LS and SD opinions required please

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(5 July 2012, 08:49)NorthernRaider Wrote: I'd like to add to that point, and I'll point out I have no axe to grind wikth RAYNET, I admire what they do. But I too remember incidents up here in bad winter when CB clubs did enormous amounts of helping people stuck cos of the snow and ice, they even teamed up with 4x4 clubs to deliver hot meals etc, and Raynet was not involved at all. In all fairness though at that time Raynet tended to focus on providing comms for events, shows etc.

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Secondly and again in agreement with Paul I phoned the loca lAmateur radio club on Tuesday to ask about licence courses and i proudly told him I had just bought some new CB gear until I was qualilified, He described CB gear as "silly toys for chavs".

I politely told him not to bother looking for me and hung up.

Hi NR,

Just back on line and very quickly checking posts etc.

Hope you've stopped buggering around on the floor now, and thatthe pain killers have kicked in :-)

Sorry to hear of your negative experience with your local Ham club. I think you were very unlucky in reaching one of the dinosaurs. Truth is that without new blood Ham radio is dead.Average age of the Ham community is high and youngsters are not particularly enthralled atthe prospect of chatting to someone in the next town over radio when their mobile phones and VOIP connections give them worldwide communications already. As martin commented, theer are very many clubs where ex-CBers are represented in large numbers, and the style of those clubs is much more laid back and acommodating.

My own experience is that when gatting into Ham radio, I was very cautious of the motives of the older hams, primarily as a result of some serious run ins with their type in the past (pre CB 27/81 days). My fears were completely unfounded and I was welcomed into the fold with a huge level of kindness, freindship and assistance. And that was not just at a single club. I have experienced the same from Hams across the UK and worldwide.

If you can PM me your approx geographic location, i'll see if I can find you a training venue that is more sympathetic.

Opps, gotta go now, it appears that I'm discussing Survival UK stuff in time that is being paid for by my employer!!!

Seeya.