[Milsurplus] [ARC5] responsibility to our posterity

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 5:49 PM, J. Forster <jfor at quik.com> wrote:
> But do you put the failures in a museum?

First it depends what is considered a failure vs a variation,
adaptation, or just a step along the way. I suspect just as many folks
who modified gear for use on the ham bands would look at idle,
inoperable gear and those who collect it and allow it to remain so as
failures. Maybe the Type K sets could be considered failures since
they never made it to production. Thankfully they're preserved.

Then is depends what the museum is. If it's a museum purely devoted
the the AAF or Navy and its equipment, probably not unless for a
postwar comparison. If it's a museum about amateur radio, radio in
general, American technology and innovation, etc etc, you'd be stupid
not to. After the war, surplus gear played at least as big of a role
in the development of not only amateur radio but budding techs and
engineers as it did for communications during the war. In fact, it's
life expectancy in combat was pretty brief.

You don't have to embrace something to acknowledge and respect its
role in history. It's somewhat funny and in a way sad to see some of
the comments about a hobby/past time looking down their noses at other
aspects. Elitism or otherwise being so sure that your view is right
and everyone else's must be wrong is alive and well in the radio
hobby. Must admit though, this is the first time I've seen a modified
radio compared to having a relative in the KKK. A radio modified by a
new ham wanting to get on the air vs a guy hiding in sheet scaring and
killing people. Seems pretty extreme, I must've missed something. (o:

Gordon, your comparison of race car types is a perfect analogy. From
the purpose-built racers to the stock cars modified from show room
condition to track, it's all part of the history and deserves to be
preserved as such.  Fortunately there are still enough broad-minded
folks out there to see to it this happens.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4