Greetings Ed!   
      
    Brer Ed Vance wrote to Brer Roy Witt about Re: Resurrected:   
      
    EV> I've been running around in circles a bit and noticed I hadn't   
    EV> replied to this message yet. -snip-   
      
   Time flys when you're having fun...   
      
    EV>> There wasn't any INCENTATIVE when I took the Amateur Extra exam,   
    EV>> such as getting a preferred type Call Sign.   
      
    RW>> The only incentive was in the band plan that gave Xtras 25khz   
    RW>> space exclusively for Xtras.   
      
    EV> That's what I didn't like about it, giving exclusive use to the lower   
    EV> portion of a band cut off access to General, Conditional and Advanced   
    EV> Class Hams who were DX'ers an oppertunity(?) to talk to DX Stations   
    EV> who were calling just below the bottom of our allowable frequencies.   
      
   I never cared as I wasn't interested in CW anyway.   
      
    EV> I ain't a DX'er, I'm a Ragchewer.   
      
   I used to play chess on 80mtrs with some hams in AZ and Nevada...that was   
   boringly monitoring a frequency until the next move was announced, while   
   analyzing the chess board. Also quite boring, so I quit doing that.   
      
    EV> I've had enjoyable ragchew QSO's with DX Stations, but then there   
    EV> were other times that a DX station called CQ and I answered their CQ   
    EV> only to be given their Name & RST and they started calling CQ again   
    EV> immediately.   
      
   Well, at least that's better than hearing a CQ call and once making   
   contact with him, told that you weren't the type of HAM they wanted to   
   talk to. He had his head up his arse about it because he was a Vermont HAM   
   and wanted nothing to do with a California HAM.   
      
    EV> I've helped by logging contacts during Field Day, but I rarely enter   
    EV> a Contest myself.   
      
   I always participated in Field Day and even served as the head guru,   
   running the entire show when asked. These days I don't bother.   
      
    EV> My FCC License, RCC and ROWH Certificates AFAICR are all the papers I   
    EV> could hang on my Ham Shack wall.   
      
   When I was a Novice, I didn't have enough room for all of the QSL cards I   
   had received. Finally gave that up. I did work a contest with 2 other HAMs   
   in my early General days, but that wasn't much fun. I did it for their   
   comradeship, nothing else.   
      
    EV> -snip-   
      
    EV>> Really those Deep Technical Subjects asked on the Extra exam,   
    EV>> IMNSHO, ought to be the privilages Given to the Higher Calss   
    EV>> Operators to use, instead of Polarizing the lower Classe Hams by not   
    EV>> allowing General Class Hams, Conditional Class Hams and Advanced   
    EV>> Class Hams to enjoy QSOing on all the frequencies on all of the Ham   
    EV>> Bands with the Amateur Extra Class Hams so everyone can learn from   
    EV>> the Extras about the more involved Modes the higher Class OPS can   
    EV>> use because they know that kind of stuff.   
      
    RW>> My Elmer was a Navy trained electronics technician; I didn't   
    RW>> learn anything about that stuff from him.   
      
    EV> I never heard of the word 'Elmer' until the last 7 to 10 years when I   
    EV> seen a description of what an Elmer was in a ARRL or ARN BBS message.   
      
   And that is a cartoon... 8^)   
      
    EV>> And Yes I am saying that Amateur Extras should be the ONLY CLASS   
    EV>> ALLOWED TO USE SSB because they know enough to be able to service   
    EV>> that kind of Ham Gear, everbody else Licensed for HF Phone use   
    EV>> should still be using AM.   
      
    RW>> Then I wouldn't aspire to be a Amateur, period. There are too   
    RW>> many other interests in HAM radio that are more interesting.   
      
    EV> Hey!, only Amateurs can Participate in HAM radio anyone else is a SWL   
    EV> (or BOOTLEGGER).   
      
   No, anyone can participate in HAM radio, as long as there is a licensed   
   operator at the station. And as long as the licensee doesn't allow   
   operation out of his license privlidges. This can even include Novices   
   operating phone on 20mtrs.   
      
    EV>> I have one SSB rig and I have the Service Manual for it, but I've   
    EV>> only used it twice.   
      
    RW>> There's no AM mod switch on my Kenwood TS-520...Upper and Lower   
    RW>> SSB and CW only...   
      
    EV> Nor on mine either, but my Apache TX-1 and DX-40 has a AM mod switch,   
    EV> but no Upper and Lower SSB on them.    ....  ..   
      
   The oldest radio I have is a Hallicrafters 'World Wide' receiver, that has   
   AM on it, but no BFO to enable hearing SSB. It was portable running on a   
   6 volt battery, but hasn't been mobile since I've owned it.   
      
    EV>> Once to install a CW Filter in it, and once to help another Ham   
    EV>> Neutralize the new 6146 he put in his radio which was the same as   
    EV>> what I have.   
      
    RW>> Before I was licensed as a HAM, I bought the Kenwood and   
    RW>> modified it to work above CB channel 40, but below 20.0... I   
    RW>> later returned it to stock, except that I put the crystals in   
    RW>> the wrong place and 28.5 is on the 29.1 switch. I know where it   
    RW>> xmits.   
      
    EV> Hmmm, were you a SWL or BOOTLEGGER then?   
      
   'High band CBer'...those crystals have been lost for years now.   
      
    EV> ---You don't have to answer that.---   
    EV> Remember, You're talking to a BIG LID!   
      
   Keep a lid on the above and everyone will be none the wiser.   
      
    EV>> I used my Heath-Kit VTVM and RF Probe and the Service Manual when we   
    EV>> worked on his rig.   
      
    RW>> I used to have a service monitor and tuned the front end back   
    RW>> to spec...   
      
