\u00a0 The Green Bay Packers had a miserable year in 1961, according to an internet article.\u00a0 When the Packers started training for the next season, legendary coach Vince Lombardy started his team from scratch.\u00a0 Holding up a football in his hand, he said, \u201cGentlemen, this is a football.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Okay, but what does this have to do with amateur radio?\u00a0 Plenty. Just as Vince Lombardy took his team back to the basics, we as amateur radio operators must go back to the basics from time to time, so we do not forget the fundamentals of our hobby.\u00a0 Those of us in emergency communication, and I hope we all will be involved in being ready to communicate in emergencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, how do we get back to the basics,\u201d you may ask, when you just got into the hobby.\u00a0 Do you remember when you first passed your test and bought your first radio?\u00a0 \u201cHow do I get it to work?\u201d\u00a0 you probably had a mentor, an Elmer as they are called in ham radio land.\u00a0 He or she was hopefully a great help in getting you started.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u201cManual, we don\u2019t need no stinkin\u2019 manual!\u201d\u00a0 This is a phrase that is heard frequently by those who encounter new equipment, radio oriented or not.\u00a0 The point is that the manual that comes with your radio (except for some of the Chinese radios) is a good place to learn how your radio works and what it can do. My belief is that we need to read the manual, re-read the manual, and then read it again.\u00a0 We should keep reading it from time to time.\u00a0 Sooner or later, we will become masters of just what our radios can and can\u2019t do.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 I remember re-reading the manual for my communications receiver that I have several times.\u00a0 It was like having a refresher course.\u00a0 I relearned some of the special featured that my radio had.\u00a0 Wow, my radio can do this!\u00a0 Now I have several of the more expensive and technical radios for my amateur radio enjoyment.\u00a0 I have learned the basics of my radios but continue to read and reread the manual, so I can make full use of all the features they have.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Here\u2019s another way to get back to the basics.\u00a0 Hopefully you still have the license manual you used to study for your ham radio tests, if you did use one.\u00a0 How about reading them again?\u00a0 I go to a web site where they ask questions from the FCC license manuals frequently.\u00a0 Going back to look up the answers has become a way for me to refresh my memory.<\/p>\n