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#61
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In article ,
Dr. Artaud wrote: It's one of the bigger clubs in the country, yet the interest in construction and optics is nil. The facility is tremendous, and the interest in improving it is significant, yet the work is always done by a small group of dedicated individuals. Otherwise, open the box, unwrap, install batteries, enter the number, look. So? How good is the attendance at your local Robotics contests? Mark Zenier Washington State resident |
#62
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On Thu, 3 Mar 2005 21:58:45 -0500, "Jack Painter"
wrote: "Tebojockey" wrote /snip somewhat outmoded means of communication. Even for seafarers, GMDSS is taking over and code is used less and less. /snip Somewhat outmoded? Used less and less? Here's an update: Even at sea, where code died a slow death as far back as the 1960's (some hangers-on who liked it persisted through the 80's) there was no need for any radio operator to have memorized more than two letters of code after that point. Except for an outdated concept of licensing. That is also long gone from the maritime world, with no radio officer aboard any longer. Why? Simple economics. In concert with great advances in safety of life at sea, the need for either code or the radioman who knew it faded away completely a long time ago. I agree with you that anyone who experiments or legitimately repairs or modifies radio transmitting equipment should be licensed, and for the good reasons you explained. But the fact is that neither aircraft nor marine vessels in private or commercial or military use whose lives depend on communication, have any such requirements for the operators. It is in fact quite "plug-n-play" and this is the major reason the MF and HF bands are still in use at all. When that equipment is no longer competitive with modern satellite systems, we will see it disappear entirely from commercial use. By that time new technologies will have other uses for the spectrum, and its hard to imagine how far some of that will go. But it is no longer relevant to continue to drag old habits (CW) along, unless you are forming an "old habit we do for fun" club. If Amateur Radio allows itself to be relegated to that category, as the legal team proposing new BPL rules argued in open court last Fall (which they won by the way, in spite of heroic efforts by the ARRL and others), it has nobody to thank but itself. 73, Jack Painter Virginia Beach, Virginia Jack, Thanks for your input, but I beg to differ with you. A general radiotelephone operator's license IS required to perform *any* work on comms equipment for aircraft or marine use. Further, GMDSS repairer or operator is required for using or repairing that equipment, as is a second or first-class radiotelegraph license for most large vessels. Plug-n-play aside, these licenses are still required, and anyone not havig one and working on such equipment is liable for big trouble if found out. Military is a different matter, as they train and certify their own, but commercial and private aircraft and marine must still abide by the regs (that is, if they are US licensed or serviced in a US facility). Code is still very useful in an emergency if all other means fail. Indeed, this is why code became a part of ham radio. When it was being demonstrated to one federal regulator in the early days, the modulator section of the demonstrator's equipment failed and he switched to Morse. The federal official was so impressed, that it became a part of licensing regulations. Like it or not, we hams many times find ourselves in emergency situations where we have to relay or report message. How do you propose to do that if you have no spares and your modulator fails? I don't use code, but I can in an emergency. This gives me a nice comfort zone. Some people prefer to use it exclusively. But I suspect that it will always be a part of the license requirement. Surely if you possess the necessary skils for electronics, you can master 5 WPM code which is now all that is required. It's a rite of passage to join the club. Let us not forget that the license is a *privilege* and not a right, and can be revoked at whim by the FCC. It's something you have to earn, and the powers that be apparently feel that code is necessary, I suspect, for emergency purposes. Regards, Al ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
#63
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"Tebojockey" wrote "Jack Painter" wrote: "Tebojockey" wrote /snip somewhat outmoded means of communication. Even for seafarers, GMDSS is taking over and code is used less and less. /snip Somewhat outmoded? Used less and less? Here's an update: Even at sea, where code died a slow death as far back as the 1960's (some hangers-on who liked it persisted through the 80's) there was no need for any radio operator to have memorized more than two letters of code after that point. Except for an outdated concept of licensing. That is also long gone from the maritime world, with no radio officer aboard any longer. Why? Simple economics. In concert with great advances in safety of life at sea, the need for either code or the radioman who knew it faded away completely a long time ago. I agree with you that anyone who experiments or legitimately repairs or modifies radio transmitting equipment should be licensed, and for the good reasons you explained. But the fact is that neither aircraft nor marine vessels in private or commercial or military use whose lives depend on communication, have any such requirements for the operators. It is in fact quite "plug-n-play" and this is the major reason the MF and HF bands are still in use at all. When that equipment is no longer competitive with modern satellite systems, we will see it disappear entirely from commercial use. By that time new technologies will have other uses for the spectrum, and its hard to imagine how far some of that will go. But it is no longer relevant to continue to drag old habits (CW) along, unless you are forming an "old habit we do for fun" club. If Amateur Radio allows itself to be relegated to that category, as the legal team proposing new BPL rules argued in open court last Fall (which they won by the way, in spite of heroic efforts by the ARRL and others), it has nobody to thank but itself. 