Computers related to ham radio.

Computers & ham radio.

By Matt Erickson, KK5DR

Face the fact. Computers are here to stay in ham radio, but I ask the question, "Is your hobby better for it?"

Many hams will tell you that the computer has made their operation much easier. Is that the goal in ham radio, easier?

What about the quality of our operations?

Dxer's/Contesters, will say that computers are indispensable, and they could not do without them, but then, THEY are not the average ham. The average ham does not consider a QSO to be, "Your 59, gud luck, 73." This is NOT the average ham operation.

I think that computers have filled an area that seems to be growing, and it pains me to see it. The area is, the LACK of conversational skills in ham radio. Many new hams today have difficulty conversing in intelligent terms, or the ability to come up with subject matter to converse on.

A computer can substitute for actual "on-air" conversation, and for many hams and non-hams, has nearly replaced it.

There have been many good hams, "lost" to the computer/Internet. It is "TOO easy!" Too easy to get "on-line" and talk, with others using spell-checkers, and databases for interfaces. But does it have any real quality? Is there any real personality on the computer? These are things you can only get on the air, and not on-line.

Some hams WILL NOT go on the air without their computer along side the rig; they spend more time "messing with the computer" than they do actually speaking on the air. Is it because there is little or nothing of interest on the air? Is the conversation so boring, that they find more interesting things to look at on the computer? Here again, the LACK of conversation skills effects even those who listen to the radio. If a QSO is truly boring and totally mundane, nobody will want to listen.

I think the cause of this, is the school system that has stopped teaching proper speaking, and vocabulary. It has stopped teaching the proper way to talk, and confer information clearly.

Grammar, enunciation, oral debate are a lost art, which no one seems to care that they are going away, except me, and few others, who were taught the "old" ways.

Even college students can't seem to speak without injecting a cuss word into the conversation every few seconds, and they do it sub-consciously. Do you talk to your MOTHER with that mouth?

Having the cuss words removed, along with the "adult" subject matter, these kids have much difficulty conversing. I think this has migrated into ham radio too.

Since the schools no longer teach it, it is up to the individual to learn it on their own.

To me, computers are a "tool" to be used in the appropriate way, at the correct time in ham radio.

We can tap into a huge information-database, which can serve us well in our hobby. Here "Knowledge truly is POWER."

Perhaps we can use it to better prepare your-selves for a higher quality of "on-air" conversation, and hold the interest of those who choose to listen-in. Maybe we could inspire them to join us someday.

Today's ham radio, despite what the "official" organizations will say, needs better QUALITY, not more QUANTITY.

By inspiring new "prospective" hams, with the high quality of our "on-air" use, ham radio will benefit far greater than it would with huge numbers of poorly skilled, "low quality" operators on the air.

"You can put a mule in front of the greatest radio ever made, but he is still just a mule, and he will sound like one on-the-air."

The proceeding is an expression of MY opinion, if you don't like it, put up your own web site, and write your own opinion. Don't write me with yours, let's get on the air, and "debate" it, if you dare.