[Elecraft] News covering Ham operations on Katrina damage...

[Jack Brindle]

Guys, realize that Motorola is taking a lot of heat from this  
article, especially from in-house hams. There are many. Ham radio has  
been important to Motorola for many, many years. There are quite a  
few hams at Motorola - a few years ago the list even included the CEO  
(George Fisher). Motorola has made many excellent technical  
contributions to ham radio and I know that ham radio technology has  
flowed in to Motorola on many occasions. So, they are well aware of  
the importance of hams and the things we are quite capable of doing,  
and how much we have contributed to the success of the company.

I understand that the article's author took the Screeden quote out of  
context, which seems par for the course, especially in the coverage  
of this disaster. Motorola has already issued an apology and correction.

So give Motorola a break. They really are good guys, trying to do the  
right thing.


On Sep 7, 2005, at 9:51 PM, EricJ wrote:

> Your post didn't include this quote from Mr. James Screeden who is  
> a Vice
> President at Motorola working in the field, drawing a salary, and  
> tending to
> the needs of his commercial accounts, NOT the suffering people of New
> Orleans.
>
> "The hams also get little respect from telecommunications-equipment
> companies, such as Motorola Inc. "Something is better than nothing,  
> that's
> right," says Jim Screeden, who runs all of Motorola's repair teams  
> in the
> field for its emergency-response business. "But ham radios are  
> pretty close
> to nothing." Mr. Screeden says ham radios can take a long time to  
> relay
> messages and work essentially as "party lines," with multiple parties
> talking at once.
>
> I think Mr. Screeden owes an apology for demeaning the hard work and
> dedication of those hams who go unpaid and unreimbursed to help in  
> this and
> other disasters. Mr. Screeden should be ashamed, Motorola should be  
> ashamed,
> and this mean-spirited insult should not go unanswered.
>
> You can contact the following person to let your views be known:
>
> Media Center
> Steve Gorecki
> Motorola, Inc.
> 847-538-0368
> steve.gorecki at motorola.com
>
> I think the ARRL should demand a formal apology from Mr. Screeden  
> and his
> superiors at Motorola, but I think every amateur radio operator should
> contact Mr. Gorecki and express your own thoughts.
>
> Eric
> KE6US


- Jack Brindle, W6FB
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