In the news today: Hand-held HAM radio operators rescue man who had fallen 40 feet

[Moleculo]

This was just reported in the news this morning. A couple of hams were hiking to look at a repeater on Catalina Island (off the coast of L.A.) and found a guy that had fallen. Interesting story:

Hand-held HAM radio operators rescue man who had fallen 40 feet on Catalina Island :: The Valley News

 

[mackmobile43]

That's a great story and I'm happy that old fellow made it out to safety but don't you think if more people were given access to the frequencies that those ham operators have that you would not hear more of these wonderful stories?

The fact that these guys hiking there were hams is only mere coincidence and that this could have just as easily been any one of us and the old guy might have stood less chance of rescue if a non-ham operator had found him due to the fact that he would have not had access to the frequencies that have the range required to have completed the rescue call..

Why was the man found injured doing there? was he a ham operator? the story gives no mention to his reason for being there, could have been anyone of us, see where I'm coming from?

I know this story is on this forum for the reason that we all have a passion for communications and I believe that the bandwidth should be shared more fairly without the need for electronics knowledge testing to prove one's worthiness for access to it.

 

[C W Morse]

It's already available----a 35 or 50 question test and VOILA! As to the testing? There IS good reason for IT, too. While not perfect, it is designed to create a more organized, more stable, and more useful radio service as well as being a hobby. Without that testing, it would become......well, just like CB. And if that's what people want, then that's fine, too: keep it ON CB. If you don't believe me, just listen to CB sometimes. "(whisper) I ain't got no panties on". Profanity that just makes decent people, if not blush, get suddenly quiet. A hodge-podge of noise (SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH, HOOOOOOOOOWLLLLLLLL, ROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!) MY GOSH, I can't STAND to listen to that sh-- for more than a couple of minutes!

Ever WONDER what causes that and not on the ham bands? Because you have a boo-koo of people who have no idea what they are doing running what amounts to an APPLIANCE on CB and they also think that BIG WATTS makes a "BIG" man. They have NOT a CLUE as to what makes the noise, and its due to.................well, one fellow gets tromped on and goes out and gets himself a spattering amp. HE tromps on another guy, so THAT guy goes and gets himSELF a "beeg" leenyar. Now TWO fellas tromp on the next guy, so HE goes out and gets HIMSELF a big amp!!!!!! They have NO idea what the hell they are doing, but he just "cut them lips off a 'mud duck", and that's what it takes to make up for physical, mental (??) shortcomings, and it just goes on and on and on................................. And nobody knows why, and some of us even LOVE the racket AND the culture that seems to "worship" an outlaw (so HE thinks) when it is the very actions of the people themselves that makes CB so useless (insofar as emergency communications are concerned).

If they just gave out "ham" licenses in crackerjack boxes, it would make it USELESS for the purpose of rescue, emergency comms, or public disaster relief. Many hams also take EMCOMM training available thru ARRL to facilitate their assistance to emergency officials and make it more compatable with the authorities. Its why CB (even REACT) doesn't get invited to participate in disaster relief except for some very minor things, and certainly not for traffic handling!!!!!! Can you just hear it NOW??????

"HOW 'BOUCHA THAR, Y'ALL GOT A COPY THAR ON THIS OOOOOOONE MOON DOGGIE IN CENTRAL N'AWTH C'LINA, WE TRYIN'!!!!! WE'UNS IS A STANDIN' BY FER THIS 'HY'AR EEEEE-MER---GEN-CEEE TRAFFIC THAR ON TH' CHANNEL' B'REK, B'REK (THAR)"!!!!:w00t:

Now, really, I AM exaggerating SOME, but before we get mad, let's repeat the reason they don't just open the flood gates: Organization, order, training. Only so many people can USE radios at a time. If you just open it up to indiscriminate use, you will get what happens on 11 Meters. CHAOS!
Anyone who WANTS organization, order, training AND thousands of bands and frequencies to use can surely take a simple test. Today I talked to a young ham who is now 8 years old (General). He took his Technician test at age 6 He was on 75 Meters using a Ten Tec rig. I found this young man to be organized, quite mature for his age, well able to handle his equipment, friendly and a good conversationalist; obviously, intelligent beyond the normal. Somebody TAUGHT him this, and I am happy to meet him on the air!!! If HE can do it, YOU can do it. And I don't want to hear the "uppity ham" and "elitist" junk, either: it just AIN'T SO!!!!!!!! The two radio services are TOTALLY different and it should remain that way!!!!

