Jim, Alan, and any others on the list that share their views, I suspect you
probably perceive many, if not most, if not all, of the messages I post to
this list as being of no value and hence, a waste of your time. 

I certainly cannot speak for the other members of this list, but it is
obvious that we have a very wide repertoire of hams subscribed, ranging from
highly experienced in all phases of ham radio to newcomers who are
struggling to comprehend the vast array of information about different rigs
and their attributes and all of the variations in antennas, their individual
strengths and limitations, etc. In like manner, some of us are far more
affluent than others and can afford new, top of line equipment, while others
are not so fortunate. I remember when I didn't have two nickels to rub
together and couldn't afford anything but the cheapest used gear. So, I urge
that we all step back and reflect on when we were just getting into
electronics and ham radio and remember how it was all mumbo-jumbo to us in
the beginning. I remember when I didn't even know what coax was. 

Admittedly, I, too, get a little irritated at the posts that just say things
like: "I agree," or "Ron, any idiot should know that!," or other similar
kinds of remarks that are meaningless and are simply a waste of time and
space. So, we just delete them and go on.

I've been a ham since 1957, and I know quite a bit about electronics and ham
radio, but as you can tell from some of my messages and questions, I sure
don't know it all, and I've found the information shared on this list
extremely useful, not all of it, of course, but you all have answered some
questions that could not be answered by searching Google or reading books or
asking sighted hams. Since we are blind or low-vision, we share a common
trait that means we also share common challenges, the solutions to which we
can also share, like tricks for tuning up our rigs, reading SWR, etc.

So, Jim, Alan, and others, be patient with those who are struggling to gain
the knowledge and experience you have; we are all valuable in different
ways!

Ron, K8HSY 

Dr. Ronald E. Milliman
Retired Professor of Marketing
President: A3 Business Solutions (a3businesssolutions.com)
President: M&M Properties
Chair: American Council of the Blind's PR Committee
Chair: American Council of the Blind's MMS Committee
President: South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind (SCKCB.ORG)