Musings of an Ex-Ham
By ham I mean, of course, an Amateur Radio Operator. The fact of the matter is, that I still love radio. I love the technology, the idea of it - the ability to communicate over vast distances without wires! This has always turned me on. Before the Internet came along, ham radio was just about the only way for an ordinary citizen to communicate with other ordinary people around the world. Of course, many extraordinary people were hams as well. Barry Goldwater, Senator from Arizona, was a passionate ham, as was King Hussein of Jordan. I had the pleasure of hearing both of these men on the air in real time. It was a great thrill.
Ham radio also brought me into contact with a lot of local friends and acquaintances, especially in the 70’s and 80’s and into the 90’s. I developed some great friendships with local hams, got involved in clubs, newsletters, Field Day outings, Boy Scout Jamborees on the Air; it was all a great way to spend time and to learn some things about electricity and electronics.
I operated all the modes available to me at that time, from CW (using Morse code) to satellites and television. In retrospect, I think I got the most joy from my CW contacts. This was primarily because it was the only mode available to me initially as a Novice amateur. But even when I moved up to General and then to the Advanced Class, I don’t think I ever had as much fun as when I was pounding out the dots and dashes on a straight key using a simple Heathkit HW-16 transceiver. I worked the world and was excited about building my own antennas and other accessories. Good times!
Eventually my computer activities and the Internet, along with a move to the city relegated my ham activities to the background and eventually oblivion. My ham license expired because I neglected to keep it up. I sold all my equipment -even things I swore I would never let go, like my beautiful, Central Electronics 200V all-mode transmitter.
Now, in my dotage, I find myself attracted once again to the beauty of amplitude modulation, vacuum tubes, and the mystery of long distance radio communications. Hence the collecting bug that has lain dormant so long, but recently exploded all over our house (to Robbie’s dismay!).
I even think sometime that I might want to get my license to operate again! But then I listen to what is on the bands these days and reconsider. The same conditions that contributed to my giving up hamming in the first place continue today and in some ways are even worse. The partisan, discourteous, lowbrow behaviours are as evident now on the ham bands as they ever were. I find I have little in common with most of the hams I hear on the air. They tend to be ultra-conservative, obnoxious and profane. I know there are conventions about what is appropriate to discuss on the air, if not rules! But it seems anything goes these days, and I have no interest in getting back into that.
I realize not all hams are like this, but enough of them are that it puts a bad taste in my mouth as I listen. I like the AMers more than the big guys on SSB. There seems to be an appreciation for the mode that evidences itself in a more respectful and entertaining strain of discussion amongst the practitioners of “Angel Music,” as we used to call it! Besides, this is where my older tube-based receivers work the best!
Ham radio also brought me into contact with a lot of local friends and acquaintances, especially in the 70’s and 80’s and into the 90’s. I developed some great friendships with local hams, got involved in clubs, newsletters, Field Day outings, Boy Scout Jamborees on the Air; it was all a great way to spend time and to learn some things about electricity and electronics.
I operated all the modes available to me at that time, from CW (using Morse code) to satellites and television. In retrospect, I think I got the most joy from my CW contacts. This was primarily because it was the only mode available to me initially as a Novice amateur. But even when I moved up to General and then to the Advanced Class, I don’t think I ever had as much fun as when I was pounding out the dots and dashes on a straight key using a simple Heathkit HW-16 transceiver. I worked the world and was excited about building my own antennas and other accessories. Good times!
Eventually my computer activities and the Internet, along with a move to the city relegated my ham activities to the background and eventually oblivion. My ham license expired because I neglected to keep it up. I sold all my equipment -even things I swore I would never let go, like my beautiful, Central Electronics 200V all-mode transmitter.
Now, in my dotage, I find myself attracted once again to the beauty of amplitude modulation, vacuum tubes, and the mystery of long distance radio communications. Hence the collecting bug that has lain dormant so long, but recently exploded all over our house (to Robbie’s dismay!).
I even think sometime that I might want to get my license to operate again! But then I listen to what is on the bands these days and reconsider. The same conditions that contributed to my giving up hamming in the first place continue today and in some ways are even worse. The partisan, discourteous, lowbrow behaviours are as evident now on the ham bands as they ever were. I find I have little in common with most of the hams I hear on the air. They tend to be ultra-conservative, obnoxious and profane. I know there are conventions about what is appropriate to discuss on the air, if not rules! But it seems anything goes these days, and I have no interest in getting back into that.
I realize not all hams are like this, but enough of them are that it puts a bad taste in my mouth as I listen. I like the AMers more than the big guys on SSB. There seems to be an appreciation for the mode that evidences itself in a more respectful and entertaining strain of discussion amongst the practitioners of “Angel Music,” as we used to call it! Besides, this is where my older tube-based receivers work the best!