[CQ-Contest] Changing hobby

[Scott Nichols]

Bill Turner wrote:

>It seems to me we've gotten away from our roots as Amateur Radio
>Operators.  Contesting, especially, has become a hobby of computers,
>internet, packet spots, local area networks, etc, etc.  
>  
>
Not only that, we've gotten away from actually building our own 
stuff...Last thing I actually put together (other than simple switch 
boxes, interfaces, cables etc) was an ACCU Keyer out of QST Magazine 23 
years ago...And I am seriously considering a K2 for next Winter...In all 
the pix of contest stations I've looked at over the last while, not much 
homebrew gear...I'm as guilty as anyone...Building stuff is fun, but I'm 
not sufficiently techno-savvy to design much...I miss Heathkit...

>Maybe I'm just getting old, but I miss the days when you would get on
>the air, put out some RF and see who you could work.  It's a different
>hobby nowdays and I'm not sure the change is for the better.
>  
>
Again, I agree 100%...To this day, once in awhile I'll dust off my 26 
year old FT-101 E (my first real radio), hook up an SWR/watt meter to 
it, read the manual to figure out how to tune up the damn thing, attach 
it to a 80m dipole and make a couple QSO's...Analog freq dial,  non-LED 
power/ALC meter, no internal tuner, 2 minutes re-tuning to change 
bands...(Those are my "good ole days", I can imagine how the 
'30's/40's/50's generation will be laughing at me right now!!)

>There is nothing wrong with fooling around with computers - I do it
>myself - but some of the magic of pulling signals out of the ether
>disappears when you pull a spot off the computer instead.
>
After all I said above, I do find it very fun to spend a weekend with 
the MP's, beams, amps and ESPECIALLY Telnet screens and 4 or 5 bandmaps 
on the computer screen...I enjoy radio and I enjoy computers...I still 
get amazed when I can see all this working together as slick as it 
does...Work the world with a push of 2 buttons...The hobby has changed, 
no question...It's bound to continue to do so...Is it less magical ? Not 
for me, but that's only me...

Now, who's gonna be the first to try one of these new Icom 7800 
something or others, that cost as much as 15 101 E's did 25 years ago ? 
For that price ($10,000 USD is what I heard...???...), I hope there's a 
super-compact built in 6.5 db gain yagi inside............

CU on the bandmaps...

Scott VE1OP