Is this Progress?

[Naysayer]

The long end of my 10-40 meter OCF antenna came down about 6 weeks ago and I’ve geared-up to rehang it. The long end is approx 75' AGL and attaches to a chain-link fence rail atop a cliff 40' or so behind bldg (5 story) so it requires a fair amount of planning to shoot some line over & pull the wire across.

My old install lasted almost 14 years before the poly line I used rotted away so this time I’m using cable to secure the dog bone to the fence rail.

I’ve been using AI to calculate wire lengths and encountered 2 mistakes in the AI calculations but by & large it’s been helpful and AI acknowledged each mistake when challenged. I did not realize velocity factor is affected by insulation (12awg solid). Anyway, USPS lost my 100' wire spool package for a few weeks but delivery scheduled for later today. This weekend I plan to hang it.

I ve been watching the ‘Whatever Happened to Ham Radio’ videos on YouTube and I’m seeing something similar with AI. The last time I regularly attended and paid dues at the local radio club w/my Dad was the early 1990's. Yeah, the web wrecked the clubs and now AI is challenging the Group format but we all have perfect SWR. I’m not sure it’s good or bad but I feel the ground shifting under my feet and it makes me uncomfortable.

neil, NYC

 

[nomadradio]

I feel the ground shifting under my feet

Um, it only accelerates. Buckle up.

When my parents were young, the mystique of long-distance wireless communications was borderline magic. Think "Hardy Boys and the Shortwave Mystery". By the time I was old enough to put up an antenna and a station, it was a hangout. Pretty much a thing teenagers take for granted, but by radio. No restaurant parking lot needed. My offspring's generation expressed some interest, but the magic was pretty well gone by then especially if it's something the parents find interesting. But when any 15 year-old can walk into Walgreens, and buy a phone off the pegboard and call anyone on the planet the mystique has pretty well dissipated.

Consider how many kinds of wireless tech we take for granted started out in the garage or basement of creative ham operators. Amateur radio is becoming a victim of its own success.

73

 

[TM007]

It's certainly tangible movement. My personal opinion is that AI is more mediocre than the hype and until the paywall elements are available for everyday use without tokens/payments its not really that amazing, just incredibly useful for certain tasks if groundwork is put in before tasking it.

I'm sure, for years many of us wished we could make new knobs (Oh Err), flanges, spacers sliders, shafts and even Perspex display windows with correct fonts etc. Over the last 15 years with the introduction of 3-D printers affordable to the enthusiast/ hobbyists and industrial ones who can make small one off's for little outlay are fairly common. Now moving to even cheaper that you can pick something up (3-D Printer) for the price of a good family meal and a couple of chasers.

All we're wating on is to have them sitting on the shelf at Walmart or UK/ worldwide equiv at the same price as a cheap microwave or inkjet /laser printer and they become a piece of the household. Actually I pretty sure household inkjets and laser printers have had their day/ peak quite a few years back. Things move on.

I suppose the point is where will AI and us be in 2 years, 5 years? I think some of that is up to the market so to speak (that's us, Joe Public too). Are small medium and large corps going to pay the price, will they find out that after downsizing marketing and copy positions amongst other position affected, they find out that actually they need the human element and re hire those losses or some of them?

Like you @Naysayer I try to use it around the things I already have an interest in, it gives a little focus and control to projects. I'll continue to take it as I find it for now and separate the almost daily headlines that only seem to be there to manipulate the money/ market share price of all AI or 1 against the others from the daily reality of the masses.