Kardiac Korner wrote:
Previous posters have commented that the HF bands are populated by
Seventy-Somethings who oft compare their surgeries with their fellows. Well,
this is not endemic to the HF bands.

On 'phone, maybe. Not on Morse Code.

Case in point. This afternoon three of the youth challenged Old Timers tied
up a local repeater as they compared notes and even argued over whose heart
surgery was the worst. They droned on and on about the incisions made in
their legs, their chests, and even went into graphic detail about the
drainage tube that had been implanted in one of their abdomens.

How did they "tie up" the repeater? Did they refuse to let others use
it?

Or would it have simply been silent without them?

And it this was not depressing enough, one of the Codgers went on to regale
the listeners with details of his wife's cancer and chemo treatments and
detailed the prescription drugs his wife uses.

Come on, guys. My heart goes out to you, but MUST you discuss it for hours
on end? On a repeater? Or anywhere? These oldsters are understandably caught
up in their dilemma but someone, some day, is going to have to ask them to
please, please, stop.

Why?

These Oldsters, all Extra licensees, have no idea how depressing it is to
listen to them.

See below.

And, guys. When someone asks you how you are doing, don't go into an hour
long history of your medical trials and health tribulations. Spare us the
details and the resultant depression. Please?

A couple of observations:

First off, with a few exceptions, the subject matter of amateur radio
conversations isn't regulated or restricted by FCC. Unless you can
make a case that the conversations involved violated some provision
of Part 97 or the Communications Act, they're allowed.

Second, I hope no one, including you, ever gets seriously ill or has
a loved one in perilous health. May we all live to very old ages with
all our faculties intact, and go quietly and peacefully in our sleep
when
the time comes.

But in reality, many if not most people have to deal with such health
situations. While those conversations may be boring and depressing to
*you*, those involved may find them a source of strength, support and
comfort. Also information. Would you rather those hams go through such
times without the support of fellow amateurs, whom they may have known
for decades?


Third, a repeater's owners have the right to shut down a repeater if
they don't like the way it is being used, or who is using it. But that
didn't happen. Are you one of the repeater's owners, or an authorized
control operator for it?

Fourth, almost all of the ham rigs I've seen have both a frequency
control and an on-off switch. Use them!


73 de Jim, N2EY