ARRL

ARRL,
SOUNDS LIKE THE RADIO MAFIA OR MAYBE A RADIO UNION
YOU KNOW, THEY TAKE IN YOUR DUES AND " DUES " NOTHING

SORRY " DO "

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KG4RYT @ Dec. 29 2002,13:58)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">ARRL,
SOUNDS LIKE THE RADIO MAFIA OR MAYBE A RADIO UNION
YOU KNOW, THEY TAKE IN YOUR DUES AND &quot; DUES &quot; NOTHING

SORRY &quot; DO &quot; [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
It would seem to me that ARRL's filing on the 70 cm RFID matter might have a direct bearing on your operating privileges.

http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod....3295351

Do you have any suggestions as to how ARRL can do a better job at these sorts of FCC filings?

73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI

 

Ed,

Thanks for the time you've spent with us here on QRZ. Your posts have been well thought out and your representation of the ARRL has been balanced.

I believe you are aware of this, but just to drive the point home: There is a great deal more to ham radio than working with cutting edge technology. ARRL and QST need to support a broad range of ham activities, operational, technical and educational.

If one were to draw conclusions from this thread, one might conclude that ham radio is suffering because we are not leading edge technologists. My response to that is: Let's face facts. We are, in general, not leading edge technologists. I suppose we were in 1910.

Wireless technology long ago moved past the individual experimenter phase. In the early phase of new technologies, individuals and small groups can make big contributions because: 1) there is a great deal of 'low hanging technology innovation fruit', 2) profit-based business models are not yet mature, and (consequently) 3) corporate-conducted research and development has not yet taken hold.

Other than limited research and development that is related to ham radio operations (such as PSK-31), I don't expect ham radio to lead the technology charge. I do expect that hams will continue to apply wireless and digital technologies to improve, extend and optimize their operations, but the plain reality is that today's hams are subject to economic forces and cannot compete with corporate research &amp; development in the areas of digital and wireless.

We are seeing this same maturation cycle in the digital/Internet world as well, albeit at a much faster rate that wireless experienced between 1900 and 2000. Do you think that garage developers are going to beat Microsoft and Sun at designing and building the next generation of operating and networking systems? Will a new Bill Gates release DOS 10 that will kick Windows XP out of the box?

So, with all that said, let's enjoy ham radio for ALL the things that it is. And keep QST as a general coverage periodical that provides articles and features of general interest.

I will leave you with a rhetorical question: Why do people continue to sail boats and ride horses when faster modes of transportation exist? It is because there is a set of skills involved that, while they do not represent economically justifiable pursuits, provide challenge and pleasure to the participants.

73,

Rick
KF6UEB

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KD7IEM @ Dec. 29 2002,15:31)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">No, not a member.  And why should I? [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

I don't know if you have followed the entire thread, but earlier, I posted quite a bit on the subject of why I am an ARRL member. You can look at the first post at:

http://www.qrz.com/cgi-bin....3;st=34
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The price of membership continues to rise.  The $39.00 dues goes to The QST, which is now more ad driven then any time I have seen before.  [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

The latest issues have been about 60% editorial content and about 40% ads. I personally find the ads to be useful, as do many hams. After all, I bet that you saw your equipment advertised before you bought it.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">And what is the ARRL?  Are they a League?, a Organization?, a Association?  What?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

ARRL is a not-for profit organization with an elected Board of Directors that determine its policies and create its programs. Its Board serves as volunteers without pay. The League is funded from membership dues, ad revenues, sales of publications and contributions. If you prowl around thee ARRL web page (http://www.arrl.org) you will have a pretty good idea about the scope of its work. My earlier post outlined the parts of ARRL that are important to me. They include ARRL's work on spectrum, RFI and educational matters, for highlights.

73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KD7IEM @ Dec. 31 2002,14:24)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">And what is the ARRL?  Are they a League?, a organization?, a Association?  What?
ARRL is a not-for profit organization.
Why I asked this is because I have gotten publications from them and they have called themselves each of these.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Most of those words in your list are synonynms. ARRL is a not-for-profit organization with a wide range of programs, benefits and publications to support ham radio.

But let's turn this around: What changes could ARRL make that would cause you to want to become a member?

73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Lab

 

Ed, that was the best possible response.

I've been a League member for 35+ years (should have taken advantage of the $100 Lifetime Membership when I was a kid, would have saved a fortune&#33 and figure the $39 is just ten cents a day, which is a lot less than I spend on anything. If there were no magazine at all, I'd still be a member.

Besides the obvious stuff, I use the ARRL code practice/bulletins as &quot;beacons&quot; to make antenna adjustments on a variety of bands. They are transmitted at exactly the right time of day, Monday through Friday, for me to come home from work and start fooling with antennas, to see if I can improve the W1AW signal -- for if I can, every other low-angle signal on the planet also improves. That's just one small use, but a very worthwhile one, for me.

I've also used the League's RFI packet (of information, mostly something to hand to a neighbor who may be having an RFI problem) and PRB-1 packet (of information, mostly something to hand to a zoning board officer who may be ruling on a prospective antenna installation)...lots of stuff.

It's easy to say, &quot;they've done nothing for me,&quot; but if that's true, then anyone who says this has really limited experience in amateur radio. There's a lot more to explore, and when you do, you'll find the League helpful in a variety of ways.

WB2WIK/6

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (kf6ueb @ Dec. 29 2002,16:48)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Thanks for the time you've spent with us here on QRZ. Your posts have been well thought out and your representation of the ARRL has been balanced.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Thanks, Rick. I try to post those things that others might find interesting or useful. And I try to behave, though over my years of posting on newsgroups and reflectors, I, too, have had to offer a few apologies.

I wanted to add that my participation here is personal. I am here because I want to be. I respond to the threads I want to respond to. I usually offer my views on threads that discuss ARRL because I know the organization well and think that the viewpoint of someone who works at HQ in the ARRL Lab might bring something to the table. Naturally, I won't use my position to undermine the policies and programs of ARRL, but you can rest assured that if I say something here it is because I personally believe it to be true.

Why, I even bet that at least once or twice, I have made Jim Haynie cringe!

73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI

 

I live 4 miles from ARRL. I will join soon!

Spence KB1JDK

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KB1JDK @ Jan. 02 2003,07:49)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I live 4 miles from ARRL. I will join soon!

Spence KB1JDK[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Hi, Spence,

If you are that close, have you ever stopped by for a tour? If you would like, visit HQ between 9 AM and 4 PM and I will personally be honored to show you around. It takes about an hour to go through the building and see the various departments. After that, you can go over to W1AW and operate for a while -- a lot of fun. Don't sign up for membership until you get your tour, though.

If you want me to be your tour guide, email me first at w1rfi@arrl.org to make sure I will be around that day and time. All of next week looks good. If you can only make it after hours, I can stick around, though the building is not as much fun when it is not fully staffed. (At 4 PM, the bulletins start, so W1AW operating wouldn't be allowed.) I have also been known to show up on weekends and when I find an out-of-state plate car in the parking lot, with a sad ham looking forlornly through the front glass, I usually let them know that the building is closed. I then give them the good news -- I have a key and if they can't make it back on Monday, I show them around anyway. It is really fun to see the expression on their face.

73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Lab

 

Now.....that...is REAL class..........AL/W8FAX