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Speak Out: What's Missing?

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W3KFQ on 2008-10-19
One hundred and fifty years ago,sheep herders were killing cattlemen, and the cattlemen were killing sheepherders...why, because they didn't want to share the grazing ranges.
You might think that the times have changed, and folks attitudes have improved....you would be wrong.!
Kindergardners in the parks of NYC beat each other senseless over sandpile turf wars.
Illegal operators,radios that cost more than a new truck,they'll be with us till the sun burns out...whats missing is courtesy, and the ability to share..................

KI6DCB on 2008-10-16

Heathkit. Yeah, I know that it would be next to impossible to produce any sort of "state-of-the-art" devices in kit form today, what with multi-layer PC boards, microprocessor-controlled everything, and tiny surface-mount components; but I built an entire Heath station for my [nearly blind] father back in the 1970's, and we had a great time putting things together, testing, and using them on the air. Those moments are gone, but never forgotten. They had clocks, stereos, weather stations...lots of really neat stuff, and it was all really high quality if the builder was up to the task. There is nothing even remotely similar today, and I think we are all a bit lessened by that.

JERBEAR on 2008-08-05
What's missing - classifieds logic. I would like to be allowed to post a classified for microphones for sale that Ham operators who are members to this site reviewed and like to use. The fact that I work for a university apparently makes me a company, even though we are not for profit- so I can't list. I did research on what we had and was trying to get word of the product availability out to folks who would care about Electro-Voice 621L low impedance microphones. 402 559 5893

KH2G on 2008-08-04
I keep talking to the new licensees and they talk about how expensive it is to get started. (They wind up giving up all to often) I think we need a rebirth of something like Heathkit where you could get on the air with a couple of kits (or 1) and not major bucks. Not all the bells and whistles but a starting point. Also just getting parts for homebrew is a major cost and problem for people like me stuck out on Guam with nothing. Our club had some generous donors of used stuff and it is great for our newbys but still need a new Heath type company.

N3DF on 2008-07-11
I would like to see a 144/440 MHz radio, combined with an AM/FM tuner and CD player, that would mount without modification into a car's dashboard radio opening.

N8EKT on 2008-06-30
I would like to see ham radios and repeaters produced for 902-928mhz.

And we need to start occupying the 2.4ghz and 5.8ghz bands before these bands are given away to commercial wifi profiteers.

N5IVZ on 2008-06-29
I like it simple... a tentec argo V and a kenwood 830s..best of two worlds...

WA8MEA on 2008-06-28
You know why you have a four month wait? Because hams don't produce enough business to warrant frequent production runs. So the ham businesses depend on government contracts.

I recently read that Mosley is behind with antenna orders because they've got a new government contract. I sometimes think I'm the only business out there not being breast fed by the government. I see these guys bragging on banner ads that their antennas are in use by the military, embassies and other government agencies. So are our antennas. But I'm not going out searching for a big government contract.

Let's face it; you cannot survive on selling to hams/swl's alone. There's not enough of them to go around and too many competitors.

But I also won't stoop to wasting people's tax dollars by charging $400 for my $40 antennas. I'd rather work for someone else and do my ham business part-time....which I do.

73, Bill - WA8MEA

VE2DC on 2008-06-28
I would love to see a succsessor to the yaesu FT-736. A modern DSP VHF/UHF/Microwave radio with plug-in modules to cover 2M, 220, 440, 900MHz, 1.2Ghz and 2.4GHz preferably made by Icom... would sure help reduce the rats nest at most VHF/UHF weak signal stations.

AE6CP on 2008-06-28
Seriously, let's forget about the CB crowd. It's really less of a crowd now...I see lots of screwdriver antennas on trucks now that the code requirement has been dropped. Lots of folks are replacing their CB's with GMRS radios and some guys are even maintaining repeaters for the service. Some people are just going to marine radios in their cars. I've got two truck drivers in my family and neither one of them has any interest in owning a CB. They both have satelite TV, satelite radio, wireless internet, cell phones, GPS, plasma TV's etc... My brother in-law said, 'I had a CB when I first started driving, I thought it would be great, just like the 'Snowman' on Smokey and the Bandit! but after listening a few times, I realized it was just a bunch of jackasses on meth looking for drugs and lot lizzards. Amp companies like Ameritron are now including 10 meters without any mod required. Tokyo Hi-Power has a QRP amp like you mention, I purchased one directly from Tokyo Hi-Power and they shipped it directly from Japan. I don't think the FCC cares anymore. We need to clean up that mess on 14.275, before we can badmouth anyone else.

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