 

[mackmobile43]

Lets see, I warned many people yesterday of a head on crash on the highway in a blinding snow storm which was situated in a low portion of the highway and was not very well controlled by the ems's at the scene in my opinion (which were 100' either side of the crash) via the cb radio which may or may not have saved other lives and or injuries yet I did not make and head lines and I don't feel cheated for not being placed in the lime light.

 

[Moleculo]

I hear just about as much nonsense on various ham frequencies as I do on the CB frequencies. You can't assume that just because a license requires a test that the nonsense will be eliminated or reduced; that just isn't the case. I also hear a lot of helpful traffic information passed out on the CB on my commute in the L.A. Metro area. I hear a lot of nonsense, too.

I think it would be great if there were an even more basic license class that only asked basic questions about safety and rules and limited you to say 25 watts of power on VHF frequencies. I know...you're thinking "why not just use GMRS"? I believe that the "appliance operator" that just wants to be able to have occasional use while hiking, etc. needs access to repeaters. GMRS repeaters are few and far between.

Just some ideas.

 

[Hc714]

"I did not make and head lines and I don't feel cheated for not being placed in the lime light. "



Hey Mack I'll give you props. You did a good thing. Or should I say the right thing. If only everybody would do the right thing. Remember all your good deeds are counted weather anyone knows or not. But do be careful some may get the wrong idea about you.

 

[mackmobile43]

I hear just about as much nonsense on various ham frequencies as I do on the CB frequencies. You can't assume that just because a license requires a test that the nonsense will be eliminated or reduced; that just isn't the case. I also hear a lot of helpful traffic information passed out on the CB on my commute in the L.A. Metro area. I hear a lot of nonsense, too.

I think it would be great if there were an even more basic license class that only asked basic questions about safety and rules and limited you to say 25 watts of power on VHF frequencies. I know...you're thinking "why not just use GMRS"? I believe that the "appliance operator" that just wants to be able to have occasional use while hiking, etc. needs access to repeaters. GMRS repeaters are few and far between.

Just some ideas.

I was thinking more on the line of say 20 or 40 meters and screw the rest of the world who do not choose to use the same band plan as us that way there would be much more to use.

 

[Hc714]

"I found this young man to be organized, quite mature for his age, well able to handle his equipment, friendly and a good conversationalist; obviously, intelligent beyond the normal. Somebody TAUGHT him this, and I am happy to meet him on the air!!! If HE can do it, YOU can do it. "

C W Morse, did this young man take the time to put down others? Maybe even you could learn from him.....

 

[C W Morse]

"I found this young man to be organized, quite mature for his age, well able to handle his equipment, friendly and a good conversationalist; obviously, intelligent beyond the normal. Somebody TAUGHT him this, and I am happy to meet him on the air!!! If HE can do it, YOU can do it. "

C W Morse, did this young man take the time to put down others? Maybe even you could learn from him.....

And did I NOT TELL YOU I WAS EXAGGERATING IN ORDER TO MAKE A POINT? Some of us are WAAAAAAY too sensitive, cannot STAND ANY criticism whatsoever and quickly run to the windows (QUICK! The posse is coming!!!!!!!!!) to defend the slightest perceived put-down.

There are some in ham radio that don't exactly follow the rules (and they get nailed, too, sooner or later). But somebody asked (in effect) why we just couldn't forget about licensing, and just swing the doors open wide. It would create chaos, AND other countries who signed the same treaties that the US did would PROTEST when THEIR use of the bands were tromped on by a horde of non-technical, non-trained people whose main goal was (like CB) just to yak with no intent to improve the service by their presence nor to add to the technology. The point is, that, while CB does have many uses for LOCAL, short-ranged comms, it is limited as much as anything by the lack of organization and training. If amateur radio were like CB, it would become exactly the same way. I am afraid it has almost gotten that way in ham radio with the current of level of licensing and testing.:thumbdown: No one wants to learn anything anymore. We have become lazy, fat and do-less!!! It's why you see, for example, kids at the McDonalds that, when the power goes off, the cash register (computer) quits or malfunctions, they couldn't make change manually if their lives depended on it!!! Just look at you with a deer-in-the-headlights stare! Sad, really! It is something that has infected our whole society.