73, Jack Painter Virginia Beach, Virginia Jack, Thanks for your input, but I beg to differ with you. A general radiotelephone operator's license IS required to perform *any* work on comms equipment for aircraft or marine use. Further, GMDSS repairer or operator is required for using or repairing that equipment, as is a second or first-class radiotelegraph license for most large vessels. Plug-n-play aside, these licenses are still required, and anyone not havig one and working on such equipment is liable for big trouble if found out. Military is a different matter, as they train and certify their own, but commercial and private aircraft and marine must still abide by the regs (that is, if they are US licensed or serviced in a US facility). Code is still very useful in an emergency if all other means fail. Indeed, this is why code became a part of ham radio. When it was being demonstrated to one federal regulator in the early days, the modulator section of the demonstrator's equipment failed and he switched to Morse. The federal official was so impressed, that it became a part of licensing regulations. Like it or not, we hams many times find ourselves in emergency situations where we have to relay or report message. How do you propose to do that if you have no spares and your modulator fails? I don't use code, but I can in an emergency. This gives me a nice comfort zone. Some people prefer to use it exclusively. But I suspect that it will always be a part of the license requirement. Surely if you possess the necessary skils for electronics, you can master 5 WPM code which is now all that is required. It's a rite of passage to join the club. Let us not forget that the license is a *privilege* and not a right, and can be revoked at whim by the FCC. It's something you have to earn, and the powers that be apparently feel that code is necessary, I suspect, for emergency purposes. Regards, Al Hello Al, We aren't talking about the licenses required to repair radio transmitters, and I did agree with you in that respect. But those licenses are neither required onboard ship or aircraft nor is there a radio officer aboard who holds them. Except in the case of compulsory GMDSS where there has to be a GMDSS operator OR repairer on board - but he does NOT have to be the one operating the equipment. There is no code required to OPERATE commercial marine or aircraft radio transmitters, it is a station license not an individual license. For an individual who privately owns a vessel or aircraft, his restricted radio operators license is for life and applies to any mobile maritime station that he operates from. No code. Redundancy in all compulsory equipped vessels allows the necessary swapping or replacement of the active transmitters for the job. There is no repair capability aboard maritime mobile units. Vessels at sea were the last living reason for any existence of Morse code, and it became history a LONG time ago. That's it, it's the end of the era and should be relegated to the museum. There is no compelling reason for any unit to know it or use it ever again. Hams were required to know code for absolutely ridiculous reasons that had nothing to do with your nice but untrue anecdotal story, mate. The early federal regulators were all members of that "club" you refer to (originally part of the Department of War), and they imposed that requirement on the hobby to make it difficult for the public to access "their" airwaves. Airwaves which incidentally belong to the public and are NOT a PRIVILEGE granted by the government. The government only has limited powers to regulate areas which so strongly affect the whole public, that without licensing and oversight, could aversely affect the whole public's right to enjoyment of those (highways, airwaves, etc) mediums. I hate to burst the bubble of those who worked hard to learn code because they think ham radios will someday save the day for emergency communications, but not in the United States they won't. If any of you hams have been following what happened to the SHARES network in the last few years, you're almost out of the picture now. Every US Government agency now participates in SHARES, and amateur members are only allowed to have their net control make a single check-in. Except for SHARES, the nets that these agencies work in never permit amateurs. Reliable telephone systems, reliable cellular networks, reliable satellite systems, and finally, reliable HF-ALE nets operated exclusively by the government provide most of the communications capability that US emergency planners rely on. CW is not part of any of that network training or planning, nor was it ever for the last several decades. I'm sure you once worked hard to learn it, and some may still enjoy it. Fine, but let go of the thought that it could ever again play a useful role in emergency communications. It's an argument using old logic that simply does not apply to our present environment. Of course if all the lights really go out, you 20+ wpm hams will be able to have your own secret-code that nobody else will understand ;-) 73, Jack Painter Virginia Beach, Virginia |
#64
