Do modern ham's lack tech know how ?

[Buick Mackane]

Compared to hams of yesteryear ? At one time almost everything in a hams shack was home built. Now you hear of folk who struggle to fit a mic plug. Far as i know the course & exams aren't as tech based as they used to be. So that could be one reason. Of course there is still a lot out there who really know their stuff. But I'm talking in general. My radio tech knowledge isn't bad. Problem is i can't see modern components due to their microscopic size.

[Octane Red]

Not necessarily. There are a lot of the old guard who are completely oblivious to how to set up or operate a digital radio. They still solder with a large tipped soldering iron and have never tried SMD hot air soldering, nor do they want to. To them modern techniques such as ROIP are a mystery, that can be safely ignored. They have probably never programmed a radio using a PC.

Technology has moved on. No-one in this day and age is likely to take the back off their own TV to fix it, as they may have done in the 70s. Radio is the same. A lot now is about operating it, rather than building it out of 1940s era components.

Compare to professional radio applications. Even for marine GOC level certification, you don't need to be able to build it from scratch - Just operate the equipment competently. Same goes for aviation RT certification and all avenues of PMR and beyond. As in a similar thread in this section, the channels are dead due to a lack of operators, not a lack of people who can solder on a mic plug. The car driving test only checks your ability to drive and carry out basic maintenance. It doesn't test your ability to forge a new crankshaft for the engine and fit it. Same difference, as they say....

[Buick Mackane]

Well yes a lot of older hams will have no knowledge or interest in modern radio gear. And as you pointed out back in the day you could repair most electronics yourself with a bit of know how. But these days its not that simple given the size of components and gear needed to service them.

[Octane Red]

Component size is not rally an issue if you have the kit. An SMD microscope from China is not an expensive bit of kit in the big picture.

By always pushing the vintage end of the equipment scale, a lot of potential incomers to the hobby are put off. If the local 'car scene' and meets only promoted Model T Fords, a very small, perhaps non existent number of young lads and lasses would be interested in it. Again, 'same difference'

[Buick Mackane]

Component size is not rally an issue if you have the kit. An SMD microscope from China is not an expensive bit of kit in the big picture.

By always pushing the vintage end of the equipment scale, a lot of potential incomers to the hobby are put off. If the local 'car scene' and meets only promoted Model T Fords, a very small, perhaps non existent number of young lads and lasses would be interested in it. Again, 'same difference'

Unless of course it was a retro car club. A microscope does help. But it doesn't stop you from losing components when they ping off into the Abyss and are never seen again.

[ch25]

In UK compared to Poland you have very good level of training for radio permit.
Imagine there is no course, all you have to know is to fill test sheet where questions and answers are already known, published by government. Just memorise them for exam.
Many new license owners does not even know how to fix a plug on RG213 coax!
Chris

[Octane Red]

Unless of course it was a retro car club. A microscope does help. But it doesn't stop you from losing components when they ping off into the Abyss and are never seen again.

Indeed on the car club. But out of all the car meets attended by 'the less mature' generation, most cars are only going to be 'retro' to the point they become affordable. Sure, there are some youngsters into old and retro, but not many. Here, the local vintage club have opened out their annual vintage rally to anyone who has a car they would like to show. The club astutely recognised that without new younger folk coming along, the old guard would get less and less to the point of unsustainability. So now the annual rally features all sorts of stuff, and its resulted in a lot of the younger generation getting involved and showing an interest. And for sure, some of them will be drivers only, and won't know a spanner from a screwdriver. But they have a car and a driving licence and that's is what counts.

And a well set up work area for SMD work is a big help. A big white cloth or paper over the bench or table catches all. Shouldn't be too much 'pinging' if you are using decent pointed tip tweezers and not a set of molegrips!

[Octane Red]

Many new license owners does not even know how to fix a plug on RG213 coax!

Which is not actually required to operate a radio proficiently. Its not covered in any other radio licences - Marine, aviation, commercial PMR etc

Similarly, there are a huge number of people who use 230 volt appliances perfectly safely and competently without being able to fit a plug to the cable - Fortunately, they all come fitted these days..... Try telling your missus she cannot use the hair straighteners until she can competently fit a plug to them.

