[600MRG] “It’s not real Ham Radio!”

[Neil Klagge]

Amen, Steve. Well said.

Sent from Neil's iPad....
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From: 600mrg-bounces at mailman.qth.net <600mrg-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of Steve WD8DAS via 600MRG <600mrg at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2018 8:58:45 AM
To: 600MRG at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [600MRG] “It’s not real Ham Radio!”


“It’s not real Ham Radio!” - oh I've heard that so many times in my career in amateur radio.  It is strange how some folks will declare that any branch of the hobby that they are not personally interested in is "not real ham radio".  In some cases over the years individuals and groups have even lobbied to change the regulations to prohibit those aspects of the hobby they don't like.

In my view, one of the strengths of amateur radio is the wide variety of activities happening under that overall hobby.  Experimentation in varied and unusual RF areas is a natural, but it also about how you can use the radio gear in a practical way to communicate, in both routine and emergency situations.  How cool is that?!

You can read the same stuff in the old magazines, even back to the 1920s... There will be contesters who decry the rag-chewers, low-banders who say that VHF/UHF work is not "real ham radio", and so on. There will be guys who like one mode who say the others are not worthy (SSB vs AM vs CW vs digital vs satellite, etc etc) and people who "just want to talk" who don't think much of those who like to build or repair gear (until their rig is broke).

When I was a teenager I was told ham radio was a serious, adult hobby.  When I worked AM I was attacked by SSB operators.  When I was into satellites I was told real ham radio relies on the ionosphere.  I even recall one time a guy visited our field day site and told me that working portable was not real ham radio.

Over the years I've been attracted to a very wide range of activities within the hobby and had a great time.  But I've never felt the need to put down those who liked other parts of the hobby, or those who were very "mainstream" in their tastes.  There is room for all of us in ham radio!


Steve WD8DAS

sbjohnston at aol.com
http://www.wd8das.net/
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