I disagree. it is very complimentary towards _REAL_ Radio
Hams. However, it if it is derogatory towards those
who are really no more than CBers-masquerading-as-Radio-Hams
(Possibly callsigns in the "N8" series fall into that category?)
then that is good.

Ham Radio is a technical pursuit for gentleman. Those who think
that they are Radio Hams but send their rigs back for repair are
"CBers-masquerading-as-Radio-Hams", no more, no less.

If you are one in that category, then I apologise that you were misled
into thinking that you are a Radio Ham by others who ought to
have known better. We have such others in Britland in the shape
of the RSCB, "The Radio Society for Citizens Band" an organisation
that provides premises for meetings of the British Citizens Band
Confederation.

"Dee Flint" wrote in message
. ..
I doubt he could get it past the moderators. It is derogatory towards
both hams and CB operators.

Dee, N8UZE

G.A.Evans G4SDW wrote:

Ham Radio is a technical pursuit for gentleman. Those who think
that they are Radio Hams but send their rigs back for repair are
"CBers-masquerading-as-Radio-Hams", no more, no less.

But with today's microprocessor, DSP and firmware laiden transceivers,
would repair be both possible and cost-effective once the radio amateur
has purchased a SMD rework station and expensive test gear, etc, that
would only be used for the one repair, etc?

"Leigh" wrote in message
...

But with today's microprocessor, DSP and firmware laiden transceivers,
would repair be both possible and cost-effective once the radio amateur
has purchased a SMD rework station and expensive test gear, etc, that
would only be used for the one repair, etc?

I've done surface mount repairs and /or modifications in the past without a
SMD rework station so it can be done. I find it a bit more difficult now due
to poor dexterity in my hand but, while I'd not take on a repair for someone
else (in case it goes pear shaped), I'd probably have a try on some thing of
my own- unless it was very high in value. I've picked up one of those
illuminated magnifying lenses and, with practice, you can solder SMD stuff
while looking through that. The key thing, assuming you want to replace a
component, is to get it off the PCB without damaging the pads. For a
multi-legged beast, you can snip the legs and remove them one at a time. A
bit of heat on the body of the package will help if there is any glue under
it. Ball grid arrays are more of a problem.

As regards the DSP side, if that goes bad the repair is probably more
hardware related (ie a bad component) so the firmware doesn't really come
into it. I've not checked, but some of the DSP radios may well use one of
the "off the shelf" DSP devices that you can get the development environment
for. If so, you could write your own code- assuming you Know what you are
doing.


--
73
Brian, G8OSN
www.g8osn.org.uk

Now your amateur licence is free, why not send at least £15 per year to
support the
Radio Communications Foundation or STELAR?

Expensive test gear?

Most useful is a magnifying glass to look for dry joints
I'd estimate that 90% of rigs given to me to repair
are resolved by optical examination followed by solder
re-flowing.

Soldering irons - to the bottom of one of your smaller bits,
attach a chocolate box connector (& remove the plastic
covering before it melts and fills the shack with toxic fumes!)

To the other half of the chocolate box connector, attach a
range of obscure "bits" of metal that you've fashioned to deal
with the various SMD shapes. Most Useful is an old Henley
"Solon" bit that has a slot filed in it to sit either side of an
SMD R or C.

"SMD rework station"??? Fashion from bits left over from
your Mecaano set - create an overarm with a spring loaded
plunger to bear down onto the component to prevent
tombstoning. Working end of plunger to be wooden, cocktail
stick or chopstick serves nicely. Sacrificial 'cos slowly
burns away. Only once had a problem with resins oozing
out from wood.

Come on, chaps, this is simple mechanical bodging, a trivial
matter for any self-respecting _REAL_ Radio Ham!
(Unless you fail to secure your PCB before rework,
it ain't "Rock It" Science :-) )

"Only used for the one repair"??? Is that a CBer talking? Surely
the essence of _REAL_ Ham Radio is that you're using this
type of equipment all the time? (Not true for a CBer-masquerading-
as-a-Radio-Ham, though!)

"today's microprocessor, DSP and firmware laiden transceivers"? All
_REAL_ Radio Hams thrive on how thing work and how to modify
them!

Indeed, if you're a _REAL_ Radio Ham, then your transceiver will
have been designed, constructed and modified by you, so the
" microprocessor, DSP and firmware" will be your design anyway and
therefore not a problem.

"laiden"????? ITYM "laden". I'd advise you not to seek a job in education
because of that!

"Leigh" wrote in message
...
G.A.Evans G4SDW wrote:

Ham Radio is a technical pursuit for gentleman. Those who think
that they are Radio Hams but send their rigs back for repair are
"CBers-masquerading-as-Radio-Hams", no more, no less.

But with today's microprocessor, DSP and firmware laiden transceivers,
would repair be both possible and cost-effective once the radio amateur
has purchased a SMD rework station and expensive test gear, etc, that
would only be used for the one repair, etc?

