class License, finds out how much new radios cost, can't afford a used radio - even if it is available and just drops out after a couple of months or years - because there is no incentive to advance.

The clubs preaches public service and ECOM - but doesn't really do much of anything about it.
Most people cannot take traffic and are unwilling to even talk on the radio.
They are of no use to anyone in a emergency - unless the only traffic you want to pass is their call sign and No Traffic - because that is all that they have said on the local nets all of their ham radio careers.

Amateur Radio
 

Just moved into a Senior's Lodge and am waiting for some new
gear I purchased to arrive. I'll be QRP but was always a QRP advocate
and seldom ran more than a few watts. It's going to be tricky here and
I will have to use all my experience and expertise to get some form of
invisible or very low profile antenna out of my window which has
a small opening. I should have everything ready to go in a month or so.

Irv VE6BP

54 years of endless fun on ham radio!


"David Quest" wrote in message
...
It's alive and well......Spread the word

Amateur Radio
 

"Channel Jumper" wrote in message
...

I see a couple of different types of people.

The dumb asses

the old guys -

the old hams - the guys that were licensed as teen agers,

That thinks that
the world owes them something. Wants to be the section manager or
regional manager of the ARRL.

The low life scum that thinks that it is political.

clubs where the President makes
all the rules and demands that everyone else just blindly follow them.

The followers thinks [sic] that belonging to a club will automatically
make
them ham radio operators - yet the President and the officers don't
actually teach anything, doesn't actually Elmer anyone and their only
goal is to use the club as a stepping stone - get the votes to become
the section manager etc and then the people who helped get them to where
they are at - are forgotten.

Just look at the officers of the ARRL and see where they came from, and
their age, and the people who are lining up to take their jobs.

Then you have the Vultures.

Most people cannot take traffic and are unwilling to even talk on the
radio.
They are of no use to anyone in a emergency

I recognize some of the characterizations you cite but they are uncommon.
You aver that they're all you know. Your post was so negative! I have a
hard time grasping why you've stayed in the hobby. If you have anything
upbeat to post, I'll read it.

"Sal"

Amateur Radio
 

On 3/22/2012 10:10 PM, Channel Jumper wrote:
David Quest;788733 Wrote:
It's alive and well......Spread the word

The problem is not if it is alive or dead, it is the quality of people
involved with amateur radio today.

Does this include you? Or are you a non participant?


I see a couple of different types of people.
The leaders
The followers
The Sheep
The dumb asses with the walkie talkies, cell phones, voip - computer -
that doesn't want to do Ham Radio - they want to do Cell Phone and
Computer radio.

That's four types, not a couple.. Although I suppose there is some
redundancy involved. IE: many dumbasses are sheep, many sheep are
followers, and most followers tend to follow the leader. :/


Then you have the old guys - who have done it all and doesn't want to
help anyone - is too old to buy anything new, spends most of their time
tuning up over other peoples QSO's and only talks on nets.

Maybe they are tired. And they probably already own everything they
need, and thus have no need to buy more stuff. As far as the tuning
and netting, I would consider that a personal problem..


Then you have the old hams - the guys that were licensed as teen agers,
realizes that the old hams are going to die or retire. That thinks that
the world owes them something. Wants to be the section manager or
regional manager of the ARRL. The low life scum that thinks that it is
political.

I've been a radio buoy since I was a teen. So I guess I sort of fit
this category. And I do realize that everyone retires, and then dies,
sooner or later. This is another personal problem that all must deal
with sooner or later. Novice through Extra.. All are gonna be worm
food some day.. Death is not picky, and death took the 20 wpm
code test, so even CW ops don't get a pass on death. :|

Thinks the world owes me something? What would that be?
As far as I know, no one owes me anything, and as far as myself,
I owe very little.. :/

But, if the world owes me something like you say, I'll take an old Ford
GT-40. I'm not too picky about the color.

Want to be section manager or regional manager of the ARRL?
Are you kidding me? You couldn't pay me enough to involve myself
with such silliness..


Who gets the sheep to blindly follow them, gets the followers to follow
them - with the promise that they will help them someday - maybe.

I don't want anyone to follow me..

Assumes the role of leaders at their local clubs - but doesn't really do
much of anything.

I don't do clubs..

