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Old 01-10-2014, 10:50 PM   #13
electricflyer
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Douglasville, GA
Posts: 417
Default Memorizing

I understand the concern that test answers can be memorized and there may be some people that can memorize some of the answers but it would be difficult to memorize enough to guarantee passage, especially for Extra.
The experience I think many of the older hams were confronted with was to be able to trouble shoot your transmitter or receiver and construct your own antenna. Many built their own equipment, transmitters a little easier than receivers. I built a SX-140 in 1960 from a kit I got at Radio Shack. It was a bag of resistors, a bag of capacitors, a bag of tube sockets, a roll of wire and all the screws and nuts. You could put your hand inside the cabinet and fix a cold solder joint or replace a tube or capacitor but those days are over as solid state surface mount components small enough you need a magnifier to find it let alone have the equipment to analyze and align it. A block diagram is about as much as you can understand about your rig unless you are a design engineer. Very few hams can repair their own equipment these days.
Both of my sons could repair any of todays radio gear mainly because of their many years as Avionics Techs and had access to the test gear. Myself on the other hand would give my equipment to them for repair.
Kind of lengthy. I respect the knowledge needed for the years past but technology is moving faster and faster and plug and play is the name of the game now.
The same thing has happened in my other hobby of RC airplanes. In the old days you could measure a wingspan and length of a model and know exactly what size motor to use. Now, you have to know all that plus the cord, the weight, high wing, low wing, wing loading and then go to your computer to figure out what size electric motor to use, what style motor, match it with the correct propeller, figure out how many battery cells, know what the current draw will be, pick the right size motor controller, have a 12 channel computerized transmitter and receiver and after all that - Can you fly it?? Very few build their planes, just get it in a box and slide a few parts together and you are ready to fly. No need to understand aerodynamics.
Technology forces changes on us, like it or not. I think that without changes to the license procedure and keep up with the times the hobby would not have the number of people in the hobby and a lot of the radio spectrum would have been lost. We need to mentor, "elmer", teach and get involved with the newcomers rather than criticize what they don't know.
Let me get off of my soap box now. I could have gotten my license back in 1960. I learned code, I studied the handbook, could draw the diagrams, but the FCC was only in Omaha a couple times a year and not convenient. My father-in-law was a ham and my wife built Globe Scout transceivers during summer break in high school. I just got married and had a choice, play with radio's or play with a new wife - NO BRAINER! So with only being licensed for 23 years I am technically a newbee.
Sorry guys but I like this hobby and in my old age want to see others get involved also that is why I belong to several clubs, assist in teaching, do volunteer testing and some mentoring.
Marv
73
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