Dave (W0LEV),
Ha!! We have a common background! In the early 70's I taught myself
machine language for the old 8000 series of processors, then moved to
Fortran IV, then Pascal, then Basic, then... You get the idea. I still
miss the old days of machine language most though...
I prefer digital, over analog, and I suspect that is because I started
in the 70's, while you started in the 60's... It is amazing what a 10
year difference will make...
I am far more adapt at things digital than I am at things analog, and I
wish I had a better understanding of analog, but alas, at 71, that comes
a lot harder than it used too...
Take care Dave E, and Ed H...
73, and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
https://www.nk7z.net
ARRL Volunteer Examiner
ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
I never learned from a man who agreed with me. (HeinLein)
On 7/30/24 11:21, David Eckhardt wrote:
You've seen and experienced both sides: digital and analog. While I
was still working, it was excruciatingly difficult to find engineers who
could bridge both disciplines. Thus the finger pointing: a) its an
analog problem....b) its a digital problem. No single engineer could
address both, myself included.
Very early in my career which started in 1969 right out of college, I
became very adept at programming in machine language. I did that for
three years, but looked in the mirror one morning, and it became crystal
clear. I'm an analog/RF type at heart. I still love weilding a
soldering pen and home brewing to realize my own creations. I typically
design and build what I need anymore. Outside of a couple of vintage
early solid state transceivers, yes, my main ham rigs are computers
inside (FPGAs) with the Icom 7300 and 7610. I do NOT relate to the
latest FT8 craze!!!.... I have used ECHO (part of the WSJTX suite) at
2.5, 5.0, and 10-watts on 160 and 80-meters to detect my signal
propagating around this rock on which we reside. Two other hams in
Berthoud, Co. did the same with similar results ( ±135 ms echo delay).
Since I am copying Ed Hare, W1RFI, to this post, some may want to know
Ken Wyatt, WA6TTY, for health reasons has been forced to move from his
Woodland Park, Colorado, location at nearly 9000 feet elevation. I've
known Ken since our collective Rockwell International days in S. Cal.
He has moved to Windsor, Co., at roughly 4940 feet elevation with
Sheila, his wife who is on oxygen. He also very recently underwent open
heart surgery in Denver. The surgery also addressed a few other
"getting older" problems. He is on oxygen until he "completely heals"
(doctor's words) and came home from Denver a week ago this past
Saturday. He has the same emails. He's doing well with much less
recovery pain than my other friend who also went through open heart
surgery a couple of years ago.
Dave - WØLEV
On Tue, Jul 30, 2024 at 5:33 PM Dave (NK7Z) <dave@nk7z.net
<mailto:dave@nk7z.net>> wrote:
Dave E,
I do not disagree with you here... However, had we not made it easier
for folks to get tickets, I doubt Amateur Radio would be even as
good as
it is today... We need numbers, and we were not getting them... The
folks that replaced us, are now playing with computers, and digital
devices, not loose parts... I used to be able to repair my own radios,
I can not do that anymore... My radio is a computer now...
The hobby has become far less technical in nature than it was 40 years
ago, however, it has become far more technical with regards to
computers, and digital. I suspect there will be far more computers
than
discreet parts in our futures, so I am not sure which way is best...
All I know is I still like to take out test gear and play... I will
until I die... I also program, (and have for decades), so I am
lucky, I
have seen both sides of this ride...
73, and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
https://www.nk7z.net <https://www.nk7z.net>
ARRL Volunteer Examiner
ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
I never learned from a man who agreed with me. (HeinLein)
On 7/30/24 08:17, David Eckhardt wrote:
> Sad to agree we are viewed as glorified CB operators. Tune across
> 75-meters any evening (or 7.200 and 14.310) and the reason for that
> impression is clear. That's the main motivation for my placing
Segal's
> "The Amateurs Code" at the end of my QRZ page. Not that anyone
seems to
> care these days, but at least I made the statement.
>
> Dave, I won't belabor the point, but when the FCC let us go to
volunteer
> examiners, multiple guess exams, and the "study guides" which
fosters
> memorize-and-forget, any technical prowess within the hobby was
> ultimately doomed. You can gather I'm technical and a classic
nerd, but
> I find it rather difficult to land a rewarding QSO these days on our
> phone bands. I still prefer CW, but those portions of our bands
have
> become rather empty (FT8??).
>
> Amateur radio isn't the hobby it was when I was first licensed
almost 65
> years ago. But one thing in life is absolutely certain: change.
>
> Dave - WØLEV
>
> On Tue, Jul 30, 2024 at 2:36 AM Dave (NK7Z) <dave@nk7z.net
<mailto:dave@nk7z.net>
> <mailto:dave@nk7z.net <mailto:dave@nk7z.net>>> wrote:
>
> Hi Dave E,
>
> What you are doing is not at all what I am talking about... I do
> exactly the same thing here, I have a relationship with the cable
> company. I locate leaks in their system, and they fix
them... It
> works
> great. I recently got contacted by one of their Network
engineers
> about
> a very high BER on one of their amps... We tracked it to a
local ham,
> and the cable company's leaky system. They terminated the
loose drop,
> and the BER dropped to an acceptable level for them, and one
more RFI
> source in my area bit the dust.
>
> Of late, the local cable company, (get this), has, by written
decree
> within the management, allowed unterminated drops on all move
outs.
> They are learning that this is not working... This is the second
> instance of this I am aware of in the last month... So...
No grass
> roots movement needed...
