At 07:46 AM 3/27/2010, Bill Jourdain wrote:
Back when ham radio was only CW operation did they ask the question whether voice communication was really ham radio? I doubt it because new modes and methods of operation came from the spirit of the hobby to experiment and communicate. Each new mode and method of communication was embraced by the worldwide ham community as a new way to enjoy and meet the challenges of the hobby.
Actually, it was mostly the opposite. In the evolution from spark to digital, initially only a few hams embraced the new modes. The majority pretty much ignored them (though eventually adopting some of them), and a very vocal minority decried them as "the end of amateur radio." AM phone was blistered in the letters and opinion columns of QST (no skill required, too much bandwidth). Sideband got a similar reception (Donald-Duck talk, too expensive). Even our holy grail, CW, was castigated by the hams who loved King Spark.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but ham radio has only a small progressive component. Most hams evolve slowly (no corporate budgets for replacing technology). And some get stuck in "the way it was when I got in is the way it always was and the way it should always be."
73, Gary KN4AQ ARVN: Amateur Radio//Video News Gary Pearce KN4AQ 508 Spencer Crest Ct. Cary, NC 27513 <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected] 919-380-9944 www.ARVideoNews.com
