New preppers should be aware that, besides Ham Radio being a great hobby and potentially life-saving in an emergency situation, they might come across an elitist mentality that does a great disservice to the Ham community. I am new to Ham Radio, though not new to radio or electronics. I will have my license soon enough, with Morse code. I am taking my time, it might be two months, it might be a year. I respect regulations. I've built my own radio from a pile of components and circuit boards. Yet, I have been refused access to a couple Yahoo groups because I was not a Ham yet. From reading many Ham forums, I also get the clear impression that some Hams feel like having passed a test most ten-year-olds can pass is something to feel special about. You know the type.. A-personality, middle-aged, out of shape, who craves attention and thinks a call sign pin, orange vest and walkie talkie will bring them status and better self-esteem. Unfortunately, these people are an active group in Ham events. I just hope they don't teach their values and attitude along with their radio knowledge.
This forum will not be like that. I will make sure of it. Everyone with a good attitude is welcome here, and we'll help you out.
Hopefully we will set-up a communications network for large-area disaster preparedness and information sharing. You won't need an orange vest or strobe lights on your car, and there will be no reporting to any three or four-letter-word organizations. You won't have to pay for classes to be able to help your community if you want to. It isn't that I don't think these organizations won't try to help in a disaster, but I have doubts. When it hits the fan, we have to think of our families and friends. I couldn't be a first responder and leave the people I love most to go help some strangers. My hat is off to those who can do that, but it isn't for me.
Have you guys seen the movie or read David Brin's novel "The Postman?" Kevin Costner plays the postman. He isn't really a postman, but in a post-apocalyptic America, he finds a postman's jacket and uses it to his advantage to gain access to communities along his way. He does however start to carry mail and his work ends up being pivotal in the rebuilding of the country. Good book by the way, and the movie is pretty well done. I think radio would fill that role after a nationwide disaster. That is why it is important that every prepper community has the means to communicate.
Take care,
Gil.
:) +1 for you Gil, well said. :)
For me, short and sweet, I agree with Gil.
I think I take offense.
While it's true that a lot of ham radio operators are elitists, to paint all of us with that broad of a brush is just ignorant, and deprives you of the opportunity to share from the considerable experience of people who have been there / done that on the air, multiple modes, multiple bands, wide range of operating conditions and environments, vast equipment knowledge, etc. that the non-snooty hams have to offer.
I'm the Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator in my ARES section and I can tell you that, at least in Ohio, ham elitism is very, very rare amongst the ARES crowd. Your mileage may vary elsewhere, but Ohio ARES hams are the leanest, sharpest, most cooperative, highest morale and "inclusive" (instead of exclusive) hams on the scene.
So check your status. I didn't feel like an elitist when I was escorting 450 cyclists on a 4-day, 340 mile charity ride for the American Cancer Society last July. I didn't feel like an elitist when I escorted over 2000 riders on a 2-day 150 mile ride for MS the week after that, or when I was standing by myself at an intersection from 12 - 4 in 90 degree heat and no shade for the Cleveland Marathon last Spring.
But I will look down my nose at someone who isn't involved and doesn't know what we do calling me an elitist. :)
Those that report to those "three or four-letter-word organizations" are usually highly trained, highly motivated, and are more than willing to pay the costs for classes to further their knowledge and sharpen their skills. You'll also notice that a lot of those that pay for these classes are not in upper incomes, but bear the costs required out of the love of service. Sorry, gil, but you came off just a tad bit "elitist" yourself in that post.
Hi, new to this group ! While getting familiar with Radiopreppers forums I quickly found "Elitism" a interesting subject. My immediate feelings on the subject is, you will get out of it what you put into it ! I've been a licensed Tech for 3 years. I memorized the answers to the tech questions and spewed them back out. My immediate interest in Ham Radio was for off road use in areas of the desert where there is no cell service. I bought a 2 meter rig for my XJ and thought that would be the end of what I wanted out of Ham Radio. But...I had been bit by the Ham Bug and wanted to know more ! Yes, I could memorize the answers for the General and pass that test, but I wanted a better understanding of how everything works. In the past couple of years, I have been learning by immersion. I'm very active in our local radio club, participate in every event I can manage, have served as a officer and board member of our local club...and learned lots about radio along the way. I work hands on helping at antenna parties, Field Day and other events. I've not run into any Elite Hams ! I've met dozens and dozens of Hams who have been kind and generous in sharing their knowledge. I do get "ritually" teased about "when" am I going to take the General test. Who knows !!!! Humorous thought, I was asked "Why" did I want to get a Ham License....curious as to how many of you have been asked that question !
