Pullin the Trigger on Tuesday

[packrat]

Well, lets just do away with ALL forms of training.... Who needs drivers ed, when you can afford a car, just go get one and start driving, who cares about rules of the road, and pilots school, hah, just take off, if ya crash, who cares. Society has gotten lazy and young people nowadays just want to do just whatever they want to do, to hell with rules, history or safety. CK , you got it exactly right. Appliance operators. But even an appliance operator should at least read the instructions. Myself, I like to know what is happening when I do ANYTHING. But that is just me I suppose. And I take great PRIDE in being able to do so many things MYSELF. I know, I am not politically correct, and I don't do too much to support the economy by buying everything new, but I do not care. So shoot me.LOL
And before anyone bitches, this doesn't apply only to ham radio!

 

[W1MSG]

I'm not saying do away with testing, I'm not saying make it easier, all I'm saying is make it more relevant to todays technology and equipment. Maybe put more emphasis on the rules, band plans, dos and donts. I am in fact learning a lot studying for the General and I actually had to dig up some algebra tutorials since it has been 30+ years since I even looked at algebra.

Hats off to those of you that build equipment, Nice looking stuff CK but as you stated everyone has their own interests in the hobby.

Anyway this post has taken on a different topic hehe :bdh:

 

[Hutch]

Well, lets just do away with ALL forms of training.... Who needs drivers ed, when you can afford a car, just go get one and start driving, who cares about rules of the road, and pilots school, hah, just take off, if ya crash, who cares. Society has gotten lazy and young people nowadays just want to do just whatever they want to do, to hell with rules, history or safety. CK , you got it exactly right. Appliance operators. But even an appliance operator should at least read the instructions. Myself, I like to know what is happening when I do ANYTHING. But that is just me I suppose. And I take great PRIDE in being able to do so many things MYSELF. I know, I am not politically correct, and I don't do too much to support the economy by buying everything new, but I do not care. So shoot me.LOL
And before anyone bitches, this doesn't apply only to ham radio!

Yes I think they should still teach you how to properly hook up the horses and that should be included on the drivers exam and how about the correct way to turn the crank on the front of your car?

I love how everyone likes to slag on the appliance operators, I'd rather bands full of appliance operators than the loud mouth, ignorant (both in manners and knowledge) jerks that seem to be plentiful on the bands, that usually are old time hams with this supposed wealth of technical knowledge.

Oh and by the way before someone thinks I'm an appliance operator I was a reliability/quality engineer and work in the automotive and radio indusrty (Ericsson/GE).

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Oh and by the way before someone thinks I'm an appliance operator I was a reliability/quality engineer and work in the automotive and radio indusrty (Ericsson/GE).

What's that got to do with being or not being an appliance operator? I know of electronic engineers that are appliance operators. Shameful really.The term "appliance operator" does not simply mean one who doesn't know anything about electronics it can also mean one who does nothing with that knowledge and prefers to operate a "shack-in-a-box" kind of station and does nothing other than buy every little thing including coax with the ends already installed because he can't get the job done with his 15 watt pencil iron.An appliance operator is also the person that sends his radio back to the dealer when the fuse blows. Electronic knowledge alone does not exempt one from being an appliance operator.

Anyway, this thread has taken a hard turn away from the original intent and we should get it back on track. Amateur radio has a long and very technical past that was enjoyed by the operators and that will not change for a while yet regardless of technologies. Sure you can buy anything that you want but traditions are going to last a while yet. Before you snicker at traditions think about some traditions that have held fast and true over the past couple hundred years involving the founding of your country. Should we just snicker and scoff at them because technology has changed the way we live? It's a free country and people can do what they want however those that want to do more should at least be encouraged to do so and not pushed aside simply because they want to carry on a tradition. I would be happy if there was a special license class for non-technical people that did not want to have anything to do with electronics at any level. Make it a low power (50 watts) ticket and restricted to maybe 6m and up. With some theory give them HF with 100-500 watts and more advanced theory allow them the legal limit and the right to build equipment.Gee that sounds like the way we do it up here as well as many other countries around the world. IOW you get what you earn and you only have to learn what you want to achieve.

:bdh:




Now, W1MED is HRO still on Broadway (?) in the little strip mall? I've been to that one many times passing thru N.H. I even ordered an antenna from them one time for my vehicle and hoped to get it before I left on vacation. They had to bring it in from another store and it would not arrive in time before I left so I asked if I could pick it up. The guy, Dave I believe, paused and then said "Well yeah I guess. I'll mark it for you but we don't get many 'Will pick up' orders for VE1's". :laugh:

 

[W1MSG]

Yup its still in the same place, there were three other guys waiting for it to open when I got there. I was in and out in about 15 minutes which is probably a good thing. It will take my wallet a couple of months to recover.

I have been patiently listening to the small section of the 10 meter band hoping to hear someone and make my first HF Contact. I also listen in on 20 meter and there seems to be lots of activety there. Thats making me study harder so I can possibly get my General in the next couple of weeks. I cant believe all the European stations I can hear on 20m, Ireland, England, Germany, Belgium, Croatia and the list goes on. Pretty amazing.