Although I hold a recently-acquired Technician license, I am a grey-haired rookie. When passing the test, the protocol questions were pretty easy for me, because both my parents had been radio hams. I memorized the technical questions, really do not understand the underlying principles.
The handhelds totally baffle me. I am an active member of here where I live, and I’ve asked for help so many times I’m embarrassed to ask again.
I have two Yaesu FT60s. When I try to carry them, I inadvertently touch one of the buttons, which changes the settings, and I have no idea how to get back to where they were. I tried to investigate how to “lock” the keyboard and discover in the manual that there are a multitude of ways in which the instrument can be locked.
It’s all just too complicated. Just because a manufacturer can create a certain kind of programmability, it doesn’t necessarily mean that such a capability is really needed. It’s overkill, and interferes with the use of the basic functions of the instrument.
This email points out two challenges facing new hams:
- The complexity of today’s technology.
- The lack of qualified or willing Elmers.
#1 sounds like a business opportunity to me. I realize that the FT60 is already supposed to be a stripped-down, easy-to-use HT, but perhaps there’s a market for something that’s even simpler to use.
#2 is a totally different matter. I am especially disappointed that my reader was unable to get the help she needed at her local club.
I’ve written before that I think part of the problem is that many long-time hams are really not as knowledgable as they may seem, or if they are, they’re just not prepared to be “Elmers.” When they’re asked to help, they get flustered and embarrassed. They don’t realize that it’s OK to say that they don’t know something and then go find the answer. This is especially true these days when the technology, as my reader aptly pointed out, is complicated and confusing.
I really think that the amateur radio community needs to make a more concerted effort to encourage and support Elmers. Recently, the ARRL suggested that they are considering “new programs and services to increase the knowledge base of newcomers in order to get them active, as well as programs to keep experienced amateurs up to date with changing technology and practice.” I’m going to suggest again that they also include a program to create more Elmers. Without a trained group of Elmers to bring these new programs and services to new hams, it will be a total failure.
Bob K0NR says
I have mixed emotions on this one, Dan. Yeah, most of the radios put too many features in and don’t pay attention to human factors. Then there’s the crappy user manuals which just make it worse.
But, I actually think the FT-60 is one of the better radios around, including the manual. It has one or two quirks such as going into WIRES mode if you bump the zero key. Really dumb. Other than that, it works pretty well.
As someone who does Elmer a lot, I run into this issue: the same ham comes to me with the same radio with the same problem multiple times. I explain how to correct it (again), wondering how long it will be until we are having the same conversation. Now some of this is caused by poor product design. But some of this is caused by a basic failure to learn by the radio amateur.
I am pretty sure I cannot fix either one of these issues. I will keep helping whoever I can but some days I really do wonder if it is worth it.
73, Bob K0NR
Perry B says
I agree with Bob completely. Radio complexity is a problem for beginners, and I say that as someone immersed in technology now, with a BSEE from long ago. I can’t believe no one sells a simple technician starter kit (radio, antenna, and power supply). And once you have a radio, deciphering what band is allowed for whom can be overwhelming. What are my limits as a General? Why can’t a radio have a switch to limit operation to your license class (patent pending)? Or a simple lock function?
Rob W4ZNG says
Without tackling any of the larger issues Dan and Bob have brought up (and I completely agree with their concerns), two things that have gotten me past technical hurdles are youtube and PDF copies of transceiver manuals.
For every weird hitch in getting a transceiver to work, it seems like someone’s posted a solution on youtube. It’s free, you can refer back to it any number of times, you can step through it slowly, and it’s available 24/7. Trust me, I would never have gotten chirp to work with my FT-60 if it weren’t for youtube.
PDF versions of manuals are great because they’re searchable. Given the general disorganization of most ham equipment manuals, it’s handy to have a search box to look up “squelch” or “DTMF” and the like without having to spend a half-hour plowing through other randomly placed features.
Even having mastered my FT-60, if a manufacturer would come out with a radio that dumped everything past the basic simplex and repeater options and that had a rational programming interface, I’d junk what I’ve got and go with the new simpler option. There’s an untapped market for the radio company that’ll get onboard with decent interface design.