Thanks for having this website available !
Best regards, Karen
Well, I am glad to hear that kind of behavior isn't common in ARES. I am not saying all Hams interested in emergency communications are elitists. The attitude does exist however, and it is one thing that makes me raise an eyebrow when I see it. As to the classes, couldn't they also be administered by volunteers?
Gil.
Gil, San Diego County, the Volunteer Examiners here often teach classes. In some instances the Tech class is offered as a one day course with a test at the end of it ! Stats show they have a 90-95% pass rate ! Not too sure how testing is done in other areas, but in San Diego, there is a test just about every weekend somewhere in the county !
There are Emergency Communication classes that are taught by volunteers in some areas. It depends on whether there are Hams in the area that are trained, have the time, and the resources to do so. As for the ARRL classes, they are set up through a university's online course system (at least they were when I was taking them). In the years following 9/11, when the classes got their start, there were a lot of more people interested in taking the classes than there were slots available.
Our local club has conducted three EmComm classes over the time that I have been involved. Each of the three classes began with a NOAA SkyWarn class, and would follow up 4 hours of class room instruction. In the years since 9/11 there has been a drop in interest in EmComm classes in our rural area, and it isn't feasible to do organized classes for just a couple of people. Instead we conduct training on the weekly ARES nets on our repeater. Twice a year we also conduct field exercises and/or drills that usually correspond to state wide or regional drills.
Now that I am getting older, and my parts no longer work as well as they once did, I leave most of the field work to the young guys, and mostly I work on the Net Control side. ;)
Hi. First post. Wouldn't have registered but for the Admins views expressed in the 'Welcome' and this thread. Sounds like you and I have similar backgrounds and views on amateur radio, and of some of the operators, Gil. One difference is I don't ever intend to get a FCC license, partly due to the topic being discussed in this thread. I'm sure the elitists are a minority of the HAMs, but they do tend to drown out the others sometimes.
Either way, I think there's a niche for the communication needs of the survivalist/prepper outside of the traditional HAM role. Hope to learn more about it here.
Quote from: gil on September 02, 2012, 01:57:45 AM
Well, I am glad to hear that kind of behavior isn't common in ARES. I am not saying all Hams interested in emergency communications are elitists. The attitude does exist however, and it is one thing that makes me raise an eyebrow when I see it. As to the classes, couldn't they also be administered by volunteers?
Gil.
Sure they could. Couldn't med school classes be administered by volunteers? Absolutely.
I'm a certified firearms safety instructor. I could run my classes for free if I wanted to, but I believe that people who have advanced training and skill in a particular area are well within the bounds of morality to expect reasonable compensation for their services. I don't think high school teachers should have to starve to pursue their life's work, either.
If I know something you don't, and I put in the effort to prepare a class and teach it to you, it's fair that I'm paid for that effort. It's also fair that you expect to pay for it.
Oh yes Scott, I agree. Emergency radio is not a profession though like being a doctor or a teacher.. It can be in some cases probably, but usually isn't. So, what is the motivation here? We have to be honest with ourselves when talking about serving a community. In many ways, of course, helping your community is beneficial to yourself and betters the world around you for everyone. I don't think however that people usually think that far. So, there are I believe two kinds of individuals that would be willing to pay to help others. Those who are smart enough to realize that they are creating a better environment for themselves and their families, or simply enjoy the hobby and want to do a little more while providing a service, but there is also the kind with an ego problem who crave recognition for their services (maybe not consciously). The later are the people I do not like. Not that they are prevalent, but they are around...
Gil.
EMTs serve their communities. So do cops and firefighters.
All of them still pay for their education.
I am new on this forum, and joined for many of the reasons stated by others. My primary interest was just what is being discussed here. I took my first HAM class around 1995. I still don't have a license, because of these kind of attitudes. Quite frankly every time my interest in radio leads in that direction I realize that I just can't handle the attitudes of alot of people. This elitism is by no means universal, but it is just as common as dirt. I respect the experience and knowledge of the old operators, and understand some of the attitude toward CB, but a dentist with a harley is not a real biker, and too many HAMs are just rich kids with expensive toys.
