Hi,phil7ldx wrote:I’m a G4 since 1978 and I think the Foundation licence is or was a good attempt at trying to re vitalize the UK Amateur radio scene . In Many ways it did , but sad to say the whole thing has been abused . There are a great many foundation licence holders who are over the moon with their achievement, many use only 10 watts , however just as many if not more don’t and many use linear amps .( Novice lic holders your just as guilty ) you can hear the pile ups being broken by M3s/M6s no way that’s on a 10 watts sig you can hear it flat topping across about 8khz come on now .
The only winners in this are the retailers who constantly tempt them with transceivers that can transmit 5w to 100watts human nature being what it is …well need I say more .
Its not policed, and to be honest I couldn’t care less anymore as I will probably pull the plug on it all in the next 12 months ( yes there will be gear for sale ..I hear you think) 2 mtrs is dead everybody wants 4 mtrs but I haven’t heard anyone on it for years . You can grow old listening to 6mtrs and keep getting told it’s a magic band.
Qrp is no longer interesting as no one really gives a toss about working qrp stations . people keep buying FT817s and want to flog them a few weeks down the line having only listened on them or tried a “ magic antenna which has turned out to be a dummy load on a stick .
HF is same old boring stuff with the qro ops trying to out gun each other . you know the ones I mean .
PSK is just pressing buttons and kidding yourself your talking to someone
As for sats…. well done that bought the tee shirt and the gear then the bird goes dead .
So called sstv is the same just sending mickey mouse pictures via the radio , what ever happened to 8second black and white and cameras ? and scan converters that was great fun even with a Speccy computer .The best fun was with the PK232 tnc what a piece of kit no rip off sound interfaces , it was all in the box fantastic qsos on rtty amtor, fec, packet . hey ho .
D Star !! whats all that about then ! no wonder the retailers are laughing their gonads off.
And the sharks ( yes we all know who they are ) buying and selling duff gear on ebay its getting more like the antiques road show for radio stuff ! what happens when it goes bang who’s gonna fork out 80 – 100 quid to repair a TS 2200gx !!
And what really freaks me out is …………….The personal here is xxxxxxxx !
Special events used to be as it says .not "activations" …. What’s all that about
And of course the old favourite the royal ! “we” ……ops never use “I” enough said .
Whinge over .. over to the Bosnian snipers....fire away.
phil
I think the main problem is that no one does any electronics experimentation anymore. New hams are part of the iPod generation and this is alien to them.
Old hams find it too difficult, not justified in my view. The same challenge in the 1980's to make PLL circuit with 4xxx discrete chips or 1 kW amp with a valve, equivalent today - to code a SSB filter on a DSP and solder SMD components. Maybe because all is so much easier to buy, ready made in China, cheap, there is no more challenge or time,
no idea.
I am a newly licensed (2010) and had the Mic plugged to the rig for total of 30 min since then. And feel
bit offended to be classified as CB'er or second quality person.Anyway stereotyping is wrong.
(No offense, seen CB operation only in Hollywood movies, not sure why is used as bad word)
If you don't like computer stuff, digital technology and building, too bad. But 4m is not dead! Bunch of us
are 24/7 there, on wspr, and have put a lot of effort to make it working. If you are willing to open your
rig, modify it to be Rubidium locked, make own transverter, clock it with DDS, put a good antenna and
hunt for spots, there is still a challenge there.
If this is too much hassle, there is always Skype, its much better than 20m HF.
In my view joining the hobby just to talk on FM is pure waste of time. SSB phone on HF is no different.
These days the whole world is connected on 15 mS ping, 24/7. Making an '5-9,QRZ' to remote island holds a challenge, how ?
73
) At lease we are all civil. 
