THE GRAND TRADITION

Lion dance is a grand tradition of the Chinese. Zapin has become a grand tradition of the Johoreans. They depict the identitity of the source. We saw the Lion Dance we know that Chinese as a race stand strong. We saw Zapin we know the Johoreans stand tall. As the tradition fade the identity of a race also fade.

Ham radio has it's own origin and tradition. It has always been a separate package with the commercial radio. It has not been a relative of any other form of communication. And it is not for competition. Hams began with homebrews and experimentation. They built oscillators and VFO. It started to think how to send messages before people discovered how to modulate the wave. CW was a great invention then. Because of the long use for years it became a tradition.

Then they learned how to modulate the carrier and the first voice could travel far. AM had been the mode together with CW for a long time until people were successful in suppressing it before the voice signal was sent out. Because AM consumed much energy, hams prefer to opt for side band.

The tradition of homebrewing rig is almost dead when commercial equipments are available. Some hams still carry out with home made transceiver and till now  yaking away with the homebrew sets.

The forerunners of ham radio set up rules and regulations to ensure that it would not interfere with other services, borrowed Q-Codes for CW, set up ethics and stood strictly for a high disciplined members and memberships. It was not expected of people of unruly nature, mentally ill, and other undesirable elements to be the members.

Highly respected people enrolled themselves as hams. Almost in all countries the ham band was clean and the grand tradition was a pride.

But somehow in the later years with the coming of the new generation the grandeur began to shake. Sticks were used to hammer the ham package. Hams who polluted ham bands were ignored. Amateur Radio was seen as any other radio and other hobby. They are talking of the relevancy of CW and the progress of the internet. In other words they are comparing Ham Radio with the Internet.

Certainly the internet is far more advance. We can speak with a live picture and absolute clarity. We do so across the world. Ham radio will never beat the internet. BUT it is not a hobby for competition or even absolute technological advancement. If it is so then Radio Amateur Examination is not relevant too because the most modern radio is almost built using only a few microchips. We can't see the idea of VFO, balance modulator, SSB fiter as it was before.

Let the CB Radio be advance with APRS, satellite, internet facilities. Those who are not in favor of the archaic tradition can go to CB. The authority can provide more frequencies to CB. And those who want to keep the tradition stay with the old fashioned ham radio package. With what is going on today the real effect is the killing of the traditional ham radio. The authority in most countries have to accept the argument that even the RAE is no more relevant and therefore must take it away. But give a special frequency to those who want to be called hams with the traditional CW.

Hams can start again with a single transistor oscillator for CW and a simple AM transmitter. Whether mandatory or not, I am sure there will be people going for the RAE and CW exam. Let the Grand Tradition lives in the age of hitech communication.

I can't help laughing when somebody mentioned that CW is a harmful tradition. CW has been there for many many years and no one is sick or dead. It did not eat or hurt the users. What a stupid statement it was. Just a person cannot get what he wants then he would put a blame on it. So there are requirements to be doctors, lawyers and astronauts. Are those requirements harmful ? If you are not cut for a ham radio then go CB. Why blame CW as harmful when it had not hurt or kill any CWers. If the Asian Morons like me can pass, why can't a smart people in the West can't ?

One needs to distinguish the different between a radio operator and a ham. A radio operator does not need to know Morse code but a ham must know it. A radio operator may choose to be polite and ethical but a ham must have ethics and follow the radio regulations. A radio operator can be a criminal or gangsters but a ham must be free of bad habits like cheating and bluffing.

But a radio operator can call himself by any name even a ham. In reality and spirit he is not one. It is his right to think what he is as the right of others to think he is not.

I am happy the Americans have better ways in expressing the concept of Amateur Radio Tradition from the normal layman to the university clubs. People began to realize the importance of a tradition and to maintain it. There are many beautiful articles in the website which you can read by typing 'amateur radio tradition' in the search engine. http://www.wwarg.org/ is merely a club which promotes the Ham radio tradition. I just like it's beautiful web page. n5xu.ece.utexas.edu/pages/4 describes on a three grand tradition of amateur radio. Below is the total excerpt which I think may not be found later

Scott Robbins, W4PA, announced that he has purchased Vibroplex, efective December 21, 2009. [S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, Photo]

The Vibroplex Original Bug.

Scott Robbins, W4PA, of Knoxville, Tennessee, told the ARRL that he has signed an agreement to purchase The Vibroplex Company, Inc from present owner Felton "Mitch" Mitchell, W4OA, effective December 21, 2009. "Vibroplex represents the great tradition of CW operation in Amateur Radio going back many, many years," Robbins told the ARRL. "I'm tickled to be able to continue the more than 100 years of history that has gone into this company."

Robbins -- who has been employed with Ten-Tec Inc since 1995 (he has been Product Manager for Ten-Tec's Amateur Radio equipment line since 1997) -- will leave his position in mid-December to take over full-time management and ownership of Vibroplex. "It's a great opportunity to continue the more than 100 years of tradition that the Vibroplex name represents," Robbins said. "I've known Mitch for quite a few years and it was an important consideration for both of us that Vibroplex continue operation building quality products for Amateur Radio long into the future. Mitch's experience owning the company will be valuable as we proceed with a seamless ownership transition over the next few weeks."

Robbins told the ARRL that he will move Vibroplex from its present location in Mobile, Alabama to Knoxville, Tennessee during the last two weeks of December, with a planned opening date of January 5, 2010. Vibroplex's toll-free sales line (800) 840-8873, Web site and e-mail contact addresses will remain in continuous operation under the new ownership, he said.

