Vinnie S. wrote:

On Sat, 11 Jun 2005 20:54:39 -0500, Guy wrote:

Code is a complete waste. I studied for a month, passed the test, and
already have forgotten the letters. What they should do if make it
optional for code users. Give a real test, and give out licenses for
code users. IOW, those who want to use it, test for it.

Vinnie S.

Why should people who *want* to use it have to test for it?

Because it's the opposite right now. People who don't use it, test for it.
Might as well right that ship.

Vinnie S.

Why not just do away with the morse code test? WRC-03 did away with the
international requirement.

As a matter of fact, can you think of a reason to have *any* testing
requirements to operate in the ham bands these days?

You say code is a complete waste. I could say the same about memorizing
things like the frequencies of a particular ham band, or answering "yes" to
radio waves travelling at the speed of light in a vacuum, or which
ionospheric region is closest to earth, or the meaning of the term "73", or
the meaning of the Q-Signal "QRS", or how much voltage is there from an
automobile battery, or the difference between microfarad and picofarad, or
how to figure out a 1/4 wavelength, or ... I just finished looking through
the element 2 question pool and I can't think of a reason why people are
tested on this stuff anymore.

Can't buy any ham gear today that operates outside the ham bands. Why not
just make it illegal to modify store-bought ham gear and then just call it
the Citizen's Bands (bandS -- plural).

A few decades ago, you had to have a little bit of knowledge to
build/operate home brew equipment, and a little less knowledge to operate
store-bought gear and keep it inside the ham bands and prevent
unintentional interference. Now-a-days, it's not economically feasible to
home-brew your own ham gear anymore. It's cheaper to buy it from a store.
And the stuff you buy from the store today almost can't be made to operate
outside the ham bands or un-intentionally interfere with others unless you
pop the lid and screw it up with silly modifications.

Element 4 has questions like, "What's the audio frequency of the color Black
in amateur SSTV?" Who cares? Why would knowing this make you more
qualified to download MMSSTV, hook up your computer sound card to your
radio (using a store bought interface) and start exchanging pictures?

If CW has been superceded by technology, couldn't you say the same thing
about all of amateur radio?

Heck, I just saw an advertisement for a cell phone that accepts broadband TV
now.

I don't mean to sound combative to you or anyone else, I just woke up a few
days ago and started having some epiphanies on this subject.

Guy

"Vinnie S." wrote in message
...
On 10 Jun 2005 22:41:04 GMT, Steveo wrote:

----- Original Message -----
From: "Vinnie S."
Newsgroups: rec.radio.cb
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2005 3:52 PM
Subject: powerful walkie talkie



I think I was in the third grade. A pair of Soundesign Ch 14 kids walkie
talkies, around 1976 or so. I hit a CB station (I didn't know what CB was
at
that time), and when I talked to someone, that was essentially it. I
abused
those radios pretty badly. But they had little to no range. It seemed I
talked
that one time, and never again hit anyone. But that didn't keep me from
trying 1
million times.

Around the 8th grade, I was able to get one of thosetoy base stations, and
talk
regularly to someone. But had about 1/4 mile range. I did beg my father
for a
CB, but my parents really didn't support my hobbies at all. I had to wait
until
I got older before I was able to do the hobbies on my own. My sophmore
year in
HS, I finally got my first CB, a TRC-422A. Still have it. It seemed that
my
father finally got sick of me talking about it, and he finally got me one
and a
power suplly for Christmas. Of course, I was delivering papers until I
ccould
afford a Turner +3 and a Starduster. Did that for a couple years. Once I
graduated HS, that was it until 2 years ago. Then I found you guys. I must
admit, I feel like a kid again.

Vinnie S.

Damn young-in's

Landshark

"Steveo" wrote in message
...
Vinnie S. wrote:
On 10 Jun 2005 22:41:04 GMT, Steveo wrote:

Take Care!
Hydro

Hello Hydro.

Walkie talkies used to be fun!

That is what got me started !!!!!!

Vinnie S.

Same here..an Archer something or other iirc. What a beast it created,
eh?

I think I was in the third grade. A pair of Soundesign Ch 14 kids walkie
talkies, around 1976 or so.

Dang now I really feel old. I was driving by then!

I hit a CB station (I didn't know what CB
was at that time), and when I talked to someone, that was essentially
it.
I abused those radios pretty badly. But they had little to no range. It
seemed I talked that one time, and never again hit anyone. But that
didn't keep me from trying 1 million times.

