[AMRadio] watch what you say

[w8au at sssnet.com]

At 10:36 AM 1/30/2012, 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.
>
>the column was a cloying and sentimental account of the ham who got
>Rod (or maybe someone else) started, and his name really was Elmer.
>It caught on and after a year or two, "Elmer" had become a noun.   I
>am not wild about it either but you can't fight everything so I mostly
>ignore it and life goes on.

"Elmer" was a symbol for a geeky ham radio nerd with horn rimmed glasses
who stayed out of sight playing radio instead of doing social things and was
indistinguishable from the wallpaper on the wall.  And, like you, I 
didn't think
the typical ham radio "mentor" fit that description.

I know of such, but most mentors are radio club types and enjoy socializing
as long as it doesn't interfere with the DX contests. :-)

Perry  w8au