[AMRadio] Extra Class isn't dumbed down? (was Viking 1)

[Rob Atkinson]

This kind of thing has been going on for a few years, since FCC
allowed the exam Q and A pool to be  public and software to enable
test taking by memorization, along with the elimination of the 2 year
licensed requirement before even being able to apply for Extra.

Then they eliminated the CW requirement and that threw open the doors
to anyone and everyone who wanted to have a ticket right away without
having to go through all that junk involving understanding
electronics, and learning the code, how tedious and boring, and the
result is "One Day Wonders" with 2 letter call signs who tell you what
their "personal is."

There are two ham radios:  One is a glorified form of CB, and is found
in most of QST, CQ, and indoors at Dayton, the other is the Flea
Market Ham Radio, found outside at Dayton and in ER.

Rob
K5UJ

On Mon, Dec 21, 2015 at 3:29 AM, Donald Chester <k4kyv at charter.net> wrote:

>
> I can raise you one on that. Look in the latest issue of QST, January, 2016,
> in the middle of page 66.
>
> An EXTRA CLASS ham writes that he purchased a 20m dipole, then decided to
> extend the lengths of both legs to make it resonant on 40.
> He found it worked just fine on 40m, but he could  no longer use it on 20,
> where the SWR had become extremely high.  He wants someone to explain why he
> lost operation on 20m after lengthening the dipole to make it resonate on
> 40.
>
> Sheesh! I'd be totally embarrassed to have my call sign published with that
> letter, archived for public view, for all eternity. The guy who writes the
> column should have at least kept it anonymous.
>
> Don k4kyv