> the best part in keeping with the Amateur Spirit...it's Free. I'm not picking on you Gregg, because I've heard this statement many times. I just don't understand it.
Is this a veiled condemnation of companies like Elecraft (and TenTec, MFJ, StepIR, Kenwood, HyGain, Yaesu, Gordon West, HRO, etc. etc. etc.) who charge money for amateur radio products? Is Elecraft not in sync with the "Amateur Spirit"? And if not, then wouldn't one have to admit that the "Amateur Spirit" really doesn't have anything to do with whether or not one charges for one's product? I agree that we all have mentors in this hobby and it would be weird if they charged us for their advice or helping us put up an antenna. But I wouldn't expect my mentor to pay my way to Dayton, or buy me a rig, or pay for my vanity callsign. I think the former is just part of normal human friendships; the latter would be strange. So I don't think that doing something for free is a defining characteristic of the "Amateur Spirit". If anything the Amateur Spirit is about experimentation, building your own equipment, and serving your community's emergency communications needs. If you write your own K2 control program or your own logging software, then that's in keeping with the Amateur Spirit. Whether you keep it for yourself, give it away, or sell it is irrelevant. Craig NZ0R _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
