SSB

[w9ebe]

I’ve long had a theory that due to the fact that SSB tends to sound somewhat “mechanical” and, therefore, unnatural, our brains subconsciously tend to process it as something other than actual human speech. #If this is indeed true, this could account for some of the antisocial behavior that occurs on the ham bands on SSB.

I am well aware that AM and FM modes are not immune from such on-air hostility issues (neither is CW, or other non-voice modes for that matter), but it would seem that it is possible that our brain’s processing of the more natural electronic reproduction of human speech on AM and FM subsequently fosters a more civil attitude among its participants.

Have you experienced a more genteel attitude on AM and/or FM than on SSB? #I would be interested in any anecdotal evidence in this regard.

Incidentally, I have posted in the “Ham Radio Items Wanted” section of the forum that I am seeking any recordings of the infamous antics that took place on 14.313 MHz during the late 80’s and (preferably) early 90’s. #It is my intention to gather data from those recordings to informally study social on-air interaction and confrontational behavior issues as they relate to both “bravado behind the mic” syndrome and the brain’s subconscious interpretation of SSB. # If you have any recordings from that era, and are willing to part with them, or copy them, please let me know via my email address as shown here on QRZ.

73,

Chip W9EBE

[ky5u]

Sounds like mumbo-jumbo to me. Yep, society is at fault because the moron murdered kids at VT because the TV sounded fuzzy. If you have lung cancer, they don't cut off your leg to cure it, and it isn't because your parents didn't buy you a teddy bear. They radiate or remove the offending area.

When the FCC is willing to swiftly remove the antisocial nitwits or at least nuke-em with fines, then whether you operate SSB or use Swahili finger signs the bands will "sound" better.

[N2RJ]

SSB causes antisocial behaviour because it is so easy to pick up a microphone and yak away, versus having to put some thought into what you're sending over the air.

[kq9j]

So, if somebody is being an a-hole on the air SSB and the way the brain reacts to it is to blame?

How about this: A jerk is a jerk and not the "victim" of the way his neurons are reacting to SSB.

Sorry for my unsympathetic attitude, but what's next.."Ham Downers" prescribed especially to alter the neurochemical response to SSB?

Investigate your theory, I don't mean to put you down, and I will admit I am wrong if it turns out that way when you publish the results.

[KI4ODO]

Quote[/b] (N2RJ @ July 03 2007,08:45)]SSB causes antisocial behaviour because it is so easy to pick up a microphone and yak away, versus having to put some thought into what you're sending over the air.
BINGO,,,,,, however I don't think it causes it, just makes it easy. A-holes are gonna be A-holes on or off the air.

[N8CPA]

Quote[/b] (KI4ODO @ July 03 2007,11:49)]Quote[/b] (N2RJ @ July 03 2007,08:45)]SSB causes antisocial behaviour because it is so easy to pick up a microphone and yak away, versus having to put some thought into what you're sending over the air.
BINGO,,,,,, however I don't think it causes it, just makes it easy. A-holes are gonna be A-holes on or off the air.
Bingo!--reveberation.

That's why I call those things yackrophones. #And it gets really bad when they add a lidear amplifier to the annoying quack. Why is it that the real alpha hotels can't be barefoot? #Instead they have to verbally moon the entire band. # #

I always liked the ham who said, "If God had intended us to communicate in sideband, He would have given us only one nostril."

[kl7aj]

Quote[/b] (w9ebe @ July 03 2007,08:25)]I’ve long had a theory that due to the fact that SSB tends to sound somewhat “mechanical” and, therefore, unnatural, our brains subconsciously tend to process it as something other than actual human speech. #If this is indeed true, this could account for some of the antisocial behavior that occurs on the ham bands on SSB.

I am well aware that AM and FM modes are not immune from such on-air hostility issues (neither is CW, or other non-voice modes for that matter), but it would seem that it is possible that our brain’s processing of the more natural electronic reproduction of human speech on AM and FM subsequently fosters a more civil attitude among its participants.

Have you experienced a more genteel attitude on AM and/or FM than on SSB? #I would be interested in any anecdotal evidence in this regard.

