Reversing the dumbing down?
 

In Brit, in order to get any sort of licence, even the beginner's licence
targetted at the 5-year-old (and shame on any grown man who took one out!)
you have to go through an elementary construction exercise, which I believe
gets promptly forgotten.

I wonder if perhaps we in these NG could get together and design a set
of constructions that would then become a standard as a minimum set of
test equipment so that beginners, even if not taught about such things on
their
various syllabi, could verify the power, frquency of transmission, and
harmonic
output, for without such a capability, such licensees are indistinguishable
from CBers?

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

On Sat, 9 Jan 2016, gareth wrote:

In Brit, in order to get any sort of licence, even the beginner's licence
targetted at the 5-year-old (and shame on any grown man who took one out!)
you have to go through an elementary construction exercise, which I believe
gets promptly forgotten.

I wonder if perhaps we in these NG could get together and design a set
of constructions that would then become a standard as a minimum set of
test equipment so that beginners, even if not taught about such things on
their
various syllabi, could verify the power, frquency of transmission, and
harmonic
output, for without such a capability, such licensees are indistinguishable
from CBers?

You should come to Canada. In 1972 when I got my license, there was not
only the code sending and receiving tests, but a multiple choice test on
operating and technical matters, and we had to draw and describe various
items, like a receiver, a transmitter, a 100KHz frequency standard, etc.
You could use simple versions of each, but you had to be able to describe
the workings, and the guy giving the test knew the stuff.

The minute I got my license, I could run a full kilowatt, and operate on
all bands, the only thing missing was no phone operation.

Then they restructured in 1990, and the beginner's license is now a very
simple test (or so I hear), but you can't build transmitters. They sugar
coat it by saying "the licensee can build anything except transmitters"
but a simple CW transmitter is easier to build than a useful receiver.
You get more restrictions on operating, and I think power is limited. You
have to take the advanced test to get full privileges.

"Nobody builds anymore" was the cry, so why put a complicated test in the
way of people wanting to become hams. But once upon a time, building was
part of the process, now it's relegated to a "niche"

Michael

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

En el artículo ple.org
, Michael Black escribió:

But once upon a time, building was
part of the process, now it's relegated to a "niche"

It's called "progress", a concept that is wasted on some of the
dinosaurs in uk.radio.amateur hankering after the "good" old days.

In the "good" old days we had polio, smallpox, diptheria and sundry
other nasties which have been eradicated by modern technology. I
suppose these same dinosaurs wallowing in nostalgia lament their passing
and the decline of other delights, such as the workhouse and sending
children up chimneys.

--
(\_/)
(='.'=) Bunny says: Windows 10? Nein danke!
(")_(")

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

On 10/01/16 05:09, Michael Black wrote:
On Sat, 9 Jan 2016, gareth wrote:

In Brit, in order to get any sort of licence, even the beginner's licence
targetted at the 5-year-old (and shame on any grown man who took one
out!)
you have to go through an elementary construction exercise, which I
believe
gets promptly forgotten.

I wonder if perhaps we in these NG could get together and design a set
of constructions that would then become a standard as a minimum set of
test equipment so that beginners, even if not taught about such things on
their
various syllabi, could verify the power, frquency of transmission, and
harmonic
output, for without such a capability, such licensees are
indistinguishable
from CBers?

You should come to Canada. In 1972 when I got my license, there was not
only the code sending and receiving tests, but a multiple choice test on
operating and technical matters, and we had to draw and describe various
items, like a receiver, a transmitter, a 100KHz frequency standard, etc.
You could use simple versions of each, but you had to be able to
describe the workings, and the guy giving the test knew the stuff.

The minute I got my license, I could run a full kilowatt, and operate on
all bands, the only thing missing was no phone operation.

Then they restructured in 1990, and the beginner's license is now a very
simple test (or so I hear), but you can't build transmitters. They
sugar coat it by saying "the licensee can build anything except
transmitters" but a simple CW transmitter is easier to build than a
useful receiver. You get more restrictions on operating, and I think
power is limited. You have to take the advanced test to get full
privileges.

"Nobody builds anymore" was the cry, so why put a complicated test in
the way of people wanting to become hams. But once upon a time,
building was part of the process, now it's relegated to a "niche"

Michael

+1

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

En el artículo , Brian Reay
escribió:

I think that is a bit unfair.

Tongue wedged firmly in cheek :)

--
(\_/)
(='.'=) Bunny says: Windows 10? Nein danke!
(")_(")

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

Mike Tomlinson wrote:

En el artículo , Brian Reay
escribió:

I think that is a bit unfair.

