[AMRadio] watch what you say

[rbethman]

It really isn't worth fighting over.

I can't say that I had an Elmer either.  I had several mentors.

A group of us linked with one individual to get our Novice license.  We 
all went our separate ways once we got them.

I went after my General by myself, and had one whom I mentored to get 
his license, and found another that the two of us beat our CW heads 
together across the city to get up to speed in that area.

The two of us were running upwards of 30 to 35 wpm.  He ran a Curtis 
Keyer, and I ran the same Nye Viking straight key that I still have, and 
infrequently run.  Although I've broken it out and am getting my "ear" 
back.  I'm certainly not anywhere near the speed that I was at then.

The terms are similar, yet really the difference is in the closeness in 
contact and methods of teaching or assisting.

I see Elmer as more direct face to face and teaching by demonstration.  
A Mentor, in my mind, is more a less contact type of individual that 
encourages someone, and let's you do the work and effort.

No one ever showed me how to build dipoles.  I started by my self, and 
still make them today.

I have bought one, and only one in over 30 years.  It was an Alpha Delta 
fan dipole.  I paid a whole lot less than these $300 dipoles that get 
discussed.  The good coaxial feed lines were about average in that a 100 
foot one cost just a little less than $1 per foot, with factory applied 
connectors.  They were not crimped either.

Bob - N0DGN

On 1/30/2012 10:36 AM, Rob Atkinson wrote:
> "Elmer" came ouf of a "How's DX" column Rod Newkirk wrote in QST in
> the early 1970s, around 1972.  I remember the first mention of the
> elmer thing.  I don't recall the details but we have Rod to thank for
> that one.
>
>
>
> 73
>
> Rob
> K5UJ
>
> On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 9:24 AM, Bernie Doran
> <qedconsultants at embarqmail.com>  wrote:
>
>> A question, I never had an "elmer"  I had a menter.  Where did that come
>> from?