[Drake] Honesty

[W2WU]

All:
Truth wins friends and friends are better than "Pink Cards" from FCC or O.O.
notices. Derisive comments impart a negative impression to the SWL and
public in general.  Unfortunately, the public puts credence and memory into
"bad apples".  If the problem warrants technical criticism that lay people
may misinterpret, (and they will), put it on the telephone or a secure
VHF/UHF frequency.
Follow the Amateur Code & all win.

Manufactures, Vendors and Salespeople  bear onus for promulgating false
technical data and supplying equipment causing transmissions less than "good
engineering practice."  <W2WU>
----- Original Message -----
From: Ed Brooks <Ed.brooks@att.net>
Cc: <drake@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: 21 January, 2002 10:40
Subject: Re: [Drake] Drake's Welcome Too!


> 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
>
>
>
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