Tongue wedged firmly in cheek :)

I am gratified to hear it. There are some of us who might think that
without at least some electronic design or construction effort amateur
radio was remarkably like philately. Though we would probably not admit
to that opinion in public.


--

Roger Hayter

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

"Roger Hayter" wrote in message
...
I am gratified to hear it. There are some of us who might think that
without at least some electronic design or construction effort amateur
radio was remarkably like philately.

It has the stamp of CB?

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

gareth wrote:

"Roger Hayter" wrote in message
...
I am gratified to hear it. There are some of us who might think that
without at least some electronic design or construction effort amateur
radio was remarkably like philately.

It has the stamp of CB?

Radio operating is a perfectly respectable hobby and has its own high
skills and practical knowledge base. I see no reason to criticise it or
its practitioners. It is just not overwhelmingly interesting to me. I
do not claim my interests to be the One True AR though. And I can't
see a great deal wrong with CB for that matter, it is just a very narrow
subset of operating.



--

Roger Hayter

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

"Mike Tomlinson" wrote in message
...
En el artículo , Brian Reay
escribió:

I think that is a bit unfair.

Tongue wedged firmly in cheek :)

bum cheeks ? ....

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

"Roger Hayter" wrote in message
...
Mike Tomlinson wrote:

En el artículo , Brian Reay
escribió:

I think that is a bit unfair.

Tongue wedged firmly in cheek :)

I am gratified to hear it. There are some of us who might think that
without at least some electronic design or construction effort amateur
radio was remarkably like philately. Though we would probably not admit
to that opinion in public.


Roger Hayter

....and especially if they have no CW skills

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

"Roger Hayter" wrote in message
...
gareth wrote:

"Roger Hayter" wrote in message
...
I am gratified to hear it. There are some of us who might think that
without at least some electronic design or construction effort amateur
radio was remarkably like philately.

It has the stamp of CB?

Radio operating is a perfectly respectable hobby and has its own high
skills and practical knowledge base. I see no reason to criticise it or
its practitioners. It is just not overwhelmingly interesting to me. I
do not claim my interests to be the One True AR though. And I can't
see a great deal wrong with CB for that matter, it is just a very narrow
subset of operating.

My FAQ below should help you to understand the essential difference
between the merely operator (CBer) and the _REAL_ Radio Amateur ...

-----ooooo-----



Q. What is Ham Radio?

A. Ham Radio is a technical pursuit for those who
are interested in the science of radio wave
propagation and who are also interested in the
way that their radios function. It has a long-standing
tradition of providing a source of engineers who
are born naturals.

Ham Radio awakens in its aficionados a whole-life
fascination with all things technical and gives
an all-abiding curiosity to improve one's scientific
knowledge. It's a great swimming pool, please dive in!

This excitement causes a wish to share the experience
with ones fellow man, and shows itself in the
gentlemanly traditions of Ham Radio.

Radio Hams are in a unique privileged position in that
they can construct and operate their own equipment! No-one
else has this privilege. Users, such as broadcasters,
the po lice and armed farces, CBers and mobile phone
users have to purchase ready-made gear. Manufacturers
are not licensed to operate their gear. Radio Hams
are qualified to design, build and then
operate their own pieces of equipment. They do this
with gusto, and also repair and modify their own
equipment. This is a privilege well worth the effort
to gain, and one to be jealously guarded.

The excitement that drives a Radio Ham starts with
relatively simple technologies at first, perhaps making
his own Wimshurst machine and primary cells. Small pieces
of test equipment follow, possibly multimeters and signal
generators. Then comes receivers and transmitters. It is with
the latter that communication with like-minded technically
motivated people takes off. The scope for technical
development grows with the years and now encompasses DSP
and DDS. There is also a great deal
of excitement in the areas of computer programming to
be learnt and applied.

The technical excitement motivates Radio Hams to compete
with each other to determine who has designed and manufactured
the best-quality station. This competitiveness is found in DXing,
competitions and fox-hunts.

-----ooooo----

However, beware! A Ham Radio licence is such a
desirable thing to have that there are large
numbers of people who wish to be thought of
as Radio Hams when, in fact, they are nothing
of the kind! Usually such people are a
variation of the CB Radio hobbyist; they buy their
radios off the shelf and send them back to be
repaired; they are not interested in technical discussion
and sneer at those who are; they have no idea how
their radios work inside and have no wish to find out;
they are free with rather silly personal insults.


