"Anonyma" wrote in message
...
Dave Said:

I'll say it again ... INVESTMENT!!

If an activity is to have value it must have INVESTMENT.

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the replies, I surely didn't mean to get a flamewar going, but,
it seems there are some very
strong views on this.

I don't mind putting an investment into something...usually when I learn
something new, I research and get
into it 110%. The trouble with the requirements and all there that I see
is, that it puts up a very high
initial investment before you can actually get in and do anything with it.
I guess I question, well how do I
know it will be worth all the time invested before I even get to 'play'?

In my case, and I'm sure many others out there in this day in age, my TIME
is what is of such short supply. I
have no problem laying out cash for equipment...with most things I do, I
generally jump in with both feet,
buy equipment and 'learn as I go'. I'd like to do the same with ham and
other radio technologies, but, in
this case, I find a large wall in front of me of study and test taking,
before I even get to jump on the air
even once to see how much I'd like it.

Does that make sense to you?

Thanks for the replies,


The time investment is not as much as it seems. That is even more true of
someone who has experience in related fields or has experience in the art of
studying. For those with some existing experience in related fields, they
can often read up enough in a single weekend to pass the Technician written.
This will let you get your feet wet in the VHF/UHF and higher frequencies.
There's quite a lot that can be done in this area if you invest in the
equipment.

Again if you have some related background, the General written is not
particularly time consuming to study for either. The code is only as hard
as you make it by fighting yourself. If you decide that you will learn it,
the average person only needs about 30 hours to get to 5wpm, assuming that a
good training method is used.

Getting the General license gives you all modes and all bands and the
maximum power privileges. The only thing you do not get are some
subsections on some of the bands that are reserved for Extra licensees.

Now the Extra test is quite a bit more difficult but is not required unless
you want to get into those subsections mentioned above.

You spoke of "learning as you go". Basically ham radio is the same. Even
the Extra class license has only scratched the surface of all that might be
involved in amateur radio. The tests & licensing are to insure that you
know enough not to get hurt, not to cause harm to other people, and not to
make a mess on the bands. Also they are to insure that you have a grounding
in the basics so you don't go spinning your wheels trying to get things
working.

You might ask why this is important. Let's just address the safety area for
a moment. Well for example, you can actually get a burn from grabbing an
antenna that is being used to transmit. If you get into microwave
transmissions, you could fry your eyes (or somebody else's) if you look into
the end of a wave guide while it's being used to transmit. You can get
electrical shocks from feedback due to a poorly set up station. This is
just a small sample of some of the things that you should be familiar with.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Dee Flint on Wed, Aug 30 2006 4:17 pm


"Anonyma" wrote in message
Dave Said:

I'll say it again ... INVESTMENT!!

If an activity is to have value it must have INVESTMENT.

[ "Dave" is a suspect banker in the investment trade? ]


The time investment is not as much as it seems.

Dee, the "time investment" for MORSEMANSHIP depends entirely
on the psycho-acoustical aptitudes of the learner. "Learning"
a psycho-acoustic skill is NOT an intellectual one, it is a
physical one.

That is even more true of
someone who has experience in related fields or has experience in the art of
studying. For those with some existing experience in related fields, they
can often read up enough in a single weekend to pass the Technician written.

You morsepersons need to get a common story. The rabid morsemen
keep saying it is all "memorization," taking no skill whatsoever.

This will let you get your feet wet in the VHF/UHF and higher frequencies.
There's quite a lot that can be done in this area if you invest in the
equipment.

Come right out and say it...you morsepersons consider the
frequency world above 30 MHz to be beneath you, a place for
kids and lids (and probably space cadets) to go and PLAY.

Again if you have some related background, the General written is not
particularly time consuming to study for either.

Everyone can just "memorize" the answers, right? :-)

The code is only as hard
as you make it by fighting yourself. If you decide that you will learn it,
the average person only needs about 30 hours to get to 5wpm, assuming that a
good training method is used.

The ARRL VEC uses the "farnesworth" method which send at FIFTEEN
words per minute...even though the FCC regulations have five.

Dee, you haven't addressed the subject of the existance of the
manual morse code test itself. You (erroneously) think that it
is "necessary," possibly because you had to take that test.

Getting the General license gives you all modes and all bands and the
maximum power privileges. The only thing you do not get are some
subsections on some of the bands that are reserved for Extra licensees.

Now the Extra test is quite a bit more difficult but is not required unless
you want to get into those subsections mentioned above.

Extra class are the "elite." Having an extra license allows all
the preening and self-righteous attitudes possible in a hobby
activity. It is personally rewarding to elitist-wannabes who
have to be "better than ordinary persons."

You spoke of "learning as you go". Basically ham radio is the same. Even
the Extra class license has only scratched the surface of all that might be
involved in amateur radio.

Really? All those extras in here seem to think they are FAR
better than any professionals in radio...because they had to
test for morsemanship.

The tests & licensing are to insure that you
know enough not to get hurt, not to cause harm to other people, and not to
make a mess on the bands. Also they are to insure that you have a grounding
in the basics so you don't go spinning your wheels trying to get things
working.

Golleee! All along I thought the FCC just regulated (and
mitigated interference) in ALL US civil radio. Their
predecessor agencies (before 1934) used Licensing and Testing
for same as a REGULATORY tool. I didn't know that those were
also academic tests and diplomas...

You might ask why this is important.

Why IS morsemanship so important?


Let's just address the safety area for a moment.

FCC amateur radio regulations cover only the radiated
RF power field. As a safety issue for ALL affected by
that RF field. Does YOUR station obey the federal
regulations?

Well for example, you can actually get a burn from grabbing an
antenna that is being used to transmit.

Why would anyone do that? [anything in official rules on that?]

If you get into microwave
transmissions, you could fry your eyes (or somebody else's) if you look into
the end of a wave guide while it's being used to transmit.

Why would anyone do that? You can get far worse damage to the
eyes looking into a laser beam of much less power...and you
don't need any license for that.

You can get
electrical shocks from feedback due to a poorly set up station. This is
just a small sample of some of the things that you should be familiar with.

Those aren't covered in FCC regulations, are they?

"Feedback gives one shocks?" I suppose...I've made feedback
networks for years and never been "electrically shocked" by
them. Delighted and surprised that they worked so well,
perhaps, but never got any electrical shocks from feedback.
I guess I'm just not "amateur" enough...hi hi :-)