Jeff Edmonson wrote: > I don't know about you, but I didn't get into Ham Radio, and subsequently AM > because I wanted to make a business out of my Radio Hobby. > > Example: I needed some 872's. I know of a Ham who had some, and he offered > them to me. A mutual ham friend needed some 8008's. Due to some misfortune, > what was to be a pair of 872s turned out to be one (the other was cracked). > So, > the guy who wanted 8008's was asked if he had any spare 872's. He did. I > only > wanted 1 more, but for the trouble of traveling to Ham B's house (which was on > the way) and dropping off the 8008's, I was rewarded with 3 (three) 872's. > > And I got them ... because they had them.
Jeff - I didn't get into ham radio for anything other than the love of radio. I suspect that trying to make a business of it would certainly ruin it for sure, not to mention make for a very lean income. Selling things I don't need or want does help me sustain the hobby, though. Like many others, I work for a living and can't afford to compete with the 'buy anything, anytime, anywhere if I want to' crowd. Has anyone told you that sometime in the future you'll be expected, even required to pay $300 for a 250TH? Maybe as the supply dries up, we'll be left with no choice? For now, I still enjoy rooting around and packratting. I have friends who I refer to as 'dealer types' not because they make a living at it, but because they pick up a load of stuff to get a few things they want, then get rid of the rest. I've done this myself. The reference is more an attempt to imply that they know their stuff in the event that someone decides to assume I ripped off some old widow by getting a piece of equipment they'd like to have, for anything less than top-epay-dollar. We all know folks who attend every hamfest they can make to sell gear, connectors, whatever they may have. I have to believe this is more hobby than business for most, simply because of the time involved. Who wants to work all week and then spend every weekend driving somewhere to hopefully sell enough gear to pay for the trip? Unless you are AES or HRO, I can't believe too many would. If they do it, it's more likely for the fun of it than to make a big profit. Maybe if you're retired and have a pension or other income you can justify it financially. Here in the northeast we help each other as well. Recently myself and another ham (W1DEC) helped W1RC pick up a T-368 that had been *given* to him by another AMer. We both left work early, used my truck and handtruck to retreive the beast, then moved it almost 100 miles to Mike's place. Other than a few bucks for gasoline (and a spline cable for my ARC 5 set up that I spied in Mike's garage), no money exchanged hands. The former owner of the T-3 was not exactly some 'poor old fart' either. I'd guess he was in his mid-50s and quite capable. He bought the T-3 from Fair Radio some years back and just didn't want it anymore, nor did he want to deal with the hassle of moving or selling it. So he gave it away to a trusted source. How's that for being a 'ham'? Does he meet the criteria? (o: My point is only this: the fact that we don't all constantly give away everything we no longer want or need, to someone else doesn't make us any less of a 'ham' than you or the fellows you mentioned. The fact that everyone doesn't get on here and list every good deed they do doesn't mean they don't care. I've given away tubes, radios, rotors, antennae, any number of items over the years, even have a 30L-1 on loan to my best friend since 1995. I just take exception to someone implying that 'in order to be a good ham, I must'. We're all big kids, we don't need to have anyone tell us what we should or shouldn't do. I'm not at all fond of those who would buy things simply to turn them around and make double or more what they paid for them, but I'm even less impressed by those who would tell me what I should or shouldn't have, do, say, or think. Anytime this topic comes up, it seems there is never a shortage of those who want to assume that others who have something more, or sell it for anything more than $5 or free must be crooks or 'someone trying to make ham radio into a business'. There are certainly people out there who will take advantage of anyone, anytime. I can't speak for others, but I know for myself and others I know, it is the only way we are able to obtain some of the items we'd like. If you're wealthy enough or have enough friends around willing to give you everything you want or need whenever you want it, consider yourself lucky Jeff. As many friends as I've made and as many sources as I know, there still seem to be too times when I can't obtain what I need. Other than acquiring, restoring, and operating nice old gear, I've also been involved with RACES since 1984, including being the state coordinator since 1994. The hours and days spent in drills/exercises and actual emergencies likely dwarfs the time spent on my own self-serving interests with respect to ham radio. Besides each other, how much do you give back to amateur radio and the public in general? We have a mass casualty exercise coming up on Sept. 7th at BTV, scenario of a two plane collision with 85 casualties. Wanna come join us? (o: THIS is what the amateur radio "service" is about - giving back as well as helping yourself and your friends. I'm sure some will disagree. 73 de Todd/'Boomer' KA1KAQ BTW, I enjoy very much the stories you related Jeff (I've broken a 75th and dropped 250th *ouch*), and the large wealth of knowledge imparted on this list. Getting to learn from the actual experiences, vastly different knowledge bases and types of people on here truly adds to my rather lacking knowledge in many areas. No sarcasm intended, but I have a junkbox which is the size of a garage. Oh, wait a minute....it *is* my garage!