Incidentally, I have posted in the “Ham Radio Items Wanted” section of the forum that I am seeking any recordings of the infamous antics that took place on 14.313 MHz during the late 80’s and (preferably) early 90’s. #It is my intention to gather data from those recordings to informally study social on-air interaction and confrontational behavior issues as they relate to both “bravado behind the mic” syndrome and the brain’s subconscious interpretation of SSB. # If you have any recordings from that era, and are willing to part with them, or copy them, please let me know via my email address as shown here on QRZ.

73,

Chip W9EBE
If you read any of the original "Old Man's" columns in QST (Hiram P. Maxim, himself), he was frequently complaining about "Rotten Phone operators"


Nothing ever changes. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[wc5cw]

W9EBE, et al...

>"I’ve long had a theory that due to the fact that SSB tends to sound somewhat “mechanical” and, therefore, unnatural, our brains subconsciously tend to process it as something other than actual human speech. #If this is indeed true, this could account for some of the antisocial behavior that occurs on the ham bands on SSB."<-- W9EBE

Nah...With all due respects, the on-the-air behavior with attributes of rudeness, aggression and other psycho-social dynamics that can be considered offensive, crude or at least ill mannered only reflect society in the larger sense at any given moment...There are anti-social types everywhere and the amateur radio community is not immune to their behavior (largely on-the-air or on the Internet)...As others may have inferred, some may think of them as cowardly by "acting out" in an environment that's safe from any real retaliation...Perhaps.

As far as SSB vs. AM vs. CW...You have to look at the numbers of individuals who populate the bands using these different modes...SSB by its shear numbers and its commonality has to account for the greater exposure of this behavior, IMHO...It's simply the arena within which it is heard most.

Anyone remember the infamous AM'er from the 50's and 60's who used to call CQ with the added "byline": "No kids, no lids, no space cadets"?...Many of us at the time thought it was mildly humorous but also as coming from a fellow who was grounded in an anti-social frame of mind...Probably not someone you would welcome as a nextdoor neighbor.

Certainly, that behavior was mild by comparison to what one hears on SSB today...Or what one hears within the venues of mass media and entertainment of today vs. earlier times...But, again, that only reflects the changing mores of society and what people, in general, will tolerate as being socially acceptable within an evolving culture.

Sadly, The Amateur Radio Operator's Code as published within the first few pages of older ARRL Handbooks is a goner...Too bad...It was (is) a pretty good compass for us who, individually, inhabit the airwaves as a community.

My two cents worth.

Bruce
WC5CW

[KI4ODO]

"If you read any of the original "Old Man's" columns in QST (Hiram P. Maxim, himself), he was frequently complaining about "Rotten Phone operators"


"Nothing ever changes."


Impossible!!!! #there was a code test back then #

I'm just kidding (joke)

[ab8ma]

It' those Dang Atom Bomb tests out thar in that desert made evrybody crazy. Ain't had a complete thought in dang near ... Whose that?

[KA4DPO]

I have to say that 99.9999% of the hams I have had the pleasure of working have been great. It is very rare for me to run across a truly poor operator in fact, I don't remember the last time it happened.

[KE7IPY]

Quote[/b] (N2RJ @ July 03 2007,08:45)]SSB causes antisocial behaviour because it is so easy to pick up a microphone and yak away, versus having to put some thought into what you're sending over the air.
It's the same as the internet. Give a couple billion monkeys keyboards and they'll start flaming one another. It's the same as the way people act in their cars on the freeway. The feeling of anonymity compels people to act in ways that would be completely unacceptable in person. This anonymity isn't completely real, but it's close enough for government work.

A person who's been arrested and can have every word he speaks used against him in court, and a person who's writing an anonymous blog on the internet will say very different things about the same incident. Heck it could even be the same person in different context.

[w8znx]

Quote[/b] (kl7aj @ July 03 2007,09:21)]If you read any of the original "Old Man's" columns in QST (Hiram P. Maxim, himself), he was frequently complaining about "Rotten Phone operators"
you got that wrong

Maxim
used the words
rotten ops
not
rotten phone ops

in fact all of The Old Man letters
iv read from my QST collection
deal with rotten cw ops

not phone ops

when T.O.M. was writing
rotten ops letters to QST

it was anything but easy to get on fone
90% of all ops only ran cw

woufhong and rettysnitch
come from Maxim
trying to copy rotten sent morse code

later after Maxim was SK

John Frye W9EGV
Phone Band Phunnies in QST

also there were coments on phone operation
by W4IR Dixey Jones
as in Dixey Jone's Owl Juice also in QST

Mac dit dit

[kj3n]

Quote[/b] (w9ebe @ July 03 2007,11:25)]I’ve long had a theory that due to the fact that SSB tends to sound somewhat “mechanical” and, therefore, unnatural, our brains subconsciously tend to process it as something other than actual human speech. #If this is indeed true, this could account for some of the antisocial behavior that occurs on the ham bands on SSB.
*sniff* *sniff*

I smell a troll.

