What use is an F-call?

Amateur Radio is about communication as much as anything else. The whole idea is to get a message from one place to another. This hobby attracts people from all walks of life, people who are physicists, truck drivers, pastry chefs, accountants and dentists and everything else under the sun.

One thing is common among us is, we're all Hams.

It's not unusual to see people from completely different walks of life bond over a beer and a soldering iron.

With the recipe set, you'd imagine that while people have different outlooks, they'd come back to the single thing that they love, radio.

Now that I've been an amateur for a while, the cracks in this potentially idyllic view are beginning to appear. There is bickering, abuse, insults and confrontation. We pitch people against each other, state against state, club against club, brand against brand, license against license, achievement against achievement.

While humankind is a warmongering species, I am saddened that this is carried on within our small community. We have the potential to be a "League of Extraordinary Gentleman" and my apologies to the females among us, but instead we're a "Rabble of noisy, angry men".

Why is it that when a fellow amateur reveals that they don't know something, they are jumped on, rather than supported and educated?

Why is it that we work as adversaries, rather than a cooperative?

Why is it that we don't rise above the noise and have fun, laugh, enjoy our hobby and make friends.

Why are we not civil to each other when things go wrong or mistakes are made?

The original Amateur Code written by Paul W9EEA back in 1928 still applies today:

The Radio Amateur is

CONSIDERATE...never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.

LOYAL...offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs [..]

PROGRESSIVE...with knowledge abreast of science, a well-built and efficient station and operation above reproach.

FRIENDLY...slow and patient operating when requested; friendly advice and counsel to the beginner; kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the hallmarks of the amateur spirit.

BALANCED...radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.

PATRIOTIC...station and skill always ready for service to country and community.


So, are you an Amateur or not?

I'm Onno VK6FLAB