Just last Thursday (02/22/2007), I took my Element 2 Technician License Exam and passed. Seeing that the Radio Reference forums are my forum of choice for all my radio communications needs, I thought of posting a new thread. However, after considering searching before I post, I found this one.
I've decided to bring the Amateur Radio Topic thread back into "play." Despite what the conclusion was, I see reasons why the Radio Reference forums should have such a place to talk about things like this.
Like others have said, we do have a lot of amateur operators of all license classes on the forums. That is one good reason. We can also give suggestions on electronics, building transceivers, antennas, setup options, and more. Don't you agree that we contribute a lot to the scanning society, since we are some of the people creating the transmissions?
Although there are other forums that hams can talk on, it is easier to just have one place to talk. I prefer this, because then I don't have passwords to remember, usernames to type, and many forums up at once on my browser.
The last reason I have is that an amateur operator’s obligation is to assist in emergency communications if the time calls. Our job is to react quickly, accurately, and completely in times of emergency. If primary (police/fire/EMS) communications fail, we are there for backup. If you couldn’t listen to primary communication on your scanner, then the next best thing would be listening to the closest amateur radio repeater. Even when there is no emergency, you can still sometimes hear amateur organizations such as ARES, RACES, and SKYWARN groups preparing and keeping their skills sharp on local nets.
That’s all I have to say for now, thanks for your time.