[MRCA] Digital sigs on 5357 kc

[Garret Scott]

You are all missing the point. Today, HF Ham Radio is primarily a sport. 95% of the operators are not here for the technology, the history, to reach out to the young, or to teach. Neither are they on HF for emergency preparedness. Rather, they are on the air for the sport of it; to contest and prove they can do it more and faster, regardless of whom they walk over in the process.

I learned this the hard way dealing with the ARRL staff during National Parks On The Air, where they made it very clear that the whole effort was purely for the sport, and nothing else, even specifically comparing the activation of a brand new historical park to a baseball team, which they weren't going to allow, because they didn't like it since it was new, even though it fully met the rules. 

That park's history was that it dealt the final blows which ended WWII.  ARRL couldn't care less about that history, or the outreach to hundreds of people, children, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, War Veterans, citizens and dozens of hams putting hundreds of hours into it. No, all that mattered to the ARRL staff was that it was, in their singular dictorial opinion, a "good" contest.  This, from the top, from our leaders. The staff told me this, directly, and personally, in no uncertain terms.

That's it. Ham Radio, at least on HF, has to a large extent been distilled down to a contest, a sport, and little more.

Garret
W8BUG


On November 13, 2017 2:02:14 PM CST, Ken Downs <krtdowns at myfairpoint.net> wrote:
>Steve & All,
>I do not understand it either. It is my understanding that a "QSO" on
>these modes is basically just a callsign swap and perhaps 
>sig report or whatever - just enough to count for a wallpaper point
>(DXCC, WAC,  etc). Sure, they can make a "contact" with stations other
>modes can't hear, but is that worth hogging the frequency? In my book
>it is not (for the type of "contacts" they make), but there are many
>facets to ham radio, and I guess this stuff 
>is somehow rewarding to some folks.  I just don't get it. The resulting
>bad blood within the community is unfortunate.
>
>w1krt
>
>
>On Sun, 12 Nov 2017 16:54:02 -0800, "Steve kd3ht"  wrote:
>
>I don't understand the use on 60.  Have good enough propagation and
>efficiency, use of such a slow mode is idiotic.  Most of the guys
>aren't
>even sitting at their radio's using it, as is obvious by never hearing
>any
>query if the frequency is in use before it fires up.   Great mode for
>poor
>propagation or where efficiencies are an issue, like VLF and moon
>bounce..
>But, can't expect these JT65 wizards to understand that.
>
>Kd3ht
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-- 
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
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