Musings

Sometimes, I have thoughts about ham radio, electronics, and other things that interest me. This page here gives me the opportunity to post about my thoughts. If you like reading dribble, this is the place for you. If not, that's cool, too; this just gives me a place to get things off my mind (it kinda works like a journal of sorts). The date and time listed are in Arizona time, not Zulu.    

When Ham Radio Meets Bad Behavior: An Unfortunate Incident at The CARA Hamfest

May 8, 2023, 10:58 a.m.

What an eventful Saturday we just had…
   First things first: I wasn't going to post about it but I still can't believe the following story happened, even though I was there — what I couldn't believe is how disrespectful and hateful people can be in what should be a tight-knit community. This is my page, so ultimately, I decided there's nothing wrong with posting my thoughts on it.
   So, we my radio club posted our annual hamfest this past Saturday. While I was looking for a cash box for the persons who were going to be handling the incoming cash for the prize drawing tickets, I heard a car alarm going off. Car alarms are annoying. But, what happended in response to that car alarm was the most ridiculous thing I've seen in quite some time. After the car alarm had been going off for about 10 or so seconds, I could hear someone yelling "turn it off," over and over again, with more and more vitriol and foul language. Our club's vice president, being the person he is, realized that the guy with the alarm was frazzled and having a hard time disabling the alarm; he also realized that no one seemed to be helping this guy shut off his alarm. So, he went over and helped him. This is what hams should be like — willing to help one another — rather than what we were witnessing from Mr. Foul Mouth.
   After helping the alarm guy, our club vice president went to address Mr. Jerk. He asked him to calm down and watch his language, as this was a family-friendly event. He even called Mr. FMJ "sir," a universal sign of respect. Jerkwad responded, "You don't get to call me 'sir,' only people I respect can call me 'sir.'" At this point, I seriously wondered what in the heck was wrong with this guy. I mean, seriously? I don't think you understand how that works. It made me think of the Esurance commercial… I almost looked at him and quoted Beatrice to Mr. FMJ. But, I digress. After hearing the foul-mouth jerk threaten our vice president (who is not a small guy by any means) with the comical "I'll rip your arm off and beat you with it!", it was time for this jerk to go. Seriously, we were in the first fifteen minutes of the hamfest.
   So, our VP asked him to leave and the guy kept saying, "I'm not leaving, I'm here for the hamfest!", sometimes alternating between hamfest and swapmeet as he continued to refuse to leave. Well, I'm not about to leave my battle-buddy in a situation where they have to deal with something by theirselves (even though he was perfectly capable of doing so), so I walked out into the parking lot and approached the area where this was going on. I asked the VP, "would you like me to call the Sheriff's department?" Note: when you're on property that doesn't belong to you and you're asked to leave, you should probably just do so. Fortunately, I didn't end up calling the deputies in (though, tbh, I wouldn't have minded watching the jerk escorted away in steel bracelets). As I was looking for the non-emergent number to the Cochise County Sheriff's Department, our club president and several others were made aware of the situation. Ultimately, Mr. Foul Mouth decided to leave, so he and his buddy/acquaintance packed up their vehicle and drove off.
   What did I learn from this? Two things… Our vice president has way more patience than most people would, and you can find jerks anywhere, including at your own hamfest. We should really work hard to be better people, and to treat each other with respect. When did the golden rule go out of style?
   …oh, and I have the non-emergency number to the sheriff's office in my phone now.

Hot Take: Baofengs Aren't So Bad

April 6, 2023, 9:27 a.m.

   Not too long goes by without me hearing about the hatred many hams have regarding the Baofeng. This radio, also known as the Baofeng UV-5R, has become a popular handheld radio among amateur radio enthusiasts. However, it has also received criticism from some members of the ham radio community, who argue that it is low quality and does not comply with FCC regulations. Despite these criticisms, the Baofeng radio is not a bad thing for ham radio, and here are some reasons why.
   One of the most significant advantages of the Baofeng radio is its low cost. Ham radio equipment can be quite expensive, and for many people, the cost can be (and usually is) a barrier to entry into the hobby. The Baofeng radio, on the other hand, is relatively inexpensive, making it accessible to those who want to try out the hobby without committing to a large financial investment. It can help a prospective new hobbyist to get approval from possible an otherwise spouse who doesn’t understand it. This affordability has enabled more people to explore ham radio and has helped to bring new members to the community. One more thought on this affordability thing: most hams will admit that in order to keep the hobby alive, we need younger hams. Younger hams may not have the same amount of disposable income as those hams that have been working as professionals for a number of years or are retired, so by being exclusionary to hams simply because they can’t afford the “real” gear, we’re killing our own hobby. Many new hams will upgrade to the more expensive gear as they get into the hobby, if they decide it’s worth their hard-earned money.
   Another advantage of the Baofeng radio is its versatility. While it may not have the same level of quality as more expensive ham radio equipment, it is still a capable device that can be programmed to operate on various frequencies and modes. It can also be used as a scanner to listen to other types of radio transmissions. Programming one of these is barely an inconvenience with software like CHIRP; I will concede that programming one from the front panel is a bit of a chore, but it’s good that you can do so in a pinch, if necessary. These features make it a valuable tool for both beginner and experienced ham radio operators.
In addition to its technical advantages, the Baofeng radio has also gained attention in popular culture. The radio is often seen in TV shows and movies, where it is used by characters to communicate with each other over long distances (and sometimes used humorously to depict law enforcement agencies’ radios). This exposure has helped to raise awareness of ham radio and has inspired some viewers to explore the hobby for themselves; once again, I reiterate, as hams, we should be striving to grow our hobby, lest we lose very precious frequency allocations.
   Despite its advantages, there are concerns about the Baofeng radio's compliance with FCC regulations. The FCC has stated that the Baofeng radio is not certified for use on certain frequencies and that users must ensure that the device is programmed to operate within the permitted frequency range. There are also concerns about the radio's ability to cause interference with other radio communications. These issues are a problem, but if we can help our Baofeng hams to test their radios to see if they are full of spurious emissions, we can elimate some of those issues. The legality of the radios is a technically a problem, but a home-built radio (which hams are allowed to make), can be built in such a way that radios can transmit outside of the ham bands.
   Once again, I’d like to reiterate that new hams may start with a Baofeng radio and eventually upgrade to more expensive and higher quality ham radio equipment. The affordability of the Baofeng makes it an attractive choice for beginners who want to try out the hobby without investing too much money upfront. However, as hams gain more experience and knowledge, they may decide to invest in more expensive equipment that offers better quality and features, as long as we don’t chase off the newbies. I can’t stress that enough — don’t bite the newcomers!
   In conclusion, the Baofeng radio is not inherently a bad thing for ham radio. While it may not have the same level of quality as more expensive ham radio equipment, it has helped to lower the cost of entry into the hobby, has introduced more people to the world of amateur radio, and has its own unique capabilities that make it a valuable tool for the ham radio community. The exposure that the Baofeng radio has gained in popular culture has also helped to raise awareness of ham radio and inspire more people to explore the hobby. Despite concerns about its compliance with FCC regulations, many hams have found the Baofeng to be a useful addition to their collection of amateur radio equipment, especially as a starter radio for beginners.