"Ham Radio for Dummies" - Released!

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (w0dz @ April 15 2004,12:37)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">[
And on topic...Ward, good luck with the book. I do wonder what it will take to get true hams back into the hobby - people who want to do public service or learn radio and electronics or have fun communicating with people around the world, as opposed to people who were looking for a cheap alternative to cell phones. Hope your book will serve to do that.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
well said--For the record I think the book is fine-------to answer your cogent "wondering"---droping the code and dumbing the ars down to zero isn't going to help anyone...soon we'll have another book for dummies to tell the dummies how to work the first book. Then instead of licenses we'll just sell the radios and have the FCC issue an immediate apology to everyone for ever insinuating that anyone should have to test on anything....I dreamed we had a hobby at one time.....sad......the arrl sold us all out.

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (K3ESE @ April 15 2004,11:53)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">What's kind of amazing is the number of respondants to this thread who look only at the cute, marketing name of this very popular and successful series of "...for Dummies" books, and instantly take extreme, uninformed umbrage at what they infer to be aspersions on the hobby. These books are nothing more or less than clearly written, user-friendly guides to beginners at anything. Nothing "dumb" about them at all. This is not true, though, of those who go off half-cocked at something about which they know practically nothing, to wit: the content and intended audience of this fine effort. To them I say, "What helpful elmer books have YOU published lately?"[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
What Lloydbert said!

73 Calbert K4JSR

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (K4JSR @ April 15 2004,18:56)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (K3ESE @ April 15 2004,11:53)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">What's kind of amazing is the number of respondants to this thread who look only at the cute, marketing name of this very popular and successful series of "...for Dummies" books, and instantly take extreme, uninformed umbrage at what they infer to be aspersions on the hobby. These books are nothing more or less than clearly written, user-friendly guides to beginners at anything. Nothing "dumb" about them at all. This is not true, though, of those who go off half-cocked at something about which they know practically nothing, to wit: the content and intended audience of this fine effort. To them I say, "What helpful elmer books have YOU published lately?"[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
What Lloydbert said!

73  Calbert  K4JSR [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Well, let's see....
 There was "Dipoles for Dummies"
 The popular "Dummy Loads for Dummies"
 The hair-raising thriller "High Voltage for Dummies"
 The beginning CW book "Dits for Dummies"
  And of course, the other follow-up, yep, you know what's coming don't cha "Dahs for Dummies"
 The popular book on collecting front panel tuning fixtures "Knobs for Nerds"
  Amplifier operation and care "Tuning for Twits"
  The book of tower and antenna maintenance, co-written by a famous cartoon character "Climbing Towers for Fun and DOH! Oww! Profit. DOH! Owww!"
 
  The story of George Ohm "He loved her so much, he just couldn't Resistor"

  Listen guys. Lighten up. Get a sense of humor. I am glad someone has done this and has found a way to profit from the decline of amateur radio. At least some good comes out of it. Someone's life will be enriched and better. Maybe it will help others out there.
But I did bother to go read the excerpt from the book and found nothing there that has not been said or published before. Many times. There is no new info here. Only a cutesy way of showcasing the info. Gimmickry.
 And are those the kind of persons we wish to attract to the hobby? The people that are impressed by shiny knobs and flashing lights? Are the new rigs now going to have happy faces for dials?
 That reminds me of CB. Not too long ago they were all impressed by BLUE coax cable. Did not matter what the stuff really was or how it performed but it was BLUE! So it must have been good.
  Individuals. Serious, thinking, intelligent individuals, do not need this crutch to learn about or gain introductory knowledge about amateur radio.
  Sigh.....flame on......

  KL7FZ

 

" Sigh.....flame on......

KL7FZ "

...and give you more posts to respond to in your curmudgeonly, negative way? Nah...don't want to take up your valuable time, keeping you from QSL writing.

 

I think the idea for the book is great! KL7FZ is ok in my book....Hes a cat person! - KJ7XJ Tacoma,WA

 

Well, I have to agree with KL7FZ and W9WHE. I don't begrudge N0AX success in his publishing venture, but I think there are plenty of places out there for the newbies to get basic information on ham radio. Now that the Boys in Newington have gotten their wish and filled up our ranks with instant hams, I think it is time to move 'em up the learning curve abit...73 de Jay N3DQU

 

Ward, Good job!!!!

I am going to the bookstore and order 2 of these books one for me and one for a friend I am trying to get interested in ham radio.  

Its unfortunate that we have self absorbed, arrogant people such as KL7FZ that live to "beat up" someone that promotes our hobby.  It’s not the new hams that read "Ham Radio for Dummies" that we have to worry about its people like you KL7FZ.  Fortunately people on the air rarely seem to be so negative.

Some people need to understand that Ham Radio is not a way of life, its a hobby, this means that the guy with just a 2 meter hand held that gets on the radio just once a month is just as much a "Ham" as the guy that spends his whole life hiding behind a microphone.  After all they both have licenses issued by the FCC.

So what if this book is part of the Dummies series, many technical subjects are published in the .... for Dummies series.  Everyone can afford to learn something.  If someone was truly a "Dummy" they wouldn't even bother to buy this book, instead they would just buy the ARRL FCC Q&A book and just study the questions pool or just take the mock test exams on this website over and over again until they were ready.

QRZ.com is an excellent forum with lots of good info if you can read between all the flames but I think there has to be a better way of keeping these forums under control.  "Self Policing" seems to be fairly effective on the airwaves so why can't it work here?   Honestly I can't even refer this website to people that are interested in becoming hams because after seeing the crap that goes on in some of these posts they want nothing to do with our hobby.

