[Lowfer] Navtex QRM 518 kHz-more - a bit OT

[Andy - KU4XR]

--- On Mon, 2/14/11, ToddRoberts2001 at aol.com wrote:

> I guess it goes to  show hobby listeners listening to
> a band aurally can find and help solve  problems that 
> might go unnoticed by automated systems. 
> 
> 73 - Todd WD4NGG
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It dosen't matter how " fool proof " the system can be made; the
fact remains that technology will never take the place of a 
living, breathing, human being !!!

In Jan. of this year, I ( silently ) celebrated 30 years in
aural broadcast radio work. I came thru spinning records, and 
playing cassettes, using carts, ( the newbies say WTH is a cart ?? )
into the " never heard it this good before " CD days, the first CD
player I used cost around 250.00, Then mini-disc started to show up,
But the day that caused me the most grief ( for a short time ) was
when the manager came in a told me They didn't need me anymore, and
showed me the " Black Box " that was going to replace me.. " PO-ed "
didn't even come close to describing how I felt.. The next station
that called me and asked me to help out while the owner was in the
hospital, had those da-mn-ed Black Boxes !! And for a short, and
albiet stooopid period of time, I thought I would make sure that 
stinkin thing went out the back door..After some frustration, and
lessons hard learned; the revelation came to me that " I'd better
learn to work with the computers, or they would forever work against me "
So I set out to learn more about that piece of equipment than the guy
who designed it... Well, I never made it that far of course; but I have
learned it well enough that there is almost nothing that happens to it
that I can't fix, hardware, or software.. and this thing still runs
on a DOS platform, which BTW is pretty darned reliable.. The lesson
I learned from the ordeal was that; " I AM REPLACABLE " and !! by a
machine at that !! BUT !! the good thing is that the machine will tear
up at some point, and they're gonna need somebody to fix it !!
So I learned it well enough that they wanted to keep me around, going
on 11 years now..Everything is automated from the studio to the 
transmitter, and I run, and fix it all when needed.. Someone else can
always replace me, but that is the point: There will always need to
be " Someone " around...

Exiting soapbox now... 73 all:
  

Andy - KU4XR