[TowerTalk] dumbing down

[Alan NV8A (ex. AB2OS)]

On 07/21/05 05:44 pm SavageBR at aol.com tossed the following ingredients 
into the ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

>> BTW  we're not dumbing down TowerTalk.

> Indirectly Tower Talk and any other technical reflector is being dumbed  
> down. Or, the need is being eliminated. As the technically competent,  
> experienced, capable amateur dies off, so will the real hobby of amateur  radio.

So all the old guys who sent and copied 20wpm CW to get their licenses 
who-knows-how-many years ago had to answer questions on Smith Charts, 
logic gates, PLL circuits, and RF exposure limits, did they?

And how many of those old 20wpm CW types build their own rigs from the 
ground up? Maybe somewhat more than the newcomers, but that could be 
partly because the former have more comprehensive "junk boxes" 
containing parts not so readily available any more. But I don't doubt 
that many of those guys just go out and buy a rig, an antenna, a linear, 
etc. from HRO or wherever, just like the rest.

As long as any kind of exam is required, Amateur Radio will be different 
from CB -- even if the behavior of some Amateurs is as bad as that of 
some CBers.

73

Alan NV8A
(a 5wpm Extra in the USA, but almost 30 years ago a 10wpm [the most that 
was required] "full call" amateur in VK -- VK4AFE)