[Elecraft] O.T.: End of (another) era

[Jim Lowman]

Hi Dave,

On 7/16/2013 6:42 AM, Dyarnes wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> But CW is a conundrum.  It takes skill!  That is what seems to be 
> disappearing from ham radio!  Look at the decline in the ability of 
> the average ham to build his/her own gear, let alone repair it!  
> Admittedly, the radios we buy these days don't lend themselves to DIY 
> repair, mainly due to the advanced technology of things like SMD's, 
> etc.  These days, if you have a problem, it usually means swapping out 
> an entire board rather than replacing a single part.
This is one reason that I didn't pursue electronics as a career.
Back in the early 70s I was in the Air Force, working on FAA-style air 
traffic control radar systems.
One unit that I worked on was tube-based, with probably 100 or more 
adjustments to keep it properly aligned (per channel - there were two of 
them).
While the most common cause of problems was tube failure, we were 
required to troubleshoot and repair to the component level.

Fast forward a couple of years, and we had installed a completely 
solid-state/digital auxiliary system.  The only adjustment was the +5V; 
not that we ever had to touch that after installation.
If anything failed, we had a flowchart to follow to determine the most 
likely *board* that was the problem!  Power down, swap the board, power 
up, see if the problem disappeared.
We were specifically prohibited from attempting to repair these boards 
in the field.
>
> The absence of a mandatory level of CW proficiency has clearly reduced 
> the level of CW activity--except in contests!!!!! Interestingly, 
> though, now that CW is no longer mandatory, a lot of newer hams (and 
> some old ones too) seem to be having some sort of epiphany about the 
> virtues of CW, and are voluntarily taking it up.  Very interesting!!!
I'm no psychologist, but it seems that humans respond more favorably to 
discovering things on their own, rather than being forced to do so.
Heck, as afar as I'm concerned, anything to further my favorite mode of 
communication on the radio.
>
> The bottom line is that technology is apt to change everything! It 
> might even substantially wipe away ham radio all together!  It 
> certainly has distracted newcomers who now seem to be nearly totally 
> focused on computers. I have some serious concerns about the survival 
> of ham radio itself, but for now, I think the biggest threat is CC & 
> R's!  Hi.
You got that right!  It's becoming almost impossible to find a new home 
without CC&Rs.
We're planning a final move in the next few years, possibly to 
KH6-land.  My two challenges to the realtor:  no CC&Rs and no HOA.
>
> Dave W7AQK
73 de Jim - AD6CW