>
> Yes, again unfortunately, I think we have also lost it with
the DOD as
> well...
>
> I believe the FCC, (not all within the FCC but a good part of
the FCC),
> now looks at Amateur Radio as a sort of glorified CB radio
service,
> with
> only slightly smarter operators. Yes that hurts...
>
> One of the ways to change that perception is by careful
> orchestration of
> contact with the FCC... We need to look like pros, we need
to act like
> pros, and we need to prove we are not a dispirit group of CB
operators
> to the FCC. I believe the best way to do this is via the ARRL's
> efforts...
> 73, and thanks,
> Dave (NK7Z)
> https://www.nk7z.net <https://www.nk7z.net> <https://www.nk7z.net
<https://www.nk7z.net>>
> ARRL Volunteer Examiner
> ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
> ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
> I never learned from a man who agreed with me. (HeinLein)
>
> On 7/29/24 14:54, David Eckhardt wrote:
> > QUOTE (DAVE, NK7Z): We are just lucky we USED to have
emergency
> status,
> > we don't
> > have that anymore in
> the FCC's
> > eyes, so the rules are different.
> >
> > We also had the attention of DoD. Is that still in place,
or has
> that
> > gone down with the emergency loss as well?
> >
> > I hear you on a coordinated effort through ARRL. But I have
> graciously
> > done several individual problems with my equipment. for
hams All
> have
> > been the "fault" of our power provider in the county and
out of the
> > cities. Here in N. Colorado in the county, we have a very
good
> > relationship with them. Once reported, they were on it
the next day.
> >
> > Are you proposing to tie my hands behind my back with such
> efforts? I
> > do not charge anything for hams. Nor do I do solar
installation
> as they
> > are a given.
> >
> > If I can't help others with my equipment and training as
an EMC/RFI
> > engineer, its time for my pine box.
> >
> > Dave - WØLEV
> >
> > On Mon, Jul 29, 2024 at 9:43 PM Dave (NK7Z) <dave@nk7z.net
<mailto:dave@nk7z.net>
> <mailto:dave@nk7z.net <mailto:dave@nk7z.net>>
> > <mailto:dave@nk7z.net <mailto:dave@nk7z.net>
<mailto:dave@nk7z.net <mailto:dave@nk7z.net>>>> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > I would think that we would want a single voice
speaking for
> us. Not a
> > bunch of discordant, non organized, not communicating
between
> > themselves, citizen groups, all talking to the same
companys
> the ARRL
> > has spent a few years creating working relationships with,
> and then one
> > of them threatening an entity with a lawsuit. The
first time
> that
> > happens, is the last time the threatened entity, (and
maybe
> all of
> > them), talks to the ARRL or anyone else for that matter,
> without a
> > lawyer reviewing everything said and done. At that
point the
> focus
> > shifts from RFI corrections, to a game of legal cover
ass...
> >
> > I guarantee you-- someone sometime soon, will threaten a
> lawsuit to one
> > of the companies the ARRL is currently working with,
and crap
> up the
> > relationship the ARRL has worked so hard to create...
> >
> > That is why you discourage people from forming grass
roots,
> anti RFI
> > groups, that are not affiliated with the biggest dog
the Amateur
> > community has right now, the ARRL. This HAS to be a
> coordinated effort!
> >
> > We need to wake up and realize that the cat is already
out of
> the bag,
> > some of the foreign, (and probably some of the American
> manufacturers),
> > have already discovered they can submit a test article
to a
> lab, obtain
> > a pass, get FCC blessing, and then remove components
and sell
> the "new"
> > device without a low pass filter in it, saving them
tons of
> money,
> > (while spraying RFI all over), until they get caught.
> >
> > We are no longer in the PROACTIVE FCC world we grew up
in, we are
> > now in
> > the REACTIVE FCC world that exists today, and will
NEVER go
> back to
> > PROACTIVE FCC again...
> >
> > I suspect if the FCC were to hit the companies doing
switch
> game with
> > meaningful punishments, (read that as millions of bucks in
> fines, and a
> > hiatus on importation, or sale into the US markets, for at
> least one
> > year), things would get somewhat better.
> >
> > The fact of the matter is we are small potatoes to the
FCC,
> and the
> > vendors. We are just lucky we USED to have emergency
status,
> we don't
> > have that anymore in the FCC's eyes, so the rules are
> different. We
> > need to adapt to the new environment... We all know what
> happens to
> > species that fail to adapt...
> >
> > 73, and thanks,
> > Dave (NK7Z)
> > https://www.nk7z.net <https://www.nk7z.net>
<https://www.nk7z.net <https://www.nk7z.net>> <https://www.nk7z.net
<https://www.nk7z.net>
> <https://www.nk7z.net <https://www.nk7z.net>>>
> > ARRL Volunteer Examiner
> > ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
> > ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
> > I never learned from a man who agreed with me. (HeinLein)
> >
> > On 7/29/24 09:24, Mike Fatchett W0MU wrote:
> > > Why would we want to discourage people from actually
> organizing a
> > grass
> > > roots movement and make our case heard.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > RFI mailing list
> > RFI@contesting.com <mailto:RFI@contesting.com>
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> <mailto:RFI@contesting.com <mailto:RFI@contesting.com>
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> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi>
> <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi>>
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<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi>
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<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi>>>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > *Dave - WØLEV
> > *
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> *Dave - WØLEV
> *
>
>
--
*Dave - WØLEV
*
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