For the most part - you have a lot of clubs where the President makes
all the rules and demands that everyone else just blindly follow them.

I don't do clubs..

The followers thinks that belonging to a club will automatically make
them ham radio operators - yet the President and the officers don't
actually teach anything, doesn't actually Elmer anyone and their only
goal is to use the club as a stepping stone - get the votes to become
the section manager etc and then the people who helped get them to where
they are at - are forgotten.

I don't do clubs..


Just look at the officers of the ARRL and see where they came from, and
their age, and the people who are lining up to take their jobs.

Why would I waste my time? I could care less about the officers of
the ARRL, and I could care less where they came from.
And if someone wants their jobs, how long is this line?
Are they as long as the lines that form outside of shopping malls
when a new brand of sneaker comes out?



Then you have the Vultures.

I've never seen a bird get a ham license... I guess they can
pass it now that they did away with the code tests.. :|

You know who you are!

Yes, I know who I am. :/


The ones that circles a mans house when he is dead or dying.
Looking to steal all of his / her ham radio equipment when they die.

Radios, radios, and more radios!!!! Yee-haw!!!!


Probably the main reason why there are so few hams who becomes
Generals.

Maybe so. After all, why would one upgrade to a higher license,
if one has to constantly worry about some vulture flying over and
dropping a vulture turd or two on their heads... :|
They practice this you know.. It's kind of like learning to drop
fire fighting mud and chemicals on forest fires, except on a smaller
scale.


Once people gets their Technician Class License, finds out how much new
radios cost, can't afford a used radio - even if it is available and
just drops out after a couple of months or years - because there is no
incentive to advance.

Life's a bitch, and then some people make the mistake of
marrying one.. :/
But realistically, it sounds like they need a better job, more
than they need a ham license.

I have loads of radios.. So many, I can't even keep track of
them all. Big radios, little radios, and many radios in between.
I think they secretly breed when I'm away, and spawn more little
radios and radioettes..


The clubs preaches public service and ECOM - but doesn't really do much
of anything about it.

I don't do clubs..

Most people cannot take traffic and are unwilling to even talk on the
radio.

Well, why don't you teach them then..
BTW, myself, I can handle traffic. I'm ex-MARS, where they actually
do run a bit of traffic from time to time..
But very few people rely on amateur radio to pass traffic these days.
So even though I can handle traffic, I rarely have the chance to
show off such advanced radio skillery. :/


They are of no use to anyone in a emergency - unless the only traffic
you want to pass is their call sign and No Traffic - because that is all
that they have said on the local nets all of their ham radio careers.

I'm of total use in an emergency. I can do anything anyone might
want to do, and I can do it from any location on the planet.

But, I rarely do nets.. Too boring for my blood.

My idea of ham radio is sitting out in the middle of the woods,
sucking down a few cold ones, kicking back, and talking to all them
good ole buoys on the radio.

No one ever follows me. My woods are so secluded, no one would
ever find me even if they tried.
I do see some vultures from time to time, but then again, I see
a lot of birds out in the woods.

Worrying about nets, managers, clubs, and vultures is no way to go
through amateur radio. Sounds pretty danged boring too..

Amateur Radio
 

50+ years & going stronger than ever!
Antennas, PSK, SDR, the current favorite areas.
Some places have a higher noise level than others. What are called
Trolls now were LIDs way back, easy to outflank.

Where ever you go, you will be as happy as you choose to be.
I plan to live until I die!

See y'all at the meeting, Hamfest, Church or where ever.
de W8CCW


On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:57:18 -0600, "Irv Finkleman"
wrote:

Just moved into a Senior's Lodge and am waiting for some new
gear I purchased to arrive. I'll be QRP but was always a QRP advocate
and seldom ran more than a few watts. It's going to be tricky here and
I will have to use all my experience and expertise to get some form of
invisible or very low profile antenna out of my window which has
a small opening. I should have everything ready to go in a month or so.

Irv VE6BP

54 years of endless fun on ham radio!


"David Quest" wrote in message
...
It's alive and well......Spread the word


John Ferrell W8CCW

Amateur Radio
 

On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:01:51 -0700 (PDT), David Quest
wrote:

It's alive and well......Spread the word

W......O......R......D

Is that sufficiently spread out?

--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558
# http://802.11junk.com
# http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS

Amateur Radio
 

Hi Channel Jumper

How do you actually see people? I mean that is what you said.