[Buick Mackane]

We get your point Octane. A taxi driver doesn't need to be able to check his crankshaft for end play. As long as they can competently drive a car. My point is that hams these days seem to be less technically proficient than they used to be.. But as pointed out tech these days is a lot more complex and not as repair friendly as it once was..Coupled with the exam not being as technically challenging as it used to be.

As for fitting a mains plug. Its something i personally enjoy doing

[Octane Red]

The point is that the almost universal "moan" these days is that "this is dead, that is dead, there's never anyone on....." As opposed to "Youngsters these days - Cannot build their own equipment from things they found down the tip...."

If hams these days are not as technically proficient as grandad was, then that is just like your example of taxi drivers. 50 years ago, a taxi driver might have been adept at changing a head gasket mid hire, but I would doubt it nowadays. So querying "modern ham's" technical ability is as relevant as asking your taxi driver what compression ratio he is running before getting in.

The very people that expect 17 year olds to be able to build a cats whisker receiver from nothing other than a cat and a scrap black and white TV, are likely the same ones that would have no idea how to fix their smartphone, let alone use it.

Personally, I think all hams should be adept at rigging their own antennae on the chimney. If you are not able to shin up there and fit an antenna, your licence should be revoked. That should help weed out all the old codgers who can't even get out of an armchair without an electric motor, or get up the stairs without a stairlift.

Personally, I love a good clamber about on the roof, whether from ladders or a MEWP.

[Transwarp]

Personally, I think all hams should be adept at rigging their own antennae on the chimney. If you are not able to shin up there and fit an antenna, your licence should be revoked. That should help weed out all the old codgers who can't even get out of an armchair without an electric motor, or get up the stairs without a stairlift.

Weed out the old codgers, revoke licences if can't fit own antennas.
You serious or just on a wind up like?

[Antoni]

An operator's lack of basic knowledge of how an antenna does what it does is a disadvantage to operating. Same is true for feeders, be they co-axial or otherwise. A little knowledge goes a long way. (see what I did there?)

The difficult part is visualising what happens in an antenna and comparing that to something more familiar. I'd demonstrate some of it by using a guitar and maybe drawings of a strong man standing at the foot of a lamp post (maybe with a set of step ladders handy). The weirder the better. For impedances I'd start by talking about cars and selecting the right gear.

I've just got into making cheap quickly deployable Heath-Robinson style portable HF and 4m antennas. Made out of whatever I've already got.

[NightProwler]

Personally, I think all hams should be adept at rigging their own antennae on the chimney. If you are not able to shin up there and fit an antenna, your licence should be revoked. That should help weed out all the old codgers who can't even get out of an armchair without an electric motor, or get up the stairs without a stairlift.

WTF?

I have no idea how to change the clutch on my car, Does this mean I should give up my driving licence?

[Transwarp]

An operator's lack of basic knowledge of how an antenna does what it does is a disadvantage to operating. Same is true for feeders, be they co-axial or otherwise. A little knowledge goes a long way. (see what I did there?)

The difficult part is visualising what happens in an antenna and comparing that to something more familiar. I'd demonstrate some of it by using a guitar and maybe drawings of a strong man standing at the foot of a lamp post (maybe with a set of step ladders handy). The weirder the better. For impedances I'd start by talking about cars and selecting the right gear.

I've just got into making cheap quickly deployable Heath-Robinson style portable HF and 4m antennas. Made out of whatever I've already got.

l've been supping cheap booze for the last few months, think its messing with my ability to comprehend.
What is it you did there?

[paulears]

It’s just a morphing hobby. The membership slowly changes. Most hobbies are like this where old members relate to the subject when they first started. The same comments I have seen on aviation, railways, music recording, video and computer forums. I was always good at electronics and building PCBs. Now you have guys with microscopes, heat responsive cameras and amazing tools that get coupled with new knowledge I simply don’t understand. They have no knowledge of valve/tube circuits, winding inductors and the things I did. Some railway fans have never been on a steam train. You can have airline pilots who have never even touched a real biplane. To each new layer, the recent history is interesting, the layer before that is not relevant, and the layer before that is so detached it’s like looking at dinosaurs as recently departed creatures.