[Boatanchors] No code

[Anthony W. DePrato]

>Roger KC6TRU
>It cost most Amateurs well over $500.00 to get started.

yes cost is up unless you go with used gear. but with the ebay thing even 
old gear is sky high. i just sold a S 40B to a guy just getting started for 
$40 bucks. could have gotten 3 times that on ebay. ugh. but that is not 
what it is all about.




>Cell phones are dealing us out of lots of emergency response activity.

this may be true somewhere but here in KY last three really big storms that 
hit . land line phones were out. cells were useless as they were over 
loaded and the systems crashed. ham repeaters were use for comm's even had 
a unit at the local police station as their system was down.

>You can have a computer and Internet connection for less than an Amateur
>radio station. Then you still need a computer and Internet connection to 
>do RTTY,
>digital modes, SSTV, and send in your contest log book.

well some of us old rtty guys do not need soundcards to get on rtty. i 
still have the chad flying when i want to. yes it takes some work to get on 
rtty and those who were on for years were a driven lot. but with the sound 
cards came a lot of new rtty guys and i am sorry to say a lot of lids. I 
have found if you do not work for something you really do not care that 
much about it.


>Every time someone suggest home brew and low cost AM you catch an ear full
>about using excess band width.


>  i still use AM have 5 classis stations i have restored and are on the 
> air. i agree that these HIFI AM boys sound good but they do not need to 
> be 10kcs wide.

What still drives me after 45+ years starting out as an SWL. is the thrill 
of setting in my shack and hearing or talking to someone half way around 
the world. my mind runs wild hi hi.. what is his town like ? what does he 
do ? and more. I recall as a 16 yrs old looking at my old world map and 
seeing an island group called the South Sandwich Islands. who lives there . 
what do they do ?
well 35 yrs later i lead a team of hams there and found out. VP8SSI.
I love ham radio always have and always will.
God Bess
73 Tony WA4JQS




Anthony W. DePrato WA4JQS
EXTRA - HEAVY CLASS
Since 1962
South Sandwich Island Antarctic Dxpedition Group
VP8BZL VP8SSI 3Y0PI V31SS ZD8JQS  WA4JQS/4K1 WA4JQS/KC4 WA4JQS/ZS1
CQ DX HALL OF FAME # 35
A1-OP  FISTS # 10573  AMI