Athletes often lose a special skill that soon relegates them to the has been trash heap. In a way I have sort of lost a skill with the passing of the XYL. It is not really a lost skill but in essence no longer required.
Let me explain that loss of skill, but first a very big thank you to the many blog readers who sent their condolences and well wishes. The comments and prayers are very much appreciated.
First and foremost, my family always came first and the last three years with the Board and Care costs, it was a very significant sum. The funeral costs alone were just south of the costs of 28 ICOM IC7300's. I had and did have no problem with supporting the XYL's medical costs as it came with the husband job.
But now to the skill. Essentially it was a huge resource allocation issue. How to write those really big checks each month and yet have just a teeny tiny bit left over to buy any radio stuff. Often that required being really creative and the recycling of old PC boards (milled by me) and the cannibalizing of assemblies that sort of worked. The skill extended to using substitute approaches or alternative means for achieving a desired outcome.
The skill driver was the limited resources and to do things on the cheap. It was also a great time to fix some rigs that were just not right. With the time spent each day with the XYL at the Board and Care facility -- the ham radio diversion on the off hours was needed just to keep my balance.
I also typically invoked the smell test such as if I do buy radio parts am I withholding any level of support needed by the XYL. Actually, that did come up once when I was thinking about a $100 expenditure. You obviously know in which column that landed, and I did find an alternative.
So, the skill loss as such is that I now am no longer constrained by having to write those large checks each month and fretting over how to do more with a lot less. But in reality, I sorely wished that I still had to do that. A new rig or project is no substitute for a partner, wife and friend of 57 years.
As to the total USA skill loss that happened when the ARRL dumbed down the ham test requirements and QST became a costly advertising journal that was low on technical content and high on products built offshore. Think as early as the 1980's.
I ran across this website that focuses on how China is impacting the future of ham radio. Actually, it mentions points I have often made that the largest ham radio operator growth is in China, Indonesia and Thailand. The article termed the 1% yearly growth of US amateurs as "tepid" as compared to these three countries. So, ARRL, who are you kidding that the US Ham population is booming?
Another point made is that SDR and cheap technology is the basis behind these three geographic areas phenomenal ham population growth. So, guys it is not just N6QW making this point. Look to Dayton come May, and you likely will see the jaw dropping array of SDR products coming from China. Hey ARRL, see how much good giving away ham licenses did! As a country we regressed in the ham population growth and the absence of the emphasis on technical skills drove the technical base offshore.
Imposing high tariffs on imported ham gear will not drive the manufacturing to the USA! Firstly, we do not have the technical base as the ARRL didn't think that was important, nor can it be done instantly. We will only become further behind the advancing technology. Thus, we are headed in the direction of the US becoming a 3rd rate ham country as we certainly are not #1 today. So go cuddle your Baofeng UV 35R and thank a Chinese ham.
Them that know can make it go!
73's
Pete N6QW