I know what you mean, Vin. I had that old Lafayette tube radio back in
1969, and I had to search to hear anyone, then yell for them 100 times in
hopes of a response. My Mom is a fairly good seamstress so she even made
me
a jacket with my CB call on the back of it for the coffee breaks. Thinking
back on it, I was a class A nerd!

Around the 8th grade, I was able to get one of thosetoy base stations,
and talk regularly to someone. But had about 1/4 mile range. I did beg
my
father for a CB, but my parents really didn't support my hobbies at all.
I had to wait until I got older before I was able to do the hobbies on
my
own. My sophmore year in HS, I finally got my first CB, a TRC-422A.
Still
have it. It seemed that my father finally got sick of me talking about
it, and he finally got me one and a power suplly for Christmas. Of
course, I was delivering papers until I ccould afford a Turner +3 and a
Starduster. Did that for a couple years. Once I graduated HS, that was
it
until 2 years ago. Then I found you guys. I must admit, I feel like a
kid
again.

Vinnie S.

Well it sounds like you are a kid compared to me, Enzo. It's especially
cool that the hobby still provides good friends like you and many others
here.

Rock on.

Oh he's young compared to you and I Steveo, but he does have common
sense that some that are older here don't have. Must have something to do
with
up bringing.

Landshark

"Scott in Baltimore" wrote in message
...
I unlocked the clarifier and will stick it in my car.

I talked some skip last Saturday. I answered someone, then they turned
their clarifier. I lost them in the racket because their frequency
changed.

I "found" them a few minutes later when I tuned for someone else.

That's one very good reason to have a locked clarifier.

I was up at Lake Tahoe this weekend, took a trip over to Reno see a
friend. Talked
a bunch of am skip to Vancouver BC from the top of Mt. Rose.

Landshark

"Vinnie S." wrote in message
...
On Sat, 11 Jun 2005 11:39:51 -0400, Scott in Baltimore



BTW, my 2510 is not unlocked. I left that alone because I can get so close
with
the RIT.


Vinnie S.

Amen, I never unlocked any of mine. My 2510 is just about the best rig I've
got,
and believe me I've got a lot of radio's.

Landshark

"Guy" wrote in message
news:TKMqe.15606$mC.3822@okepread07...
wrote:

Why should people who *want* to use it have to test for it?


Why not? If you want to drive, you have to take a test, if you want to
get into college you have to take a test, so what's wrong with if you are
going to use code only about taking a test?

Landshark

Landshark wrote:


"Guy" wrote in message
news:TKMqe.15606$mC.3822@okepread07...
wrote:

Why should people who *want* to use it have to test for it?


Why not? If you want to drive, you have to take a test, if you want to
get into college you have to take a test, so what's wrong with if you are
going to use code only about taking a test?

Landshark

I don't understand the logic in what you're saying.

Are there other tests that we should introduce into society?

Should we implement taking a test before you are deemed qualified to open a
credit card account?

Should we implement taking a test before you are deemed qualified to take
the mail out of your mailbox and bring it into your house for further
sorting, opening, and reading?

Should we implement taking a test before you are deemed qualified to operate
a gas pump to fill your car with gasoline?

Should we implement taking a test before you are deemed qualified to
reproduce?

Ok, I'm stating some crazy things here to try to make a point...

How about just leaving some space in the ham bands for CW? If it gets used,
fine, keep it. If CW dies out (and it will eventually--us old timers who
got their ham ticket the hard way will eventually RIP) then reallocate it
for other modes.

By the way, I don't remember having to take a test to get into college. I
have a BS in Computer Science and a Masters in Computer Information
Systems. As long as I paid my bill, they allowed me to go to class.

And the reason for the test to drive a car is to show something in the way
of being able to drive a car and not kill someone else while doing it. I
can understand the reason for the test to drive a car. I can explain valid
reasons for some of my crazy examples above also.

So why test for CW? It's not like anyone who attempts to operate CW without
knowing all the letters at an arbitrary speed will endanger anyone or
themselves while doing it.

Why have a test to operate any mode in any ham band these days?

Guy

On Sun, 12 Jun 2005 16:10:06 -0500, Guy wrote:

..
Because it's the opposite right now. People who don't use it, test for it.
Might as well right that ship.

Vinnie S.

Why not just do away with the morse code test? WRC-03 did away with the
international requirement.

You'd have to ask a morse guy. I don't know.

As a matter of fact, can you think of a reason to have *any* testing
requirements to operate in the ham bands these days?

Yeah, regulation. Clearly, there is working regulation on ham bands. And there
is no regulation on CB band, unless you are running 10,000 watts.

So, you already have both. If you don't want to test for anything, there is CB.