"My first Vibroplex paddle was given to me in 1980 by my father, W2DR; when I left home to attend the University of North Carolina in 1988, a rig, some wire and the key went with me," Robbins said. "Close to 30 years later, it's still on the table -- along with two Vibroplex products I've purchased. I used a Vibroplex chrome iambic to win the 2006 ARRL DX CW contest from Barbados as 8P9PA and I will certainly be using one at the WRTC 2010 competition in Russia this July."

Robbins told the ARRL that he has enjoyed his 14 year career at Ten-Tec, calling it his first "real job" when he was fresh out of college: "I have met literally thousands of hams over the years because of Ten-Tec -- all those exciting years when we were designing new rigs and I was writing the manuals for the Omni-VII and Orion; I'm really proud of what has been accomplished there. I am sure that Ten-Tec and Vibroplex will have some common ground in the future -- both companies already did one commemorative key together back in 2002. Another one would be great!"

Vibroplex is the oldest operating business in the Amateur Radio industry and has been in continuous service to the hobby since founder Horace Martin invented the "bug" semi-automatic Morse code key in 1904. End.

Tradition also talk of good citizenship and elmering. By good citizenship I believe a ham should not be a criminal, rude cheaters and all other characteristics of goodness. In many of my previous essays I mentioned about a few people in Malaysia who have very rude on the air even calling other people 'babi' on the repeater. If Malaysian hams ignore the tradition of good citizenship then the amount of pollution in ham Malaysian ham radio would increase.

Elmering means the old hams are guiding the new ones, giving tips and information from generation to generation. But in Malaysia things did not happen as the way it should be. Many new hams start with unfounded hating of the old hams, criticized them and even thought the old hams what and what not to do. YES it is true. Many of the old hams were taken aback by that, and a bad person like me is always monitoring those teachers to see whether they are going to practice as what they preach. Refer to my previous article about this.

While man old hams are blaming the MCMC, I am blaming the new generation who are egoistic and ignorant. May they be in FCC or the MCMC. The trend is everywhere and in every department and Ministries.

The concept of Amateur Radio is a package which brought down from generation to generation carries with it all the grand tradition which must be followed to the last letter. It does not belong to FCC, any authority or to anyone. No one can butcher it and turned it into the Frankestine of Ham Radio. Legalizing pirates is one of the effort to turn ham radio into Frankestine.

While we follow the progress in technology we must not forget who and what we are. We need to maintain the ID of ham radio.

HAMS WITH CW

People's taste are different. When I saw a lady and adored her beauty, my friend didn't even look at her. Your observations on hams may be different from mine too. New hams who passed CW are different from those who have no interest in them. Their positive attitudes and attitudes towards English are admirable. Hence we feel that ham radio is an international not a Gua Musang manufactured hobby. I observed that many use English even among the local boys. That was the reason why even after more than 30 years of independence the Telecom kept RAE in English.

The communication protocol, good habits and ethics give much hope to Malaysian amateur radio. With more people setting up the system, working hard to master the mode, the building up of desirable attitudes, we expect the standard and the quality of our hams would enhance in the years to come. Putting efforts and struggling are forms of training for survival, challenging the odds. This is similar to University education where one is trained to be self reliance and struggling for survival.

Below 'hams without CW' are pirates who know no respect and bull dozed their way thru on frequencies used by hams. The worst in this region are the Indonesians followed by the Indo Chinese states. Notice how rude these people are behaving in uncivilized manner. Using bad words were not uncommon.

I am sorry to say even International hams communication did not use the right protocols and procedures. I knew then these were the products of No-Code hams from CBs. The phrase 'Easy Come Easy Go' may not be suitable to apply here BUT it is near to saying that something that is easily obtainable does not get maximum appreciation. That's why we hear hams talking to their non-license friends, and even allowing their friends to use their call signs.

I am talking on general term which means that not all hams without CW do not have positive attitudes. They just do not have the time to learn Morse because of their work load in the offices. Professionals hardly find time even to meet friends. Even business people are having similar problem. generally means the general persons like the part timers, and even the jobless hams. Good attitude hams are always good whether they have CW or not. They have got their previous training before before becoming professionals and government officers.

Willing to learn is one of the characteristics of a good ham. There are many things that a ham can learn. SEANET is one of them. I have seen Malaysian hams fought over the organization of SEANET in this country and asked myself 'What kind of hams do we have ?' When we advise them to read the IARU's guideline, they just simply refused, fearing to know their wrongness in ethics and SOP, so that they can continue with their habits.

The grand tradition is not without ideals behind it.

Old guys did not go to CW class. There was no computer and internet to download CW software. Many are alone and had to proceed on their own. We devised methods of learning and training. Self thought was rewarding. Many passed the test with one go.

Building up determination to pass Morse test is another good habit. Many successful men are determined people. They set their target and went for it, not in the easy path but full of barb wires and land mines. That's how the Voyages of Discovery began not only thru the wild seas but also thru the atmosphere fighting against the gravity. Those were not without costs. Who believe that mankind can live in the outer space for months and years. Nothing come easy. It was the positive attitudes and determination drove them to fight against all odds.

Hams who have determination and had been fighting hard to pass the CW test feel the ecstasy when they finally overcome the hurdles.

The Grand Tradition has wisdom hidden in it.