[Hallicrafters] Re: Nobody wants to be a "technician" anymore

[Bob Macklin]

I was in the USAF from 1952 to 1958.

In 1957 we started getting our first units with "PENCIL" tubes. I am
referring to the sub-miniature tubes with the wire leads.

Our standard soldering iron was an American Beauty 200W unit. Our standard
diagonal cutters we lineman's cutters.

We bought the Ungar woodburning tools out of our own money. You could not
replace those PENCIL tubes wit standard issue tools!

Bob Macklin (T/SGT)
K5MYJ
Seattle, Wa,
"Real Radios Glow in the Dark"
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Howard Weeks" <weeksh at wildblue.net>
To: <hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 5:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] Re: Nobody wants to be a "technician" anymore


> Prior to the middle 60s or so, the Army used to teach the theory
> supporting the repair of many communication items.  Before then, it
> was a good place to go to learn the basics.
>
> Starting in the late 60s, the bean counters and efficiency experts
> (?) got involved and they began to gut the courses.  Essentially,
> they do not teach the theory behind anything these days.  Basically,
> they teach the repairman to read the manual and follow the trouble
> shooting charts.  Without the manual, they are completely useless.
> With it, they are not much better.  Today, they are nothing more than
> "module changers".  Unless something has changed recently, and I am
> sure it hasn't, they do not teach system level trouble shooting or
> diagnosis.  With the increasing use of router and switch based
> digital communications systems, that is not a trivial problem.
>
> Today, the Army takes a truck load of contractors to the field with
> them to do the system level diagnosis and required repairs.
>
> It "ain't" what it used to be!
>
> Howard
>
> On 31 Mar 2008 at 19:05, Ron Lawrence W4RON wrote:
>
> > Yep I agree completely.
> > I've been working in the electrical, electronic, equipment
> > design field for more than 35 years. I started with electronics
> > class in high school, went to Air Force Crypto School,
> > took classes at the local community collage and learned
>
> Howard Weeks
> Harlem, GA
> K5JCP
> ______________________________________________________________
>