    EV> Front End?, that's the RX part isn't it not the TX part I helped   
    EV> align?   
      
   Yes...tuned up, the rcvr will hear much better at the new/old frequencies   
   it once used. It was previously aligned to the 'high band' freqs below   
   28.0 when the 'high band' xtals were installed...   
      
    EV>>> I checked for my two old call signs on the FCC pages and the search   
    EV>>> comes up empty. I guess the FCC hasn't issued either one of them   
    EV>>> since I became W9ODR.   
      
    RW>>> Try the callsign database at qrz.com instead. When I enter one   
    RW>>> of my old callsigns there, it takes me to my present callsign   
    RW>>> with the old callsign in (callsign) brackets.   
      
    EV>> I just tried the FCC site and none of my old calls were shown.   
      
    EV> I just checked my old Calls on QRZ and it now shows my W9ODR page in   
    EV> a Search for my old K4 and WA9 call signs, because I updated my data   
    EV> on Saint Patricks Day.   
      
   I think that is due to an upgrade by the QRZ site. My old callsigns never   
   showed up before the latest check I did. Now, they're all there, even my   
   WN6 call from c1970.   
      
    EV> But the Search for my KN4 call sign failed, although I entered it on   
    EV> my Biography page that everyone sees.   
      
   A few hundred years ago, there were CDs with the call book on them. They   
   may have upgraded those CDs to reflect the earliest calls on record. Yours   
   was probably not included since it was more than a few hundred years ago.   
      
   8^) BTW, if you believe that, I have this large bridge in Brooklyn that is   
   for sale.   
      
    EV> -- snip --   
      
    EV>>> I knew a Radarman in the Navy frm South Dakota who told me of two   
    EV>>> Hams who both lived one mountain top from the other and tried to   
    EV>>> blow up each others RX by pointing their beam towards them while   
    EV>>> running at Illegal Power levels to out do the other guy. -snip-   
      
    RW>>> That was a trick that feuding CBers used to use on each other,   
    RW>>> but with the xmtr sitting outside of the other CBers house.   
    RW>>> That doesn't work, btw.   
      
    EV>> This was two Ham Radio Operators not CBers the Radarman told me   
    EV>> about.   
      
    RW>> I know you said that. But CBers learned that trick from older   
    RW>> members of their family who learned it a long time before there   
    RW>> were CBers.   
      
    RW>>> It's better to pin your enemies' antenna coax...   
      
    EV>> I know of one case of that being done to a Ham that I went to high   
    EV>> school with. It was done to him by two other students.   
      
    RW>> Shame on them.   
      
    EV> Those two students had General tickets, the student they 'pinned' had   
    EV> a Conditional ticket back around 1957, Louisville, Kentucky wasn't a   
    EV> FCC Quarterly Examination Point when he got his Conditional License.   
      
   That practice is something even the FCC frowns upon.   
      
    EV> -snip-   
      
    EV>> Same here, I don't know why the FCC hasn't given those calls to   
    EV>> someone by now, I renewed the W9 call 6 years ago, that seems like   
    EV>> long enuf time for them to issue the call to someone who didn't want   
    EV>> a Vanity Call Sign.   
      
    RW>> Those old calls are being phased out in favor of the new   
    RW>> license re-structuring for different class of licenses...there   
    RW>> are no more WAs-WDs issued, instead 2x3 calls beginning a K   
    RW>> (KA6ENU)...Generals can get a 1x3 call, but it will begin with   
    RW>> an N (N6AGT) if any are available. Advanced get 2x2 calls, as   
    RW>> in my old KB6PI call. Extras get 1x2, 2x1, 2x2 that starts with   
    RW>> an A, none are available until one of them becomes a SK...   
      
    EV> Thanks Roy, I hadn't heard about that.   
    EV> I guess I ought to go fetch a up-to-date copy of Part 97 and read it.   
      
   I don't think you'll find it in that publication. Try the FCC's website.   
      
    EV> -snip-   
      
   Since we're approaching April 1, here's a link to check out from last   
   year's April 1.   
      
   http://radioartisan.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/genachowski.jpg   
      
    RW>> Does anyone play the recorded Newsline message that I post in   
    RW>> HAM in your area? Usually found on a repeater...That isn't done   
    RW>> here in south Texas.   
      
    EV> I remember when my 2M rig worked the ARN Recording was heard one day   
    EV> a week.   
      
   I've heard it in San Diego, but not around here.   
      
    EV> Heck!, I tried seeing if I could listen to 2M FM on the some portable   
    EV> AM-FM-VHF radios I own and none of them work any more on WX/VHF.   
      
    EV> Looks like the Old Cheap LID is going to have to stop at a Yard Sale   
    EV> and try to pick one up so I can learn what's going on with the   
    EV> locals.   
      
   Hmmmm. In my junk box is an old 'police scanner' that could be used for   
   that, but it's xtal controlled and I'd have to find xtals for it. Instead,   
   I can use my newest police scanner and digitally tune that frequency, if I   
   knew what it is.   
      
    EV> Some local Ham Radio Clubs have web pages, but I rarely check them   
    EV> out. BBS messages and QRZ are were I learn what's happening on the   
    EV> Bands.   
      
   Been there...don't frequent BBSs anymore, but QRZ is a good source to know   
   about.   
      
    EV> Roy, I hope You had more Grins than Grimmishes (Frowns) reading this.   
      
   The same to you, ED. I tried to put some laughter in this one.   
      
      
            R\%/itt - K5RXT   
      
    On Ward's exalted throne, he is still seated on nothing but his arse.   
      
      
      
   --- GoldED+/W32 1.1.5-31012   
   --- D'Bridge 3.98   
    * Origin: HAM Radio, aka Amateur Radio. 804? Over! (1:387/22)