CWM

 

[mackmobile43]

And did I NOT TELL YOU I WAS EXAGGERATING IN ORDER TO MAKE A POINT? Some of us are WAAAAAAY too sensitive, cannot STAND ANY criticism whatsoever and quickly run to the windows (QUICK! The posse is coming!!!!!!!!!) to defend the slightest perceived put-down.

There are some in ham radio that don't exactly follow the rules (and they get nailed, too, sooner or later). But somebody asked (in effect) why we just couldn't forget about licensing, and just swing the doors open wide. It would create chaos, AND other countries who signed the same treaties that the US did would PROTEST when THEIR use of the bands were tromped on by a horde of non-technical, non-trained people whose main goal was (like CB) just to yak with no intent to improve the service by their presence nor to add to the technology. The point is, that, while CB does have many uses for LOCAL, short-ranged comms, it is limited as much as anything by the lack of organization and training. If amateur radio were like CB, it would become exactly the same way. I am afraid it has almost gotten that way in ham radio with the current of level of licensing and testing.:thumbdown: No one wants to learn anything anymore. We have become lazy, fat and do-less!!! It's why you see, for example, kids at the McDonalds that, when the power goes off, the cash register (computer) quits or malfunctions, they couldn't make change manually if their lives depended on it!!! Just look at you with a deer-in-the-headlights stare! Sad, really! It is something that has infected our whole society.

CWM

Common sense dictates that if the power goes off then neither the cash registers and or the griddles do but I'm sure you caught your error once you clicked on the submit post button.

 

[Moleculo]

If you just open it up to indiscriminate use, you will get what happens on 11 Meters. CHAOS!

Bullshit. That's what they said about voting, too. That's what the church said about reading in the middle ages. You can open it up some in a way that doesn't let people get hurt and teaches people the basic rules...just like getting a driver's license. Hell, it's even legal for an 8 year old to ride dirt bikes without a license in off-road areas. An 8 year old can operate a machine that can kill both him and others without a license, but not use a ham radio. I say there is a place for an entry level license with restricted operating privileges and power levels that is more basic and easier than what we have now. Who cares if all they want to do is talk to each other and they don't care about advancing the technologies of radio. Neither do 90 percent of the people on 75 meters.

The idea that chaos will ensue if we make it easier for people to get into ham radio is closed minded; it's an unhealthy fear of the unkown; it is elitist; it won't help promote ham radio. That idea has been proven throughout history to be just plain dead wrong every time it has been applied to *whatever* some people want control of over others.

 

[mackmobile43]

I can talk on hf freqs if I choose without a license but I don't and there are very few freqs I talk on in the 11 meter band that are out of band but I don't make a practice of it.

In an emergency I could not broadcast an SOS in the hf band to say lives for fear of prosecution.

A little bit of useful/stable bandwidth, is that too much to ask?

 

[Peddler]

The idea that chaos will ensue if we make it easier for people to get into ham radio is closed minded; it's an unhealthy fear of the unkown; it is elitist; it won't help promote ham radio. That idea has been proven throughout history to be just plain dead wrong every time it has been applied to *whatever* some people want control of over others.

Well said.

 

[C W Morse]

UMMMMMM..........you might have caught the part of the sentence where I said, "or malfunctions"..........which is any correction needed.
People CAN make change out of a cigar box if needed(Or they USED to) Today, they have to close the store. In those "old" days, they actually TAUGHT kids to make change in the schools! What a concept.
Learning.

CWM

 

[C W Morse]

Well said.

I would simply refer you back to CB. SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEE, HOOOOOOOOWLLLLLLLLL, ROOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR! All caused by the actions of the users. More POWAH, MO POWAH, BIGGER AMP, MO WATTS!

ALL someone has to do is take a little test. It ain't perfect, but it is to (hopefully) promote SAFETY (first), organization, on-air procecures that "mesh" with other users (Well, it didn't work with the amateur family that lost their lives putting up an antenna), and the ability to blend in with other services with efficient message-handling procedures when there is a disaster. Sure, it ain't perfect.

And how about the PRIDE in achievement when you take ANY test, easy or hard, to gain access to THOUSANDS of "them channels" as opposed to just going out to Joe's Truck CB Shop and buying AN APPLIANCE where the "learning" consists of hearsay and legend (you gotta have a 'certain' length of coax, you MUST have a BIG AMP to talk any distance, etc)? I'll take THAT anyday over..........................................

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH, HOOOOOOOWLLLLLL, ROOOOOOOORRRRRRRRR!
"I've got no panties on" (hurl, barf, erp!!!!!!!!!!!

CWM