Next month is an historic occasion for me as it will be exactly 50 years since I joined the RSGB. In those days applications had to be supported by 2 existing RSGB members and living in the wilds of Devon I had to look hard to find two! One of the two who supported my application was Roger Thorn G3CHN, now SK, who later overhauled my ex-military DST100 radio and thereby opened up the world of shortwave listening to me. Roger worked at the local Decca Navigator station and I remember being thrilled when he showed me around the station.
Many people are critical of the national society, but behind the scenes the RSGB does a LOT for the UK amateur population. A society is only as good as its members and the contributions we make towards its success. A lot of hard work is being done currently to get the society back onto a firm footing after a turbulent period. It deserves our support.
Congratulations! Had I had the gumption to take the exams when I wanted to, I'd have been a member for 40 years. Unfortunately, I left it to 2002.
ReplyDeleteI suspect you are right about the RSGB. However, I wish RadCom was a bit more lively - a bit more Sprat and PW-like. If it were, I suspect it would boost the impression people have of the RSGB. I do accept, however, that the magazine can only be what the members make it and there are those who are imaginatively giving their best to it. I suppose I just wish it made me want to whip out my soldering iron and reach for my box of 2n3904s when it dropped through the letter-box!
I wish RadCom would be less like PW (which I think is rather a poor mag anyway) and a bit more of a serious journal, befitting our National Society. It's not on the newsagent's shelf vying for attention among the glossy competition, it should be a bit more intellectual and less "hip". A bit like Short Wave Magazine was in the 70's and 80's before it also succumbed to the urge to "glam up".
ReplyDeleteAs you will read in a later blog post, I am a year too soon! I actually joined in 1963, not 1962 with my first RSGB Bulletin being for April 1963 with its green cover. See, I'm a whole year younger in the hobby than I thought :-)
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