I usually don't respond to these discussions, and I don't want to start a
firestorm, but I have to disagree with this idea. Ham radio is *both* a
technical and a communications hobby. The reason there is a test on both
technical and operational knowledge is that the licensee-to-be is
expected to *understand* the material. It's not a high hurdle set up to
test your memorizing skills, despite what it may have become. Once
licensed, you are authorized build your own equipment and put it on the
air without FCC type acceptance or other approvals required on commercial
gear. Once licensed, when you tell someone you are a ham, they consider
you a technical expert, not just a communicator. CB was about
communications (if I can stretch it that far), FRS is about
communications, but ham radio is about technology and communications.
When the emergency communications station goes down, it's expected that
the ham will have some concept of where to start looking in order to get
it back up and operational, for example. So, while we have crash courses
to get folks on the air in order to get the numbers up, I don't think we
are doing the newcomers or the existing ham population any favors.
That's also why we have a graduated license structure so that folks can
start out at a lower knowledge level and gradually work their way up to
the higher skills in the science of electronics and communications.
73, Duane
On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 09:46:54 -0400 "Mark Erbaugh" <mark@microenh.com>
writes:
> I have to put in my 2 cents worth.
>
> > Many of
> > those now "getting" amateur licenses are only interested in
> communicating;
> > not in the technology at all.
>
> Technology is only one aspect of amatuer radio. Communicating is an
> equally
> important aspect.
>
> I don't think it's essentiall that everyone using any technology,
> including
> ham radio understand the all the details of the technology. For
> example, I
> completely understand the 'technology' of an outhouse (stuff goes
> into a
> hole in the ground), but the most important thing I know about
> modern
> plumbing is the phone number of my plumber. Does this mean that I'm
> should
> stop using my indoor facilities?
>
> Seriously, there are probably, few if any people, who fully
> understand all
> the technology that they use each day. An electonics designer may
> understand the hardware components of his cellphone, but probably
> wouldn't
> be able to debug the cellphone's firmware.
>
> In an environment where people are free to explore their interests
> in
> different areas, such as what we have in ham radio, advances in one
> area can
> feed off of advances in other areas. A technology guy can implement
> a new
> feature in the hardware, a software guy can exploit that and create
> a new
> mode of communication. A communication guy can see how to use that
> new mode
> to provide better communication.
>
> Please don't condemn another ham just because their interests don't
> coincide
> with yours - instead look for ways to work together to advance the
> hobby for
> us all.
>
> 73,
> Mark, N8ME
>
>
>
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>
>
Duane Calvin, AC5AA
Austin, Texas
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