Walter Underwood says
For learning your HT, I’d recommend sticking with one brand for a while to learn those menus. I have a Yaesu HT from around 1990 (FT-411R) and the repeater programming is exactly the same as in my VX-6R.
Second, one of the requirements for em-comm folks working with other cities (in our county) is a set of configuration tests. This is a good syllabus for practice.
It says:
Maintains familiarity and ability to configure radio to manually (via the keypad) configure each of the following settings quickly (a maximum of approximately 1 minute each) and without the use of documentation.
o Simplex without tone
o Simplex with tone and tone squelch
o Repeater with offset and CTCSS tone
o Save configurations to and recall frommemory
o Lock keypad or mic controls, if so equipped
o Full/factory reset (clear all settings) [explain only; demonstration not required]
See page 18: http://www.scc-ares-races.org/operations/docs/SCCo_Perf_Stds_v2.0.1_rev161024.pdf
Kevin Porter says
Here in the UK we have something called “Nifty Mini manuals” as a sort of aide de memoir for the most popular radios. I have one for my IC703 and while as usual I have taken the trouble to learn the everyday functions it does come in handy sometimes to jog my memory when the old grey cells let me down and for some of the less used functions.
I am unsure if they are available in the USA but if not there is a possible business opportunity for someone.
73, Kevin G6UCY
Jerry Doyle says
Hi, Kevin…
Question on the 703. My wife and I have acquired one and are debating a base station or mobile for one of the trucks. Any thoughts on the mobile app? I am wondering about durability; some of the roads we travel are more likes goat tracks.
73’s Jerry KF7WEJ
Dave New, N8SBE says
The Nifty manuals are available here in the states, and show up frequently at local hamfests, sold by regional ham vendors. I have a complete set of them for all my radios, desktop, mobile, and handheld. In particular for the handhelds, there is a small foldable card that I keep in the belt pouch behind the radio. A life-saver when trying to figure out how to program a setting that you haven’t touched in a while. Here is their website: http://www.niftyaccessories.com/index.php
Further, I use RT Systems software and cables for programming all my handhelds (DMR excepted, but I hear that RT is working on those as well). It provides a common interface across all my radios, and pulls data from RFinder, which is now the official ARRL repeater directory. Here is their website: https://www.rtsystemsinc.com/default.asp
And RFinder’s: http://www.rfinder.net/blog/ If you buy an RT systems software and cable, you get a free one-year subscription to RFinder. I took advantage of a special introductory lifetime subscription to RFinder. Maybe they will repeat the deal in the future. It also works a peach with my RFinder M1 UHF FM/DMR Android phone/radio combo. No programming required. You just select a local repeater from the list that shows in the app, and it programs the radio for you. Eliminates the headache of re-programming your handheld when you travel, especially the annoyance of creating so-called ‘codeplugs’ for DMR.
One the subject of Elmering, I’ve managed to get a co-worker to get a Technician license last year, and then I coached him through getting a handheld and programming it for some local machines. Finally, we went outside at lunch, and had our first QSO through a local machine, to help break the ice. He ended up getting another job on the west side of the state, and we’ve since lost touch. As an electrical engineer, he didn’t seem to have to much trouble with programming his radio, but he was surprisingly mic-shy, and so I concentrated on getting him over that.
More recently, I discovered another co-worker that had a Technician license that he had since he was in college and never used. So, I coached him through getting a VHF/UHF mobile setup in his car (he has a lengthy commute, so plenty of opportunity to talk), and he has been working his way through various issues with the radio he selected. First of all it was complex to operate, and even experienced hams have had ‘oops’ moments when they found they were transmitting on the “wrong side” (listening on main and transmitting on sub, or vice versa). Also, an infancy failure in the mic amp caused very low audible that was finally diagnosed by the shop where he obtained the rig. Sigh. It’s hard enough for a newly-active ham to deal with all the minutiae, without hardware problems compounding the situation.
Nevertheless, he persisted, and now has a newly-minted General class license. I helped him install an old G5RV I had in my antenna crate at his place, and he’s been very pleased with his newfound HF privileges.
I anticipate more Elmering. I’ve got another prospect today from within my work group, and I’ll be steering him to your one-day Technician class and No-Nonsense guide.