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essays:radio [2017/09/05 18:28] zashi |
essays:radio [2017/09/21 19:10] (current) zashi |
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===== Radio ===== | ===== Radio ===== | ||
- | I recently gained an interest in getting my Amateur Radio License. I want to experiment with various data protocols, but there some more traditional Amateur Radio goals I'd like to hit--such as contacting the International Space Station both with voice and data. | + | I recently gained an interest in getting my Amateur Radio License. I want to experiment with various data protocols, and there some more traditional Amateur Radio goals I'd like to hit--such as contacting the International Space Station both with voice and data. |
Originally, I just wanted to try setting up a some data links and play around a bit. I hadn't really planned doing much more than that. I certainly had not planned on getting involved in the Amateur Radio community. But in my studies for the exam, I have become more and more interested and excited. I have rediscovered something. | Originally, I just wanted to try setting up a some data links and play around a bit. I hadn't really planned doing much more than that. I certainly had not planned on getting involved in the Amateur Radio community. But in my studies for the exam, I have become more and more interested and excited. I have rediscovered something. | ||
- | When I was first getting into computers, everything was new and exciting. Everything piqued my interest and I just wanted to //play// with everything. And when I finally got access to the Internet, I found a community of people equally excited and interested. | + | When I was first getting into computers, everything was new and exciting. Everything piqued my interest and I just wanted to //play// with everything. And when I finally got access to the Internet, I found a community of people equally excited and interested. I had found a seemingly endless well of esoteric knowledge from which to draw. |
- | The Internet, for better or worse, has changed. The majority of the people access the Web and web-based services through a mobile device. Most people are not tinkerers. Most are simply content consumers and social media participants. | + | The Internet, for better or worse, has changed. The majority of the people access the Web and web-based services through a mobile device. Most are not tinkerers. Most are simply content consumers and social media participants. |
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T1A12: Which of the following is a permissible use of the Amateur Radio Service? | T1A12: Which of the following is a permissible use of the Amateur Radio Service? | ||
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A. Broadcasting music and videos to friends. | A. Broadcasting music and videos to friends. | ||
B. Providing a way for amateur radio operators to earn additional income by using their stations to pass messages. | B. Providing a way for amateur radio operators to earn additional income by using their stations to pass messages. | ||
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</code> | </code> | ||
+ | The wrong answers and the right answer speak volumes. Amateur Radio is not for grandstanding or self-promotion. It's not a medium for freelance work. It's not a means to end for a business. It is for experimentation and communication between experimenters. | ||
From the books I've read, the conversations I've listened in on, and the websites I've browsed--this is true. I've rediscovered a world-wide community of tinkerers and experimenters. //Amateur// means someone who does something for the love of it and Amateur Radio by law is restricted to Amateurs. | From the books I've read, the conversations I've listened in on, and the websites I've browsed--this is true. I've rediscovered a world-wide community of tinkerers and experimenters. //Amateur// means someone who does something for the love of it and Amateur Radio by law is restricted to Amateurs. | ||
- | I appreciate the openness of the internet. I like shopping online. I like being able to bank and pay my bills from a computer or phone. I like the convenience of it all--but there is something to be said for a restricting a communication net to people who just want to screw around with the technology. | + | I appreciate the openness of the internet. I like shopping online. I like being able to bank and pay my bills from a computer or phone. I find it fantastic that my wife can write copy and get paid all from a chromebook. I like the convenience of it all--but there is something to be said for a restricting a communication net to people who just want to screw around with the technology. |
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+ | Amateur Radio reminds me of IRC back when I was really sharpening my technical skills, with the old hands all in their usual haunts. Everyone speaks the same jargon. There's a minimum level of civility that is expected and touchy subjects are intentionally avoided. | ||
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