Attitude??

[jferg977]

Well, gosh.  I thought all this was about people like  me.

3 years ago I decided we wanted email on our boat while in the  islands.  
To me this meant HAM.  Getting the equipment, setting up the  boat, trying to
learn the stuff and the 5 wpm looked pretty daunting from the  outside.  
What if we spent the $2k ++ and it didn’t work, or I couldn’t  pass the test?
 

Enter Elecraft and the K2 – I read the QST  review.  So I started to study.
 After 6 months I was pretty sure I  could pass the written – but not the
code.  I bought HAM University for the  code and after a year took tech, gen,
and code on one day and  passed.

I bought the kits to build k2/100 and kat100 with the nb,  ssb, and kaf2.  
I built the noise blanker first because it had a torroid  and I’d been
assured that winding them was awful.  It went ok so I built  the rest of the
stuff and IT WORKED although there was some chimping with the  marine-vhf
microphone I’d modified to use with it.

The hardest  thing to resolve was how to do the antenna and rf grounding on
the boat.   If you haven’t looked, you wouldn’t believe the nonsense on
this subject that is  available on the web.  I picked the system that seemed
easiest and whose  recommendation was most literate (and funny) of the many I
found. I lucked  out.  It too worked.  Then I found out what a Pactor cost
and decided  to forget about the email.

A year later I took the Extra and  passed.  So now I’m one of those
ignorant Extras that seem to aggravate  some of you.  But then I spent my career as
an architect.  You know,  someone who knows next to nothing about a whole
lot of  things.

Remember, for some of us, this stuff is neither obvious nor  easy.  Please
be charitable.

BTW, I hope my on-the-air  clumsiness hasn’t set too many of you on your
heels.
 
John Ferguson  AI4TO (If you think i got it by memorizing, boy are you  
wrong. I can't remember the way home)  M/V  Arcadian





Joe Subich, W4TV  wrote:
Sieve,

> Browbeating the ignorant for their ignorance,  either as a class
> or as specific individuals does nothing to advance  ham radio,
> and a good deal to retard it.

This "attitude" is not  a matter of browbeating the ignorant for
their ignorance.  It may be  browbeating the self entitled for
their attitude of entitlement and their  unwillingness to make
any effort to improve their skills and  knowledge.  

There are too many amateurs who believe that they do  not need
to do anything for themselves ... that memorizing the answers  
to a few questions entitles them to demand that others do the
thinking  for them and answer every question, no matter how
basic or in  appropriate.  These same "entitled extras" seem
to feel it is up to  manufacturers to build equipment that
operates as these inexperienced  amateurs WANT it to operate
rather than the way experience nictitates things  work in the
real world.  

Rather than understand that a license  is a starting point,
an opportunity to start learning, the "entitled extras"  seem
to think a license entitles them to all the benefits, knowledge
and  experience of all those who have preceded them without any
effort on their  own part.  It is much like so many children in
high school and  university today ... they expect the teachers
and professors to "teach" them  but fail to understand that they
have a duty to listen and learn.  

73,

... Joe, W4TV


**************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy
steps!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221823232x1201398636/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=
May5909footerNO62)
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

[K8RDD]

That's OK Jeff. It's just a hobby. Some people take it way to
seriously, just like it was not a hobby. That's OK too. We can't all
be rocket scientists. I actually talk to people on ham radio about my
other hobbies. And about life in general. I think that helps us
understand people and cultures more. Who knows, maybe we will grow
enough to allow our love to grow more than our anger and our egos. Now
that would make ham radio worth something! My dad used to say before
he passed on that he walked uphill 10 miles to school every day, both
ways! Hard to believe.  Enjoy the hobby. That's all that it is.
Randy
K8RDD

