[AMRadio] Comment to a comment

[James Liles]

Hi Rob:

That was well stated.  

Kindest regards Jim K9AXN

-----Original Message----- 
From: Rob Atkinson 
Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 8:11 PM 
To: Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service 
Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Comment to a comment 

Hi Tom,

The point is not to "draw people" but to have a higher level of
technical competence.
Modern technology.  The problem with what is usually in the set of
items considered to be modern communications is that they are almost
always digital and software driven.  That's a problem because
software, even machine or assembly language code, is a mental exercise
in the sense a cross word puzzle is a mental exercise, but they
involve no physics.  Radio, in particular analog radio with discrete
components and vacuum tubes, showcases the physics of radio in a vivid
and explicit way (albeit sometimes dangerously so) and as science, is
a different sort of exercise, and activity.   Solid state devices
involve physics of course (condensed matter) but are more impenetrable
for the science is "buried" if you will, within microprocessors and
other integrated circuits.  There isn't the outward and visible sign
of something happening that I think makes electronics and radio in
particular exciting and interesting with older design circuits, and I
think CW has a role in this.   I think the growing interest in vintage
radio may be partly due to boredom with modern equipment on the part
of people interested in how a rig works, in addition to what it does.
I find most of the comments in the modern equipment forums seems to
focus on performance; not how a product works.  I would like for ham
radio to have more people interested in the latter, not the former.
I have communicated this position to my local ARRL elected officials.
At least one of them responded by labeling me an elitist.  I am okay
with that.  I am always working to improve my practice in the hobby
and do not see why it is wrong to encourage this in others, so if that
is what being an elitist is in their eyes, so be it.  Good for you in
showing young people radio.  If they are not interested, it is
probably because they identify with performance; not the science.
That is too bad but eventually you may find some people who find the
science of radio interesting.  If I hear you calling CQ I will be
delighted to come back to you.

73

Rob
K5UJ