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Tuesday June 15th, 2004
Posted By: Purple Zero

What's up, people.....

Mark from Michigan, a frequent writer to the site, wrote in and let us know that he's taken exception to my somewhat negative view of ARES. Here's his letter:

Hello PZ,
 
We had our ARES meeting tonight.  We started our training on the NIMS (the command structure formerly known as incident) and there was a part in it I though you would be interested in.
 
We stressed, in BIG BOLD LETTERS that we are not active until asked.  We are not to approach a scene without instruction from a staff member who MUST BE operating under the direct request and instruction of a served agency.
 
Attending the meeting was a Norton Shores Fire Department Lieutenant, the retired Norton Shores Police Chief, a former Norton Shores Firefighter our District Emergency Manager and, for what it's worth, the City of Muskegon Electrical Inspector.  Absent but usually attending was a Whitehall Police Officer who is active in emergency management.  Our EC is an environmental engineer for a large paper making corporation.
 
So, are THEY wannabes because they are involved with the ARES effort? (All but the retired police chief are ARES / RACES members)
 
Here, it's like this:  Our wannabes either are, or are studying to be.  The rest of us respect first responders so much that we have taken training to support them at our own cost.  We are treated pretty well by them too.  We don't get the abuse from them that you are giving ARES as a whole. Now, similar to your equation of your ARES people to the national effort,  your attitude could be taken as representative of the rest of the first responders and through the wrath of prejudice ruin many well run and efficient support systems for those first responders.  I don't think it that is likely though.  The ARES / RACES folks I know are pretty intelligent and I don't think that they are so dim as to let a handful of people control their attitude toward two nations full of  dedicated personnel.
 
I know for sure they would never put up a website to trash them, no matter how awry their own little personal experiences had been.
 
The humor is great, the stories can be entertaining, the pictures rule and you have brought to the surface an issue that needs to be very closely monitored, but give the folks that are on your side a break, eh?  They are not all like you think.  You may even find some that are great to be around.
 
Kind sir, you can be satirical and still be open minded.  Just turn the hate gain down a few db.  The site performs a great service and is always entertaining.  Your audience will grow with some of the negative vibes removed and I am sure propel all of you into ham stardom.
 
Thanks much for always posting my side of the issue.  I can say to the geniuses that respond to your observations with demands and obscenity that you do offer a fair playing field for anyone with a reasonable response.
 
Cheers, stay out of rat rigs (that clunk you hear when she goes into drive is what the drive shaft sounds like just before it falls off) roll fast and stay safe.

Thanks for writing. Listen, man... the whole aim of this site is quite clear.... This isn't the 'bash ARES site', but rather pokes fun at the hobby as a whole., If you laugh at the guys in the hamfest scooters, you have to come to grips with the fact that others might laugh at over-the-top ARES guys.

From your messages to us, it's quite clear that your ARES group is getting it right. Bravo to all of you for that - you are truly a credit to your community. You also have to accept that there are others who might not be as diligent in their duties as you guys are. Those are who we are here to throw the spotlight at. The sooner you realize that, the more you'll enjoy the site. Thanks for writing, though.

Comment is invited on this or any other issue - [email protected]

Monday June 14th, 2004
Posted By: EAV (Eager ARES Volunteer)

I have been reading some of the stories regarding ARES and some of the others which are humourous such as the guy who had his bicycle run over by the Fire Truck.

My pet peeve is the lack of leadership in some ARES groups. In our area a few years ago just before the Y2K we had a changeover and overhaul of our ARES delegates. This may have been a good thing but the head Kahunna was poorly chosen!

Some good things have come out of it but some absolutely ludicrous ideas have been put forth. First stupid idea was to have everyone go to UHF packet? This is because our illustrious leader discovered a program that uses packet and ARES combined, and I guess the existing fourteen frequencies on VHF which were still in existence were not good enough to support these efforts? Considering these nodes and station were and many are still active to this day, I guess we can’t use them? (what is he thinking?) We were all supposed to go out and purchase UHF gear and a TNC to operate this new AREAPack? (Yeh right?…)

Second stupid idea was to use six metres the following year as a backbone. This might have been ok had the ham leader, a seasoned Amateur since the 1960’s, known that six metres actually has FM and also supports many repeaters across this great land of ours. He did not even know that FM existed on six and thought we would pass traffic on SSB!!! I guess we were all supposed to go out and buy 17 element beams and rotors to place on top of our Chevy pickups? Oh and don’t forget the old Icom SSB gear as well……

Next stupid concept…PSK31… Although this is a good form of communication lets look at the issue here closely. Most, if not all of ARES traffic, is sent on either VHF or UHF and all our systems dozen or more sites have these bands and antennas already put up and operational ! PSK is an HF communication mode mostly, and actually who is going to find that razor sliver of the bandwidth that PSK takes up to receive that most important information of “blood needed” or any other vital memo of importance? Who will transmit it and who will receive it when all emergency posts are without HF capabilities?

