[mdmars_staff] Re: Attitudes need to be more positive than this

  • From: bmcpherson73@xxxxxxxxxxx
  • To: mdmars_staff@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 07:12:47 -0500 (CDT)


John,
This item came from a thread on eham.net about the possible dissolution of Navy MARS. Like so many of these forums, it quickly devolved into name calling and personal attacks between Army and Navy MARS members.  So much for interoperability.  One writer summed it up well with the Ben Franklin quote-- If we dont hang together we will most assuredly hang separately.

On another note, one of the items I picked up at Dayton was the ARRL Digital Technology for Emergency Communications course on CD.  Unlike other ARRL courses, it does not require registration or mentors, and there is no limit to how many people can use the course from a single CD. It also issues a completion certificate at the end. It covers such topics as Packet, Winlink, Airmail, sound card modes, ALE, and a lot of other digital topics on a very basic level. It would be a introductory good course for our digital dinosaurs (as Stu Carter calls them). I dont know if it will count as MARS training, but if anyone want to borrow my CD they are welcome to it at no cost.

Also Jim, I sold 3 VHF Spectra 110w radios at the Howard County hamfest on Sunday, and later Gary told me you were looking for some. Sorry I didnt know sooner.

Bruce AAM3IMD

On May 25, 2009, John AAR3CK / AAM3MD <aar3ck@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Wow, what got this started?

Guess I was sleeping in class again, but as a client station, I didn't think he had to meet any regular MARS requirements.  He doesn't even have to do a participation report.

Where's the beef?





J Sears wrote:
You know.. I try to be nice and stay off my high horse but this guy pisses me off with his attitude. I have never bothered him or chased him but instead I have tried to include him in our activities where it made sense. He also gave me a real case of the ass with his 60+ crap..
sorry for the attitude
J
by N3ZH on May 21, 2009  
I have concluded I can not work and also be in Army Mars.

I can handle one-time requirements that I do at my leisure - like on-line courses. General license? I already have Extra. The 4 fema courses - I already did them 2 years ago, but did them again in case something changed.

It is all the new ongoing requirements:

1. The annual 12 weeks of Mars101 with on the air participation and final exam. I can not assure I will be available those 12 consecutive weeks every year. That's also 3 months out of every year I can't go on vacation or be sick.

2. Participate in an emergency exercise every quarter. I suppose that means there will be one each quarter, and I can't guarantee I will be available to participate given my work hours, regular days off, and the possibility of mandatory overtime. I may be out of town, on vacation - or working overtime - during that one exercise needed to stay in Mars.

3. Be NCS once per quarter - well this one is not a problem.

When I leave Army Mars, I was going to join Navy.

Without Navy Mars I'll need to wait for retirement to be in Mars again - and join the other retirees.

Mars is being ruined. People are being forced out - including good people. In one state over 50% have left Army Mars. It now belongs to the over 65 retired folks who have time for a full-time-mars-job, if they have enough smarts left to pass the fema courses and tests. Army mars is going to be a small fraction of what they once were.

Army mars may not be able to deploy at all - due to age of their members. Your not going to get the 60+ people to go into a Katrina. It is ironic that all the changes are to be able to deploy and the changes may leave them with nobody who can deploy.

Army mars is already kaput.

I am waiting to see if Navy Mars also becomes kaput.

I hope Navy Mars survives.
by WA3MEJ on May 22, 2009  
Well unfortunately Air Force is not in much better shape than Navy it appears. Air Force in Maryland basically does not exist and I am told by a very reliable source that AF has lost their budget as well but nothing was said at dayton about that.

As far as ALE.. well it is less than usable as far as I am concerned because I can do manually what it does with automation. It sucks up extra spectrum when it is not necessary and really is a dumbing down of the operators skills set. Its primary reason for existance would be that our customers (FEMA, SHARES etc) use it.. again they are NOT operators you have only to listen to their SHARES to see that. The largest number of stations checking into SHARES & FEMA are Army MARS anyhow.

MDC MARS Web Site: http://mdarmymars.home.comcast.net/~mdarmymars/index.htm List Serve Administrator: John aar3ck@xxxxxxxxxxx
MDC MARS Web Site: http://mdarmymars.home.comcast.net/~mdarmymars/index.htm List Serve Administrator: John aar3ck@xxxxxxxxxxx

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