You say code is a complete waste. I could say the same about memorizing
things like the frequencies of a particular ham band, or answering "yes" to
radio waves travelling at the speed of light in a vacuum, or which
ionospheric region is closest to earth, or the meaning of the term "73", or
the meaning of the Q-Signal "QRS", or how much voltage is there from an
automobile battery, or the difference between microfarad and picofarad, or
how to figure out a 1/4 wavelength, or ... I just finished looking through
the element 2 question pool and I can't think of a reason why people are
tested on this stuff anymore.

Well, they ask you 35 questions. I read the queston pool book 3 times. There had
to be hundreds of questions. So to answer your question, ye, I think they should
keep the test. Clearly, I learned from it.

Can't buy any ham gear today that operates outside the ham bands. Why not
just make it illegal to modify store-bought ham gear and then just call it
the Citizen's Bands (bandS -- plural).

A few decades ago, you had to have a little bit of knowledge to
build/operate home brew equipment, and a little less knowledge to operate
store-bought gear and keep it inside the ham bands and prevent
unintentional interference. Now-a-days, it's not economically feasible to
home-brew your own ham gear anymore. It's cheaper to buy it from a store.
And the stuff you buy from the store today almost can't be made to operate
outside the ham bands or un-intentionally interfere with others unless you
pop the lid and screw it up with silly modifications.

Element 4 has questions like, "What's the audio frequency of the color Black
in amateur SSTV?" Who cares? Why would knowing this make you more
qualified to download MMSSTV, hook up your computer sound card to your
radio (using a store bought interface) and start exchanging pictures?

If CW has been superceded by technology, couldn't you say the same thing
about all of amateur radio?

Heck, I just saw an advertisement for a cell phone that accepts broadband TV
now.

I don't mean to sound combative to you or anyone else, I just woke up a few
days ago and started having some epiphanies on this subject.


You don't sound combative. You have a different opinion. You make some valid
points. But as I said before, there is a licensed and unlicensed option. Now,
what you might be asking it to expand the CB band to have more unlicensed
frequencies. I would not have a problem with that.

I did actually enjoy reading those books. So whether the questions are dumb or
not, I did learn a few things.

Vinnie S.

Jay in the Mojave wrote:
What was great about the foundry was, someone always managed to but a
bullet in the pile of aluminum chair tubing, that was gonna be melted
down. High School humor at its greatest. That was defiantly a tear and
snott blowing stunt.

I wake up in my sleep laughing about that!

Jay in the Mojave


Dang Jay, a bullet? That sounds slightly dangerous.

"Landshark" wrote:
"Steveo" wrote in message
...
Vinnie S. wrote:
On 10 Jun 2005 22:41:04 GMT, Steveo wrote:

Take Care!
Hydro

Hello Hydro.

Walkie talkies used to be fun!

That is what got me started !!!!!!

Vinnie S.

Same here..an Archer something or other iirc. What a beast it
created, eh?

I think I was in the third grade. A pair of Soundesign Ch 14 kids
walkie talkies, around 1976 or so.

Dang now I really feel old. I was driving by then!

I hit a CB station (I didn't know what CB
was at that time), and when I talked to someone, that was essentially
it.
I abused those radios pretty badly. But they had little to no range.
It seemed I talked that one time, and never again hit anyone. But
that didn't keep me from trying 1 million times.

I know what you mean, Vin. I had that old Lafayette tube radio back in
1969, and I had to search to hear anyone, then yell for them 100 times
in hopes of a response. My Mom is a fairly good seamstress so she even
made
me
a jacket with my CB call on the back of it for the coffee breaks.
Thinking back on it, I was a class A nerd!

Around the 8th grade, I was able to get one of thosetoy base
stations, and talk regularly to someone. But had about 1/4 mile
range. I did beg
my
father for a CB, but my parents really didn't support my hobbies at
all. I had to wait until I got older before I was able to do the
hobbies on
my
own. My sophmore year in HS, I finally got my first CB, a TRC-422A.
Still
have it. It seemed that my father finally got sick of me talking
about it, and he finally got me one and a power suplly for Christmas.
Of course, I was delivering papers until I ccould afford a Turner +3
and a Starduster. Did that for a couple years. Once I graduated HS,
that was
it
until 2 years ago. Then I found you guys. I must admit, I feel like a
kid
again.

Vinnie S.

Well it sounds like you are a kid compared to me, Enzo. It's especially
cool that the hobby still provides good friends like you and many
others here.

Rock on.

Oh he's young compared to you and I Steveo, but he does have
common sense that some that are older here don't have. Must have
something to do with
up bringing.

Landshark

Yea, or mental health.