TZUTC: -0500   
   MSGID: 11.fidonet-ham@1:19/33 239c0fc4   
   REPLY: 3021.fido_ham@1:124/5016 239a36ea   
   PID: Synchronet 3.18a-Win32  Aug 14 2020 MSC 1925   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.11-Win32 r3.176 Aug 14 2020 MSC 1925   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   Nigel,   
      
      
    NR> I may invest if I can find the time to indulge myself in 2 weeks of   
    NR> relentless bombardment of facts, figures, and forumlas that I will   
    NR> never care about again, probably :)   
      
     Agreed. With a lot of that, it's like the joke of the little boy asking   
   "Why should I study about The American Revolution?? I know who won!!" .   
      
    NR> The only other thing is me balking at the cost of a decent radio setup.   
      
     The dealers must think we're filthy rich...but in reality, hams are   
   "frugal cheapskates". A few years back, on an episode of Amateur Radio   
   Newsline, they were talking about a DC to Daylight rig, at Hamvention,   
   for $20,000!! Now, I could outfit a nice shack for that amount...but for   
   one rig, that's overkill.   
      
     The advantage operating "internet radio" (much to the angst of the   
   purists), is that I don't have to worry about the cost of rigs, power   
   supplies, SWR meters, antennas, coaxial cable, tuners, and of course,   
   all of the rig accessories. I did a demo at an area high school ham   
   radio club, and told them that considering the price of college   
   tuition nowadays, it's the like the cartoon of the robber trying to   
   hold up this man...the thug is told "You're wasting your time!! I'm   
   a ham!!" . Then, you have the one where the ham says "My greatest   
   fear is that I'll die, and my wife will sell my radios for what I told   
   her that I paid for them!!" .   
      
   Daryl, WX4QZ   
      
   ... H.A.M. Radio Operator: H)ave A)nother M)eal.   
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