Since the thread title includes the words, "... and Further Thoughts", I'd like to pick up on Gil's statement, "Have you guys seen the movie or read David Brin's novel "The Postman?" Kevin Costner plays the postman. He isn't really a postman, but in a post-apocalyptic America, he finds a postman's jacket and uses it to his advantage to gain access to communities along his way. He does however start to carry mail and his work ends up being pivotal in the rebuilding of the country. Good book by the way, and the movie is pretty well done. I think radio would fill that role after a nationwide disaster. That is why it is important that every prepper community has the means to communicate."
I have little interest in discussing personality types in the ham community. I've been involved with it deep enough and long enough to have encountered the full range. People are people and it's rather pointless to do more than decide that you're just going to have to deal with it and work around it.
Getting back to the "Postman" line of thinking - this is something that has gone through my mind quite a bit over the years. If we consider the possibility of a no-holds-barred, total collapse, then there are a number of important services that simply will not exist unless point-to-point HF networks are formed to take on the task. The post office is one of those. There are several potential scenarios that would mean an end to any kind of message delivery service (email and the internet disappearing long before).
It is an interesting exercise to consider how ham radio might be used to provide a nation-wide message service. Another thought is a replacement for the National Weather Service - something that would have far greater need in a post-collapse society than it does today when most folks are working in an office. There are others as well, but those are the two that immediately come to mind.
Gil, may I suggest two discussion categories that could turn out to be highly valuable?
1) The Post Office - Discussion of how ham radio might be used as a replacement for services like the post office, weather service, and similar services following a collapse.
2) Digital Modes - While voice and CW are well suited to much of what hams to today, digital is be the only way to move the vast amounts of information through the airwaves that would be needed for serious use. Discussion of modes, equipment, as well as operations and procedures for a very robust and high-volume network.
For discussion purposes, I would also propose that we completely dismiss the current prohibition on accepting compensation for radio work. If things fall apart, you have a valuable skill and equipment that others will be willing to barter for. Consider it a post-collapse business opportunity.
Just a few thoughts to toss out for discussion.
Just lucky I guess, so far I've run into many more helpful Elmers than stuffy Elitists.
Passing the tests doesn't assure anything more than somebody passing their drivers test
meant they were then suddenly a competent safe driver. I passed all 3 in as many weeks,
but knew, too, that it's only in the experience of then doing it, and a lot, that'll count in the
real world. Same as any first-timers buying a weapon and reading a book all about proper
defensive shooting, range time and a lot of it is key essential, without which they are just
kidding themselves that they'll ever be even remotely competent when it really counts. So,
I rate practical experience a ton higher than tests passed and any license level achieved.
ConfederateColonel, I agree about the importance of building communication networks in case of a "Postman" situation. The difficulty would be to establish somewhat of a standard.. II like the basic Morse radiograms. CW is after all a data mode and the availability of computers and the required software might be rather "spotty." I think that foremost, Morse should be not only preserved but promoted as the major SHTF mode. You can use it with radio, lights, banging things, visual signals, the list is endless. There should be a thread started on the subject, and I will do so when I have a minute, but if you want to beat me up to it, please do! I have a lot to do as is...
Gil.
I paid for my ham courses at www.hamtestonline.com . I also sweated blood to get my "amateur extra" ticket. I worked hard and paid to get my paramedic license too. Sorry, but nothing worthwhile is free. If that makes me an elitist, so be it...
QuoteIf that makes me an elitist, so be it...
No it does not, that is not what I meant...
Gil.
ConfederateColonel mentioned digital modes. Kudos.
The problem is that there are literally dozens of them. Even the best trained ear will only be so effective at identifying what mode he's listening to so as to match it for two-way communication, and I've seen little real-world performance from software that claims to have "RXID" (to use Fldigi-speak) for correctly identifying incoming digital traffic.
In my section's ARES program, we actually have a policy on which digital modes to use for which conditions. On HF, our primary is MT63-500, with OLIVIA 16/500 as a backup (and if you've never seen OLIVIA's amazing tolerance for poor conditions in action, you're missing out. You can have an absolute absence of signal in the waterfall and still achieve 100% copy; it's ridiculously cool).
Anything FM is MT63-2000. Fast as all get-out.
We're also really pushing Fldigi / Flmsg / Flwrap for software, mostly for the multi-platform support (PC / Linux / Mac) and the wide adoption rate amongst hams.