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[ky5u]

Quote[/b] (kj3n @ July 03 2007,10:26)]Quote[/b] (w9ebe @ July 03 2007,11:25)]I’ve long had a theory that due to the fact that SSB tends to sound somewhat “mechanical” and, therefore, unnatural, our brains subconsciously tend to process it as something other than actual human speech. If this is indeed true, this could account for some of the antisocial behavior that occurs on the ham bands on SSB.
*sniff* *sniff*

I smell a troll.

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
Naw, your diaper is just full.

[W3MIV]

Quote[/b] (N8CPA @ July 03 2007,11:10)]"If God had intended us to communicate in sideband, He would have given us only one nostril."
TU, Steve.

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[kj3n]

Quote[/b] (AG4YO @ July 03 2007,13:30)]Quote[/b] (kj3n @ July 03 2007,10:26)]Quote[/b] (w9ebe @ July 03 2007,11:25)]I’ve long had a theory that due to the fact that SSB tends to sound somewhat “mechanical” and, therefore, unnatural, our brains subconsciously tend to process it as something other than actual human speech. #If this is indeed true, this could account for some of the antisocial behavior that occurs on the ham bands on SSB.
*sniff* #*sniff*

I smell a troll.

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
Naw, your diaper is just full.
If you hadn't stooped to a personal insult, Charlie, I'd have been disappointed.

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[wa1bhv]

I remeber 14313 with nostaglia
Dave in VT

[n8yx]

Quote[/b] (wa1bhv @ July 03 2007,10:53)]I remeber 14313 with nostaglia
I 'remember' 14313 with a dose of Pepto-Bismol ...

[WA9SVD]

Quote[/b] (n8yx @ July 03 2007,11:17)]Quote[/b] (wa1bhv @ July 03 2007,10:53)]I remeber 14313 with nostaglia
I 'remember' 14313 with a dose of Pepto-Bismol ...
I (fortunately) wasn't listening to 20 Meters back then. Was it worse that the "435" repeater so eloquently and repeatedly addressed by Sir Riley?

[wd0ct]

Hmm, another good reason to use ESSB. Only you can prevent nasal, mechanical, icepick in the ear audio.

[VO1GXG]

IMHO , AM Sounds absolutly great , i love hearing hams useing AM on HF with my ShortWave reciever ,I feel the same way for SSB buy more towards AM

I find that a crisp clean clear FM signal is ...well... rather bland .

[K0RGR]

SSB is the root of all evil.

But, it's been a really long time since I heard anything terribly offensive on HF - of course I don't spend a lot of time looking for it, either. Most of my limited airtime is spent looking for a non-voice contact.

But if I really had to, I could probably get on SSB. If I could find the microphone.

[w7lpn]

Most Butt-Heads I know, are butt-heads on any band, or even in person. They don't really need an excuse, do they? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[N8GAV]

Quote[/b] (n8yx @ July 03 2007,11:17)]Quote[/b] (wa1bhv @ July 03 2007,10:53)]I remeber 14313 with nostaglia
I 'remember' 14313 with a dose of Pepto-Bismol ...
I would like to forget 14.313

[AG3Y]

I completely skipped over the 14.313 fiasco ! When I was previously active, it was the frequency for the "Maritime Mobile Net", and when I came back the Net was gone, and so were the Foul-Mouth QRMmers ! I guess I will never know what I missed !


Thankfully ! ! !
73, Jim

[ai4ep]

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif Oh I am sure the SOME ONE, SOME WHERE has an old reel-to-reel tape, or an old cassette tape, of some of the schenanigans that went on waay back then that they would LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE to let you hear it. ( like it is really worth any thing ) .