On Sat, May 9, 2009 at 8:26 PM,  <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> Well, gosh.  I thought all this was about people like  me.
>
> 3 years ago I decided we wanted email on our boat while in the  islands.
> To me this meant HAM.  Getting the equipment, setting up the  boat, trying to
> learn the stuff and the 5 wpm looked pretty daunting from the  outside.
> What if we spent the $2k ++ and it didn’t work, or I couldn’t  pass the test?
>
>
> Enter Elecraft and the K2 – I read the QST  review.  So I started to study.
>  After 6 months I was pretty sure I  could pass the written – but not the
> code.  I bought HAM University for the  code and after a year took tech, gen,
> and code on one day and  passed.
>
> I bought the kits to build k2/100 and kat100 with the nb,  ssb, and kaf2.
> I built the noise blanker first because it had a torroid  and I’d been
> assured that winding them was awful.  It went ok so I built  the rest of the
> stuff and IT WORKED although there was some chimping with the  marine-vhf
> microphone I’d modified to use with it.
>
> The hardest  thing to resolve was how to do the antenna and rf grounding on
> the boat.   If you haven’t looked, you wouldn’t believe the nonsense on
> this subject that is  available on the web.  I picked the system that seemed
> easiest and whose  recommendation was most literate (and funny) of the many I
> found. I lucked  out.  It too worked.  Then I found out what a Pactor cost
> and decided  to forget about the email.
>
> A year later I took the Extra and  passed.  So now I’m one of those
> ignorant Extras that seem to aggravate  some of you.  But then I spent my career as
> an architect.  You know,  someone who knows next to nothing about a whole
> lot of  things.
>
> Remember, for some of us, this stuff is neither obvious nor  easy.  Please
> be charitable.
>
> BTW, I hope my on-the-air  clumsiness hasn’t set too many of you on your
> heels.
>
> John Ferguson  AI4TO (If you think i got it by memorizing, boy are you
> wrong. I can't remember the way home)  M/V  Arcadian
>
>
>
>
>
> Joe Subich, W4TV  wrote:
> Sieve,
>
>> Browbeating the ignorant for their ignorance,  either as a class
>> or as specific individuals does nothing to advance  ham radio,
>> and a good deal to retard it.
>
> This "attitude" is not  a matter of browbeating the ignorant for
> their ignorance.  It may be  browbeating the self entitled for
> their attitude of entitlement and their  unwillingness to make
> any effort to improve their skills and  knowledge.
>
> There are too many amateurs who believe that they do  not need
> to do anything for themselves ... that memorizing the answers
> to a few questions entitles them to demand that others do the
> thinking  for them and answer every question, no matter how
> basic or in  appropriate.  These same "entitled extras" seem
> to feel it is up to  manufacturers to build equipment that
> operates as these inexperienced  amateurs WANT it to operate
> rather than the way experience nictitates things  work in the
> real world.
>
> Rather than understand that a license  is a starting point,
> an opportunity to start learning, the "entitled extras"  seem
> to think a license entitles them to all the benefits, knowledge
> and  experience of all those who have preceded them without any
> effort on their  own part.  It is much like so many children in
> high school and  university today ... they expect the teachers
> and professors to "teach" them  but fail to understand that they
> have a duty to listen and learn.
>
> 73,
>
> ... Joe, W4TV
>
>
> **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy
> steps!
> (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221823232x1201398636/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=
> May5909footerNO62)
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

[Rick Braun]

Attitude shmattitude:  I wish propagation was better.  

Rick KE7VXP  
K3 SN 2869
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Randy Downs<mailto:[hidden email]>
  To: [hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]> ; [hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]>
  Sent: Saturday, May 09, 2009 5:50 PM
  Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Attitude??