In a SHTF / TEOTWAWKI situation, there's likely to be very little use for this stuff. But for regional / localized emergencies and disasters, one could easily see the benefit of having these operating capabilities on staff, well practiced, and ready to rock. I want to see you move H&WF traffic via sideband net at a tenth the efficiency, accuracy, and speed of a digital soundcard mode; I really do.
I just want to relate my experience as a NEW ham of two months now.
I googled local clubs, went to their meeting to register for a "Ham Cram" tech lic class offered by them.
Only to find they had suspended their classes.
However one of their Elmers noticed I was new and reached out to me pointed me in the right direction for getting to a class.
And continued to corraspond via email, I ended up taking all three test in a single go.
Now I have heard of old timers looking down on us non code licensee's however I have only experienced inclusion from my local guys.
I did feel a little on the outside of things but that was due to my lack of knowledge and nothing to do with anyone exhibiting elitist notions.
That being said local groups could and should have active programs and perhaps mentors for new folks.
This would surely incourage new hams and perhaps idea's to make ham clubs more fun and a little less dry.
I do feel there just arent enough beginner activities to help new hams get familiar enough to graduate up into say ARES, or RACE.
And I'm sorry but the idea of standing for hours out at some intersection for the occassional runner to go by and answering the net calls isnt going to motivate a lot of people.
How about a fox hunt? or some other activity something the kids might enjoy.
If we could do that you might begin to see the average age of a ham drop from the 60's to the 40's.
Now don't think I'm bashing the Elmers I think they are a great friendly bunch.
They are just accustomed to dealing with more mature and knowledgable folks and have an expectation you want to learn the techy stuff.
And for most of us in the hobby this is true, but to intise the younger crowd you must give them a way to get their feet wet in a fun way then sneak the techy stuff in.
Boy scouts are a good example, let them do a fox hunt, then sneak in the ultra secret morse code.
Before long you will have a bunch of young HF prowling smart young people keeping the hobby rejuvinated.
A little set in their ways yes, but elitist? I don't think so.
Something to consider - if there are those who are jerks ('elitist' is too good of a word to waste) then so what? Do not let their personal problems limit your own life. Those same jerks drive cars, but you don't turn in your driver's license because of it - if you did: THEY WIN! Besides, I can tell you that there are acutally very few of them. Most hams are at WORST neutral and many are just fun people, community minded and more than you might think are into 'preparedness' at a level which would surprise you, it's just that they do it quietly...
As for community service like working with the city and county emergency organizations, there is a lot of good in that.
1. Building your local community preparedness is probably the second most valuable 'survival' tool that you can have. Remember: villages were formed as a survival necessity, voluntarily pooled resourses, mutual defense and the ability to patrol and stand watch in shifts are a few reasons which come to mind. Lone survivors, rarely lasted long in the real history of the world - despite what the TV says portrays. ???
2. It's good community service, helping others when you are able. In my 5 county area, we are largely on our own, because the State politicians are going to take care of 'their cities' first. We know this from experience and as country people, that's fine with us.
3. It's great intel... when you are in the center of the communications hub, you are able to know many things which never hit the outside world. Use this wisely.
4. Training and experience. When I was a soldier, we all knew to 'Train as you will fight!" and it's the same with anything, including ham radio. If a ham has been 'talking' for years,but has never passed a message, it's going to be tough the first few dozen times. 'Just Talking' on the radio is fun, but not overly productive. //any 13 year girl with a cell phone does that...// Morse and Digital modes are ideal for passing TEXT messages. In an emergency people need a written copy of any message, you're going to be busy and people forget.
OK - enough pontificating from me (ha ha) for the moment.
In short - passing the written test is a very good first step and should be respected and celebrated! Have confidence in yourself and don't let the stray nay-sayers have an effect. They're not the ones actually DOING anything anyway. Look for the person who is active in many areas: shooting, hunting, sailing, hiking, food gardening, or mental pursuits like an historical knowledge outside of The History Channel (ha ha ) and brings ham radio WITH them. They are usually the ones who are worth their salt when things are difficult.
73 de Ray
W7ASA ..._ ._
Quote from: Chasrobin on September 05, 2012, 01:58:17 PM
Only to find they had suspended their classes.
Yep, that happens. Mostly from lack of interest.
Quote from: Chasrobin on September 05, 2012, 01:58:17 PM
Now I have heard of old timers looking down on us non code licensee's however I have only experienced inclusion from my local guys.
