A necessary preface.....

(It is becoming increasingly difficult to fly the flag for
decency and for civilised behaviour in Radio Hammery.
However, there still exists the fundamental basis on
which Ham Radio is based, and that will never die.

This FAQ ("What Is _REAL_ Ham Radio?") will
be regularly published and will not be shouted or bullied
down. It is important that those of a technical bent, who
are the natural seed-corn of Radio Hammery and who
gravitate towards us to be the real novitiate, can
still find us, (and know that we are still here), their fellows.)

-----ooooo-----

So,.....What is _REAL_ Ham Radio?

_REAL_ Ham Radio is a technical pursuit for those who
are interested in the science of radio wave
propagation and who are also interested in the
way that their radios function. It has a long-standing
tradition of providing a source of engineers who
are born naturals.

Ham Radio awakens in its aficionados a whole-life
fascination with all things technical and gives
an all-abiding curiosity to improve one's scientific
knowledge. It's a great swimming pool, please dive in!

This excitement causes a wish to share the experience
with ones fellow man, and shows itself in the
gentlemanly traditions of Ham Radio.

Radio Hams are in a unique privileged position in that
they can construct and operate their own equipment! No-one
else has this privilege. Users, such as broadcasters,
the po lice and armed farces, CBers and mobile phone
users have to purchase ready-made gear. Manufacturers
are not licensed to operate their gear. Radio Hams
are qualified to design, build and then
operate their own pieces of equipment. They do this
with gusto, and also repair and modify their own
equipment. This is a privilege well worth the effort
to gain, and one to be jealously guarded.

The excitement that drives a Radio Ham starts with
relatively simple technologies at first, perhaps making
his own Wimshurst machine and primary cells. Small pieces
of test equipment follow, possibly multimeters and signal
generators. Then comes receivers and transmitters. It is with
the latter that communication with like-minded technically
motivated people takes off. The scope for technical
development grows with the years and now encompasses DSP
and DDS. There is also a great deal
of excitement in the areas of computer programming to
be learnt and applied.

The technical excitement motivates Radio Hams to compete
with each other to determine who has designed and manufactured
the best-quality station. This competitiveness is found in DXing,
competitions and fox-hunts.

-----OOOOO----

However, beware! A Ham Radio licence is such a
desirable thing to have that there are large
numbers of people who wish to be thought of
as Radio Hams when, in fact, they are nothing
of the kind! Usually such people are a
variation of the CB Radio hobbyist; they buy their
radios off the shelf and send them back to be
repaired; they are not interested in technical discussion
and sneer at those who are; they have no idea how
their radios work inside and have no wish to find out;
they are free with rather silly personal insults.


-----ooooo-----

One infallible way to disambiguate the CB Radio Hobbyist
from the _REAL_ Radio Ham is to solicit their view of the
difference between CB Radio and Ham Radio. A Radio Ham will
perceive Ham Radio to be a technical pursuit and will
perceive CB Radio to be a social communications facility
no different in essence to a land-line telephone or a
GSM mobile in the hands of a 6-year-old. Thus a Radio Ham
could also hold a CB licence safe in the knowledge that
such a licence says no more about him than having a land-line
telephone, whilst continuing to regard Ham Radio as a separate
technical pursuit.

A CB Radio hobbyist, on the other hand, sees no difference between
a Ham Radio licence and a CB Radio licence. To him, they are
sisters-under-the-skin. Wrongly, the CB Radio Hobbyist then
tries to classify himself as the equal of the Radio
Ham when, in fact, he is nothing of the kind.

Ham Radio is not CB Radio and has no common ground with it!
Ham Radio is _THE_ technical pursuit for gentlemen; CB Radio
is the name for the operating hobby for those who buy their
rigs and equipment off the shelf.

-----ooooo-----

If you are the sort of person who is motivated by
a technical interest in how things work; if you took apart
malfunctioning clocks, toasters and the like and put them
right despite never having seen them working, then
a Ham Radio licence is your traditional route! There has
never been a shortage of such people, and those who gravitate
towards such an interest have always been welcomed into
our shacks and their interests fostered. There is not today,
nor has there ever been, a need to go out and encourage
and press children, children who have never expressed an
interest in Ham Radio, to come into our shacks. Such an
activity should cause eyebrows to be raised - what
normal well-adjusted adults seek the social acquaintance
of children?!

-----ooooo-----

Please remember that this FAQ is a _POSITIVE EXHORTATION_
to you to exert yourselves to join our fraternity!

Unfortunately, NO ONE builds Wimhurst Machines as a prelude
to becoming a ham these days. Maybe 80 years ago, but times
change. So does technology. Times change, hobbies change.

It is CB that is the "hobby". Ham radio is a technical pursuit,
a whole-life pre-occupation.

Technology changes, but it is still the essence of Radio Hams to
remain interested in and be motivated by technology.

"Uncle Peter" wrote in message
...
Unfortunately, NO ONE builds Wimhurst Machines as a prelude
to becoming a ham these days. Maybe 80 years ago, but times
change. So does technology. Times change, hobbies change.