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"Tebojockey" wrote in message ... Jack, Thanks for your input, but I beg to differ with you. A general radiotelephone operator's license IS required to perform *any* work on comms equipment for aircraft or marine use. He wasn't talking about a repair tech, he stated "operator. When it was being demonstrated to one federal regulator in the early days, the modulator section of the demonstrator's equipment failed and he switched to Morse. The federal official was so impressed, that it became a part of licensing regulations. That's a new one. Just make that up? But I suspect that it will always be a part of the license requirement. No it won't, wait a few years. It's a rite of passage to join the club. Now it comes out. Hazing. I thought people got over that in college. |
#65
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On Sun, 6 Mar 2005 18:03:23 -0800, "CW" wrote:
"Tebojockey" wrote in message .. . Jack, Thanks for your input, but I beg to differ with you. A general radiotelephone operator's license IS required to perform *any* work on comms equipment for aircraft or marine use. He wasn't talking about a repair tech, he stated "operator. Operators may not evenchange "plug-and-play" equipment unless they are throwing a switch from main to standby. Read the rules, Sir. When it was being demonstrated to one federal regulator in the early days, the modulator section of the demonstrator's equipment failed and he switched to Morse. The federal official was so impressed, that it became a part of licensing regulations. That's a new one. Just make that up? No, try reading ARRL and ham history a bit, you'll find the scenario and stories. My imagination isn't that good. Maybe yours is. But I suspect that it will always be a part of the license requirement. No it won't, wait a few years. It's a rite of passage to join the club. Now it comes out. Hazing. I thought people got over that in college. We did, but our club, our rules. You want the license, you pass all the tests. Don't like it? CB is still there, but for how long, no one knows. Drive through, please. Al ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
#66
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On Sun, 6 Mar 2005 19:28:38 -0500, "Jack Painter"
wrote: "Tebojockey" wrote "Jack Painter" wrote: "Tebojockey" wrote /snip somewhat outmoded means of communication. Even for seafarers, GMDSS is taking over and code is used less and less. /snip Somewhat outmoded? Used less and less? Here's an update: Even at sea, where code died a slow death as far back as the 1960's (some hangers-on who liked it persisted through the 80's) there was no need for any radio operator to have memorized more than two letters of code after that point. Except for an outdated concept of licensing. That is also long gone from the maritime world, with no radio officer aboard any longer. Why? Simple economics. In concert with great advances in safety of life at sea, the need for either code or the radioman who knew it faded away completely a long time ago. I agree with you that anyone who experiments or legitimately repairs or modifies radio transmitting equipment should be licensed, and for the good reasons you explained. But the fact is that neither aircraft nor marine vessels in private or commercial or military use whose lives depend on communication, have any such requirements for the operators. It is in fact quite "plug-n-play" and this is the major reason the MF and HF bands are still in use at all. When that equipment is no longer competitive with modern satellite systems, we will see it disappear entirely from commercial use. By that time new technologies will have other uses for the spectrum, and its hard to imagine how far some of that will go. But it is no longer relevant to continue to drag old habits (CW) along, unless you are forming an "old habit we do for fun" club. If Amateur Radio allows itself to be relegated to that category, as the legal team proposing new BPL rules argued in open court last Fall (which they won by the way, in spite of heroic efforts by the ARRL and others), it has nobody to thank but itself. 73, Jack Painter Virginia Beach, Virginia Jack, Thanks for your input, but I beg to differ with you. A general radiotelephone operator's license IS required to perform *any* work on comms equipment for aircraft or marine use. Further, GMDSS repairer or operator is required for using or repairing that equipment, as is a second or first-class radiotelegraph license for most large vessels. Plug-n-play aside, these licenses are still required, and anyone not havig one and working on such equipment is liable for big trouble if found out. Military is a different matter, as they train and certify their own, but commercial and private aircraft and marine must still abide by the regs (that is, if they are US licensed or serviced in a US facility). Code is still very useful in an emergency if all other means fail. Indeed, this is why code became a part of ham radio. When it was being demonstrated to one federal regulator in the early days, the modulator section of the demonstrator's equipment failed and he switched to Morse. The federal official was so impressed, that it became a part of licensing regulations. Like it or not, we hams many times find ourselves in emergency situations where we have to relay or report message. How do you propose to do that if you have no spares and your modulator fails? I don't use code, but I can in an emergency. This gives me a nice comfort zone. Some people prefer to use it exclusively. But I suspect that it will always be a part of the license requirement. Surely if you possess the necessary skils for electronics, you can master 5 WPM code which is now all that is required. It's a rite of passage to join