[TenTec] tenTec merger, etc.

[TTMaven]

Your comments fit with my take... after attending the Homeland Security 
Forum at Dayton last week.  The government workers are getting ham 
licenses.  They think that gives them training as radio operators.  It 
appears they will be in charge, and we must work for them.  Not that is 
all bad, but we will not be in charge.   The image of the ham operator 
showing up to save the day is long gone already.  Hams "might" be used 
as auxiliary operators, when there are not enough trained government 
guys, and hams will be working for the govt boys - not the other way 
around.

In one case scenario, the total involvement of ham radio was to inform 
the government guys where to put their temporary repeater in the local 
hills - hams had no other input - and the rest of the story was about 
how the AuxComm leader deployed and gathered up a pile of radios and 
changed frequencies every day.

Somebody asked about how hams would fit it... and he said the government 
guys were getting ham licenses.   I don't have any problem with the 
notion hams must take orders and directives from the government men in 
charge of disaster relief... you can just picture how some well-meaning 
but pushy hams think THEY can just ride up and take over the 
communications game and that is pretty unrealistic ... but beyond that, 
it appears the role of the ham may be rather limited if the government 
boys all have radios, and all we do is advise them where it would be 
best to set up.

In any case, the image of ham radio saving the day is fading fast.
The govt boys seek to be self sufficient.

Just MY take, anyway.

------------------------ JHR  -----------------------





On 5/21/2014 10:12 PM, John F. wrote:
> Very interesting re future plans of ARRL and HAMNET. After a couple years as a regional appointee in ARES, I got the feeling that the ARRL, FEMA, EM, etc., see hams, especially new ones, as an Auxiliary Communications Service for various government agencies.  That must be why ARRL  is pushing for wide digital operation in the CW portions of HF bands.
> Unlike when I was involved in ARES 20 years ago, the emphasis is on the governmental end, it doesn't matter what the operating skill of the Ham is.  Just my take - doesn't have much to do with topic at hand.
> John, K4AVX
> --------------------------------------------------