[ARC5] Interest in "command" sets - where is a new generation?

[mstangelo at comcast.net]

The Electronic Industry is still here, but software has replaced hardware.

Assembly went overseas a long time ago.

Hardware design is still local but the preferred development is by computer simulation, not breadboarding.

I'm a hardware guy still working in networking. These days networking is moving from hardware systems to virtual networking on commodity X86 based servers.

Unfortunately the Internet has replaced SSB ragchewing. I still enjoy working CW QRP and discussing our QRP equipment.

Maybe I'll meet you one sometime on 40 meters.

73,

Mike N2MS

----- Original Message -----
From: K5MYJ <macklinbob at gmail.com>
To: Michael Bittner <mmab at cox.net>, arc5 at mailman.qth.net, DSP3 <jeepp at comcast.net>
Sent: Thu, 19 Nov 2015 23:11:31 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Interest in "command" sets - where is a new generation?

I'm 81! I learned Radio/Electronics in the 50's with HIGH VOLTAGE stuff. 
REALL HIG VOLTAGE stuff. 45KW transmitters.

Bur I moved to solid state stuff in the 60's ( as a development engineer.). 
I have had some solid state ham gear but I prefer tube stuff. I still have 
some but have not used it in a year.

In the past year I have watched the week night activities on 40M declining 
as has the weekday activity on 20M.

The only time I was seeing any real activities was on contest days but I am 
not a contester. So I just stopped operating.

The United States electronic industry is mostly gone. Replaced by the 
software industry. "SV" used top mean "Silicon Valley" Not it might as well 
be "Software Valley". Most electronic development except for military has 
moved to Asia.

As a result I do not read the ham radio message lists very often. I do still 
have a 75M ARC-5 (ATA/ARA) pair that I was going to setup as a 75M AM 
station but figured it was a waste of time (and money)

Because of my age I cannot work CW anymore. Thought of using the computer 
but lost interest since there was so little activity on 40M.

Bob Macklin
K5MYJ
Seattle, Wa.
"Real Radios Glow In The Dark"