Yep, that happens too. They took way more exams and had way more stress to get their license than you did, so they feel like a non-code Extra is sort of an imposter. The fact is, though, that they'd have gone the same route you did if they could have. Also, and I'd say this is at least 90% of those CW elitists, next to none of them actually use code with any regularity. They're just really pleased with themselves that once upon a time, they had to.
I was an Advanced that had passed the 13 wpm General when the rules changed in 2000 reducing the code requirement to 5 wpm for Tech+ and above. Never did pass the old Element 1C 20wpm code; didn't have to. Who cares.
Quote from: Chasrobin on September 05, 2012, 01:58:17 PM
I did feel a little on the outside of things but that was due to my lack of knowledge and nothing to do with anyone exhibiting elitist notions.
That's going to happen. When you come stepping into a huge world where people have held proficiency well above expert for dozens of years, it's difficult to reconcile the gap between the absolute novice and those old guard operators. Just be as respectful as you can (hams LOVE that) and jump in; you'll find the patient mentoring types quickly enough. Most of those snobby old rich white guys with linear boat anchor amplifiers and 50' towers are too busy calling "CQ contest" from their basements while hiding from their fatass wives -- they're very unlikely to harass you on FM repeaters.
Quote from: Chasrobin on September 05, 2012, 01:58:17 PM
That being said local groups could and should have active programs and perhaps mentors for new folks.
This would surely incourage new hams and perhaps idea's to make ham clubs more fun and a little less dry.
I do feel there just arent enough beginner activities to help new hams get familiar enough to graduate up into say ARES, or RACE.
Sounds great on paper, doesn't it? The problem is lack of interest. There's a slow enough trickle of new hams coming in that to have programs like that on full-time stand-by would be an utter waste of time for the people running them. The problem is that when someone DOES need those programs, they're idle and new people don't get the warm welcome that would really help keep them active. I see both sides.
Quote from: Chasrobin on September 05, 2012, 01:58:17 PM
And I'm sorry but the idea of standing for hours out at some intersection for the occassional runner to go by and answering the net calls isnt going to motivate a lot of people.
I lol'ed. Partly because I've been that guy, but mostly because your perception of what we actually do is already royally fucked. :) That's cute though. I'll remember that the next time I'm scraping half of a charity cyclist's face off the pavement while the med squad I called comes to evac her. 26 JUL 2012, Pan Ohio Hope Ride. Or when I'm camping in a thunderstorm with tornadoes 20 miles to the south of me, sleeping in a tent listening to a SKYWARN net to figure out if I'm likely to die there or not. 4 AUG 2012, MS150 Pedal to the Point. You lose.
Your first few public service events, you can expect to not do much, because you're not worth much. Simple assignments like, "count cyclists through this intersection," help event coordinators track where the bulk of the field is on the course, but they aren't very glamorous. As soon as one of them hits a crack in the deck just right and takes out 9 of his father's friends and is losing consciousness on the pavement (had that happen RIGHT in front of me once, 14 year old kid. We had to close the street in both directions, which we did with a civilian efficiency that'd make any organized police force jealous), you'll appreciate your small gear in the larger machine much more.
Until you've had your seeds in the weeds, though, you have no idea what you're talking about. No offense, but you don't. You even said as much.
Quote from: Chasrobin on September 05, 2012, 01:58:17 PM
How about a fox hunt? or some other activity something the kids might enjoy.
If we could do that you might begin to see the average age of a ham drop from the 60's to the 40's.
...and here's the problem with that: the old guard operators have perfected those pursuits to the point to make them impossible for the non-expert to have even a shred of a fighting chance. They've got doppler direction finding gear that'd make you roll your eyes and realize how abruptly the fun had been taken out of it. Maybe if there was some way to organize those activities so that the geriatric smartass "ah ha! I'm better than you!" hams wouldn't have all of their rich white guy equipment advantages, then maybe it would work. I see your point, though -- need something to do that's not just strictly a technical pursuit and appeals to a wider audience. You work on that and let me know.
Quote from: Chasrobin on September 05, 2012, 01:58:17 PM
Now don't think I'm bashing the Elmers I think they are a great friendly bunch.
They are just accustomed to dealing with more mature and knowledgable folks and have an expectation you want to learn the techy stuff.
And for most of us in the hobby this is true, but to intise the younger crowd you must give them a way to get their feet wet in a fun way then sneak the techy stuff in.
Agree all.
