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The Ham Code :-)

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Jonathan Naylor

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Jun 19, 1994, 12:23:25 PM6/19/94

Not to be confused with Hamming Code.

The following is to be read with a tongue firmly placed in the cheek. I knocked
it up for something to do one evening and I thought the net as a whole may like
to read it. The style is somewhat irregular, but some of the comments made
are sometimes a bit too close to comfort in some places. My own views of some
of these categories are not as bad as may be predicted considering some of
the language used. Its just that I've been in amateur radio long enough to
see most of the arguments played out at rallies, radio club meetings and the
like.

I could have made the Ham Code infinitely long by including such items as
Rallies, SSB and a few others could be invented without too much imagination.
I was going to send it out on packet but my links to the nearest BBS are very
poor at the moment.

Any additions amendments/additions/comments to me via packet or the Internet.
See my sig block at the end of message. Enjoy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Ham Code v1.00 by Jonathan Naylor G4KLX

This code is the amateur radio equivalent of the Geek Code that is often seen
on e-mail messages on the Internet and elsewhere. Briefly the idea of the Ham
Code is to allow an individual radio amateur to classify themselves by using a
series of letters and symbols, this enables others to understand your views
without the need for long drawn out arguments on packet radio. Of course using
the Ham Code may begin an argument on its own count, but that is up to the
individual. I only created this code for a laugh after all. And remember
Amateur Radio and especially Packet Radio is only a hobby !

To show how to use the code, use mine as an example. The HC identifies that
we are using the "Ham Code" as opposed to the Geek Code or any other similar
system. That is followed by my callsign, a slash, and the number of years that
I've been licensed. After that each classification from the list below is
included followed by a space. Easy isn't it ?

HC G4KLX/15 c+++ g- h i++ l+++ m++ p q++ s u+++ v--

The classifications.
-----------------------
Contests

c+++ I am a member of a real contest group. We've even been known to win the
open section of a contest somtimes.

c++ I am a member of a contest group. We've been known to come in the top ten
of a contest.

c+ I go contesting with the local radio club. We have great fun, and usually
come 99th out of 100, but we enjoy ourselves.

c I sometimes give points away and try to get new countries/squares.

c- They are a neccessary evil of amateur radio. I just go and use another
band or mode for the duration.

c-- I dislike contests. I sometimes wind competitors up by giving them hugely
inflated serial numbers, then I switch off until its all over.

c--- Contests are a hazard to other amateurs. They generate lots of QRM and
achieve nothing, apart from inflating the egos of those taking part. They
should be banned.
-----------------------
RAYNET

g++ I am an active member of the local RAYNET group. I take part in all of
the exersises, and have a RAYNET repeater at my house. I always monitor
our local RAYNET channel.

g+ I am a member of the local RAYNET group, I take part in the exercises and
believe that I am performing a useful role in the community.

g Live and let live, thats what I say.

!g I am not a member of RAYNET.

g- I find RAYNET faintly ludicrous. They are trying to gain favour with the
authorities by pretending to offer an important service to the community.
Pull the other one.

g-- RAYNET members are overgrown boy scouts. After all in a real emergency
(World War III) we'll all be closed down anyway.
-----------------------
Handheld Radios

h++ I have a dual band portable. I also have the matching headphones and
microphones which I wear at every possible opportunity. I look like a
mission controller from Houston.

h+ I have a handheld which I carry most of the time. Its nice to be able to
keep in touch with other amateurs.

h I have a handheld.

!h I don't have a handheld.

h- The only use I have for my ex-pmr handheld is for arranging trips to the
pub with my mates. We use obscure frequencies to avoid listeners.

h-- All handhelds should be banned, and their users sold into slavery.
-----------------------
Home Construction

i+++ I have built everything in my shack. I can't see the point in buying when
I can build it just as well, and it works better. My articles for RadCom
are rejected because they are too complex (> 3 active components).

i++ I build my own amplifiers and power supplies.

i+ I have built some reasonably sized projects. I built a complete QRP
radio from a kit a few years ago, therefore I am an expert.

i I build the occasional thing like power supplies.

i- I make my own leads up. Does that count ?

i-- My shack is a radio dealers heaven. I buy the latest radio when it comes
out, since I need the extra 899 memories that the 1994 model has. I buy my
patch leads ready made.
-----------------------
Licensing

l+++ I think that amateur radio has gone down hill since the introduction of
the multiple choice RAE. Amateurs should be retested every few years to
see if they are worthy to be allowed on the air.

l++ Anybody below a Class A license doesn't deserve to be on the air.

l+ Anybody below a Class B license doesn't deserve to be on the air.

l I'm happy just the way it is.

!l I am a pirate.

l- I think the RAE is too complex. And that the morse test is too difficult.

l-- I think that all amateur radio licensing is bad. If you can turn on a
radio you should be allowed to use it. Amateur radio is too elitist.
-----------------------
Morse

m+++ Morse is the finest mode in existence. It works at low S/N ratios and
doesn't require any special hardware to do it. SSB and FM is for wimps.

m++ I like morse, I even achieved 20WPM once on my keyer.

m+ I use morse quite a lot, I sometimes go onto the G-QRP frequency on 80m
and work a few people.

m I use morse occasionally.