"Cheemag" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:12:08 -0400, "Dee Flint"
wrote:

I doubt he could get it past the moderators. It is derogatory towards
both
hams and CB operators.

And your description of CB-ers as "operators" is derogatory
towards amateur radio operators.

--

73, Jim, G4RGA

Only in your mind since you choose to view it that way. There are many fine
CB operators. However the service has been trashed by the noticeable few.
All must then suffer the insults engendered by the few.

Dee, N8UZE

"Walt Davidson" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:04:17 -0400, "Dee Flint"
wrote:

There are many fine
CB operators. However the service has been trashed by the noticeable few.
All must then suffer the insults engendered by the few.

Indeed they must.

So what is your complaint?

73 de G3NYY

--
Walt Davidson Email: g3nyy @despammed.com

I'll have to ask you to read the entire thread for yourself. I've no reason
or need to repeat everything. However my complaint was that the original
article was derogatory towards both hams and CB operators.

Dee, N8UZE

On 25 Mar, 02:11, "Dee Flint" wrote:
I'll have to ask you to read the entire thread for yourself. I've no reason
or need to repeat everything. However my complaint was that the original
article was derogatory towards both hams and CB operators.

It would be difficult to find anybody that _hasn't_ been the target of
G4SDW's paranoid hatemail.

I can best deal with the Childish Broadcast (CB) of
the rather silly and infantile child below by re-iterating one of
the threads of the past few days....

"On a daily basis, this NG is a forum seemingly
for escapees from the school playground, with
gratuitous and offensive personal remarks
originating from even those who have not
been part of a conversation and who could have
no reason, other than uncontrolled infantile
emotions, for interjecting as they do.

Is such public and international demonstrations really
the way forward; the way for PR for the future
of Ham Radio. I say, "No!".

I cannot see how something that is a technical pursuit
with traditions of gentlemanly behaviour could
possibly give way to the childish sneering that is
typical of this NG."

"AF6AY" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Mar 24, 6:30?am, "G.A.Evans G4SDW" wrote:
A necessary preface.....

(It is becoming increasingly difficult to fly the flag for
decency and for civilised behaviour in Radio Hammery.
However, there still exists the fundamental basis on
which Ham Radio is based, and that will never die.

This FAQ ("What Is _REAL_ Ham Radio?") will
be regularly published and will not be shouted or bullied
down. It is important that those of a technical bent, who
are the natural seed-corn of Radio Hammery and who
gravitate towards us to be the real novitiate, can
still find us, (and know that we are still here), their fellows.)

Evans, knock it off with this crossposting of pretentious
blabbering. Try confining it to uk.radio.amateur or maybe
rec.radio.amateur.misc. It doesn't belong in HOMEBREW
since it is nothing but YOUR OPINION...an opinion which
"we" have all heard for years with little variance in oratory.

If you are "serious" about this "FAQ" then go to the new
rec.radio.amateur.moderated and post. If you dare. :-(

AF6AY

On 25 Mar, 11:29, "G.A.Evans G4SDW" wrote:
Is such public and international demonstrations really
the way forward; the way for PR for the future
of Ham Radio. I say, "No!".

Here is G4SDW's idea of PR for the hobby: http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk.../10/91923.html

Putting this into its correct perspective, this came about
as the result of a malicious and perjurous complaint made
by Brian Reay, M3OSN, and it is at Brian Reay's door
(and now also the RSCB's door) that any complaints of
Bad PR must be laid.

Brian Reay subjected me and my close family members to
a campaign of harassment wherein he published repeated
racially-aggravated pornographic emails to these NG. He
maintained this campaign over a period exceeding two years.
How his sick-minded obsession was ever relevant to Ham
Radio and to these NG has never been established.

Having put up with this for an extended peiod, I then discovered
that not only was Brian Reay a schoolteacher, but he was publishing
his sick racially-aggravated pornographic emails whilst under
training at a Girls' School.

I did no more than to assert the right of reply in defence when I
asserted that no-one with such a sick-minded history of
international publishing should be a school teacher UNDER
ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

I hold to that view today.

Brian Reay's infantile response to having the tables turned on him
was to make a malicious and perjurous complaint to his fellow
w*nkmasons to allege that I was harassing him rather than the
oher way around which is obvious from the Google archive to
this day.

Mike Gathergood is well aware of these facts, but it must
be apparent to many of you from the way he hangs around
every posting of mine that he is also a sick-minded obsessive.
best ignored.

"Mike Gathergood, G4KFK" wrote in message
oups.com...
On 25 Mar, 11:29, "G.A.Evans G4SDW" wrote:
Is such public and international demonstrations really
the way forward; the way for PR for the future
of Ham Radio. I say, "No!".

Here is G4SDW's idea of PR for the hobby:
http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk.../10/91923.html