| Author |
Message |
    
852
Advanced Member
Username: 852
Post Number: 570
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - 10:41 am: | 
|
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/11/17/radio-days-are-back-ham-radio-licenses-at-all-time-high/?test=faces |
Starface
Senior Member
Username: Starface
Post Number: 3078
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 - 6:32 am: |
|
Glad to hear it! |
Tech858
Moderator
Username: Tech858
Post Number: 443
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 - 6:41 am: |
|
Not before time , radio really needs a load of publicity over here too but most likely won't get it no money in it for the government  , good one Fox News 
Tech858/Jim
MM0TXO
Wavin' a hand from Scotland
|
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 1496
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2011 - 8:58 am: |
|
It would be great, if it also had the same level of competency, that used to come with a Ham radio.
No offense to any here, but I know too many "hams" who cannot even replace a 5A fuse in their radios power lead, let alone add up two 10 ohm resistors in series.
Yes, the multiple guess exams, may have increased numbers, but at what cost?
Tech237
N7AUS
God made me an athiest, who are you to question his wisdom?
|
Funtimebob
Intermediate Member
Username: Funtimebob
Post Number: 327
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2011 - 10:04 am: |
|
Uh Oh I Smell another Code-No code and how CBer's debate (Insert here) brewing.....
Just remember
Portions of 75m were a cesspool along with certain famous frequencies on 20m (14.275 & 14.313 come to mind) long before they dropped the code.
True there are Hams that are "Appliance" operators that cannot even wire a microphone along with CB'ers that are more technically inclined.
This has been hashed out on the Ham boards so many times do we really need to bring it here?
73
Dyslexics of the world UNTIE!
No I'm not a Tech,I just know enough to be a nuisance.
|
Tech858
Moderator
Username: Tech858
Post Number: 451
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2011 - 11:56 am: |
|
Funtimebob
To answer your question , NO !!
Tech858/Jim
MM0TXO
Wavin' a hand from Scotland
|
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 2065
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, November 25, 2011 - 11:31 am: |
|
Simon isn't trying to create a "hate" debate. He's only pointing out that in the past, hams were only on the air because they could build their own gear (you couldn't buy a lot of ham gear at any store). As technology and demand for ham gear increased, it became easily obtainable.
As ham gear got cheaper, and better, fewer hams had, or wanted to build their own gear. That has spawned several generations of hams who have no idea how to build anything. There are decorated hams (DXCC, WAN, WAZ, etc.) on the air today have no idea how their gear works. It's a big difference from where ham radio started.
However, sometimes change is good. If ham radio still required that the gear be homebrewed, would it make hams learn how to homebrew gear, or would it cause people to not become hams? I believe the latter. Ham radio would be dead.
As for the CW debate, I'm a CW guy myself (just dabbling in AM now) but I don't gnash teeth over the loss of the CW requirement, it was a good thing. In fact, despite my CW-only ops, I was a very outspoken supporter of dropping the CW requirement in the U.S. I wrote for a national print publication at the time and did not mince words that the OF's were going to take ham radio to the grave with them if they did not support abolishing the CW element. For my outspokenness, my services were no longer requested by the magazine. Fact: Because I pushed for dropping the CW requirement (change) so much, and refused to back down, it cost me a job.
Times change, technology changes, and people change. If not for the "instant gratification" generation today, would we have computers that run THIS fast? And, if not, would we have DSP that allows us to pull out the really weak signals clearly? Probably not.
Simon is right. However, he's not saying it's necessarily a bad thing, just different. Heck, if not for the hams that cannot check or change a fuse, his radio business receipts would drop noticeably.
How come all my fuses test shorted?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Your radio 'Mythbuster' since 1998
|
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 1497
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, November 26, 2011 - 8:45 am: |
|
833 is right. I was not trying to start a "hate" debate, just that the increase numbers has come at a price. Change happens, and good or bad we live it with it.
Like 833 I lost a lucrative job writing for an Australian Amateur radio magazine when I spoke out against multi-answer exams, but went on to teach electronics to people that were interested enough to learn. Maybe I should start doing so again here in Oregon.
I will aplogize to anyone who took my comment badly, and offer to teach anyone interested in learning.
Tech237
N7AUS
God made me an athiest, who are you to question his wisdom?
|
|
