[MIham] from Editor of QST, 1919

[FSK]

I thought this would be an interesting topic!

Denver, Colorado, Oct. 22, 1919 -- QST
from Editor of QST, 1919.

Denver, Colorado, Oct. 22, 1919
Editor QST:

Herewith enclosed is a suggestion on which I would like to hear the opinions
of others in your magazine.

Ever since the earliest days of wireless, the many men and boys who have
undertaken to build their own sets or to operate any set, whether for
pleasure or for experimental purposes, that did not come under the
classification of Commercial or military work, have been termed "amateurs".

In all other lines of work, "amateur" means one who is either learning or is
not proficient in his work. Now can the people that are daily experimenting
and operating their own sets be rightfully called amateurs? Hundreds of men
and boys have sets that commercial companies might envy. Again, hundreds
more can operate their sets every bit as efficient as the man in the land
stations, ship stations, in the military and Naval Forces of the world, men
who are termed "Radio Operators" in fact many commercial operators could
well take lessons from some of our leading amateurs in operation of radio
sets.

Really now, are these so called amateurs, amateurs in the true sense of the
word?

An average outsider hearing the word "amateur" applied to somebody in the
wireless game naturally concludes that this person is a beginner, and looks
upon him as a "nut". Many unknowing land wire telegraphers, hearing the word
"amateur" applied to men connected with wireless, regard him as a "ham" or
"lid".

"Ham"! Possibly, but not probably. Men who can show many of them up when it
comes to receiving signals through static and other interference which
corresponds to working a "bad wire" in land telegraphy. Men who can send
signals twice as clear and readable as some of the land operators can send
their Morse. Men who understand the technicality of wireless and the working
of their sets and the subject of wireless in general. Whereas, nine out of
every ten land wire telegraphers in this country do not even know the
fundamentals and working of a simple duplex set, or a single wire repeater.
Yet these wireless men are termed "amateurs" because they operate their own
stations, and therefore the land wire man has a right to think this radio
man is a "ham".

I am speaking of the more advanced men in the game; men who have studied the
subject thoroughly and are experienced in the operation of their sets; not
necessarily the eleven year old boy who has just taken it up and has a set
consisting of a tuning coil, mineral detector and an old telephone receiver.
These boys are true amateurs of course but with an average amount of study
and experimenting will soon get out of that class.

Many men, previously Naval and Military wireless men, are coming back from
the war and are putting up their own stations for experimental purposes and
for pleasure. Are these men who have worked in some of the complex radio
stations of the world to be called "amateurs"?

I, for one, favor the abolition of the word "amateur" used in connection
with the wireless men of this country who own and operate their own sets.



What are opinions of others on the subject?

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