-----ooooo-----

One infallible way to disambiguate the CB Radio Hobbyist
from the _REAL_ Radio Ham is to solicit their view of the
difference between CB Radio and Ham Radio. A Radio Ham will
perceive Ham Radio to be a technical pursuit and will
perceive CB Radio to be a social communications facility
no different in essence to a land-line telephone or a
GSM mobile in the hands of a 6-year-old. Thus a Radio Ham
could also use a CB set safe in the knowledge that
such use says no more about him than having a land-line
telephone, whilst continuing to regard Ham Radio as a separate
technical pursuit.

A CB Radio hobbyist, on the other hand, sees no difference between
Ham Radio and CB Radio. To him, they are
sisters-under-the-skin. Wrongly, the CB Radio Hobbyist then
tries to classify himself as the equal of the Radio
Ham when, in fact, he is nothing of the kind.

Ham Radio is not CB Radio and has no common ground with it!
Ham Radio is _THE_ technical pursuit for gentlemen; CB Radio
is the name for the operating hobby for those who buy their
rigs and equipment off the shelf.

-----ooooo-----

If you are the sort of person who is motivated by
a technical interest in how things work; if you took apart
malfunctioning clocks, toasters and the like and put them
right despite never having seen them working, then
a Ham Radio licence is your traditional route! There has
never been a shortage of such people, and those who gravitate
towards such an interest have always been welcomed into
our shacks and their interests fostered. There is not today,
nor has there ever been, a need to go out and encourage
and press children, children who have never expressed an
interest in Ham Radio, to come into our shacks. Such an
activity should cause eyebrows to be raised - what
normal well-adjusted adults seek the social acquaintance
of children?!

-----ooooo-----

Please remember that this FAQ is a _POSITIVE EXHORTATION_
to you to exert yourselves to join our fraternity!

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

Over a year ago I decided to leave uk.r.a because of all the childish,
mindless bickering and self righteous wind up comments and questions.
I've been back a week and have decided that this was probably 6 days too
long.

See you all again in another year or so, if you haven't all disappeared
up your own orifices by then.
--
Bill

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

In message , Bill
writes

Over a year ago I decided to leave uk.r.a because of all the childish,
mindless bickering and self righteous wind up comments and questions.

I'm beginning to suspect that no intelligent life-forms are actually
involved, and that it's all generated by computers.

I've been back a week and have decided that this was probably 6 days
too long.

See you all again in another year or so, if you haven't all disappeared
up your own orifices by then.

Well, we now have uk.r.a.m.
--
Ian

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

On 10/01/2016 16:17, Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , Bill
writes

Over a year ago I decided to leave uk.r.a because of all the
childish, mindless bickering and self righteous wind up comments and
questions.

I'm beginning to suspect that no intelligent life-forms are actually
involved, and that it's all generated by computers.

I've been back a week and have decided that this was probably 6 days
too long.

See you all again in another year or so, if you haven't all
disappeared up your own orifices by then.

Well, we now have uk.r.a.m.

...where you can talk about wall-wart USB supplies, meting plastics, and
how quiet UKRAM is.

Meanwhile, in one thread alone here there's been more AR technical stuff
than UKRAM has had since its inception.

But you got your Promised Land, thanks in part to a Mr M T Cole (who has
yet to show), so why don't you bugger off there and quit whingeing on here?


--
Spike

"They thought that because they had power, they had wisdom"

- with apologies to Stephen Vincent Benet

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

En el artículo , Roger Hayter
escribió:

I am gratified to hear it. There are some of us who might think that
without at least some electronic design or construction effort

I love home-building stuff when I get the time. Unfortunately, the
maxim that "one is busier in retirement than when one was employed, the
only difference being one no longer gets paid" is all too true.

amateur
radio was remarkably like philately. Though we would probably not admit
to that opinion in public.

Probably not. :)

--
(\_/)
(='.'=) Bunny says: Windows 10? Nein danke!
(")_(")

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

En el artículo , Bill
escribió:

See you all again in another year or so, if you haven't all disappeared
up your own orifices by then.

You may wish to try uk.radio.amateur.moderated, which was recently
created for people like you who don't wish to venture into the dinosaur-
infested cesspit that is uk.radio.amateur. Moderation ensures that
discussion is on-topic and no personal attacks are permitted.

It's low traffic at the moment only having been in existence for about
three weeks, but discussion up to now has been interesting and relevant.
Please feel free to join in.

--
(\_/)
(='.'=) Bunny says: Windows 10? Nein danke!
(")_(")

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

Spike wrote:

snip


But you got your Promised Land, thanks in part to a Mr M T Cole (who has
yet to show), so why don't you bugger off there and quit whingeing on here?