"Uncle Peter" wrote in message
...
Unfortunately, NO ONE builds Wimhurst Machines as a prelude
to becoming a ham these days. Maybe 80 years ago, but times
change. So does technology. Times change, hobbies change.

Well, maybe not a "prelude" but one of our local M3s (now an M0 one, of the
many that have moved through the system) built a Wimshurst Machine and some
other such beasts.

--
73
Brian, G8OSN
www.g8osn.org.uk

Brian Reay wrote:

one of our local M3s (now an M0 one, of the
many that have moved through the system)


Still waiting on the RSGB publishing those figures to prove that....
Anything else is just pure speculation and conjecture.


--
ARRL membership = $39 (~£20)
RSGB membership = £44

Don't let them rip you off any more.
Do the right thing, resign from the RSGB today.

The RSGB said Radio Amateurs were a threat to national security!
Is this the type of organisation you want to represent you?

On Mar 24, 6:30?am, "G.A.Evans G4SDW" wrote:
A necessary preface.....

(It is becoming increasingly difficult to fly the flag for
decency and for civilised behaviour in Radio Hammery.
However, there still exists the fundamental basis on
which Ham Radio is based, and that will never die.

This FAQ ("What Is _REAL_ Ham Radio?") will
be regularly published and will not be shouted or bullied
down. It is important that those of a technical bent, who
are the natural seed-corn of Radio Hammery and who
gravitate towards us to be the real novitiate, can
still find us, (and know that we are still here), their fellows.)

Evans, knock it off with this crossposting of pretentious
blabbering. Try confining it to uk.radio.amateur or maybe
rec.radio.amateur.misc. It doesn't belong in HOMEBREW
since it is nothing but YOUR OPINION...an opinion which
"we" have all heard for years with little variance in oratory.

If you are "serious" about this "FAQ" then go to the new
rec.radio.amateur.moderated and post. If you dare. :-(

AF6AY

"AF6AY" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Mar 24, 6:30?am, "G.A.Evans G4SDW" wrote:
A necessary preface.....

(It is becoming increasingly difficult to fly the flag for
decency and for civilised behaviour in Radio Hammery.
However, there still exists the fundamental basis on
which Ham Radio is based, and that will never die.

This FAQ ("What Is _REAL_ Ham Radio?") will
be regularly published and will not be shouted or bullied
down. It is important that those of a technical bent, who
are the natural seed-corn of Radio Hammery and who
gravitate towards us to be the real novitiate, can
still find us, (and know that we are still here), their fellows.)

Evans, knock it off with this crossposting of pretentious
blabbering. Try confining it to uk.radio.amateur or maybe
rec.radio.amateur.misc. It doesn't belong in HOMEBREW
since it is nothing but YOUR OPINION...an opinion which
"we" have all heard for years with little variance in oratory.

If you are "serious" about this "FAQ" then go to the new
rec.radio.amateur.moderated and post. If you dare. :-(

AF6AY



I doubt he could get it past the moderators. It is derogatory towards both
hams and CB operators.

Dee, N8UZE

know code wrote:

Still waiting on the RSGB publishing those figures to prove that....=20
Anything else is just pure speculation and conjecture.


tut tut tut..

dont you read the rsgb publications ?



"UK Foundation Ticket a Hit, RSGB President Says"
ref: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/06/13/2/

"Cheemag" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:12:08 -0400, "Dee Flint"
wrote:

I doubt he could get it past the moderators. It is derogatory towards
both
hams and CB operators.

And your description of CB-ers as "operators" is derogatory
towards amateur radio operators.

--

73, Jim, G4RGA

Only in your mind since you choose to view it that way. There are many fine
CB operators. However the service has been trashed by the noticeable few.
All must then suffer the insults engendered by the few.

Dee, N8UZE

On Mar 24, 11:12�am, "Dee Flint" wrote:
"AF6AY" wrote in message

oups.com...





On Mar 24, 6:30?am, "G.A.Evans G4SDW" wrote:
A necessary preface.....

(It is becoming increasingly difficult to fly the flag for
decency and for civilised behaviour in Radio Hammery.
However, there still exists the fundamental basis on
which Ham Radio is based, and that will never die.

This FAQ ("What Is _REAL_ Ham Radio?") will
be regularly published and will not be shouted or bullied
down. It is important that those of a technical bent, who
are the natural seed-corn of Radio Hammery and who
gravitate towards us to be the real novitiate, can
still find us, (and know that we are still here), their fellows.)

* Evans, knock it off with this crossposting of pretentious
* blabbering. *Try confining it to uk.radio.amateur or maybe
* rec.radio.amateur.misc. *It doesn't belong in HOMEBREW
* since it is nothing but YOUR OPINION...an opinion which
* "we" have all heard for years with little variance in oratory.

* If you are "serious" about this "FAQ" then go to the new
* rec.radio.amateur.moderated and post. *If you dare. *:-(

* AF6AY

I doubt he could get it past the moderators. *It is derogatory towards both
hams and CB operators.

I agree, Dee.

...but, it was worth a shot... :-)

Maybe we can see more of Evans on "The Laughing Policeman?"
:-)

73, Len AF6AY [also ]