[Hallicrafters] CW and the ruin of amateur radio

[W5HTW at att.net]

George you have attempted to condense a very complex issue into a couple of
paragraphs.  You are right, though, in that ham radio lost its way.  You are
wrong in thinking it has a chance to find its way back to greatness.  There is
no chance at all.  

At first I was going to write a response on the list.  But the response is
long and can not be condensed into a length suitable for reflector publishing.
 So I will put it, along with your letter, on my web site, sometime today. 

Then I thought about that, and while I will leave it on the site, I decided to
send you a reply off list.  So I'll send that long version directly to you. 
It certainly is not a curt response, not a "flame."  

I kind of hate to see this list, or any other, become a forum like the ones on
qrz or eham, about cw/no-cw, as we will lose the interest in tuning in here to
learn about radio!  And that is the idea.  So I don't think I'll post further
regarding the politics of ham radio here.   I'll send the response to you. 
And it will be on my own web site later today.  

73 George, hope you find a hobby that suits you, just as we all may have to do
one of these days!

73
ed


--
Ed Brooks, W5HTW
http://w5htw.home.att.net/index.html
Active since June 1956 Extra since
Jan 1970
> I believe that the old timers are correct in the statement that ham
> radio was ruined when the FCC lowered the requirements.  It was then
> that many of these same potential mentors put the "if I had to learn it
> so should you" attitude to good use.  They abandoned the new No-Code
> Techs and left them on there own to try to become decent radio
> operators.  But with no active mentors who would actually associate with
> the lower class "No-Codes" they had no chance. 
> 
> I am an electronics engineer nearing retirement age and I have been on
> the periphery of amateur radio since I was 11 years old.  I still have
> my SX-146 that my Dad bought me.  Back then we had no idea that there
> was a medical reason why I couldn't learn the code but it was enough
> that it would keep me out of the hobby until the No-Code class opened
> up.  
> 
> I feel that I could have had a little to offer but I found what everyone
> else found....two meters had turned into another Citizens Band so I
> pretty much walked away.  I have been on the air maybe 10 times in the
> last ten years.  
> 
> It was a great hobby. It just lost it's way.  When we can get past the
> "Paid my dues" attitudes it may find it's way back to greatness.
> 
> Greg Schindler
> KD6HGF
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