Radio Hobby Magazines Meeting The Reader's/Subscribers Challenge! Re:[MilCom] Pop'Comm & Milcom Dec 2005

[Duane Mantick]

 There is a point I feel compelled to reply to here.....

-----Original Message-----
From: milcom-bounces+wb9omc=nlci.com at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:milcom-bounces+wb9omc=nlci.com at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ken
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2005 10:30 PM
To: Steve Douglass; milcom at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Radio Hobby Magazines Meeting The Reader's/Subscribers Challenge!
Re:[MilCom] Pop'Comm & Milcom Dec 2005

Steve & the group:

OVERALL SUMMARY:

Surely it's only a hobby & everyone has their opinions, etc....

However, just to set the record straight:

<snip>

Steve, I think if you mentioned a black project, etc. & than perhaps gave us
some 'potential' monitorable frequencies, that would strenghten your
column's presentation to be in line with the magazine's overall theme.

>>>>>If the gov't wants to keep a Black project under wraps, do you
really think they're going to openly communicate the fact on a
routine set of frequencies with unencrypted or at the very least,
"uncoded" communications?

>>>>>I can generally tell when something dark and stinky is passing
through because I can listen to the tankers go up and report some
number of contacts and how much fuel is passed, but you NEVER hear
a callsign....and the ONLY thing you hear coming from whatever
aircraft it is generally are "mic clicks"; one or two to indicate
an affirmative or a negative.  They are pretty well versed when it
comes to how to handle stuff when they know that there are folks
down here listening.  :-)

>>>>>(and, am I automatically just going to pop out to milcom and
report everything I hear?  If I think it is in my best interests
to keep my mouth SHUT, I will NOT report it.)

>>>>>I, for one, appreciate Steve's work and have since long before
I was ever part of Milcom.  I have NEVER felt that he did anything
other than truthful reporting of the best and most accurate information
that he could find.  If he has ever held anything back in the interest
of National Security I don't blame him ONE BIT.  Finding oneself in
jail is NOT a good way to serve either the "black projects" public 
OR the "monitoring" public.

>>>>>I further see no reason why he shouldn't be efficient and serve
both groups at the same time.  Why write the same story TWICE?  Or
three times or more, just to suit a small group of people who maybe
possibly are being overly picky?

>>>>>I think Steve does a fine job, and I support his work 100%.

>>>>>Anyone who feels that maybe he has under-reported information
or held something back that he shouldn't have or reported something
prematurely..........I invite you to go to the scene and see what YOU
can find out.  And then YOU report it, if you can FIND it.

>>>>>I think if Steve tells us something about a black project, or
even just an ALLEGED black project maybe that is a cue for all of 
us to sleuth the bands and listen up for ourselves instead of 
expecting everything to be handed to us on a silver platter.  That isn't
to say that people should never come to Milcom and ASK if anyone
knows a frequency for XXXXXX - on the contrary, if we cannot be a
resource to help fellow hobbyists what is the point of our existence?
But that kind of help really does not and cannot always come from ONE 
person - we SHARE information here on this list.

>>>>>As for his magazine articles specifically, again, I support
Steve's work 100% and having written a couple Amateur radio articles
that were published, I can tell you that as the Rolling Stones
sing "you can't always get what you want".  :-)  Magazines and similar
publications have certain realities regarding space and content
and just like any other author, Steve has to live with that.  It 
isn't easy having to whittle down a good article to meet the 
specific demands of a given publication; deciding what you can live
without is a difficult choice.

>>>>>I will suggest that we give the guy just a bit of a break....

Duane 
WB9OMC