Silence of the Hams

I watched the video, and I see little practical purpose in this exercise other than as entertainment. This is like the fox hunts in amateur radio. Mostly just fun and entertaining and competitive. Most hams will never ever be called upon to help the FCC track down a rogue transmitter, so little, if any, practical use in fox hunts. This video is even less useful for anything practical. This is in no way EMCOMM. Here in TX this week we have had a major category 4 hurricane decimate portions of our coastline. Houston was flooded, but big cities have the ability to take care of their communications on a scale that we hams can only drool over. But several of the small cities, especially those who encountered the eyewall, were devastated, cut off, and without power, internet, landline phones, or cellular. Where were the hams in their flying capes? The stupid Hurricane Watch Net closed operations almost before the eyewall was inland. I monitored them for a few days and rarely heard much traffic before Harvey made landfall. Where were the hams from ARES and RACES and CERT? Perhaps they were there, but I never heard a word about their operations if they were. Hams like to talk a big game, they like to tell everyone they are ready to fly in and save the day, but they almost never do. Partially because they really are not that well trained in many regions, and partially because modern gov't entities don't won't or need them. As I've said in the past, about the only agency that still uses hams in true EMCOMM fashion is the NWS which uses us via RACES as storm spotters. Almost all other call ups in RACES are to help out with some bikethon, walkathon, marathon, or name your favorite non EMCOMM activity. This video seems like that was all it was about, some non EMCOMM fun and games.

 

Given the title it would have been a bit humorous if no one had replied.

 

There is only one mode of operation with a flashlight and that is CW, and it was never used in the video. I am guessing it never occurred to the people who made the video that it was very disappointing to see that happen. In my view the exercise was a perfect demonstration of failure, and I haven't said that before because I was being nice.

So I think the negative comments have been reasonably polite. One of the reasons I was polite is because I thought the video was very well made and much of the initial content I enjoyed. I was once the coms guy for S&R (not ham) and I have seen that type of activity many times. I'm into APRS and I owned a modified Jeep for many years.. so I understand. But be assured it struck me as a strong indicator and an example of some of the current problems in our hobby. Learn CW and use it, simply because it can and sometimes does save peoples lives, not some code that nobody else understands and has very limited meaning or ability to convey information.

Some of you didn't like the polite but negative comments others have made.. perhaps now you can understand they were being kind.

 

I personally don't think that Chip W1YW was being rude in his comments. Some hamateurs have become hypersensitive to everything and try hard to be offended by everyone and everything they see and hear. Is there a safe place here on QRZ where the easily offended can go and hide?

I never watch videos or listen to podcasts here on QRZ or anywhere else on the interweb. I would rather be operating on the HF/VHF bands than to read about someone else operating, that's just me.

More and more hamateurs seem to be into making videos and podcasts about hamateur radio. If they find it enjoyable than more power to them. Maybe some are frustrated movie directors and producers.

As far as operating if a mode is partially moved along with the help of the interweb it's not hamateur radio to me. But if you feel that it is then more power to you.

 

No. I'm afraid some would not even then.

For some the purpose in complaining is apparently to try to assert that they are somehow brighter than others. Because they can find fault they are somehow more discerning.

I think it's a shame.

 

I like to listen to the 7290 Traffic Net in and around Texas quite regularly when I'm in the radio shack doing other things. They are on everyday and go through their EMCOMM and health and welfare routine with pretty big signals into central Florida.

As CAT 4 Harvey approached the upper Texas coast I heard few check ins into the net. After Harvey was ashore and dumping 50+ inches of rainfall, I heard no one at all on 7290 kHz. I presumed that they fled their dangerous coastal locations, were without power with no power back up system and/or flooded out.

A day or 3 later I did hear some stations on 7290 kHz from OK, AR and LA trying to pass health and welfare traffic into TX but there were still no TX stations in the affected area on the air.

It looked to me that when everything else failed so did hamateur radio EMCOMM. And don't misunderstand, I'm not criticizing the 7290 Traffic Net, it's just what often happens in emergency situations, including when most of the members are getting up in age and can't deploy.

More and more I believe that touting EMCOMM as a justification for hamateurs to occupy HF and VHF frequencies no longer holds water.

 

It could simply be that two groups expected different things from the video.
Those who were required to learn CW to get their extra license expected the flashlight to be used for CW.
While it would probably not even occur to those who got an extra license after the CW requirement ended, such as yourself? I don't know.
So the video would be enjoyable for the no coders and perhaps disappointing to those who were required to learn it.
It does not mean that those who were disappointed are mean spirited or judgmental.

Do you have any comments about the content of the video itself, or just those who are disappointed by it?

 

The guys made a vid and it looked like they had a blast that eve, they wanted to share it and posted it, kind of like how a lot of the world communicates these days....right or wrong, I'm sure we have all noticed this shift over the last 10 years or so. As far as it not being "News" about ham radio, Since when has any "News" actually been news? Take it for what it is, enjoy it or not, watch it or turn the channel, that's it.

Its a vid for crying out loud. To try and use this and other folks videos posted on QRZ as evidence of the decline of amatuer radio as you see it, and blast them because it does not meet your standards, may not be the best strategy in trying to rectify what you see as a negative, or to persuade others to see things how you see them.

How about you post up some news, or ideas, or memories in some vids, and share your knowledge with others, get them excited or interested in what you think is interesting?

To all who make and post the vids, good, decent, or ...bad. Keep them coming, keep refining, and thanks for sharing!

 

That would be a no-go now that flags are being banned. A rainbow flag may not work very well.

I wonder when the statue of liberty will be taken down.

 

How many of the participants are licensed amateurs?

 

We are training many new ham operators. We had very little time to teach CW on this op so we consolidated the language into a sentences that were coded on sheets within their instruction caches. But, morse code is definitely on the planning board.

 

Of the 600 Land Ops members about half are licensed radio operators. On this op about 80% were licensed hams.

 

Yes we are licensed amateur radio operators. You might not hear all the call signs since they are edited for video. Call signs are not required in video recordings.

 

Yes radios and yes hams. We are not required to use our radios in all situations. For example during the day we use mirrors to position and aim directional mesh nodes in line of sight over great distances. No radio, no ham means nothing

 

Now that's an idea!