[Milsurplus] Strong Stomach Needed.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 11:59 AM, J. Forster<jfor at quik.com> wrote:
>
> View ONLY if you've not eaten today:

Wow. The dramatic line above left me fearing it was a video of someone
walking through a prop at an airshow! Obviously a
'less-than-collector-quality' radio to start with of no particular
rarity. And the guy clearly knows more about radio and electronics
than many of the holier-than-tho collector types I've come across. He
actually made the thing *function*, albeit not in the way most of us
would prefer to see.

Maybe it'll fire his imagination to find and operate a complete unit
in stock condition. That's what happened to me after coming into
contact (and badly hacking) my first Command set back in the late 70s.
Many pieces of nice, original gear have been saved and preserved
since, as a result of seeing one actually work.

Far more disturbing to me are the vast numbers of untouched rigs that
meet their fate in a dumpster or at the curb each day because someone
passed away and a basement/garage/storage unit yielded a bunch of
black metal boxes with zero apparent utility (to the 99% of people in
the world who end up dealing with the stuff).

It reminds me of the 'new hams don't know anything because ham radio
has been dumbed down' argument. I know a number of folks on this list
and elsewhere who provide public demonstrations and make it a point to
share their enthusiasm with the rest of the population. Rather than
lamenting someone who shares an obvious interest, it strikes me that
we'd be better served to encourage and invite them to join the fun. No
doubt some will always find themselves above that approach and other
unworthy.Youtube certainly provides a way to reach the masses. Rob's
videos provide an excellent avenue for showing the 'living history'
aspect.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4