[BC] Re: No Code Vs Code Vs cutting antenna

[Xmitters@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/24/05 12:01:25 AM Central Daylight Time, 
broadcast-request at radiolists.net writes:

<< either lengthen or shorten the physical antenna or employ an 
 antenna tuning unit that fools the transmitter into think that's what 
 you did. If you don't, you'll get reflected power and that's not good no 
 matter which method you employ. OK argue with that! >>

Larry 

I cannot now, nor was I in my original post arguing with that. What I was 
asking, that you have not answered, is why you believe that building a match is 
inherently better than cutting the antenna? You are simply restating what I 
said. Both ways are valid, it just depends on the situation which is best. Maybe 
there was something in your conversation with that new ham that I just missed 
in your original comment.

How is it that this new Extra licensee "knows nothing" because he has a 
different idea on how to match the antenna to his rig? (or pick any other 
arbitrarily chosen theory topic) At the most, we could say that the person is not 
skilled in antenna theory. That hardly means that the person is a lid or otherwise 
"knows nothing," now does it? 

This is what has always bothered me about the changes in the licensing of 
hams. The _stupid_ incentive licensing makes me gag. The "leader" in our study 
group wanted to take me out to the back 40, string me up in a tree by my thumbs 
to allow me to twist in the breeze until the birds picked the flesh from my 
bones, because I was primarily interested in VHF and wanted to go direct to my 
Tech license. Absolutely positively stupid. 

The "I had to do it, so you have to do it" attitude has to change. This is 
one of the things turns perspective people off from ham radio. A person should 
be allowed to get the license of choice based on interest, without going 
through all the intermediate levels to get there. Today, the Morse code requirement 
is obsolete. 

How do we best determine if a perspective licensee would make a good ham, 
based on today's needs and what the function of ham radio is today, not 20, 30 
years ago?

Jeff Glass, Advanced
WB9ETG since 1970