!m I don't/can't/won't use morse.

m- Morse is great on my KAM/PK232/MFJ1278 ...

m-- Morse is a load of bleeps that don't make sense. I think that is a
complete waste of time. I have failed my morse test five times.

m--- Morse is a relic of the 1920's. It should have been dropped years ago,
and dropped from the licensing requirements. People who like Morse are
old/young fogeys.
-----------------------
Packet Radio

p+++ I am a sysop of a BBS. I spend five hours a day making sure that the BBS
keeps running. I have no life outside of looking after the BBS. I can
write FBB forwarding files with my eyes closed. I am a sad man.

p++ I live, breath and eat packet radio. I have a multi-band multi-mode radio
on 144.650 listening to my local BBS. I have a mail drop every hour from
the BBS, I worship the ground that G1NNB walks on. TCP/IP is for losers.

p+ I like packet radio. I log onto my BBS regularly and check the DX Cluster
at weekends, the Chat Servers are pretty neat too. TCP/IP is too complex
for me.

p I am on packet radio.

!p I am not on packet radio.

p- Packet radio is a poor imitation of real networks like Compuserve. I use
it occasionally for something to laugh at.

p-- I dislike packet radio. I jam their frequencies and tape record their
transmissions and play them back at a later date. Who's G3ZHI ?

p--- Packet users should have their TNCs shoved where the sun doesn't shine.
-----------------------
Power

q+++ Oh, I've heard of the 4CX250B, thats what I use as a pre-driver. My main
output device uses more heater power than the legal limit, but don't tell
anybody.

q++ I can generate the full legal limit on at least one band (160m, 6m and
4m excluded), and a bit more to overcome co-ax losses. I have very lossy
co-ax .... I think.

q+ I use commercial transistor PAs that give me 100 Watts of clean power.

q All my radios are run barefoot.

q- High power is a prop for poor operating technique. If you can do it with
400 Watts, then you can do it with 25 Watts, its obvious isn't it ?

q-- I like running low power, although I sometimes run high power when I get
bored.

q--- I like trying to work the world with very low power. A BFY50 is too high
powered for my liking. The G-QRP club is full of QRO merchants.
-----------------------
Satellites

s+++ I love satellites. I am on mode A, B, J, L and S. I am also active on
9600 Baud with the UoSAT birds. Satellites are the future of amateur
radio. Karl Meinzer is a god. I go to Surrey every year.

s++ I lke Satellites. I spend all my time on Oscar 13 on the DX net with
KL7GRF. When P3D goes up I'll be on that too, as long as it has mode B.
G4JUJ is a god.

s+ I use at least two satellites regularly. I send the minimum contribution
AMSAT-UK.

s I sometimes use a satellite.

!s I never use satellites.

s- I can't see the point of all this satellite nonsense. They were good back
in the days of Oscar 6, 2m up and 10m down, but I got lost after that.

s-- Satellites ? They're just repeaters in the sky. Why can't Satellite users
go on HF and work the DX like real men.
-----------------------
TCP/IP over Packet Radio

t++ TCP/IP is wonderful. I run the local hub, and spend all my time tinkering
with [A-Z]NOS. I think that BBS sysops are baboons in disguise. My local
IP co-ordinator is a net.god.

t+ I run TCP/IP and have a great time with it. I can send news, mail and
do file transfers, all at the same time. Me and the other TCP/IP user are
thinking of forming a hub.

t I run TCP/IP, although my friend down the road did all the configuring for
me.

!t TCP/IP ? They're just people too mean to buy a demon account.

t- I tried TCP/IP once. I didn't like the user interace, so I didn't
actually try and do anything with it.

t-- Whats TCP/IP got that you can't do with FBB, YAPP, 7+ and TPK ? I don't
see the need for the complexity, let the sysop of the BBS worry about
that.
-----------------------
Microwaves

u+++ Microwaves are the last frontier of amateur radio. Now that we have the
G3WDG kits we can do real work on 10 GHz. Everything below 1 GHz is full
of noise and is too close to DC for me.

u++ I like Microwaves, I have a load of waveguide and a Gunn diode. I worked
somebody on it down the garden a few years ago.

u+ 23cms is great, I'm not too sure about the higher bands though.

u I would like to try Microwaves one day, but I'm no good at plumbing.

u- 23cms is like 70cms without the DX, anyway '250Bs don't work up there.

u-- Microwaves are no good. How can I talk to Fred in John O'Groats about
gardening on 10 GHz ? Its no good for me. I've been licesnsed 40 years,
and in all that time .... [deleted for brevity]

u--- Microwaves are OK for cookers but nothing more. I bet all those jokers
who go on the mountain tops have to wear Lead Jockstraps to avoid damage
to their tackle. Not for me thanks.
-----------------------
Voice Repeaters

v+++ All voice repeaters are wonderful. I use them in my car, I join the same
net every day and talk to my friends on the way to work. I am a member of
the local repeater group.

v++ Repeaters are a good thing. I use them quite a lot from home, and give
way when a mobile calls in.

v+ I like 70cms repeaters, but 2m ones are a waste of time.

v Repeaters are OK.

v- I can understand there use, although some of the users are no more
intelligent than the squeekies.

v-- Repeaters are prop boxes that legitimise the use of sub-standard gear,
amateur radio has been in decline since their introduction. The squeekies
are the only people worth listening too on them.

v--- I am a card carrying member of the Anti-Repeater Group.
-----------------------

And remember, don't take it too seriously.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

73's

Jonathan

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