Ward... Thanks again, you are an asset to this hobby.

Mike
Tacoma, WA

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N3KPU @ April 16 2004,13:46)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Ward, Good job!!!!

I am going to the bookstore and order 2 of these books one for me and one for a friend I am trying to get interested in ham radio.  

Its unfortunate that we have self absorbed, arrogant people such as KL7FZ that live to "beat up" someone that promotes our hobby.  It’s not the new hams that read "Ham Radio for Dummies" that we have to worry about its people like you KL7FZ.  Fortunately people on the air rarely seem to be so negative.


Mike
Tacoma, WA[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Actually  I am going to suggest to our local club that we purchase several copies and give them to the local libraries. Maybe even to the school libraries as well.

That way, I can sell more copies of MY new book. "Libraries For Dummies".

You see, while you are focused on me, and my supposed arrogance, the dummies are sneaking in the back door behind you. It all part of my elaborate plot to take over ham radio. Because dummies are easily lead. They can be a powerful force when an appropriate leader unites them. Take an example from the lemmings! They will run over anything in their way to get to the cliff.  

 It's all just part of my plot. And you just fell right into it.
  Welcome aboard!
  You have been assimilated!

   KL7FZ

   BTW: You really need to get a copy of my wonderful publication "Satire and Parody for Dummies"

And please remember, that the person who wrote the ham radio dummies book is an ARRL insider. And you remember who they are? The guys who are making money off you! And the very same organisation that is selling ham radio down the road. To make money off it.
You really need to remember that.  

Maybe we need an "ARRL for Dummies" The cover can show the little tech lemmings rushing toward the cliff labeled "IL". (You have to be a ham to know what IL means)
 FZ

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KD7ZNL @ April 14 2004,06:10)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I am more and more convinced that there are people in the Hobby who take the "Club" aspect of it so seriously that they're rather make Amateur Radio their own, private, exclusive we'll-let-you-in-if-we-think-you're-worthy-no-matter-how-smart-you-are private club. It's the only way that I can think of that explains some of the comments about this book.

The whole series is called ".. for Dummies", people!!!!

For the benefit of the clueless: the idea behind the "... for Dummies" series (as explained to me by the publisher) is that a topic is chosen by the publisher, they go out and find one or more experts in the subject, and write the book in such a way that someone who has never heard of the subject can understand it.

Yes, the books are very "watered down"... on some subjects I actually know about, the books feel downright stupid. So there are going to be a lot of fellow Hams out there who are going to feel insulted that this book exists... .. well guess what... if you already know Ham Radio, YOU ARE NOT THE INTENDED TARGET FOR THIS BOOK or ANY of the books in this series!!!!

And don't criticize the books until you read it... in fact, go to the publisher's website at http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesTitle/productCd-0764559877.html and read the 10-page Excerpt of Chapter 1 (caution: it's in Adobe Acrobat)... THEN you can come back and criticize the book all you want.

Then again, when I think about it... you'll criticize the book, as well as anyone who doesn't become an Amateur Radio Operator exactly the way you did and operates the exact same way you do with the exact same equipment you have and in the exact same bands/modes you do.  People like you are the ones who can doom this Hobby.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I read just about every post and reply in this thread and just as I was about the "jump in", i read this post!

I'm saving my brain cells, cos KD7ZNL summed it up perfectly! I honestly could not agree more! Our hobby can ill afford to be like a Country Club for nerds, with some of the "elite" looking down their noses at newer members who aren't up to their lofty standards!

The changes in FCC regs were inevitable and most of them were for the better! I had no trouble passing the code test when i came in in 1991 as a "true" novice, but it's not truly necessary to be a Ham!

Some of this back-and-forth about changes and the "dumbing down" of the hobby is about important issues, but quite a bit of it is about some folks' need to disparage newcomers! You see that in any organization, church, club or workplace! And while it's occasionally understandable, more often than not it's just someone "giving grief" to the "newbies" cos they just like to do that! There's nothing too surprising about that, you see it in any setting!

Anyhow, KD7ZNL summed it up perfectly! I said there was no need for me to add anything, but i did! What can i say! I may be "piling on" but I just couldn't hold back! Thanks for expressing what i'm quite sure many, many hams were feeling!



73 from Orlando

"Bulldog Ben" Basile
KC4WWJ

 

Just to set the record straight, I am not a salaried employee of the ARRL.  If I am an ARRL "insider", it is because I chose to show up and contribute items of value and participate in the organization's activities.  Anyone can be an "insider" by doing just that.  If one chooses to view that as somehow wrong, then I think it reflects more on the holder of the view than on those who volunteer or the organization.

Anyone that wants to make ham radio better has no shortage of opportunities to make the effort.  In fact, the very forum in which our views are exchanged is made possible by individuals that are making a conscious decision to forego more financially-rewarding activities in favor of maintaining QRZ.com.  One can choose to take advantage of those opportunities by contributing signal or by raising the noise level.  It's easy to tell the difference and I'm confident that I've made the right decision.

73, Ward N0AX

 

How dumb-down does a newbie to ham radio have to be? Now theres a book that tells you that. Gee whizz what happen to the ARRL.

 

I understand the next book is going to be Civilized Behavior For Extra-Class Dummies.

 

Stephen -
You're right. Some people just dont understand satire.

 

This book can help with studying for your test when you dont understand somthing.

73

KC0RKG

 

Ham Radio For Dummies
"but not after you finish the book!"- should be the subtitle.

Great idea brought to fruition!