[CW] Qrl?

[David J. Ring, Jr.]

Several things get my goat about ARRL.  The "Straight Key Night" change is 
one of them.  I don't object to bugs, but they aren't the same thing.  They 
should either make it just straight keys, or change the name to "mechanical 
key night".

Since Mr. A.W. Deprato mentioned one of my pet peeves, I'll give you the 
others.  I do this mostly to show the newer people to amateur radio (new is 
defined in my case as 1965) what a fine organization we had in ARRL.

In 1965 the ARRL License Manual cost $1.00, adjusted for Consumer Price 
Index to 2006, this would be $6.43 today.  The manual consisted of the study 
material for the three (then) licenses, Novice, 
Technician/Conditional/General (same written test), and Amateur Extra.

The "ARRL License Manual" also included the full Part 97 of the FCC rules 
and regulations, plus extracts from the ITU Radio Regulations which applied 
to Amateur Radio.  All this for a buck.

The other ARRL publications were also about $1.00 to $3.00 - I guess the 
Handbook was around $6.00.

The Rag Chewers Certificate (RCC) was one of the first certificates earned 
by new hams.  They learned about it shortly after they received a packet 
from "The Little Print Shop" from Texas - and that packet usually arrived 
BEFORE your FCC license did, when the ARRL sent a "Welcome to Amateur Radio" 
packet.  They enclosed a flyer about ARRL, QST and other info.

Up until about 1978 or so, ARRL used to publish in "QST" what were 
"landmark" papers about radio - breaking stuff that was quite technical.  It 
used to stretch my brain.  I understood about half of it after reading, but 
then I read some more and understood some more.  I even used reference books 
to help.  I was an Amateur Extra, and 1st Phone and 2nd Telegraph Licensee 
at the time.  The articles about SWR, Vertical Antennas, Conjugate Matching, 
Long Delayed Echos were some of them.

In the late '60s to early '70s, QST used to publish "QST Extras" - which 
they used for extra technical stuff.  Some of the articles were mentioned 
above, but there were others.

Now in "QST" most of the meaty technical articles have been moved to "QEX" - 
I'd love for ARRL to allow us to choose:  Either "QST" or "QEX" - they won't 
because they make lots of money off the advertising in "QST".

Back in the 1970s it could take me a week to read "QST" and dig into the 
articles.  Now it might take me an hour to read the magazine.

Back then, I wanted to keep the old copies because they had valuable 
information.  Now it is mostly fluff, and I throw them away.

I wonder if ARRL would allow members to receive the CD-ROM once a year like 
they do for foreign amateurs?

73

David N1EA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Anthony W. DePrato WA4JQS" <wa4jqs at mikrotec.com>
To: "David J. Ring, Jr." <n1ea at arrl.net>
Sent: Sunday, June 11, 2006 1:50 PM
Subject: Re: [CW] Qrl?



>
>There IS a difference Mildred.  Bugs are semi-automatic machines.
>
>I think straight keys should be - well, errr, they should be "Straight 
>Keys"
>
>73
>
>David N1EA
>DR

man do i agree with you on this.. i just about did not operate the SK
night because of it.
73 nice to work u on six
Tony


Anthony W. DePrato  WA4JQS
QCWA  # 23602   10X # 3621
A1-OP FISTS # 10573  AMI # 1274
NCDXF # 1036 RNARS # 1309 SKCC # 1227
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