Hey, in relaity, the other night you called me names here on qrz and you aint asked for forgiveness, and problably wont....based entirely on the antics of others in their past.

Some of you folks just LOOOOOVE to smart off to AI4EP here on the 'zed, and no one YET has possessed the skill, guts, co-ordination or back bone to say it IN PERSON, and I guess it IS just easier to smart off and hide behind a keyboard and harass AI4EP.

IF I were to disappear from this site, who would be the unfortunate person to get to attempt in a frivilious fashion to try to take my place...or get stuck recieving all the insults from folks who treat the internet as the " cb radio of the 21st century " ?? !!

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif WHO would get to be the next victim of your childish, immature keyboard rants ?

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

[n8yx]

Quote[/b] (ai4ep @ July 03 2007,19:14)]WHO would get to be the next victim of your childish, immature keyboard rants ?
That would likely be Greg, 'KWW...

...and he brings much of it on himself.

[ky5u]

Primer course in modes:

[w9ebe]

Quote[/b] (ai4ep @ July 03 2007,21:14)]Hey, in relaity, the other night you called me names here on qrz and you aint asked for forgiveness, and problably wont....based entirely on the antics of others in their past.

WHO would get to be the next victim of your childish, immature keyboard rants ?
To whom are you referring? #I don't know you from Adam, and if you believe I am the person who insulted you, you're mistaken.

And to the person who detected the odor of a "troll," sorry to disappoint you; the inquiry is genuine.

Many thanks to those who've replied.

73,

Chip W9EBE

[n8yx]

Quote[/b] (wa9svd @ July 03 2007,12:52)]Quote[/b] (n8yx @ July 03 2007,11:17)]Quote[/b] (wa1bhv @ July 03 2007,10:53)]I remeber 14313 with nostaglia
I 'remember' 14313 with a dose of Pepto-Bismol ...
I (fortunately) wasn't listening to 20 Meters back then. Was it worse that the "435" repeater so eloquently and repeatedly addressed by Sir Riley?
Yes.

The 435 crowd has a regional (at best) audience. 313's spew went far and wide; hither and nither...combined with their nighttime frequency of 3894.5, trouble was ALWAYS brewing.

Fines were levied and licenses lost over the affair. The goings-on might be viewed as highly entertaining -IF- the participants hadn't been ripping the ARS to shreds in the process.

[N8GAV]

Welllll Highly Entertaining? More like a Frat House gone wild and it was funny seeing fools make bigger fools of themshelf's. I forgot about 3894 a zoo too. Ah the good old days ......... Please pass the Pepto.... from what I have been hearing on the bands today they may be back:0

[ka5piu]

Hello.

I think it is the microphone.
In this case there is nothing micro about it, that mic must be huge! how else can they hide behind it?
I have always been more than upfront about most everything.
This has caused some people to make comments.
But, I do find it quite odd that no one wants to confront me.
It is not the radio, or the computer, or anything else.
Lets call it like it is, morons on the radio who have no respect for themselves leave alone anyone else.

[k0ews]

Quote[/b] (N8GAV @ July 03 2007,17:35)]Quote[/b] (n8yx @ July 03 2007,11:17)]Quote[/b] (wa1bhv @ July 03 2007,10:53)]I remeber 14313 with nostaglia
I 'remember' 14313 with a dose of Pepto-Bismol ...
I would like to forget 14.313
Yeah, it's been replaced with 14.275. #I heard language on there last night that would make a sailor blush. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[k4kyv]

A popular description of the sound of SSB is "space shuttle audio".

[W1RKW]

Quote[/b] (k4kyv @ July 06 2007,12:08)]A popular description of the sound of SSB is "space shuttle audio".
Have to disagree with you there Don. Space shuttle audio is better than the super slop bucket (SSB) mode. Shuttle audio may be pinched but it doesn't quack when you step on it.

[WA7KKP]

Quote[/b] (N2RJ @ July 03 2007,08:45)]SSB causes antisocial behaviour because it is so easy to pick up a microphone and yak away, versus having to put some thought into what you're sending over the air.
Same goes for a CB operator with his Browning Golden Eagles, Astatic D-104 and the ubiquitous "leenYAR".

He knows he has an instant audience for his machinations . . .

Gary WA7KKP