"Channel Jumper" wrote in message
...

David Quest;788733 Wrote:
It's alive and well......Spread the word

The problem is not if it is alive or dead, it is the quality of people
involved with amateur radio today.

I see a couple of different types of people.
The leaders
The followers
The Sheep
The dumb asses with the walkie talkies, cell phones, voip - computer -
that doesn't want to do Ham Radio - they want to do Cell Phone and
Computer radio.

Then you have the old guys - who have done it all and doesn't want to
help anyone - is too old to buy anything new, spends most of their time
tuning up over other peoples QSO's and only talks on nets.

Then you have the old hams - the guys that were licensed as teen agers,
realizes that the old hams are going to die or retire. That thinks that
the world owes them something. Wants to be the section manager or
regional manager of the ARRL. The low life scum that thinks that it is
political.
Who gets the sheep to blindly follow them, gets the followers to follow
them - with the promise that they will help them someday - maybe.
Assumes the role of leaders at their local clubs - but doesn't really do
much of anything.
For the most part - you have a lot of clubs where the President makes
all the rules and demands that everyone else just blindly follow them.
The followers thinks that belonging to a club will automatically make
them ham radio operators - yet the President and the officers don't
actually teach anything, doesn't actually Elmer anyone and their only
goal is to use the club as a stepping stone - get the votes to become
the section manager etc and then the people who helped get them to where
they are at - are forgotten.

Just look at the officers of the ARRL and see where they came from, and
their age, and the people who are lining up to take their jobs.


Then you have the Vultures.
You know who you are!
The ones that circles a mans house when he is dead or dying.
Looking to steal all of his / her ham radio equipment when they die.
Probably the main reason why there are so few hams who becomes
Generals.

Once people gets their Technician Class License, finds out how much new
radios cost, can't afford a used radio - even if it is available and
just drops out after a couple of months or years - because there is no
incentive to advance.

The clubs preaches public service and ECOM - but doesn't really do much
of anything about it.
Most people cannot take traffic and are unwilling to even talk on the
radio.
They are of no use to anyone in a emergency - unless the only traffic
you want to pass is their call sign and No Traffic - because that is all
that they have said on the local nets all of their ham radio careers.




--
Channel Jumper

Think about it - Net time - those old hams - their knobs are set in stone and they refuse to operate except on that one frequency.
It might as well be channelized.
40 meters - most people won't even turn the knob and you almost never hear anyone yelling CQ - because the net people has their own little channel where they talk and when they are done talking - they shut the radio off.
20 meters on the weekend and evenings is just as bad.

10 meters is so quiet - the only people you get to talk to most times is someone from somewhere else.
Then when the retarded contests comes along - you can barely find a place to talk between 28.300 and 28.500 mhz.

80 and 160 meters at night is just as bad.
All the cussing and swearing and sex talk going on.

Then you have these new hams - the ones with the cell phones, the internet and walkie talkies - because they do not understand how transmitting works and they refuse to spend any money.

At the same time - you can't buy used equipment anymore, because the vultures scarfs up all the used equipment they can find from the SK hams.
Half the times it is sold on flea bay for more then it is worth!

The quality of people - with the CB radio crowd and kids taking it over - it might as well be CB radio.
You can't teach people who's ears are closed and mouths are open.

At the same time, the doors on the old hams houses might as well be made out of solid steel - because very few people gets into their shacks and you definitely don't get to talk on their equipment.

Because the old hams refuses to teach the new hams, and because some of the old hams are lousy LIDS and doesn't know how to operate in the first place - nothing is being taught.

Its hard to teach ham radio to these people who's only radio is a hand held.
What is there for them to learn except how to program it.

Amateur Radio
 

"Channel Jumper" wrote in message
...


Multiple snippages of blah-blah-blah


--
Channel Jumper

CJ: Would you mind advertising your malcontentment somewhere else?

"Sal"
( a happy guy in almost total disagreement with all that whining)

Amateur Radio
 

"Channel Jumper" wrote in message
...

Think about it - Net time - those old hams - their knobs are set in
stone and they refuse to operate except on that one frequency.
It might as well be channelized.
40 meters - most people won't even turn the knob and you almost never
hear anyone yelling CQ - because the net people has their own little
channel where they talk and when they are done talking - they shut the
radio off.
20 meters on the weekend and evenings is just as bad.