Quote from: Chasrobin on September 05, 2012, 01:58:17 PM
Boy scouts are a good example, let them do a fox hunt, then sneak in the ultra secret morse code.
Before long you will have a bunch of young HF prowling smart young people keeping the hobby rejuvinated.
What's this? You've never heard of Jamboree on the Air (http://www.arrl.org/jamboree-on-the-air-jota)? Curious, it's kind of a big deal.
HAHAHA, wow you analyzed my post well.
And right on the money I don't know beans about how much of the volunteer service works.
I have only been a ham a couple of months now and have not had the oportunity to do much.
However I do work in a medical field and see first hand the benifit of the service, I had no intention to belittle it's importance
and apologize if anyone thought I had.
I simply wanted to point out that asking a new guy to stand on a corner for a few hours is not likely going to garner much excitement.
As important as it may be it's not very fun.
I have also experienced a few natural emergencies and spent more than my share of time in area's of the world where you had to wonder if you were going to see the next morning or your family again.
Which is why I am a ham today, so I think I understand a bit more than a totally new guy without these experiences.
I am actually trying to think of ways to intice my family and friends in fun and interesting ways to Prep without realizing they are.
This includes Amatuer Radio, camping, fishing, fire starting, making our own cheese, solar panels, wind genies, food preservation, dehydrating and fire arms training.
At least among my immediate family I know we will survive minor to moderate emergencies, still working on the scarier stuff.
As far as the EMCOMMS stuff.
I have done the following.
I have built a 1200W solar array with 2000ah battery, with an inverter.
tied in with a 4000W diesel geny, and a 1.2kw wind geny.
My place has been wired for DC and I run all low wattage LED lighting.
I have two 60ft towers setup with a north sourth alignment, currently still building this but will have a dipole and HF beam a 2m beam and an UHF beam, and a couple of verticals.
I am setting this up so that when crap hits the fan the local hams in my area will know they are not alone.
And since I already have a solar powered well that can produce over 2000g of drinkable water a day and plenty of land to setup tents
a safe place to gather.
Apologies in advance for resuscitating an old thread, but I just joined the site today and this one caught my eye. I agree that there is to some degree an elitist mentality among some hams, but proportionally, it's about the same as any other hobby I've been involved in. Model trains, shooting sports, Civil War reenacting or whatever - if you wander through any rose garden long enough, you're going to get a few pricks.
Ham radio elitists (in my experience) seem to fall into two groups. First is the "True Ham." These are guys who've been licensed for decades, want nothing to do with any modern technology and believe that unless you're operating CW on a tube rig with an antenna made from barbed wire and coat hangers, you're not a real ham. You'll often hear them complaining about the code requirement being dropped from the FCC license exams, people who use digital modes like D-STAR or WIRES, and things of that nature, which is the ham radio equivalent of "YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN!"
The second group is the "RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!" ham. These are the guys who live and breathe emergency communications. Contrary to what you may believe, most ARES and RACES people are NOT like this. The local ham club I belong to does some emcomm stuff, communication services for charity events, etc., and they're a great group of people, as are most groups like this. The ones I'm talking about are the guys with their fake uniforms and crackerjack badges and banks of blinky lights and repurposed junkyard ham-bulances with 175 antennas sticking out the top like giant steel pincushions and phony police-looking numbers on the sides. You know who these guys are, too - the ones who wanted to be cops or firefighters but couldn't make the cut.
Thankfully, both these groups are in the extreme minority. The vast majority of amateur radio operators you'll encounter are kind and friendly people, who are excited to see someone new in the hobby and more than happy to help you get started. Again, it's like any other group - don't let the loudmouthed minority of idiots color your perceptions of the group as a whole.
That's a pretty good analysis Ray.. Welcome aboard by the way :)
Another kind I've just met is the contester... They can't take the time to key up "sorry contest ongoing" they just ignore you... Not elitist per say but plain rude. They're like CW machines. I'm sure most are the nicest people, but when that contest is going, man, it's like some drivers behind the wheel... They're a different person. Not only that, last week-end, I couldn't do anything on 7030, which is the QRP calling frequency. Those guys act like they own the place. With my 14W max, I can't compete. Now I just try to avoid them, though it was interesting to shoot them my call sign and get a 599 (yeah, right..) just to see if I was getting through. Like an instant reverse beacon. Probably got them some points or something..
Gil.
Quote from: gil on September 25, 2012, 01:51:46 AM...shoot them my call sign and get a 599 (yeah, right..) just to see if I was getting through. Like an instant reverse beacon.
