GM & MS OT with rant

[Les]

On Thu, 2007-02-08 at 16:29 -0500, Gene Heskett wrote:
Big Snip!
> difficult.
Hi, Gene,
	As an old hand HAM from the 60's, I know of what you speak.  Today,
hardware hacking is a fine sport for all kinds of folks, from HAM's to
low power local "bandit broadcasters", to Robotics enthusists, and even
the Radio Control folks.  I remember fooling with an old IFF transponder
to get something with AM in the 2.4GHz range, using a flourescent tube
as a wavemeter.  I built antennas from beercans, baby food tins, small
apple juice cans, pipe, an umbrella, bamboo pools, ground wire for
housing, used two antenna rotators to get moon bounce antennas pointed
at the moon, and other fanciful stuff, some of which actually worked
quite well.  I built an SSB transmitter from a CB radio using crystal
filters before SSB was available on CB bands, and got it on 10meters by
reversing the transmit and receive crystals then reversing the tunng of
the receive side.  

	I built a QRP (low power transmitter) from two transistors and some 16G
wire with a screw adjustable cermic trimmer as the tunable element, and
talked to Japan and Alaska from southern CA.  
<RANT>
	A dedicated HW hacker can build many things from a set of components,
limited primarily by their imagination, available time, and persistence.
The rules apply to those who will not take the time, or learn the skills
to do what they desire.  And in so doing protect the ignorant from
damaging everyone else.  I remember that one of my neighbors complained
about my radios interfering with his television.  I am well schooled in
calibration (6 months at Lowry AFB), and knew I was OK.  I told them to
call the FCC.  They did.  The father was running a military linear
behind his CB radio and didn't know how to tune it.  He got in a bit of
trouble for that.

	Running high power, or spraying the spectrum affects all kinds of
people, and television, radio and emergency communications are important
and vital tools of societies world wide.  Not to mention police, fire,
airports, and other first responders.  I have helped provide
communications in emergencies both here in the US and over seas.  Be
kind to your local amateur Radio operator.  He may someday be your only
life line.  Do not mess with stuff unless you know the rules and do not
mess with radar, radio and other frequencies unless you take the
appropriate actions to protect the other users.
</RANT>
Regards,
Les H