ON7TQ: that call-sign rings a bell.
My viewpoint on DX-chasing, operating and Amateur Radio in general is somewhere between what David and Lawrence have each written. But for me, Amateur Radio as a transmitting Amateur lost its appeal many years ago. I used to be very keen on seeing how far I could get on 2m. with home-built kit and using AM or FM. But when repeaters came along, that was the end of my interest. Looking back now, to me it just seems that the existence of repeaters was simply 'converting' Amateur Radio into CB: taking the 'Amateur' out of Amateur Radio. But contests and DX-chasing for the sake of 'awards' never appealed: I'm not competitive; I like to think I have a co-operative personality. During my transmitting days I met many Amateurs who would go out of their way to make my life as unpleasant as possible. They all had one thing in common: over-sized egos.
But I like tinkering around with quality comms. radios. I enjoy the technical challenges; I like to study the designs and to appreciate the quality of the engineering and the personal effort that went into those designs. And then using them, occasionally, just to discover what is 'out there'.
Which, for me, as a youngster, what what started the whole radio interest off in the first place. And it's still there, 55 years later.
Al. / Oct. 10. '13.
My viewpoint on DX-chasing, operating and Amateur Radio in general is somewhere between what David and Lawrence have each written. But for me, Amateur Radio as a transmitting Amateur lost its appeal many years ago. I used to be very keen on seeing how far I could get on 2m. with home-built kit and using AM or FM. But when repeaters came along, that was the end of my interest. Looking back now, to me it just seems that the existence of repeaters was simply 'converting' Amateur Radio into CB: taking the 'Amateur' out of Amateur Radio. But contests and DX-chasing for the sake of 'awards' never appealed: I'm not competitive; I like to think I have a co-operative personality. During my transmitting days I met many Amateurs who would go out of their way to make my life as unpleasant as possible. They all had one thing in common: over-sized egos.
But I like tinkering around with quality comms. radios. I enjoy the technical challenges; I like to study the designs and to appreciate the quality of the engineering and the personal effort that went into those designs. And then using them, occasionally, just to discover what is 'out there'.
Which, for me, as a youngster, what what started the whole radio interest off in the first place. And it's still there, 55 years later.
Al. / Oct. 10. '13.
