Purchasing gear off Facebook is pretty risky every time I read the various groups someone is complaining of being ripped off.
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Is it me or are CBers cheaper than hams?
- Thread starter Staybolt
- Start date
The stats on the ARRL site show a huge spike after dropping the code requirement, and frequently monitoring a few HAM and/or CB sites it's obvious that there has become a blurred line between HAM and CB. Not the sharp contrast that this thread indicates. In fact, I'm not sure of the point of this thread TBH, except to paint CBers as something less than that of their licensed counterparts.
The irony is this ... When I first got into radio 6 or 7 years ago, HAM operators where regarded as the innovators and experimenters. And yet these days, it's the CBers building antennas and experimenting with radio circuits while HAMs are buying dipoles and becoming appliance operators.
So maybe I missed the point or over simplified it, but I don't get it.
I am not sure that is 100% correct but to some extent it might be. Maybe its the lack of mass produced stuff that has forced the 11 meter op to home build. There are many more ham antenna mfg's out than 11 meter, quite the reversal than it was years ago, or maybe tits the lack of quality manufactures.
For myself I will always try to build it myself first and buy later.
As for this thread I agree.. what was the point again?
Before I invite any Cber over my house I require a background check, valid green card, and they must be fingerprinted.
Good One!Here in VT that's not necessary. There are other deterrents we use here. End result; "A large bag that zips up the front". 357, you know what I'm sayin'! *Don`t do it*
I'll tell ya, being the cheap bastardo that I am and after reading the horror stories of used equipment bought, not sure if I would ever pull the trigger on a used radio and such. it seems like the ratbags have figured out how cheap the radio community can be and they prey on those like vultures circling over roadkill. I always say, often times, "you get what you pay for". Just my .02.
I don't really agree with that simply because it was a longer time ago than that. The past 6 or 7 years has see na flood of ,basically what I would call unqualified operators, join the ranks. I call them unqualified because as technology has advanced the requirements to obtain a license to use that technology has declined. There was a time when hams were innovators and experimenters because they had to be in order to build a radio and get on the air. They had to have a genuine understanding of how things worked. Withe the dumbing down of the exam requirements complete with published question banks in combination with new golly-gee whizz-bang radios there became no real need to understand ghow things worked anymore. Just buy it,plug it in, and start QRMing the bands.This has been pretty much the trend the last 15 years or so but now that there are enough of such operators on the air they are becoming the trend rather than the exception.
these are simply the expressions of a nearly 51 year old electronics technician that has been licensed since 1989 and had to take an exam that was an actual exam...complete with written response, drawing of both functional diagrams and basic schematics and identify the function of components as well as answer 50 multiple choice questions that were made up and administered without the use of a published question pool.Oh.....and that for our entry level exam. The advanced exam meant even more questions. Yeah....back then we had to learn something to get a ticket and not just get lucky by matching 25 out of 35 answers (70%) to the questions for the entire exam.
I'm guessing that as CK said,hams don't have to build their radio equipment from scratch like hams of yesteryear have done. MFJ makes QRP kits that can be built.
Personally if I had the time I'd like to know how to build radio circuits and understand what all of the individual components do that contribute to the whole equation. Antennas included.
I just wish that the 11 meter band operators would follow the rules for the 11 meter band like it is on the amateur bands. I think that if the FCC would again require a license to operate and and sort sort of FCC police action,things might be a whole lot better than it is now. I think mankind has reached a deeper level of moral depravity lately than of years past meaning that I don't think the FCC can corral the 11 meter band back into some semblance of order ever since requirements for 11 meter licensing had been done away with.
They go after major offenders that interfere with police and emergency radio communications and retail radio outlets nowadays. That's why I go up on the ham bands to listen just to get away from the insanity on 11 meters.
Personally if I had the time I'd like to know how to build radio circuits and understand what all of the individual components do that contribute to the whole equation. Antennas included.
I just wish that the 11 meter band operators would follow the rules for the 11 meter band like it is on the amateur bands. I think that if the FCC would again require a license to operate and and sort sort of FCC police action,things might be a whole lot better than it is now. I think mankind has reached a deeper level of moral depravity lately than of years past meaning that I don't think the FCC can corral the 11 meter band back into some semblance of order ever since requirements for 11 meter licensing had been done away with.
They go after major offenders that interfere with police and emergency radio communications and retail radio outlets nowadays. That's why I go up on the ham bands to listen just to get away from the insanity on 11 meters.
CPI 2000 Base Am SSB CPI Mic BC 2000 Console WM1000 Meter Tuner RP1A Range Plus | eBay
I dunno, can't be too cheap to spend $1900 on a radio...
ARF 2001 Scanner Transceiver 1970's RARE Item | eBay
cheap is a personality trait, not a band.
I dunno, can't be too cheap to spend $1900 on a radio...
ARF 2001 Scanner Transceiver 1970's RARE Item | eBay
cheap is a personality trait, not a band.
Building a kit radio is no assurance that the person will be enlightened as to how a radio works; it will either prove they can solder correctly and read instructions - or not.
Tolerance for those who have not made electronics their career and requiring them to understand much in order to have access to the airwaves is really the question some Hams pose. A CBer merely slaps some wires together with an antenna and a radio without a license and can do it. A kid can get some walkie-talkies for his birthday and can do it too. Almost everybody uses a cell phone and by proxy are doing the same thing.
Yet we expect and demand that Hams be enlightened - or go home. While there is much in the middle that is being held back to make A reach B. Less Elmering and more criticism will never reach the desired end. That is a formula for frustration on both sides. Or, it can be treated as a hobby; as that is what it was meant to be.
People are either cheap or they have too much money and don't care.
Tolerance for those who have not made electronics their career and requiring them to understand much in order to have access to the airwaves is really the question some Hams pose. A CBer merely slaps some wires together with an antenna and a radio without a license and can do it. A kid can get some walkie-talkies for his birthday and can do it too. Almost everybody uses a cell phone and by proxy are doing the same thing.
Yet we expect and demand that Hams be enlightened - or go home. While there is much in the middle that is being held back to make A reach B. Less Elmering and more criticism will never reach the desired end. That is a formula for frustration on both sides. Or, it can be treated as a hobby; as that is what it was meant to be.
People are either cheap or they have too much money and don't care.
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