Apposed to ARLB003? Do something about it

I was on a local repeater the other day. There several people talking about the newest thing to come down from the ARRL. I had allready read the article here on QRZ.com and didnt really like. I thought to myself I wish somebody would do something about it. So after some thought I decided to do something myself. If a person started a petition and sent it to the ARRL they would have to consider it wouldnt they? So I had an idea to start one. One that could not be disputed. If everyone who was aganist ARLB003 would sent me a QSL card. You would the "exchange box" voided out with the word "VOID". Then write on the back of it " I am opposed to ARLB003 and send it to me. They could be counted and shipped to the ARRL. The results would posted on a website for ALL to see just how many are aginist the proposal. I wanted to use QSL cards because they are cheap,most people have them and the validate a real person sent it. They can be tracked back to that person quickly for verfication if need be. I am expecting to get roasted for this post but I really dont care. I am just stating my opnion on something that as ARRL member for 14+ years has a right to do. I feel that this is just an attempt to lower the requirements to get more people into the ham radio. Just to sell more radios and pay more dues I feel it is ALL ABOUT THE MONEY....Jim/WM5L good on QRZ (for now)

 

Sadly, it appears to me that the ARRL is, for the most part, more interested in grubbing for money at the current time. I recently had to have some dealings with their circulation department and their response to me was basically a self serving form response letter, supposedly from the "director" of the circulation department, in which I was referred to as a "customer" instead of as a member. Not to mention the animated ads on every page of their website at the top, and the way QST is loaded with full page ads and patheticly little substantial content, especially of a technical nature.

I have been in electronics for a lot of years (Since tubes) and have watched the decline of Electronics "Experimentation" and actual articles in Magazines that actually teach. Now, what little you see publixhed are generally the occasional digital basics article and mostly useless gimmick devices (and, of course, kits are available for sale to the lazy). I find it sad that the only substantial book on electronics these days is the ARRL handbook-which is itself much more limited and a lot less innovative than it used to be-and keeps on climbing in price.

Also, I find the lack of actual electronics knowledge among the Amateur community to be rather embarassing, especially among the "Advanced" class licensees. When a unit fails on me, I fix it myself. Of course, this is because I actually understand how circuits work and do what they do. Which is what the holder of a amateur license is SUPPOSED to be able to do, isn't it? Or, to be able to put together a station in a dire emergency? Tell me: were you a whiz on older tube gear, but never bothered learning solid state? Thats what happend to a lot of the older guys. They were so used to thinking in a tube mode that their minds were no longer flexible enough to adapt to solid state, let alone digital. Hmmm...flexible...sound familliar..?

And, with the disdain, lack of courtesy and downright rudeness that many Techs are subjected to, it's no problem understanding why Amateur radio may be going the way of the buggy whip.

You know, you can carry on this lame debate about code like it has ever been anything more than a filter for "Undesirables"-which IS what it has been for many amateurs and the ARRL for many years-and hold it up as the holy grail if you like, but the fact is that that the world has changed and Amateur Radio must change and evolve with it, or it wont survive. And the FIRST step is to actually LEARN electronics (or, solid state, or, digital...) and be able to do your own repairs, or, make your own gear. Then you'll have room to talk.

We Amateurs hav access to MANY Mhz of choice spectrum, of which HF, and CW, are but a small part. Need I also point out that many commercial interests lick their chops over our UHF and microwave bands, which are SPARSELY used? History teaches that if you dont use it, you WILL loose it, especially since the FCC is hungry for spectrum auction money.

What I have seen over the last decade or so in Amateur radio is the same erosion of courtesy, self respect, respect for others (who have just as much right because of their licenses to use the channel as you do) and self centeredness (as usually witnessed by those-usually Extras-who run 1,000watts to talk to their pals 50 miles away and hog the channel, "Because they can".) God forbid you have a signal less than 50 over S9, right? Strangely, that's just the way many powered up CB ers think....

I'll tell you what the ARRL's thing is: they cater to the older hams who, no surprise, generally are Extras, are mostly engineers, academics, and other sundry professionals, many of whom are retired and are the ones who have the acreage, the money to blow on multiple, multi thousand dollar HF radios, "legal limit" amplifiers (at1-3 thousand dollars per), Multiple large towers, beams....I'm sure you get the picture. And, I'd be willing to bet, if you did the research, you'd find that these Amateurs are the ones squalling the loudest about the code. God forbid we let the lower classes in, eh..?

This proposal for a restructuring of the licensing structure amounts to the ARRL's tact admission that it has finally woken up to the fact that something has to be done to revitalize Amateur Radio, which is in their, as well as ALL OF OUR interests.

The hard, cold facts are that the code WILL be dropped as a requirement in the US, as it is allready being dropped in many other parts of the world and will be in all parts of the world eventually. Doing so will turn out to be a shot in the arm for Amateur Radio. The question is, can we as a group recapture that spirit of olden days which is sadly lacking and work together for the betterment of or hobby and of us ALL. We'd better, before it's too late.

 

i am only going to make this one single post on this subject..........

this is about cw if i read correctly

i i could have learned cw i would have been a ham when i was 13-14 years old........since before that age i ahve spent countless hours over the years attempting to do this one simple task ......each time i failed ......i recently renewed my ticket so i am on the second time around.....

so i dont think i will lose interest in the hobby.... if i were a total dunce i would have done something stupid to lose my ticket.........

but i had to wait about 20 years to be a no code tech.......dont get me wrong i like the privelages i currently have but getting hf would be fun i just dont understand why so many hams want too use cw like a stick too beat people with and tell them you dont rate a place in our little club...............................................

ray jones

kb7qhu

 

The ARRL,s money grubbing is the very reason i dropped my membership. They always send me junk mail to buy something and did'nt even consider to ask members about the stupid proposal.

Larry kd5vsg