  That's OK Jeff. It's just a hobby. Some people take it way to
  seriously, just like it was not a hobby. That's OK too. We can't all
  be rocket scientists. I actually talk to people on ham radio about my
  other hobbies. And about life in general. I think that helps us
  understand people and cultures more. Who knows, maybe we will grow
  enough to allow our love to grow more than our anger and our egos. Now
  that would make ham radio worth something! My dad used to say before
  he passed on that he walked uphill 10 miles to school every day, both
  ways! Hard to believe.  Enjoy the hobby. That's all that it is.
  Randy
  K8RDD

  On Sat, May 9, 2009 at 8:26 PM,  <[hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]>> wrote:
  >
  > Well, gosh. I thought all this was about people like me.
  >
  > 3 years ago I decided we wanted email on our boat while in the islands.
  > To me this meant HAM. Getting the equipment, setting up the boat, trying to
  > learn the stuff and the 5 wpm looked pretty daunting from the outside.
  > What if we spent the $2k ++ and it didn’t work, or I couldn’t pass the test?
  >
  >
  > Enter Elecraft and the K2 – I read the QST review. So I started to study.
  > After 6 months I was pretty sure I could pass the written – but not the
  > code. I bought HAM University for the code and after a year took tech, gen,
  > and code on one day and passed.
  >
  > I bought the kits to build k2/100 and kat100 with the nb, ssb, and kaf2.
  > I built the noise blanker first because it had a torroid and I’d been
  > assured that winding them was awful. It went ok so I built the rest of the
  > stuff and IT WORKED although there was some chimping with the marine-vhf
  > microphone I’d modified to use with it.
  >
  > The hardest thing to resolve was how to do the antenna and rf grounding on
  > the boat. If you haven’t looked, you wouldn’t believe the nonsense on
  > this subject that is available on the web. I picked the system that seemed
  > easiest and whose recommendation was most literate (and funny) of the many I
  > found. I lucked out. It too worked. Then I found out what a Pactor cost
  > and decided to forget about the email.
  >
  > A year later I took the Extra and passed. So now I’m one of those
  > ignorant Extras that seem to aggravate some of you. But then I spent my career as
  > an architect. You know, someone who knows next to nothing about a whole
  > lot of things.
  >
  > Remember, for some of us, this stuff is neither obvious nor easy. Please
  > be charitable.
  >
  > BTW, I hope my on-the-air clumsiness hasn’t set too many of you on your
  > heels.
  >
  > John Ferguson AI4TO (If you think i got it by memorizing, boy are you
  > wrong. I can't remember the way home) M/V Arcadian
  >
  >
  >
  >
  >
  > Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
  > Sieve,
  >
  >> Browbeating the ignorant for their ignorance, either as a class
  >> or as specific individuals does nothing to advance ham radio,
  >> and a good deal to retard it.
  >
  > This "attitude" is not a matter of browbeating the ignorant for
  > their ignorance. It may be browbeating the self entitled for
  > their attitude of entitlement and their unwillingness to make
  > any effort to improve their skills and knowledge.
  >
  > There are too many amateurs who believe that they do not need
  > to do anything for themselves ... that memorizing the answers
  > to a few questions entitles them to demand that others do the
  > thinking for them and answer every question, no matter how
  > basic or in appropriate. These same "entitled extras" seem
  > to feel it is up to manufacturers to build equipment that
  > operates as these inexperienced amateurs WANT it to operate
  > rather than the way experience nictitates things work in the
  > real world.
  >
  > Rather than understand that a license is a starting point,
  > an opportunity to start learning, the "entitled extras" seem
  > to think a license entitles them to all the benefits, knowledge
  > and experience of all those who have preceded them without any
  > effort on their own part. It is much like so many children in
  > high school and university today ... they expect the teachers
  > and professors to "teach" them but fail to understand that they
  > have a duty to listen and learn.
  >
  > 73,
  >
  > ... Joe, W4TV
  >
  >
  > **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy
  > steps!
  > (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221823232x1201398636/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd<http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221823232x1201398636/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd>=
  > May5909footerNO62)
  > ______________________________________________________________
  > Elecraft mailing list
  > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft>
  > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm<http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm>
  > Post: mailto:[hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]>
  >
  > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net<http://www.qsl.net/>
  > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html<http://www.qsl.net/donate.html>
  ______________________________________________________________
  Elecraft mailing list
  Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft>
  Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm<http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm>
  Post: mailto:[hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]>

  This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net<http://www.qsl.net/>
  Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html<http://www.qsl.net/donate.html>
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html