10 meters is so quiet - the only people you get to talk to most times is
someone from somewhere else.
Then when the retarded contests comes along - you can barely find a
place to talk between 28.300 and 28.500 mhz.

80 and 160 meters at night is just as bad.
All the cussing and swearing and sex talk going on.

Then you have these new hams - the ones with the cell phones, the
internet and walkie talkies - because they do not understand how
transmitting works and they refuse to spend any money.

At the same time - you can't buy used equipment anymore, because the
vultures scarfs up all the used equipment they can find from the SK
hams.
Half the times it is sold on flea bay for more then it is worth!

The quality of people - with the CB radio crowd and kids taking it over
- it might as well be CB radio.
You can't teach people who's ears are closed and mouths are open.

At the same time, the doors on the old hams houses might as well be made
out of solid steel - because very few people gets into their shacks and
you definitely don't get to talk on their equipment.

Because the old hams refuses to teach the new hams, and because some of
the old hams are lousy LIDS and doesn't know how to operate in the first
place - nothing is being taught.

Its hard to teach ham radio to these people who's only radio is a hand
held.
What is there for them to learn except how to program it.

I haven't seen it that way over 50+ years of hamming. What I have seen are
hams off pursuing their own particular technical interests. Some ragchew on
one frequency on 75, and others are always working on moonbounce antennas,
etc. Some are heavily involved in clubs and examinations.

You'll find a diversity of activites among hams throughout the years if you
look at the overall picture.

Amateur Radio
 

On 4/1/2012 8:17 AM, Channel Jumper wrote:
Think about it - Net time - those old hams - their knobs are set in
stone and they refuse to operate except on that one frequency.
It might as well be channelized.

I guess you would know, being as you call yourself the "channel
jumper"... :/

40 meters - most people won't even turn the knob and you almost never
hear anyone yelling CQ - because the net people has their own little
channel where they talk and when they are done talking - they shut the
radio off.

Well, of course... I never call CQ on phone.. Only pikers and
people with bad radio breath need to call CQ on phone..

20 meters on the weekend and evenings is just as bad.

People have been known to turn off their radios after
operation for years and years..


10 meters is so quiet - the only people you get to talk to most times is
someone from somewhere else.
Then when the retarded contests comes along - you can barely find a
place to talk between 28.300 and 28.500 mhz.

Well now.. lets see 28.300-28.500.. That's the old "novice"
phone band. Which is a fairly tiny sliver of 10m.
I guess it never occurred to you to maybe bump it up the
band a bit?

80 and 160 meters at night is just as bad.
All the cussing and swearing and sex talk going on.

BS.. You will hear very little of this on 160m..
And not nearly as much as you might think on 75..

Then you have these new hams - the ones with the cell phones, the
internet and walkie talkies - because they do not understand how
transmitting works and they refuse to spend any money.

What about them? As long as they don't bother me, I could care
less what they do. If they want to prowl the neighborhood with
a belt full of HT's, how would this effect you?


At the same time - you can't buy used equipment anymore, because the
vultures scarfs up all the used equipment they can find from the SK
hams.

BS again.. No one is scarfing up anything unless the estate
decides to sell, and they are the ones in a position to decide
a price.

Half the times it is sold on flea bay for more then it is worth!

Only in America is such a thing possible.. :|



The quality of people - with the CB radio crowd and kids taking it over
- it might as well be CB radio.

It's obvious that you really don't have a clue.. CB radio crowd?
There is no CB radio crowd, and there hasn't been a CB radio crowd
for many years. I listened to an old E.F. Johnson CB the other day,
when I dug one out of my vast supply of radios, and gave it away
to a friend of mine.
I didn't test it out before I took it over there, but we plugged
it in at his house. It worked. But there was no crowd on the CB
spectrum. :/ You would be lucky to hear a lost truck driver..
BTW, my friend is not a CBer per say.. He just likes to overhaul
these old radios and then sell them on flea bay for vast amounts
of money.

You can't teach people who's ears are closed and mouths are open.

You also can't teach people who spend all their time channel
jumping..

At the same time, the doors on the old hams houses might as well be made
out of solid steel - because very few people gets into their shacks and
you definitely don't get to talk on their equipment.