Gil.
Not a bad method imo. Few own field-strength meters & rotary-wing RC models to verify their own antenna's interaction with actual earth, surrounding structures, karma, etc. Not a contester here but sometimes such things have let me understand how a particular piece of wire is "playing" OUTSIDE some modelling software. Nice to know when you really need it.
Recognizing it's the clearest path to guv-endorsed practical learning, not getting licensed with the excuse that one might run into a jerk is like not getting a DL because you might run into a rude driver. Fine; walk then.
"Elmers" don't know everything. If someone has something you'd like to know about, willing to teach it AND you're willing to listen/learn/do, then that's an Elmer situation - anywhere else it'd be called mentoring.
If a person allows someone else's attitude to define their actions or goals then a person should probably reassess.
Study to regurgitate the test(s), accept that most learning comes afterward, throw some wire in the trees & get on the air. If one is prepping in the modern vernacular comms is just one tool & sometimes you bust a thumb while learning how to drive a straight nail.
;)
...unless you're operating CW on a tube rig with an antenna made from barbed wire and coat hangers, you're not a real ham...
Hmmmmm, have we MET??? ;)
ha ha ha ha ha
IT's funny the things that you said are really rather accurate. Seeing things that I've grown used to through other people's eyes is always enlightening for me. The thing is, these problem people remind me of when I used to drive to work past a cattle feed lot. I'd usually see one animal who was working SO HARD to be King of The Mountian, fighting for all it's worth to keep every other animal away from it's 'mountain top' . . . it was standing on a pile of the group's manure. That's how I see the uber 'look at me' guys. They fight and whine and pull people out of the way so that they can celebrate their pyric victory by standing on a pile of their own poop and it's clear that the more poop, the BIGGER THE VICTORY!!! Wow - what a maaaan! Sounds like a place I used to work...
The good people usually come to meet you after a trip or two around 'The Mountain', but they are are rarely seen by those on the top.
OTOH - as pointed-out, you find that everywhere and we see it in many forums, which is why I am pleased that Gil has a few small hurdles for people before they can post on this site. You're right though - the nay-sayers usually contribute little but malign much. That is the reverse of a successful life.
73 de Ray
W7ASA ..._ ._
Ps. Actually I HAVE used a tube GRC-109 CW transmitter/receiver set into a wire fence as an antenna... I save the coat hangers for 2 meters... ::) ;D :D
Quote from: RadioRay on September 25, 2012, 01:40:41 PM
Ps. Actually I HAVE used a tube GRC-109 CW transmitter/receiver set into a wire fence as an antenna... I save the coat hangers for 2 meters... ::) ;D :D
Now
that's funny, but I gotta ask... who cranks? ;D
(And I did correlate immediately your call with the patch on the front of your elegantly reworked KX-1. Nice touch sir.)
gil: keep on pluggin' with whatever power you have. My furthest contact (of any kind) was QRP CW by accident. I was gonna run a little THP amp at 1/2 power (20w) to not hurt the little Elecraft T1 tuner; but I forgot to turn it on. All 4.8w and a nice QSO into the Seychelles. It can happen, but it surely doesn't if you're not on the air listening.
TNH DE ASA
Aaaah! So you KNOW about that!
Fortunately we had few if any , LT's to turn the cranks, so power was usually from the BIG power supply and a vehicle battery. The big supply could use a 6 volt storage battery, but being a sneaky ham, I'd use a standard 12 volt vehicle battery, by clamping the black power lead the battery negative and removing a battery water fill cap about half way between negative and positive poles ont he battery, then insert a long screw driver between those battery plates and clamp the positive lead to that. Instant 6-7 volts DC with plenty of current to hum the vibrator into making high voltage for the tube set. The screw driver would bubble and fizz a bit and they were always etched pmt he bottow 4 to 6 inches when finished, but it was a reliable source of 6 volts for the vibrator power supply in a world of 12 volt car batteries!
I did have one Buddy who turned the hand cranks like a stallion, but he whined like a school girl :'( the entire time, so we were ALL happier when I had a vehicle battery near-by.
I was in love the first time that I saw an FT-817 decades later...
de Ray
W7ASA ..._ ._
//Good eye - yup! I was 'one of them'...//
Ps. We should pound some code back and forth some time. I'd be happy to be ground station while you're out with your rucksack & radio.