20170530 Unhappy Hams!

After starting this topic/post and then re-reading it once I had finished I have to include myself in the title too, well not unhappy, just grumpy 😉

December of 2015 I found myself again investigating becoming a ham.. I had looked at it a couple of times since the early 80’s but never followed through until the beginning of 2016 – its been 12 months already as a Foundation / Intermediate licence holder (April 2016) and just 8 months as a Full licence holder (August 2016) – that’s gone quick too and I have learnt so much playing & operating radio, much more than I did reading any of the books.

I read and watch a lot of stuff on the internet and I am still soaking it all up – investigating whats what and how I want my station set up to be and what modes I like and don’t like (haven’t tried digital yet – really looking forward to SSTV (yeah I know that’s strange)) – The early days in a new hams life are a busy time eh, working it all out, we haven’t a clue whats really out there and have to try and investigate everything even if its just a taste, well I do 😉

“Unhappy Hams!” – I came to radio in 2016 because I had had enough of local politics and also trying to make a difference with local policies, trying to interact with civil servants and politicians that just wernt listening… it was making me ill and affecting everyone around me..

So, I searched out something I could enjoy and immerse myself into (corrected from ‘submerse’ after the English police told me off @gm0jhe :-)) and that would be a community that’s not just local to me (I’ve realised I need a network) – I have found all that through amateur radio and closing down my facebook account (that was so liberating!).

I then set up a new twitter account (@MU0WLV) – I tweet too much that’s for sure but I love it 🙂 I have made a load of new friends & acquaintances on twitter too who have helped me a huge amount, offered advice, and even given me radios and equipment for no exchange of money just goodwill and encouragement – I couldn’t believe that a group of folk could be so giving and supportive – thanks to you all, you know who you are!

To me amateur radio is all about personal enjoyment and achievements – you find what you like and do it – it might be contesting, working satellites or rag-chewing on 80m, or SOTA, WWFF, WAB, CW, RTTY, JT65 and even publishing your WSPR plots or showing off your #catsintheshack 😉 – there is so much to choose from – it doesn’t matter though eh! if you enjoy it you knock yourself out as there will most definitely be others that enjoy the same thing as you!! 🙂

HOWEVER, there are quite a few “unhappy hams” out there which I wasn’t expecting to see, ones who moan and groan about things radio related, about how unfair life is because of contest rules and how its all wrong, or moan about and criticise those amateurs that have lower licences than them. The licence thing is quite possibly the most utter tripe I have come across and also the most common – The “I’m better than you because” attitude was there 30 years ago when I first looked at radio and the licence level bull shit is still here today.  I think its a minority but they still exist sadly.

Everyone learns stuff from the ground up and not everyone finds it easy nor do they have natural technical ability – if you are a Full licence holder or an Extra (or similar in your country) then please don’t fall in to that trap – Again in my short time of playing radio and being a ham I’ve seen Novice and Intermediate licencees run rings around older and/or much more experienced hams – There was me thinking that everyone regardless of licence class was of the same mind as me, about encouraging and educating / helping both new and old radio operators and the ‘could be / would be / will be’ operators too.

So, what sparked this post? well I wont add to it but a few things really, but the latest was how some words on a YouTube video were probably said with the best intentions, supporting their own channel (badly chosen words to be fair) and then another YouTube channel taking those same words to heart and thinking they were directed at them… even if they were, they should have been taken on the chin and then just moved on – know your audience and don’t fuel the fire, ego is not a ham radio ethos is it!

Who is better at radio…? Easy… make some friendly rivalry amongst your peers and interact with each other, fight it out with a contest or two… backbiting isn’t going to help either of your causes so please stop arguing amongst yourselves. Life is too short and remember there are 330+ ish DXCC entities that need ticking off, how many have you got…? please stop ‘ticking’ each other off!

Its unlike me to vent these days, but there, I’ve done it, sorry… 🙂

Good DX guys & gals, 73 & 88!

Tags: @gm0jhe, #catintheshack, #happyhams, 80m, contesting, CW, DXCC, grumpy, JT65, MU0WLV, rag-chewing, RTTY, satellites, SOTA, twitter, WAB, WSPR, WWFF