July - August 2025
July - August 2025
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Editorial
Against the grain
Every day across this country, particularly the weekends, amateurs like you and I get on with pursuing that driving urge to see, hear, and to learn about everything and anything of so many aspects of radio communications – of antennas and amplifiers, portable and remote stations, microphones and Meshtastic, masts and mobile whips, coax and connectors, S-meters and S-parameters, signal reports and slurs.
Wait, what?
Yes, insults. Derogatory personal attacks. I’m not talking about respectful or robust disagreement or debate, here. I mean behaviour that is best described as confronting, confounding and disappointing, even grossly defamatory. Unfortunately, ham radio is not quarantined from the slings and arrows of wider society (to borrow from Shakespeare’s Hamlet).
The question arises, do we suffer it and turn away, or do we confront it?
I was reminded from a recent incident that there are differing ways to confront it aside from a strong reaction or an attack in return.
Understandably, some people turn their back, switch off and abandon ham radio. Especially when, having gained some satisfaction, the deckheads (an inferior headline – a journalistic double entendre from my past) turn on family members in like manner with breathtaking bravado.
Some continue at every untrammelled opportunity through the anonymity of the keyboard and the pushbutton microphone. Spreading their bile and growing the chip on their shoulder that festered originally from some long-buried slight, slur, fight or misunderstanding.
How do we address this, both individually and collectively?
Firstly, as my late wife – a sociologist – often said, don’t reward the monkeys with the bananas they crave. Avoid reacting. Even when truly difficult. It’s counterproductive. Reactions, especially strong ones, are what they seek. That often motivates them to move on, hopefully to another sphere. That course can be criticised for simply making such behaviours someone else’s problem.
However, you’re not individually responsible for their behaviour and, having been targeted, you’re unlikely to change them. However, another person with fortitude, the communications skill, community spirit and time, may have an opportunity to do so.
I have experienced instances where such individuals were successfully counselled (or “elmered”) into modifying their behaviour and indeed, their thinking.
There will be readers who recall Julius (Julie) Kentwell VK2XBR. He was a notorious pirate during the 1970s’ CB boom years. As “The Batman,” he was the essence of personal confrontation, antagonistic to the point of spraying threats to Radio Inspectors, prominent CBers, and yours truly (for a magazine feature on CB).
CB licensing came in. Many CBers “saw the light” and the wider opportunities with ham radio.
The St George ARC in Sydney “took him in.” Better inside and open to influence, rather than outside making mischief. At a St George meeting, he and I we were introduced. A tense moment.
The club succeeded in making a remarkable turnaround in Julie. He got his amateur licence. He became an inveterate homebrewer, and a CW fanatic, taking out VK2ISI just for that. We became firm friends! Julie got involved in the WIA and made some outstanding contributions. I saw them happen. Doubtless, Julie was “a colourful eccentric.” Not everyone’s cup of tea. For all that, he made his mark, one that benefits Australian ham radio today. I’m unsure I could’ve done it, but some sagacious hams in St George ARC did.
There’s a lesson for us all.
Table Of Contents
 What happens when you hit -to-talk - Part 2 - Dr George Galanis VK3EIP
Product Review MATCH, by RigExpert - Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
Product Review Compact 28 MHz rig - Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
Product Review Tecsun 10m, vertical - Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
A wireless-controlled antenna for 136 kHz and 475 kHz - Peter Hall VK6HP, VK6MJM
An inner suburban 9-band long wire antenna - Dr David ‘Doc’ Wescombe-Down VK5BUG
Practical help for lovers of old beams and TET-Emtron models - Mark Rawlings VK6MOA
Know your RF earth resistance - Dale Hughes VK1DSH
Basics of Delta Modulation2 - Elmo V. Jansz VK7CJ
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