In article , Dave Heil
writes:

N2EY wrote:

In article , Dave Heil

writes:

N2EY wrote:


Len describes himself as "retired during regular hours" which I take to
mean
that he may still do some work on the side. He's 72 and still working
part
time, after a "career in radio electronics". Probably retired at 65, if
postings are any indication. Lives in a nice little house that he is
fortunate to own because he bought it 40+ years ago.

Dave is also retired, if my information is correct, after a career of
service
to our country. He's also much younger than Len. Lives in a nice house
that
is also a great location for ham radio.

It is also a nice location for peace and quiet, for hunting, for
astronomy and for being near a population of ordinary folks.

Of course. btw, is any of the info above that I wrote about you inaccurate
in
any way, Dave?

It looks accurate to me.

Glad to hear it.

Happens to be in WVA but could be anywhere.
Dave could probably live in SoCal if he so desired, but he doesn't.

Southern California would be far down my list of desireable places to
live. It does top Manhattan on my list. I had no desire to locate near
any large city.

Not the point! All I'm saying is that if you *did* want to be in SoCal, or
Manhattan, or even EPA, you'd be there. WVa is your choice, not something
forced on you.

I could have lived anywhere I chose. We even considered Finland for a
time.

Exactly!

From my place, I can see three homes, none closer than about 100 yards.

Beautiful. I've seen the pics on your website. The only downside to your
location that I can find is...no, wait, I haven't been able to find a
downside...

The downside is: If you want to go anywhere, its a fur piece down the
road.

That's a downside?

So I am wondering, looking at their relative retirements, why I should
be
interested in following Len's example rather than Dave's.

The more I think about it, the more I like Dave's example and the less I
like Len's. Judging by the results at retirement, anyway.

The results, aside from location, are pretty much the same. I am
"retired from regular hours" I've even been known to pay CASH for
things and could provide examples more recent than twenty years ago.

Me too. But that's not the point.

There's a one-paragraph profile around here somewhere....;-)

It is wonderfully crafted and it is what I had in mind when I reponded
to Len's question.

Perhaps it needs to be reposted to refresh some memories...

I'll bet it'll be resurrected shortly.

Meanwhile, readers may note that you talk of "homebrewing" and
"technical
subjects", but have nothing to show that isn't work-related except
perhaps
having purchased a ready-built receiver 20+ years ago. For "CASH"...

Tsk. Someone else having money gets you UPSET does it?

Not at all.

Len's hidden, puerile implication is that he has money and you don't.

Probably. But I'm not going to play the "my wallet's bigger than yours"
game Personal worth and net worth are not at all comparable.

I've known a few people who measure folks by their income or their home
or their car. I've never thought much of 'em.

There is *always* somebody with more money, or a bigger/nicer house/car/boat,
etc. Tying one's personal value to such material objects is a losing game.

Besides - suppose I *did* play that game - and won. Suppose my financial
situation turned out to be better than Len's. Would it make any difference
to any amateur radio policy issue, or Len's behavior?

While it wouldn't make a dent in an amateur radio policy matter, I'm
betting that it would make a difference in Len's behavior. It would
likely become worse.

I think you're right.

I didn't see any statement about someone else having money, Leonard.
We
have an indication that you had, at one time, enough surplus "CASH" to
purchase an Icom R-70.

Brings up another subject...

If I go out and buy an Orion or an IC-7800 "for CASH", will that somehow
change Len's behavior here?

I don't think that'd turn the trick, Jim. You'd have to be able to
prove to Len that you bought it for CASH.

Even if I bought one of each for CASH and could prove it - would it make
any difference?

See my response above.

I don't think so.

I do.

After seeing your reasoning, I've changed my mind. Yes, it would get worse.

A lot of noise has been made about "state of the art". I don't ever recall
describing any of my projects as being "state of the art". They're just
radio
projects I built to serve a need. And they do, without costing a lot of
money.

Mine have all been "state of need" or "state of desire".

Same here.

I think that really bothers ol' Len. In some ways I'm his worst nightmare,
because I disprove so many of his pronouncements. For example, he can go
off
about how hams are "appliance operators" - and then someone points out that
hams like me are still homebrewing entire stations.

