Wednesday 17 August 2011

Crystal ball gazing….




I cannot help, but wonder where our great hobby is heading. I have witnessed numerous discussions of late and realized the lack of technical knowledge that seemingly exits in our ranks. There was a time when all amateurs had to be technically competent, but unfortunately I think these standards have been eroded.

In a desperate attempt to bolster the amateur numbers we have lowered the technical standards and removed additional criteria’s such as the code proficiency requirement. These measures most likely have had a beneficial effect as far as the numbers go, but at what expense?

I know we cannot live in the past and we need to move with the times. And there have been many very exciting new developments in our hobby and I don’t want to understate this, but at the very core of Amateur Radio is communication via radio. We need to understand radios, modes of communication, antennas and propagation. If we don’t understand these basics we are lost.

I find it quite disturbing that there are a few amongst us that don’t even seem to be a desire to learn the basics.

Some might think that I am being conceited; I can assure you it is not the case. It certainly would be nice if we could get back to a standard where we are once again proud to say: “I am a Radio Amateur”


1 comment:

  1. It's not a new thing I believe. I never managed the Morse, for some reason it just wouldn't stick with me, but I'd put my technical knowledge up against almost any amateur I know.
    The thing which distressed me when I originally entered the hobby still does, there seems to be no joy in exercising the hard learned proficiencies. People buy G5RV antennas, and there's an awful lot of G4/G0/..... amongst them.
    I don't expect everyone to be able to knock up a quick AM/CW transmitter, or to build an ATU out of beetles, blu-tac and sticks, but it would be nice if they could at least knock up a passable antenna from a roll of wire

    Alec M1BNK

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