This is true. I don't want any hairy legged whiners bothering me.
My door isn't steel, but it's fairly thick wood, and I'm quite well
armed. :) So if the door doesn't stop you, I will, when one comes
crashing through it. And I never miss.

But also, you have to consider that if you have seen one shack,
you have pretty much seen them all. :/
Also, I'm generally bored with radio at the house, and spend much more
time tinkering with and flying my 737 NG simulator these days,
than playing with all my radios.
I spend much more time on the radio when I'm at my recreational
living center, than I do at home.


Because the old hams refuses to teach the new hams, and because some of
the old hams are lousy LIDS and doesn't know how to operate in the first
place - nothing is being taught.

Life is a bitch, and then some end whining about it..


Its hard to teach ham radio to these people who's only radio is a hand
held.
What is there for them to learn except how to program it.

Funny.. I had no problem learning about ham radio, even when I
had no ham radios at all.

Amateur Radio
 

On Sun, 01 Apr 2012 13:17:50 +0000, Channel Jumper wrote:

Think about it - Net time - those old hams - their knobs are set in
stone and they refuse to operate except on that one frequency. It might
as well be channelized.
40 meters - most people won't even turn the knob and you almost never
hear anyone yelling CQ - because the net people has their own little
channel where they talk and when they are done talking - they shut the
radio off.
20 meters on the weekend and evenings is just as bad.

10 meters is so quiet - the only people you get to talk to most times is
someone from somewhere else.
Then when the retarded contests comes along - you can barely find a
place to talk between 28.300 and 28.500 mhz.

80 and 160 meters at night is just as bad. All the cussing and swearing
and sex talk going on.

Then you have these new hams - the ones with the cell phones, the
internet and walkie talkies - because they do not understand how
transmitting works and they refuse to spend any money.

At the same time - you can't buy used equipment anymore, because the
vultures scarfs up all the used equipment they can find from the SK
hams.
Half the times it is sold on flea bay for more then it is worth!

The quality of people - with the CB radio crowd and kids taking it over
- it might as well be CB radio.
You can't teach people who's ears are closed and mouths are open.

At the same time, the doors on the old hams houses might as well be made
out of solid steel - because very few people gets into their shacks and
you definitely don't get to talk on their equipment.

Because the old hams refuses to teach the new hams, and because some of
the old hams are lousy LIDS and doesn't know how to operate in the first
place - nothing is being taught.

Its hard to teach ham radio to these people who's only radio is a hand
held.
What is there for them to learn except how to program it.

Have you considered a Digital mode? There are still mindless babblers but
at least you don't have to hear them. I run psk31 QRP DX. If I make a QSO
it is very short and to the point.

There is two TNC's on the floor - in a box.
That is probably the best place for them.
As long as people thinks that the only reason for APRS is to play Where's Waldo - there is no use putting up the antenna and turning it on.

It looks to me like I hurt some of the forum retards feelings.
I guess there is more then one person on this forum - who's only transceiver is a walkie talkie or that uses echo link to get their radio fix - because they are too cheap or too poor to go out and buy a real radio.

A forum name can be what ever you want.
I could post my call sign - but that wouldn't prove who I am - just that I am a licensed amateur.
Even that does not tell the whole story - since I have been around this longer then what most people who calls themselves old hams has been.

The purpose of most nets is to reserve a certain frequency at a certain time so retards who are mindless and cannot make a QSO or take traffic can get on the air and say their call sign and no traffic and feel like real hams.

Most of them goes into panic mode when you try to pass traffic.
Even the PA 80 meter phone and traffic net is mostly made up of people like that.
So the only thing we can do is wait and see if these people will someday die off and the net die's due to a lack of participation and we get rid of many of these useless / unnecessary nets.

Amateur Radio
 

Ye, that is correct...... Thank you

Amateur Radio
 

....got it...thanks for the info.....

[QUOT[/i][/color]

Have you considered a Digital mode? There are still mindless babblers but
at least you don't have to hear them. I run psk31 QRP DX. If I make a QSO
it is very short and to the point.[/quote]

OLIVIA is what the world is going to as far as RACES is concerned.

I have the equipment here to do so, but can't see the point, since it wouldn't be much different then using the internet - except that there isn't any internet or wires involved - other then the transceiver and the antenna.