[some snippage here while John mentions the uneven quality of the technical
information in ARRL publications]
-----Original Message-----
From: john merryman
Sent: Monday, January 25, 1999 6:03 PM
To: amps@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [AMPS] big or small amps, we're all hams
>There are many other areas like this in the Handbook. CARL THEIR IS A
>CONTRACT JOB OPPORTUNITY, STRAIGHTEN THESE ARRL MORONS OUT, and show
>them how its done.
Along with some juicy technical tidbits on his web page, Rich Measures
describes what happened when he tried to straighten out some of the
perceived deficiencies in the Handbook.
Haven't you realized YET that one reason the ARRL books are less than
stellar is
that all of us keep buying the next edition or the next new book, hoping
it'll be better? And the ARRL deliberately shortchanges us, knowing we'll
keep coming back for more.
It's NOT a viable solution for the ARRL to do a good job with their
publications.
First, to get the quality of information we need, they'd have to triple
their
staff and pay a living wage for New England to their writers -- which would
mean a ten-times increase in salary expenses.
Then, they'd sell each of us ONLY ONE more handbook. And we'd be set for
life.
Come on, how many of you own just one copy of the RCA Radiotron book? I'll
bet
most of you -- and half the copies are older than I am (I'm 41). OTOH, how
many
ARRL handbooks have you bought new? I think I've bought 10 new ones, some
even before I was a ham, and I've owned another 10 editions besides those.
That represents a big pile-o-cash for the ARRL, year after year. I
guarantee
they are NOT going to mess up that racket just because a vocal few of us
feel
their publications provide substandard information. And is it substandard?
Judge for yourself -- surf their web page and look at the errata
(corrections)
for the 1999 Handbook. And then decide how much it would cost to fix the
two most egregious power supply errors if you built the units and put them
into service without testing them. Ouch. If it didn't include an ambulance
trip in the bargain.
Oh yeah -- I considered working for the ARRL as a technical editor some
years
back, but the difference in cost of living between Connecticut and Texas
meant
that I'd take an equivalent $15,000-a-year pay cut to go there, and would
make
the equivalent of minimum wage in Texas, after expenses. With that kind of
pay, is it any wonder they can't hire qualified writers or editorial staff?
And as Rich what happens when an actual qualified expert offers his services
on a semi-pro-bono deal.
Jim N6OTQ
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