why do ham operators act like they are so darn special and act so stuck up

Just remember, more power equals better! Oh, wait... You can talk around the world on five watts? Huh...

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Hmm.. In the 80's, chances are it was more CB radio operators than Hams.. That was the hayday of CB if you'll recall.

 

Afraid that is true of much of ham radio.

 

What roots would those be?? All the way back to the days of Marconi, spark gap contacts, tube radios, multiple morse keyers on each desk?? That ---...-.-- isn't even a word. The most dits or dahs a letter can have is 4.. If it's five characters, it's a number.. Or a pro-sign.. The purpose of those dits and dahs is this... They get through when nothing else can.. Low power, long wires, and a little spark and you're working the world.. Have a listen on the low parts of most ham bands and you'll still hear plenty of it out there.. Some of it's computer generated but, with a good ear, you can still tell the guys that are using thier manual keys.

Ham radio operators have brought a LOT of tech into the world, that's for sure. Last I saw, two old code operators can still out text a couple of teenagers.. The code operators using morse code keys, the teens using cell phones.. Why?? Because the code operators can talk and listen at the same time (duplex) where the cell phone users have to wait until the other person hits the send button before making thier response..

 

I think I didn't explain it well enough, the problem is since 9/11 and Katrina, Hams have taken a back seat or eliminated out of any general disaster relief by the choice of the government. True that some, not all, who show up with a vest and radio may know more about what to do or part of a community that reassures the immediate group of people they are dealing with that things will be alright but the mess that came out of the militarization of our public service organizations limits participation to those who are officially sanctioned. Even in the 50's under the Civil Defense programs, it was better to have public direct participation cooperating with the public service people than to have the public service people run the complete show and qualify certain people to help or assist.

Agreed, even making contact beyond the moral and welfare calls should be allowed but as I stated, it is more of a mess now than ever before.

Nope they were hams, you can tell by the license plate or the antennas, no 11 meter antenna were like 2 meter antennas.

 

I think Ridgeline pretty much has it right. I started out on CB a friend talked me into taking the ham test. Which by the way in 1987 was I believe a 25 and 35 question test you had to take 2. A few months later I went back and took my CW test (Morse code)and since then upgraded to general class which is another test and back then more CW. Now the only complaints I have about CB is the few that operate in the ham bands, on frequencies that I had to work for to use. Otherwise I feel that 11 meters is an extremely useful tool. As for the use in emergencies some hams are over zealous and annoying. I am a 911 paramedic and in an emergency situation I go into medic mode not ham mode. Radios no matter what frequency or who operates them, have a lot of uses and can do much good. So don't bash the bands or the people who use them properly. To put it straight there are good CBers good hams, and there is idiot CBers and idiot hams. We are all created equal.

 

ham operators, of which I am one, MUST police our allotted fq bands. Otherwise, we risk losing them. We will not tolerate unlicenced users nor willful misuse of our segments. It is that simple. Nothing personal; get licenced as an amateur operator and you are free to join in. Until then, listen if you wish, but stay off.

 

Oh; one other thing I neglected to add, in response to one blog about this question. Some little Einstein said to "bring it on", as if a misuser of ham bands cannot be located. To this, I say, a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. Said another way, you are wrong. Learn up. You will then see how easily you will be located. Physics would not hurt to learn at all.

 

What's funny about trucks and the drivers using ten meters, there is some thought that the use of ten meter rigs by unlicensed operators may end up brining the issue to the carrier's door and have them deal with the fines which I think is a good step in the right direction.

 

I've never used 10 meters. I own exports for the channels in the 11 meter band that are outside the legal CB band. Who polices those? I didn't figure a ham would care as long as I don't interfere with the ham band......at least none of the hams I know care.