Re: [Leica] Re: Resale value? Not an issue

[Walter S Delesandri <walt@jove.acs.unt.edu>]

That was a CBer.....PLEASE don't confuse the two...and yes, 
there used to be a BIG difference, but I fear that we 
hams are NOT immune, either.....the two markets/players have 
converged to a degree that makes me VERY uneasy....

Ham radio used to be inhabited by 99% decent folks.....CB was 
an "outlaw" pursuit, by nature (hobby type activities on CB were 
forbidden by federal regulations- read the regs)....This is 
not an elitist stance, ham radio was open to ALL persons, 
and represented a cross section from rich to poor...all on a 
first name basis and level playing field....unfortunately, 
they were 99+% male, and 99+% white, but that wasn't the ham's 
fault....I assure you that anyone meeting the minimum standards 
for licensing was welcome....and the standards were based 
on a license class system using blind testing.  However, like 
so many sound programs, this was deemed "unfair", as it 
discriminated against stupidity and lack of effort....so 
the "standards" were lowered gradually, beginning in the 
seventies, to the point where now a couple night's study, with 
the "question pool", and bingo, you're a "ham" (not a real one, 
but technically a ham).

BTW, unlike most of this group's pastimes, the ham license 
is essentially free, and old timers used to keep a couple 
of "junker" radios on the shelf to share with underprivileged 
new hams....I've given away several over the years, but not 
any more....the "newbies" won't take them and use them, even 
for FREE!!!

I guess what I'm saying is that I'd >like<to see ham radio and 
CB radio clearly delineated, it may not be so anymore!!!

Thanks, 
Walt

On Sun,
21
Mar
1999 Zeissleica@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 3/20/99 8:07:37 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> walt@jove.acs.unt.edu writes:
> 
> >  Amateur radio has seen an EXPLOSION in "dealers".....people who 
> >  actively pursue equipment with ONLY the future deal in mind...
> >  I'm sure we have those here, lurking, but they usually prefer to 
> >  buy from uninformed parties (CERTAINLY not the LUG...) so as to 
> >  maximize profits...
> 
> An article in a recent issue of Wired Magazine comes to mind.  Seems some
> young kid acting as a amateur radio dealer ripped off someone via the Net and
> got blown up by a letter bomb for his sins.
> 
> Hope we never hear of anything like that in this forum.
> 
> /Mitch
>