Been down this road before. I have nothing against operators who want
to work satellites with an HT and a handheld antenna. I tried it and
don't see the attraction once the novelty wears off but hey, to each
their own. Said it before and I'll say it again, I think we do
ourselves a huge disservice by constantly trying to convince people just
how "easy" it is to work the sats. Some of us were drawn to this branch
of the hobby because of the challenge, not because of how "easy" it
was. Operators who don't back down from a challenge are our
future..... or they should be.
73,
Michael, W4HIJ
On 3/29/2014 12:16 AM, Gus wrote:
On 03/28/2014 12:20 PM, Clayton Coleman wrote:
I cringe at the "anti-handheld in the backyard
mentality" because those operators are our future.
A single-band CW Tx with a crystal oscillator and a simple,
single-conversion Rx may be a perfect way to encourage newcomers to
the world of HF. Especially as it shows that a large investment is
not necessary to get started. But it would be WRONG to mislead
prospective hams into believing that such a setup is the be-all and
end-all of operating HF. They should be made to understand that
considerable sophistication is possible when operating HF and
sophisticated equipment available to suit.
Similarly, a "handheld in the backyard" method of operating via
satellite works. It has the beauty of being (comparatively) easy to
set up as a demo, and promises success for the newcomer on a limited
budget. But it is WRONG to suggest that this is the peak of
sophistication in ham satellite operation, and that old-timers as well
as newcomers should be satisfied with having to drape their equipment
around their neck and run out into the backyard, rain or shine, every
time they want to operate.
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with handhelds in the back
yard. I'm saying that as far as I'm concerned, I'm not interested. I
took the training wheels off my bike a long time ago, and I wear long
trousers now.
(Actually, I wear shorts almost exclusively. But hopefully you get my
point.)
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