I wasn't aware that *I* was whinging; you, on the other hand ...

--

Roger Hayter

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

On 10/01/2016 22:07, Brian Reay wrote:
Spike wrote:
On 10/01/2016 16:17, Ian Jackson wrote:

Well, we now have uk.r.a.m.

..where you can talk about wall-wart USB supplies, meting plastics, and
how quiet UKRAM is.

Meanwhile, in one thread alone here there's been more AR technical stuff
than UKRAM has had since its inception.

But you got your Promised Land, thanks in part to a Mr M T Cole (who has
yet to show), so why don't you bugger off there and quit whingeing on here?

Because it is a free country and, contrary to your deeply held views, you
do not control this newsgroup or any other. Get over it.

False argument.

You have not been charged for this education in reality.

You are a source of endless amusement.


--
Spike

"They thought that because they had power, they had wisdom"

- with apologies to Stephen Vincent Benet

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

On 10/01/2016 22:59, Brian Reay wrote:
Spike wrote:
On 10/01/2016 22:07, Brian Reay wrote:
Spike wrote:
On 10/01/2016 16:17, Ian Jackson wrote:

Well, we now have uk.r.a.m.

..where you can talk about wall-wart USB supplies, meting plastics, and
how quiet UKRAM is.

Meanwhile, in one thread alone here there's been more AR technical stuff
than UKRAM has had since its inception.

But you got your Promised Land, thanks in part to a Mr M T Cole (who has
yet to show), so why don't you bugger off there and quit whingeing on here?

Because it is a free country and, contrary to your deeply held views, you
do not control this newsgroup or any other. Get over it.

False argument.

So you believe you control this group?

False argument compounding a false argument.

How long have you had this Napoleon complex?

Not as long as you?

Do you have a little Napoleon hat?

Nope. I don't have a Napoleon wig, either.

Perhaps you practice the 'look', the hand trucked in the coat.

I certainly don't practice 'the look' by rolling up my trouser leg and
wearing an apron.

That must look funny when you are shopping for your M&S meal deals ;-)

Having a bared breast would be far worse :-)))

Thanks for the continuing source of amusement!


--
Spike

"They thought that because they had power, they had wisdom"

- with apologies to Stephen Vincent Benet

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

Spike wrote:
On 10/01/2016 16:17, Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , Bill
writes

Over a year ago I decided to leave uk.r.a because of all the
childish, mindless bickering and self righteous wind up comments and
questions.

I'm beginning to suspect that no intelligent life-forms are actually
involved, and that it's all generated by computers.

I've been back a week and have decided that this was probably 6 days
too long.

See you all again in another year or so, if you haven't all
disappeared up your own orifices by then.

Well, we now have uk.r.a.m.

..where you can talk about wall-wart USB supplies, meting plastics, and how quiet UKRAM is.

Meanwhile, in one thread alone here there's been more AR technical stuff
than UKRAM has had since its inception.

But you got your Promised Land, thanks in part to a Mr M T Cole (who has
yet to show), so why don't you bugger off there and quit whingeing on here?


Gotten to.

--
STC // M0TEY // twitter.com/ukradioamateur

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

Roger Hayter wrote:
Spike wrote:

snip


But you got your Promised Land, thanks in part to a Mr M T Cole (who has
yet to show), so why don't you bugger off there and quit whingeing on here?

I wasn't aware that *I* was whinging; you, on the other hand ...

Spuke's been in an absolutely morbid funk for nearly a month now. Who would
have thought that the simple creation of a moderated group would cause him
to lose this much dignity?

--
STC // M0TEY // twitter.com/ukradioamateur

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

"Stephen Thomas Cole" wrote in message
...
Roger Hayter wrote:
Spike wrote:

snip


But you got your Promised Land, thanks in part to a Mr M T Cole (who has
yet to show), so why don't you bugger off there and quit whingeing on
here?

I wasn't aware that *I* was whinging; you, on the other hand ...

Spuke's been in an absolutely morbid funk for nearly a month now. Who
would
have thought that the simple creation of a moderated group would cause him
to lose this much dignity?

morbid radio?...what is that? .....

Reversing the dumbing down?
 

On 10/01/2016 10:51, Mike Tomlinson wrote:
suppose these same dinosaurs wallowing in nostalgia lament their passing
and the decline of other delights, such as the workhouse and sending
children up chimneys.

naw that was brian .....

--
Cheat your way through life, join the Freemasons
DIGITAL just doesn't work properly most of the time
Hammy Mens are not Radio Amateurs