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This is Just... Painful to Watch

Tube Era Tuner

New Member
Jul 30, 2022
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Had this video pop up in my YouTube feed. The kid has limitless enthusiasm, but zero knowledge, and seemingly no inclination to actually learn anything:
 

I highly disagree with your assumption. You obviously did not listen carefully to him talk. He clearly stated he tries to solder, he wants to do more research on sw radios, he is actually using and trying to learn about that radio. Soooo yes, he does have the desire to learn and progress.
Agreed.
He seems enthusiastic about learning, he says that it needs some work, and he needs to research it.
We all got to start somewhere.
I think he is headed in the right direction, at least he plugged it in and tried instead of pitching it in the recycle bin.
73
Jeff
 
I dunno... 18 minutes of randomly twisting dials and jabbering about how the radio needs to be restored because he can't find stations says something. Had he spent that same amount of time Googling "intro to shortwave" he might actually have a fundamental understanding of what he's doing, and maybe even be inspired to hook up a simple single wire antenna and actually find the stations he's looking for. Seems like he's more focused on talking about it than actually learning about it.
I watched the whole thing in the misplaced hope that he'd eventually say something; it was about as enjoyable and educational as watching a cocaine-crazed midget trying to kick start a Harley while not realizing that the fuel and ignition were both shut off.
Maybe I'm just a grouchy old farte who's forgotten about those halcyon days when my enthusiasm far outstripped my knowledge.
 
Maybe I'm just a grouchy old farte who's forgotten about those halcyon days when my enthusiasm far outstripped my knowledge.
Those were the days, my friend.
We thought they'd never end.
We'd sing and dance forever and a day.
We'd live the life we'd choose.
We'd fight and never lose.
For we were young and sure to have our way.

73
 
"you know what I'm sayin? And everything like that kinda thing. "
I had to shut that off after about 30 seconds. My ears were bleeding.
"That is for sure"
 
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Had this video pop up in my YouTube feed. The kid has limitless enthusiasm, but zero knowledge, and seemingly no inclination to actually learn anything:

When does he get to the part where he connects an antenna?

The first time that I hooked up an antenna to my fathers S-38 I had the power plug in backwards. A useful bit of information, the radio will work but the chassis will be hot if you don't have a polarized power plug for the S-38e.

Got the shock of my very young life that day.
 
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Lol
I AM a grouchy old fart, however having grandkids has tempered me a bit understanding the the rest of the world is not as sharp as I am.....

Did I say that?

This is what kids do now days, this is how they speak and express themselves.
They no longer go to the library and dig through the card index to find a book about shortwave radios and read written word sitting at a desk.
I am sure in his you tube feed comments someone has already told him that he needs an antenna hooked up.

Life will go on long after us " old grouchy people" pass on.

73
Jeff
 
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You know, I've been giving this a lot of thought, trying to figure out why I find this video so annoying. Yeah, he talks faster than a chihuahua on Adderall, peppers his speech with the same three phrases every 10 seconds, and spends 18 minutes saying essentially the same thing over and over. All of which are annoying enough.

But when I really thought about it, I realized that I have, well, expectations. I go to YouTube to learn stuff. To see things that are interesting or informative or maybe just entertaining. And this video is none of those things. It's essentially an exercise in narcissism. There's no attempt to do anything beyond a sort of "Hey, look at me". At the risk of being crude, it's essentially public masturbation. And maybe that's what kids do nowadays. Yeah, I did plenty of stupid things when I was younger, but at least I didn't immortalize it, or make it a public spectacle.

Final thought- I posted a nice, kindly-worded, respectful reply to his video, laying out the functions of the various switches and knobs, pointing out that a simple piece of wire could completely transform his radio's reception, posting a link to the original owner's manual (useful for both tuning and antenna attachment), and guiding him to spend an hour or two looking at YouTube videos that would help him to learn about his radio and help him achieve what he wants to get out of it.

He took it down, without comment.
 
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But take heart. In 40 years that young guy will be the old fart. Does make me wonder what sort of youthful defects he'll be griping about in 2062.

The mind boggles.

Now where did I put the link to the YT vid asking a millennial to make a call on a rotary pay phone? Probably with the link to the 1938 short flick "Direct dial comes to town".

73
 
But take heart. In 40 years that young guy will be the old fart. Does make me wonder what sort of youthful defects he'll be griping about in 2062.

The mind boggles.

Now where did I put the link to the YT vid asking a millennial to make a call on a rotary, pay phone? Probably with the link to the 1938 short flick "Direct dial comes to town".

73
Not all milenials strugle with rotary dial. I collected them and had one hooked up in my room when growing up, this milenial even uses an old sweep tube linear. Most new cb type equipment is junk compared to 70s stuff.

Maybe if these young people had been guided by wise elders instead of being babysat by tv video games and social media they would act more like the previous generations.
 
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Not all milenials strugle with rotary dial. I collected them and had one hooked up in my room when growing up, this milenial even uses an old sweep tube linear. Most new cb type equipment is junk compared to 70s stuff.

Maybe if these young people had been guided by wise elders instead of being babysat by tv video games and social media they would act more like the previous generations.
I'm thinking Auctioneer career.
 
I had to stop going to the local auctioners thrift store. Now the only "junk" I'm saving is pc-385 radios and fine tube equipment.
 

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