Ham Radio is "faintly embarrasing?"

Grrrr...I didn't notice that comment on the paper version of the TIME european edition I got today, but after this I'm going to give a second thought, which foreign magazine I'm subscribing next year.

At least their timing is perfect, considering what is happening right now at Indian Ocean.

Haven't there been lively ham community in this country, Nokia would be still making rubberboots and toiletpaper. Not to mention the pool of skilled radio operators for communications and signal intelligence during WWII. With all respect to our russian friends, the nation would have been digging ditches in UA0 at least til' uncle Joe kicked the bucket.

 

Most hams that I know don't overtly advertise their hobby. I guess most figure that the antennas speak for themselves. Perhaps Mr. Grossman interprets this as 'embarrassment'.

Geek - and proud of it!

 

Here's the text of my email to Time magazine.



I am offended by Lev Grossman's characterization of ham radio as a "faintly embarrassing hobby" in his Blog of the Year.  

Ham Radio operators, of which I have been one for 47 years, are currently providing emergency communication in the aftermath of the earthquake.  Similar public service has been provided in many other situations, including the recent Florida hurricanes.  Our systems include thousands of repeaters throughout the US, interfaces with the Internet, slow-scan TV, data communications, microwave systems, our own earth-orbit satellites, and more.

Ham Radio provides opportunities for young people to enter into the electronics world (at age of 13 I became a ham, and my experiences led me to a subsequent engineering degree).

Ham Radio bridges the gap between countries and peoples - Over 3/4 Million in the US, and many, many others overseas.  I myself have communicated with well over 1300 hams in 172 countries in just the last 18 months.

Mr. Grossman's attempt at cleverness was not appreciated.

 

Faintly embarrasing, eh?

Well, this is an age when it appears to be the prevalent value to get yours first and forget anyone else. I suppose a bunch of 'social misfits' who willingly turn out in bad weather and during disasters to help the less fortunate and who have no expectation of gain as a result probably ARE faintly embarrasing. It's just too bad we haven't embarrased more people into imitating us, isn't it?

73

kc0ljb

"What do you mean? A barbed wire fence tunes up just fine!"

 

Yet another clown making statements about which he knows little or nothing.

 

Yep, this does it for me. Their first big mistake was chosing Dubyah as "man of the year". And now this.

Well, I hear the "man of the year" issue sales have really slumped, so serves them right. Hardy har har.

Lee
W6EM

Hey, how bout a new meaning to the old phrase, "Time Out" ?

 

Actually, both hobbys are being helpful with the recent flooding from the Tsuanmis in the Indian Ocean area.  We are (stamp collectors and hams) helping with health and welfare traffic and timely passing of information.

We use airwaves, the stamp collectors help the postal service.  Our way gets it there accurately and pretty fast.  The postal service is ...... ok, it will get there <s>  soon </s>  sometime.  TIME publishes weekly with whatever comments they can fit between advertisements.  My vote is for TIME being most embarrassing.

 

HELLO - freedom of the press.

K6BBC

 

Gentlemen...We shouldn't be so concerned about these things. In 30 years the world will still know Ham Radio... will it know Lev Grossman?

 

wb9gkz: I'm not sure where you came up with this idea of ham radio being built upon white male culture but You should know that there are many non-white hams in the U.S. and worldwide. Even so, I'm not concerned with the racial make-up of the majority of hams. It's not about race it's about communication, learning, experimentation and all of those things that attract many people of, yes, diverse backgrounds.

We can't control the stereotypes of some in the community who haven't really experienced what amateur radio offers, but through our actions we can educate. Some out there may consider it an odd hobby and likely know little of the service aspects. Keep doing the positive things and enjoy what we have and don't be shy about letting those good things be heard.

73

 

I must be reading it wrong, but it says that ham radio is not embarassing, what in the world is wrong with that statement?

I just don't get your point.

Gill

 

Hey guys chill out. People have been makine cracks about ham radio for years. A couple that come to mind and has been used on the Drew Carey show a few times.

Drew's parents move back into the house and he is panicking. One of his friends says, "So your parents moved back in so what." Drew says, "I'm 40 years old living with my parents, all I need is a Ham Radio and I'll be all set!"

The second one I recall was said by Howard Stern. A really good looking woman said to Howard, "Howard you should be able to get any woman you want". Howards reply," Yeah, everyone thinks this show gets me women but this isnt TV, what I do for a living is about two notches above Ham Radio".

Now, was what Time Magazine printed all that bad?

73,

Mike

 

Have you SEEN the typical ham (or smelled him?) I'm more than "faintly embarrassed" to call these people my peers.

 

This is what I sent Time:

Dear Time,

You recently published (online; elsewhere??) an article about George
Bush being 2004 Person of the Year.

Within this article, you wrote: Power Line Named Blog of the Year:
TIME also names Power Line its Blog of the Year. "Before this year,
blogs were a curiosity, a cult phenomenon, a faintly embarrassing
hobby on the order of ham radio and stamp collecting.

I am completely offended that you would call amateur (ham) radio an
embarrasing hobby.

Amateur radio played a vital communications role in this year's
hurricane season in Florida, as it has in the many season's before.
Amateur radio played a vital communications role when the F-5 tornado
hit Oklahoma City a few years back.

If there is no power, no phones and your cell phone won't work and you
have to communicate, and you're too embarrased to call a ham, then I
might suggest smoke signals.

Who's embarrased now?

Sincerely,

David M. Carney, N1ZHE

 

This from someone who knows nothing of Amateur Radio, if he'd bother.....Walter Cronkite is among us, so I dont give this moron Grossman much credit, just another Libral PYSDO INTELLECTUAL.........they dont read enough..........