What is Ham Radio?

(Nothing whatsoever to do with Mrs.Nugatory and
her infantile obsessive habits, that's for sure!)

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;
they have not satisfied any technical qualification
and their licences prevent the use of
self-designed-and-built equipment.

These CB types engage in the competitive activities
with their Cheque-Book-purchased off-the-shelf radios
in a forlorn effort to prove that they are Radio Hams.

No _REAL_ Radio Hams are deceived by such people!

PM:

Most of that is fictional... lots of "could have", "should have", "would
have" which it suggests though...

Computer related hardware/software is where all of the engineers are
coming from today.

John

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 12:34:33 -0700, Polymath wrote:

What is Ham Radio?

(Nothing whatsoever to do with Mrs.Nugatory and
her infantile obsessive habits, that's for sure!)

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;
they have not satisfied any technical qualification
and their licences prevent the use of
self-designed-and-built equipment.

These CB types engage in the competitive activities
with their Cheque-Book-purchased off-the-shelf radios
in a forlorn effort to prove that they are Radio Hams.

No _REAL_ Radio Hams are deceived by such people!

If you feel that it is fictional, then it is almost
certain that you are one of the latter-day recruits
whose style is that of CB Radio, the very type that
I warn against.

Perhaps the horse has already bolted?

John Smith wrote:
PM:

Most of that is fictional... lots of "could have", "should have", "would
have" which it suggests though...

Computer related hardware/software is where all of the engineers are
coming from today.

John

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 12:34:33 -0700, Polymath wrote:

What is Ham Radio?

(Nothing whatsoever to do with Mrs.Nugatory and
her infantile obsessive habits, that's for sure!)

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;
they have not satisfied any technical qualification
and their licences prevent the use of
self-designed-and-built equipment.

These CB types engage in the competitive activities
with their Cheque-Book-purchased off-the-shelf radios
in a forlorn effort to prove that they are Radio Hams.

No _REAL_ Radio Hams are deceived by such people!

Polymath wrote:
If you feel that it is fictional, then it is almost
certain that you are one of the latter-day recruits
whose style is that of CB Radio, the very type that
I warn against.

It is fictional as is your charge



Perhaps the horse has already bolted?

Perhaps even "KB9RQZ" is a CB call sign?

an_old_friend wrote:
Polymath wrote:
If you feel that it is fictional, then it is almost
certain that you are one of the latter-day recruits
whose style is that of CB Radio, the very type that
I warn against.

It is fictional as is your charge



Perhaps the horse has already bolted?

Polymath wrote:
Perhaps even "KB9RQZ" is a CB call sign?

nope no call signs in CB, at least not in the US

you are just writing bafflegab to use an expression of one of MY fav
Birtish chacters, the Doctor, of course



an_old_friend wrote:
Polymath wrote:
If you feel that it is fictional, then it is almost
certain that you are one of the latter-day recruits
whose style is that of CB Radio, the very type that
I warn against.

It is fictional as is your charge



Perhaps the horse has already bolted?

PM:

No, new technology came, amateur radio was too slow to adapt, it began the
way of the dodo and has progressed along that course beginning in the late
60's leading right up to today, and continuing...

John

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 13:08:30 -0700, Polymath wrote:

If you feel that it is fictional, then it is almost
certain that you are one of the latter-day recruits
whose style is that of CB Radio, the very type that
I warn against.

Perhaps the horse has already bolted?

John Smith wrote:
PM:

Most of that is fictional... lots of "could have", "should have", "would
have" which it suggests though...

Computer related hardware/software is where all of the engineers are
coming from today.

John

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 12:34:33 -0700, Polymath wrote:

What is Ham Radio?

(Nothing whatsoever to do with Mrs.Nugatory and
her infantile obsessive habits, that's for sure!)

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;
they have not satisfied any technical qualification
and their licences prevent the use of
self-designed-and-built equipment.

These CB types engage in the competitive activities
with their Cheque-Book-purchased off-the-shelf radios
in a forlorn effort to prove that they are Radio Hams.

No _REAL_ Radio Hams are deceived by such people!

AOF:

Who? Doctor Who? :|

John

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 13:36:54 -0700, an_old_friend wrote:


Polymath wrote:
Perhaps even "KB9RQZ" is a CB call sign?

nope no call signs in CB, at least not in the US

you are just writing bafflegab to use an expression of one of MY fav
Birtish chacters, the Doctor, of course



an_old_friend wrote:
Polymath wrote:
If you feel that it is fictional, then it is almost
certain that you are one of the latter-day recruits
whose style is that of CB Radio, the very type that
I warn against.

It is fictional as is your charge



Perhaps the horse has already bolted?

PM:

Let me give a summary of the "real world."

If you were a child today, you would grow up with the computer.

In elementary school your first "pen pal" would be in a foreign country
and you would communicate with them via the internet. You would learn to
IM, IRC, EMAIL, MSN CHAT, YAHOO, WEB CAM, etc....

By high school you would be picking up a computer script and/or language
and at least have a basic knowledge of programming. Your first hardware
project would most likely be computer related.

Somewhere along this line, you bump into a ham or a few. You look at them
using their equipment, it is apparent the internet is superior. They lack
the ability to exchange pics, apps, music, videos, documents, etc. by
transmissions taking seconds or minutes. Then, they show you a CW key and
you are dumb struck, and leave. You return to the internet and current
technology, never to stray again... you begin a web site and consider
what position you would like in the computer field, when you grow up...

John

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 13:27:42 -0700, Polymath wrote:

Perhaps even "KB9RQZ" is a CB call sign?

an_old_friend wrote:
Polymath wrote:
If you feel that it is fictional, then it is almost
certain that you are one of the latter-day recruits
whose style is that of CB Radio, the very type that
I warn against.

It is fictional as is your charge



Perhaps the horse has already bolted?

"John Smith" wrote in message
news
PM:

Most of that is fictional... lots of "could have", "should have", "would
have" which it suggests though...

Computer related hardware/software is where all of the engineers are
coming from today.

John

I guess you never put together a crystal set or a 1-tube radio, or designed
your own VFO-controlled transmitter. I did, and from those days in 7th
grade, I knew what I was going to do the rest of my life. By sophomore year
in high school I learned to send and receive Morse Code at 15 WPM so I could
be sure to meet the 13WPM requirement for my Ham license. At 21, my
Engineering education was interrupted by the draft, and I joined the Navy to
become an Electronics Technician and service radar and communications
equipment for 4 years. Resuming my education, I became an Electrical
Engineer and worked in industry for the next 38 years, continuously learning
new things as they became current technology. I was never laid off or a
victim of "reduction in force" through that entire career - - because I was
a "natural" and kept my skills up to meet the needs of my employer. Ham
radio is an excellent start for anyone who has a curiosity and fascination
about electronics, be it represented by radio communications or computers or
industrial control technology.

I was inspired by Polymath's description of the good effects of ham radio on
its devotees. He should be congratulated on his explanation - - a very
readable and true to life presentation.

73, Chuck W6PKP