[aprssig] Digipeaters with local sysop rules...

Fri Sep 14 07:10:21 EDT 2007

> Except that an appallingly large number of hams licensed under the new era
of dumbed-down >practically-zero-knowledge-required exams preceeded by
1-hour memorize-the-questions cram courses

>>    ARE TOTALLY CLUELESS

> about RF channels or anything else about radio!!!

Those words literally fell right out of my mouth before I even got to it
lol. I spent a good part of lastyear pitching APRS to the local club and
most of them thought it was some kind of device/network to track your
vehicle and get you on the internet.

I don't think it's the license testing that gives the Amateur Service
clueless people necessarily. If someone is passionate about something and
has a reasonable degree of intellect then he/she should be the type to learn
things and do things correctly.

But on the other hand, unfortunately we live in a world of convenience and
the VEC's/FCC is just making it easier for people to get ham licenses. Could
be good or bad, but the way I see it is that there have been clueless ham
radio ops around for years. It's no different in the professional world. I
work in telecommunications for a well known wireless company. Our "senior"
RF tech couldn't even tell you how a radio works, effectively troubleshoot a
T1, work with a computer etc. yet they promote this guy. (thankfully I have
a different position and don't have to work under him, he's a real gem)
After 5 years he just now found out what SWR and return loss means when he
does antenna sweeps, I guess he could be considered an "aplliance" operator
in the fashion ;)

The real challenge is just learning how to deal with them :/

Just had to share my rants/frustrations....

73's
Stephen
K1LNX

On 9/14/07, Stephen H. Smith <wa8lmf2 at aol.com> wrote:
>
> Robert Bruninga wrote:
> > APRS at 1200 baud sharring a common VHF frequency among ham
> > radio operators for local situational awareness and information
> > exchange is so different from the IP, that it is dangerous to
> > try to make any comparisons.  The IP is designed for 99.999% use
> > by appliance operators.  That is why in the case of the IP, it
> > depends on the brilliance of network designers like you to make
> > it work.
> >
> > On the other hand, Ham radio operators are supposed to know how
> > the RF channel works, be able to respond and re-constitute
> > minimal communications with only what they bring with them...
> >
> >
>
>
> Except that an appallingly large number of hams licensed under the new
> era of dumbed-down practically-zero-knowledge-required exams preceeded
> by 1-hour memorize-the-questions cram courses
>
>      ARE TOTALLY CLUELESS
>
> about RF channels or anything else about radio!!!
>
>
>
> I experienced these three incidents within 12 hours of each other:
>
>
> 1)      At a recent radio exhibit, a supposedly General-Class-licensed
> ham at a special event station spent 3 hours unsuccessfully trying to
> make a contact.  When I pointed out there was no antenna connected, they
> replied that they didn't need an antenna because they "had an antenna
> tuner", pointing to the AC power supply for the Icom IC-751 !
>
> 2)      10-year-licensed ham seeing an APRS mapping display on my mobile
> laptop in the car asks me "how do I get an Internet connection in the
> car?".    I reply that there is no Internet; it's all received locally
> off RF.   Still total lack of comprehension.    Turns out the visitor a)
> assumed the only endpoint of APRS is findu  and b) thought the only way
> to have maps on a computer is from the Internet.     Visitor is utterly
> dumbfounded to discover that  a) APRS is intended to communicate BETWEEN
> RADIOS, and b) a computer can actually do stuff without being connected
> to the Internet !!!
>
> 3)     APRS newbie comes to my house with problems trying to get a dumb
> tracker going in their car.   70-watt output transceiver wired to
> battery with 26-gauge zip cord, causing a two volt drop on transmit.
> Again, assumption that APRS is an AVL system with it's end point on the
> Internet at findu.   The usual complaint "I'm not showing up on
> findu.".   I ask if they have listened to their own transmissions in a
> nearby radio.  Seem uncomprehending.  I explain that the transmitted
> audio level from the tracker (i.e. deviation)  is critical, and that the
> only way to set it is to monitor the transmitted signal in another radio
> or receiver.     Still lack of comprehension.  Then they insist that
> they don't need to monitor the transmitted signal  "because  they have a
> Windows program to calibrate the Tiny Track" !!!
>
> These were all supposedly "licensed hams".    Arrrrrgggh !!!!!
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
> EchoLink Node:      14400    [Think bottom of the 2M band]
> Home Page:          http://wa8lmf.com  --OR--   http://wa8lmf.net
>
> NEW!   World Digipeater Map
>   http://wa8lmf.net/APRSmaps
>
> JavAPRS Filter Port 14580 Guide
>   http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/JAVaprsFilters.htm
>
> "APRS 101"  Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
>   http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths
>
> Updated "Rev H" APRS            http://wa8lmf.net/aprs
> Symbols Set for UI-View,
> UIpoint and APRSplus:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Stephen Brown - ARS K1LNX
Johnson City, TN EM86uh
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