the club. Let us not forget that the license is a *privilege* and not a right, and can be revoked at whim by the FCC. It's something you have to earn, and the powers that be apparently feel that code is necessary, I suspect, for emergency purposes. Regards, Al Hello Al, We aren't talking about the licenses required to repair radio transmitters, and I did agree with you in that respect. But those licenses are neither required onboard ship or aircraft nor is there a radio officer aboard who holds them. Except in the case of compulsory GMDSS where there has to be a GMDSS operator OR repairer on board - but he does NOT have to be the one operating the equipment. There is no code required to OPERATE commercial marine or aircraft radio transmitters, it is a station license not an individual license. For an individual who privately owns a vessel or aircraft, his restricted radio operators license is for life and applies to any mobile maritime station that he operates from. No code. Redundancy in all compulsory equipped vessels allows the necessary swapping or replacement of the active transmitters for the job. There is no repair capability aboard maritime mobile units. Vessels at sea were the last living reason for any existence of Morse code, and it became history a LONG time ago. That's it, it's the end of the era and should be relegated to the museum. There is no compelling reason for any unit to know it or use it ever again. Hams were required to know code for absolutely ridiculous reasons that had nothing to do with your nice but untrue anecdotal story, mate. The early federal regulators were all members of that "club" you refer to (originally part of the Department of War), and they imposed that requirement on the hobby to make it difficult for the public to access "their" airwaves. Airwaves which incidentally belong to the public and are NOT a PRIVILEGE granted by the government. The government only has limited powers to regulate areas which so strongly affect the whole public, that without licensing and oversight, could aversely affect the whole public's right to enjoyment of those (highways, airwaves, etc) mediums. I hate to burst the bubble of those who worked hard to learn code because they think ham radios will someday save the day for emergency communications, but not in the United States they won't. If any of you hams have been following what happened to the SHARES network in the last few years, you're almost out of the picture now. Every US Government agency now participates in SHARES, and amateur members are only allowed to have their net control make a single check-in. Except for SHARES, the nets that these agencies work in never permit amateurs. Reliable telephone systems, reliable cellular networks, reliable satellite systems, and finally, reliable HF-ALE nets operated exclusively by the government provide most of the communications capability that US emergency planners rely on. CW is not part of any of that network training or planning, nor was it ever for the last several decades. I'm sure you once worked hard to learn it, and some may still enjoy it. Fine, but let go of the thought that it could ever again play a useful role in emergency communications. It's an argument using old logic that simply does not apply to our present environment. Of course if all the lights really go out, you 20+ wpm hams will be able to have your own secret-code that nobody else will understand ;-) 73, Jack Painter Virginia Beach, Virginia Hey Jack, I agree with you, but an operator may not even swap "plug-and-play" modules, unless s/he is just flipping a switch. They may disconnect and remove the radio and replace it, but they may not open it or perform any mods or adjustments. That is still the exclusive domain of the repairer, according to FCC rules. You might check some of the US Mariner organization web sites for more info about requirements for Radio Officers as well. They still need the second class radiotelegraph license to be on the ships which is still 20 WPM. As far as the code required to operate the stations, I agree with you about aircraft, however, see the above for maritime stations. A 2nd class radiotelegraph is still needed for the operator, despite the station itself being licensed, at least for US flagged vessels. There is still a very large proliferation of CW coast stations worldwide as well, so something is still going on, right? As far as my anecdotal story goes, that was what the ARRLs story was way back when, when I got my license. I believe that to be more palatable than your anectode at any rate. True or not, that's what was in the books and that's what we all believed. The War Dept. (now the Dept. of the Army) didn't cause cessation of ham radio until everything hit the fan in WWII. Hams were even regarded as national resources and helped win the war. Unfortunately, We the People gave Big Brother the rights to our airwaves many, many years ago. Now they are regulated by the government and just you try to do something saying they belong to the people. See what happens, LOL. The only time they belong to the people is when the government is prosecuting someone in the name of the people. It's easier to get convictions that way. LOL I know a lot of your own personal feelings are put into your posts, but unfortunately, what you believe, and what laws and rules actually exist, conflict in so many areas, Jack. Code is still required for a reason, whatever that may be, and while I agree it may not be necessary in the vast majority of cases, there will always be that one exception to the rule emergency-wise, that I believe completely justifies at least keeping the 5 WPM. 73s ASA Lives! Al ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
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