Perhaps that's the real reason for his intense hatred of Morse Code. Its
popularity makes it possible for more of us homebrewing hams to exist. How
many
hams would homebrew if their first project had to be an SSB transceiver?

There wouldn't be nearly as many.

Which would push amateur radio further towards "all appliance operation".

A kluge is a kluge. A picture of one speaks for itself.

Len, you are a rude churl. If we had a photo of you, perhaps it could
speak for itself.

Dave, why do you say that about Len? He's not describing the Southgate
Type 7, because it doesn't fit his definition of a "kluge".

No, it doesn't fit his provided definition but that hasn't stopped him
from attempting to force-fit it to his definition.

Well, logic isn't his strong suit ;-)

He wasn't paying you a compliment.

Is there *any* project I could homebrew that he *would* compliment?

The odds against that happening are quite high.

Extremely high.

His definitions of amateur radio and the ARRL aren't
accurate either. He hasn't allowed that to stop him from painting a
false picture of either.

Yep.

What's most noteworthy is that while Len sits in judgement of what
others do,
he hasn't presented any homebrew radio projects of his own. You'd think
a
retired guy with a home shop and all his claimed experience, know-how
and
critical addy-tood would have built *something*.

C'mon. You'd think that a guy who has declared a several decades
interest in amateur radio would have obtained an amateur radio license.
He certainly could have done so in the years he has been posting here.
He could have done so in the years since his embarrassing "Extra right
out of the box" boast. Suddenly, he claims that I'm keeping him from
obtaining a license.

Well, in a twisted sort of way you are, Dave. Me too. Even Kim is part of
it
(look how her one little post about Morse Code *use* caught Len hook, line
and sinker)

I'll stand by my inertia theory. Len will never be a participant in
amateur radio.

Agreed.

By bothering to answer Len's frequent postings, and pointing out his
errors, we
keep Len occupied here. By commenting to the FCC, we keep him busy writing
comments and reply comments. And by using and enjoying Morse Code, we make
him
fussy as a wet hen.

You forget that Len has lots and lots of time. He'd still have plenty
to obtain a license...if he was ever going to do so.

Getting the license is just the first step. Then comes setting up a station,
including an antenna system. (Did I mention that my HF antennas are homebrew
too?)

The Type 7 photo - just one little low-res photo taken by an old Kodak
DC-40 -
has kept him tied up for some time. (He hasn't even found the other photos
of Southgate Radio projects that are out there on the web).

There's a couple of pictures of a receiver from 30+ years ago, and one of the
power supply for the Type 7 transmitter section. In operation.

And other stuff.

btw, some months ago I got a Canon A80 digital camera. New - for CASH...

You're just asking for a windy lecture on photography, aren't you?

Not really. I'm no great shakes as a shutterbug - W3RV has it all over me in
that department. I've seen his stuff. My words can't do it justice.

I've done various forms of photography since high school, including B&W
development and enlarging. The DC-40 was just to get the toes wet in digital;
the A80 is more serious. $250 on closeut sale at BJ's (and I paid CASH ;-))

But we see nothing at all from Len. Heck, he can't even solve a simple
heterodyne design problem.

I'm sure that he's seen your challenge as a DEMAND. Len doesn't do
DEMANDS.

I think it's more basic: He can't solve the problem.

It's a very basic problem. I solved it more than a dozen years ago.
Apparently it's too much for him.

He wants to be paid for solving it.

By whom? Not me - I've already solved it. Infact I found more than one
solution.

You've heard my homebrew rigs, Dave - did they sound any different from
"state of the art" rigs?

No, not at all. There was no drift, no chirp, no warble, no clicks.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Now that I think of it, some of the more expensive commercial rigs have
a reputation for key clicks. The Yaesu FT-1000 MP and variants come to
mind. Some of the expensive commercial rigs also transmit really ugly
phase noise components. They were designed by PROFESSIONALS.

You mean....the Type 7 actually sounds *better* than some high-priced,
"ready-built", "state-of-the-art" manufactured ham rigs?

Absolutely.

How can that be?

Attention to detail?

Attention to relevant details. Like how it sounds.

73 de Jim, N2EY