Sad hams

I recently heard that term and it's pretty spot on as far as some hams go. 

Sad hams are to ham radio are what Fudds are to the gun world. They see things the way they want to see things and think everyone should conforn to their way of thinking.

Before I even bothered to license I looked into things a bit and before I even tested I knew I was getting into a very, very broad hobby and (as usual) my interests were on a fairly narrow spectrum of the hobby as a hole.

I simply went into it my way and for the most part was welcomed by most. To a small handful I was 'just another no code Extra ruining the hobby.'  The small handful are sad hams.

The only reason the hobby still exists anymore is that there was (and still is) a resurgence of people entering it for their own reasons. The truth is the sad hams should be grateful for the resurgence.

Over the years I've done a few 100% perfectly legal things on the air that the sad hams got upset over. Once when running portable with the PRC 320 while I was traveling I checked in on the YLs net and explained I couldn't give them a QTH (location) because I didn't know where I was. 

Some sad ham grumbled over me not being able to give a QTH and dragged the then popular 'No code Extra ruining the hobby' line. I promptly humbled him by reminding him he was on a comfortable chair in a heated shack and I was sitting in a snowbank running portable.

Last night I was on the usual Tuesday night net on 40 meters, lower sideband. On the internet board someone said they couldn't check in because he only has an old military rig that was upper sideband only so the guys all decided that next week we'd run the net on upper sideband which, although is somewhat unconventional, is 100% legal. 

Because it is unconventional the likely scenario for next week's net is some sad ham will probably bust in and tell us we're not supposed to be doing that.

Hopefully net control will hand it off to me and I'll feed him the biggest bull$hit story I can muster, probably explaining that under Part A, subchapter six that Cold War veterans are permitted to use obsolete military radios to keep track of Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale to protect Rocket J. Squirel and Bullwinkle T. Moose and that sightings of Boris and Natasha have to be reported immediately to Top Men. 

If he's really that stupid I'll get my favorite prize, a confused voice saying "Why, I never heard of such a thing!"

To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY