[Drake] Drake's Welcome Too!

[Ed Brooks]

 Agreed , with Tony -  One of the truly bad things to happen to ham radio is the power
microphone.   CB radios were designed to prevent over-modulation in 'no matter what'
scenarios, and the results of adding a power microphone was the transmission of
background noise from the next door neighbor's cat, rather than improved power, as most
CBers seemed to think.  Ham radio, though, was designed with the belief (sometimes
wrong) that we know enough to adjust our modulation suitably.  We have more latitude,
and, as we have to admit, in some cases, that is unfortunate.  Those of us who operate
the older boat anchors tend to have learned what it was all about before the "automated
radios" took over.  And those of us who are just now getting into the older radios have
the interest and technical skills to learn how to use them properly.

However, the comments about "go change the caps and come back" is not a very helpful
comment.  If expressed that way to me, I would find it very derisive.  Constructive
criticism of my signal or audio is always welcome, but it should be done in a friendly
manner.  Recently I checked into a net and had not properly zero'ed the tx with the rx,
and the comment I got back was "those old Drakes always did drift, the receiver one way
and the transmitter the other."   Well, it was my error, and I admit it.  The comment,
though, showed a lack of finese, if nothing else!  (The Drakes, after an hour's warm up,
will sit dead on the Maritime Mobile Net for the next six hours without having the dial
touched, which is comparable to my  Icom.)

Certainly it is possible you did have problems.  And as Tony says, far too many hams are
today, with the political correctness with which we must live, very hestitant to give
anything less than a perfect signal report as far as quality.   A few days ago I gave a
man a RST of 577, and he thanked me for it, saying he knew his power supply on his old
Heathkit  needed some work and he was looking for a critical report.   That's how we
learn if "we done it right!"

Perhaps you did have an audio problem.  Maybe not.  But less-than-informative reports,
and negativity won't help you resolve the problem, or even know if you have one.  Try
again on the same band and frequency with someone else, under the same conditions, and
seek an "honest report."  If there IS a problem, be open, as you apparently are, to
working on it.  If there isn't a problem, you'll find that out, too, with a couple of
honest contacts.

Good luck!

Ed, W5HTW