Len,

Steve's point regarding older equipment does have considerable merit -
modern equipment was not designed to be tinkered with or repaired by
anyone without very complex equipment at their disposal. The tube era
(and transistorised solid state) equipment could easily be adapted and
experimented with by a reasonably skilled operator. In fact, I recall
that the initial intent of ham radio was to encourage people to
develop technical expertise in the radio art (I asked one ham to
switch his Icom rig to USB on 40 meters, so that I could check whether
I my audio roblem was limited to LSB - after around 5 minutes, he
confessed that he could not figure out how to do it! - so much for
technical skills...) As such, I don't see how this goal is being
accomplished by the current generation of 'set the dial and talk'
equipment. As such, I'd suggest that your observations regarding
Steve's position on current equipment is flawed. I certainly don't
care if the radio glows in the dark - but it would be refreshing to
meet more people who can apply basic radio theory to a simple QSO!

Steve, you are absolutely correct - idiots are idiots, on or off the
air. Or the internet, apparently.

Phil


snip

Well, Phil...idiots are idiots, on or off the air.

Amy and I just moved to new digs and I'm QRT for the moment or
I'd set a sked with you. That older gear has a warmth and fullness
that this solid waste (I meant solid STATE) stuff can't match...at
least not yet.

Ah, progress?

I thought pSycho pSteve finally reached the 1970s level of the amateur
radio technical art...

No, he has aligned himself with the Anti-Semiconductor Movement.

"Real radios glow in the dark" and that sort of thing. "Warmth."

Or is he just technically constipated, therefore thinking about waste?

LHA