I think this “lackey” is trying to prove a point by creating some new form of communication to put a feather in his cap or something? APRS is a common mode of communication and is all over the continent and the world. Why re-invent the wheel? It’s there, why not use it? Keep the voice traffic on phone and send important messages such as medications or other things that we can’t pronounce or spell if we had a gun to our head, on a trusted and tried packet system that is reliable? Most of us can type without mistakes if we are careful?

It’s sad that there are so many out there willing to work and volunteer in their perspective areas and then there is such poor leadership at the head that it makes the entire system look inadequate! This belittles the hard work that these individuals put forth and I hope things change soon.

Anyone else with horror stories in their ARES leadership? Love to hear about the incompetence of others as well…there is nothing more enlightening then hearing about the misgivings of others…

Sunday June 13th, 2004
Posted By: Purple Zero

We apologize, but the update that was here has been removed, due to copyright issues with the photos submitted to us. (The proper copyright holder of the photos is the Kitchener-Waterloo Amateur Radio Club in Canada)

Please don't send us photos you find on the web..... original photos only please!!


Friday, June 11th, 2004
Posted By: Clyde McPhail

Thanks to Bryan for taking care of things while I was gone. I have no idea where Purple Zero went, that damn drunken Estonian. Anyway, here's another ARES anecdote from one of our friends in the Volunteer Firefighter corps:

Four years ago I was a volunteer firefighter in a small rural district. We were on the scene of a apartment building fire. The building was well on its way to burning down, and we were doing out best to stop it.

A local ARES member rode up on a bike and attempted to get into the scene. A deputy sheriff escorted the guy behind the line. Undeterred, the guy walks around the line and up to the chiefs again. This time they ignore him and order us to begin the tank relay as the water pressure was rapidly dropping.

I start to back up my tanker, trying hard to avoid the ground tank and the hose lay. Suddenly I hear cracking and popping noises. At the time I thought perhas something had beenleft on the rear deck and had fallen off . I get out and I see a Huffy ten-speed crushed under the rear wheels. The chief told me to get moving so I ended up driving over the bike again.

The ARES guy then runs up and tells the chief that he is going to pay for the bike out of his pocket. The deputy tells the guy he was trespassing and to get lost before he is carted off. When I back up to the ground tank, a broken mirror bounces off the door of the tanker.

This guy today talks about this damn drunken firefighter running over his bike, when he was 'working' a fire scene.

Thanks for the story. If you've got a story to contribute, send it to the usual address (alright, it's [email protected]) until next time, keep your flys up.

Friday, June 11th, 2004
Posted By: VE3HBD

Wow.. Three updates in a row, and I'm not even a contributor! I want a raise!

We've had some shocking news... Seth, one of our admins (N3JFW) has receieved a threat of personal violence against him from our Hamsnob of the week candidate, K8YS. This message was sent to his PERSONAL e-mail address, and not his hamsexy dot com one. Here is the message in his entirety:

From: K8YS@[address removed - not too sure why we're protecting him, though]
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2004 5:40 PM
To: ApocalypseArms Webmaster
Subject: RE: ham sexy

well, since you are not going to quit, I notice that
your FCC record (parents) home address is 6.31 miles
from a client location. I service this clients PBX
often. If it takes a personal visit to get you to stop
this crap, I will drop in.
K8YS

Needless to say, all of us here are very shocked and dismayed at the threat levied against Seth, and are taking it VERY seriously. We are currently in consultation with the authorities regarding this very serious matter, and assure you all that this character will be dealt with through the fullest extent of the law.

I hope this demonstrates to all the kind of mind we are dealing with. In all correspondance that we have recieved from this gentleman, none of it would be worthy of any sort of mature response. Time and time again K8YS has shown us what a small-minded, immature and conceited person he is, and I hope this message demonstrates this to everyone. Is *this* the great ambassador of amateur radio that he claims to be? What kind example is he to those who may be starting out in our great hobby, in that he used government records to find out where Seth lived, and then threatened to visit him to inflict physical harm? Does he think because he holds the 'extra' class license that it gives him the right to bully others? For shame.

I'm also sure that your client, 6.31 miles from Rockville, Marlyand, would also appreciate to know that you are using a visit to him as a means of inflicting violence.

We at Hamsexy have recieved a mandate from you, our loyal readers. We will *NOT* be bullied by those who are too closed minded to accept others. We will not back down. With the message he thought would scare us into submision, we hold high as a beacon of what we must continue to do. Nice try, K8YS. Go ahead and pay Seth a visit. You do not scare us. We cannot even bring ourselves to be amused by it. We are saddened and disgusted by your actions, and pity the soul who feels that he must turn to threats of violence in order to get what he wants. So many of these people are brave behind the keyboard, but are usually unable to own up to their responsibilities in real life.

Response to this issue is always welcome, either through the hamsexy forums, or by e-mail at [email protected]. Thank you all.

Thursday, June 10th, 2004
Posted By: VE3HBD

The Hamsexy Store is now open! Click here to visit it! Follow the instructions to purchase quality items with Hamsexy logos on them!! We are designing new items all the time, so keep checking back.

Visit the Hamsexy Forums if you have any product ideas. Thanks!!