[TenTec] Just a 'foot-in-mouth' observation

[Richards]

On 6/26/2012 2:39 PM, Jim Brown wrote:

> So I don't want to hear a lot of crap from guys who don't contribute a
> thing about how I need to slow down and mentor others. I do that, and
> I'd bet that I do at least 100 times more of it than those who are
> giving me the crap.


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	Gee, Jim, I don't recall that being the point of
	any criticism... instead... I think the objection
	was more directed to your chastising the Old Fart
	who (perhaps) needlessly repeated his message
	and took longer, and who said more than the bare
	minimum, to complete the Field Day exchange, that
	spawned any criticism.  You sorta came off sounding
	condescending and hyper-critical of anyone who did
	not handle the exchange as would a super efficient,
	highly practiced, world class contester.


	It is unfortunate the ARRL modeled its Field Day
	assessment scheme in the style and fashion of a major
	contest.  That seems to have transformed Field Day
	from a nationwide training exercise into more of
	a contest.

	I understand Field Day to be an invitation to
	ALL HAMS to devote at least one day each year to
	setting up the type of station that might be required
	for a large scale emergency event, and then sharpen
	one's operating skills by making a lot of quick,
	pithy, exchanges - which is, at least, where the
	contest format makes more sense.

	But I also thought Field Day is an invitation to
	ALL HAMS - of whatever stripe, to participate in
	a large scale, nationwide event, both for public
	service, and to promote and publicize the hobby,
	placing it in a good light in the community - sort
	of a radio open house, as it were.

	I also thought hams come in many different stripes,
	and that ham radio is a VERY BIG hobby - big enough to
	accommodate and embrace all sorts of guys - whether they
	are casual rag chewers, highly efficient contestants,
	properly trained Em-Comm volunteers, guys that only
	do phone, or just CW, or both... or even who just do
	digital modes, and even big enough to embrace guys
	who like to operate radios, without knowing how to
	build one,  and so forth.

	So, I think some guys (I did) took your original
	comment to mean slow poke old farts should stay off
	the air on Field Day, if they cannot get with the
	&^%$# program!  It sounded pretty harsh and
	unforgiving.

	In contrast, I thought Field Day was for EVERYONE
	- young, old, fast, slow, experienced, or rookie,
	smart and otherwise.

	I figure if some Old Fart participates in FD from
	his home station, and working CW slowly, at his
	own pace, and repeating himself more than may be
	necessary - TRYING TO BE SURE HE IS COMMUNICATING
	clearly - that he is doing the right thing...
	and he should be accepted on Field Day as just
	as any other guy, who might be a super-fast, super-
	efficient contester type ham, who can make the
	exchange faster than fast.

	So, if Field Day is for everybody... should we
	not take everybody as we find them?   Is there
	not room for the 15 wpm code guy?   Was he really
	all so wrong for repeating his message... slowly...
	trying to make sure it was received correctly
	the first time ?   Should we contact THE BLOKE
	after the event  is over, and tell him he is a lid?
	After all, he probably did not realize you are a
	world class operator, and he may have slowed down
	thinking you must might be a regular guy like he
	is,  and appreciate some slow, but clear, copy.
	Was he really all wrong in how he approached it?

	I think that was the point of any criticism...
	certainly NOT that you are not a good mentor or
	that you don't pull your share of the freight.
	Did that guy really have it so fired wrong ?

	Footnote - in our local traffic nets, they REQUIRE
	the traffic handlers to say apparently unnecessary
	stuff like,  "Please copy..."  and they also REQUIRE
	them torepeat certain heavy portions of the messages,
	so I wonder if the O F thought he was doing it right,
	at least under local conditions...


That is just My take...

Happy Trails and Good DX y'all.

======================  K8JHR  ==========================








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