The first half of Chapter 6 in the Extra Class book. Didn’t understand a thing (except for the blurb on crystal’s) until I got to the Digital Signal Processing part. Everything after that was somewhat understandable. Might have well been reading Klingon until then. Guess I really am a “computer†type of guy. As long as I don’t have to build the parts for one, that is.
Assembling a computer from component parts is pretty straight forward. And easy. Getting them up and running isn’t really that hard if you have some understanding of the OS you’re installing. Getting networking to network; easy (mostly). Learn a new program without reading the manual. Easy.
Hell, I “figured out†how to use AutoCAD once upon a time; well enough to teach Engineers how to use it. But the theory of electronics and circuits might as well be molecular science or astrophysics when I read it. Klingon.
And having to know this stuff is not going to make me a better radio operator cause I will never build a radio. If I can’t buy it off the shelf, plug it in, and use it, then I just ain’t gonna do it.
The FCC made a good decision to not require anyone to know Morse Code. That way you don’t have to learn it unless you want to learn it. This electronics stuff should be the same. Why does the book tell you what a Magnetron tube is, explain the way it’s made and what it does, when the only place you’ll see them is in your microwave oven? (And why is it called a oven when it doesn’t bake?)
So, yeah. Frustrated.
Class tonight so posting early. Everything is SSDD around here. Gotta remember to stop by and get milk on the way home or I’ll be having dry cereal for breakfast. But I’ll forget tonight and have bacon tomorrow. (BACON!!!!!)