Steve Mendelsohn's letter

W8JITom at aol.com W8JITom at aol.com
Mon Jun 24 15:47:38 EDT 1996


In a message dated 96-06-24 10:04:05 EDT, you write:

>People do not value that which they do not "pay for".
>
>73,
>John, WD4MUR

A look back at the recent past may put things in perspective.

Eleven meters became a free for all band, and look at the huge plunge in
activity that occurred on that band.

The ARRL already tried no code, it was supposed to be the big boost amateur
radio needed. No code didn't do what they expected, did it?

It takes more than making something easy to make people interested. If you
doubt that, think back at the easy things in life. Heck, girls (to be
politically correct include the inverse) that played "hard to get" quickly
became more desirable. But easy or not, the one's that held our interest were
the ones that were fun and interesting.

A hobby has to be fun and interesting. The hobby is becoming boring. The more
it becomes like a CB or telepone, the more boring it will be. No code and
relaxed technical requirements certainly have taken the hobby in that
direction.

If lack of interest is the engine driving the decline in technical hobbies
like ours, how can lowering requirements possibly help? If someone dislikes
CW so much they won't use it or even study, what good will relaxing the
requirement do? Does anyone in their right mind believe lowering CW
requirements will enhance CW activity?

CW may eventually go, but dumbing down the entire hobby in an effort to
generate more CW licensee numbers will surely cost us in the long run.

 73 Tom

>From ac6ef at usa.pipeline.com (Terry Dunlap)  Mon Jun 24 19:53:40 1996
From: ac6ef at usa.pipeline.com (Terry Dunlap) (Terry Dunlap)
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 18:53:40 GMT
Subject: Field Day 96
Message-ID: <199606241853.SAA17765 at pipe4.la1.usa.pipeline.com>

On Jun 24, 1996 13:16:37, 'w9sz at prairienet.org (Zack Widup)' wrote: 
 
 
>I was dismayed at the lack of interest in CW in the local club operation. 

>I got to work 20 CW for a bit and made about 60 QSO's in an hour, paper  
>logs on a notepad :-(  I was the only one who worked CW there, to my  
>knowledge. But quite a few of the new contest ops were amazed, and I  
>think they went at it with more energy after that. 
 
After many years of running 3A with emphasis on "having fun" rather than
making Qs, our club was finally convinced to allow one of those stations to
run full bore with experienced operators.  It ran the full 24 hours on CW
and did far better than the other 2 stations combined.  We had quite a few
enthusiastic observers who have most definitely gone home and worked on
their code.  All in all a great weekend. 
 
73 de Terry AC6EF 
ac6ef at pipeline.com

>From ezimmerm at DGS.dgsys.com (Dr. Eugene Zimmerman)  Mon Jun 24 20:19:33 1996
From: ezimmerm at DGS.dgsys.com (Dr. Eugene Zimmerman) (Dr. Eugene Zimmerman)
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 15:19:33 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: W4BVV's QSLs
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.960624151801.10088C-100000 at DGS>

Rich

That's not entirely so.  IN the later years of his operation, K4GKD sent 
out thousands of BVV QSL cards.  That is not to say  that for many years 
a W4BVV QSL card was as rare as one from Reg Ford AC4RF (who had been 
dead for 20 years by that time).

Gene  W3ZZ

On Mon, 24 Jun 1996, Rich L. Boyd wrote:

> 
> Seeing K3KMO's mention of W4BVV's non-QSLing, I recall W4BVV mentioning 
> on the local repeater that he had 5BDXCC unsolicited.  hi.  73
> 
> Rich Boyd KE3Q
> 
> 

>From ericr at access.digex.net (Eric Rosenberg)  Mon Jun 24 20:31:45 1996
From: ericr at access.digex.net (Eric Rosenberg) (Eric Rosenberg)
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 15:31:45 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Help Filing Insurance Claim
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.94.960624153057.24406G-100000 at access4.digex.net>

A big thunder/lightning storm came through the Washington, DC area last
Thursday and managed to take out my HF, VHF and UHF radios, all
(apparently) through power line surges. Fortunately, there was no smoke
or fire, and nothing else was damaged.

Sadly, I won't have any gear for Field Day or the IARU 'test. 

I'm hoping to file an insurance claim with my homeowneer's insurance
carrier, and was wondering if anyone else has experience filing a claim
for radio gear.  Any adive on what to asy or not to say is appreciated. 

Please email your comments and tips, and I'll summarize for those
interested. 

Thanks,

Eric  WD3Q
Washington, DC 
ericr at access.digex.net




>From rlboyd at CapAccess.org (Rich L. Boyd)  Mon Jun 24 20:33:43 1996
From: rlboyd at CapAccess.org (Rich L. Boyd) (Rich L. Boyd)
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 15:33:43 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: W4BVV's QSLs
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91-FP.960624153250.23310F-100000 at cap1.capaccess.org>


In reply to W3ZZ's comment that K4GKD did do some QSLing for W4BVV...I 
was not the one who said W4BVV never QSLed.  I just remember him saying 
(and I was passively listening) he had 5BDXCC unsolicited.  He may well 
have answered some of those cards when they came in.  73

Rich Boyd KE3Q




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