| N1IOK |
Rating:      |
2001-04-14 | |
| Great mag!!! Viva Wayne!!! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I look forward to getting my copy of 73 every month. I took the opportunity to get a lifetime
subscription, and am glad I did. Unlike many other hams, who take themselves too seriously,
I enjoy the editorials the most. They are the first thing I read. He is very intelligent, reads a lot,
is well informed, and willing to share. Those who object to this, and think of themselves as
"Federally Licensed Radio Operators", and not just hams, should stick to QST, and not look
back. There is a lot more to life than ham radio. It is, afterall, just a hobby. Lighten up. Get a
life. I have spoken to Wayne several times, and if I was back in Cow Hampshire, I would visit
him while I still could. He is a great resource. Many of the articles are not of interest to me, as I
am not into satellites, digital, ATV, etc, but the articles that are of interest are very good. I like
the construction articles, and the educational ones. By the way, Wayne's "Genesis" tape got
me through 5 WPM on the first shot, and I didn't practice. Later, his other tapes got me past
13 1/2 WPM. He isn't politically correct, he calls it as he sees it, and is not afraid to step on a few
toes. We need more of that. Look at where political correctness has gotten this country, and I
think you will agree with me. If you don't like the magazine, don't read it. If you don't like what
he has to say, don't read that either, but quit crying. Personally, I think the most boring parts of
his editorials are when he does talk about ham radio. You probably don't like Worldradio's
Kurt N. Sterba either. |
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| W5ACM |
Rating:     |
2001-04-02 | |
| 73 Provides Balance |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Sometime around Christmas, 1966, my father bought a copy of "73" from the Officers Club Book Store in Tehran, Iran. I read it - cover to cover. I was a captive audience in a foreign land. This was the start of something big for me. You can blame my early passion for ham radio on Wayne and his "rag".
In the last 35 years "73" has gone through a LOT of changes! Have you noticed that the major ham manufacturers are back in the ads? Have you checked out the regular columns? There are several. Have you really checked out the quality of the articles lately? The limited staff at "73" gives priority to good construction articles over just about anything else.
During the last 14 years, I have been involved with four Special Satellite Issues and one Special ATV Issue. It has been fun, and a lot of hams that I know have had the excitement of seeing their ideas get into print.
Don't give up on "73" just because it is known for some of the perhaps wildest editorial content in our world of amateur radio. The magazine offers balance, and perhaps even insight into topics that the bigger magazines like QST and CQ simply ignore.
I have noticed a number of complaints in this review thread about the quality of the articles. The articles come from US, the readers. Yes, you can even get paid for your material that "73" prints. Don't quit your day job, but it's nice to get some extra accessories around the shack, and even a new HT, if you get a big enough construction article in place. In addition to the balance that "73" provides for the amateur-radio community in the U.S., perhaps a little creative technical writing could put some balance in your life! Try it, you'll like it!
73! De Andy W5ACM (ex-WA5ZIB) HAMSATS Column - 73 |
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| CT2GEM |
Rating:    |
2001-04-02 | |
| So What ? |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
If you forget about Wayne, the magazine is ok. The funny thing is that even if i agree if the rest, in the end i find myself reading the editorial with a smile on my face (you don´t have to take it too seriously...)
Anyway, it´s been a year now that i don´t buy 73A.R.T. because they stop selling it in my country (no sales) and i don´t to make a subscription. |
|
| VU2LID |
Rating:      |
2001-04-02 | |
| Try it - may be you will like ... |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I like 73 mag. because of it's innovative projects and construction articles. These are generally well written and interesting. One more point to note is that the articles and other stuff occupy most of the pages - rather than ads. (compare this with most of the other Amateur Radio journals ..). I am not sure why a lot of reviewers have given poor ratings for 73. It is really a nice mag. I hope that they continue publishing it ... |
|
| NV0U |
Rating:  |
2001-03-24 | |
| Best publication to line a bird cage with! |
Time Owned: N.A. |
| I quit buying 73 a long time ago. Recently I picked up a few issues to see if it had changed. It hadn't. Wayne is still spouting his pseudo-scientific bunk and I would not be surprised if soon he starts ranting about the world being flat and being carried through space on the back of a giant tortoise. Now, looking past the ramblings of an oh so obviously deranged mind, the rest of the magazine is equally poor. The thing looks like it was printed on a very very old copy machine. You can't tell 90% of the time what a picture is supposed to be of. The overall writing is terrible in all the articles I saw. Sorry, but this publication is not even good enough to wrap fish in. |
|
| KC9L |
Rating:  |
2001-01-25 | |
| Waste of time. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| 10 years ago it had interesting construction and history articles. Now it looks and reads like it was put together as an eighth grade class project the night before it was due, and that's being unkind to most eighth graders. Not worth money, time, paper, ink, or thought. |
|
| W0CKI |
Rating:  |
2000-12-30 | |
| Why bother |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Wayne Green had his place in the hobby many years ago. It passed him by, he's nothing but and old F with a pulpit to try to sell discontent with the people who have fought our battles as HAM's. Don't buy the mag, we have a great mag in QST and CQ also has a good publication, worth reading both.
Gary W0CKI |
|
| W9ZIM |
Rating:    |
2000-12-30 | |
| Could do w/o the anti-ARRL propoganda |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This is a decent magazine that is not as technically oriented as QST or CQ and has lots of easy to understand homebrew projects every month. My primary complaint surrounds one Wayne Green W2NSD, founder and resident grumpy old man without the benefit of a heart of gold. Every month in his editorials, Wayne relates his cynical views regarding life, the universe, and everything, and the general conclussion is that since you're not him then you suck, especially if you agree with the American Radio Relay League. I'm not sure what the ARRL did to piss him off, but he all but tells everybody to boycott the only national orginization in America that fights for amateur radio. I once got in a bitter snail mail argument with him regarding his opinion, and he basically told me that since I didn't see it his way then I was naive, brainwashed, and not worthy of his time.
Unfortunately, the anti-ARRL propoganda is not restricted to Mr. Green's monthly comments but pretty much pervades the rest of the magazine with hand-picked "editorials" and letters that are suspiciously one-sided.
The only time I'll buy "73" is if there is a specific article that interests me, and I haven't bought one in years.
If you can put up with the propoganda and cynicism then you may enjoy this less technical publication. If it weren't for the continous and relentless ARRL-bashing then this would be a great magazine for new hams. As for me, I'll be sticking with QST. |
|
| KB0CY |
Rating:  |
2000-12-30 | |
| Ignore Wayne, but the articles are weak. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I used to subscribe to 73 and liked the alternative view that the magazine offered. It used to be "out there" and leading edge in both editorials and technical content. Now the editorials are just looney and the articles have degraded over time in terms of usefulness and even technical accuracy. I can overlook the editorials, but the articles need to be solid. I no longer subscribe and I am surprised that anyone else does. (My opinion, worth at least what you paid for it.) |
|
| KC7YCL |
Rating:  |
2000-12-30 | |
| Pathetic crap |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This magazine is so awful that it hurts to write this review. I read several issues at the news stand and half the time the author babbles about stuff that has nothing to do with amateur radio. For example, everybody knows that UV light can cause skin cancer from it's high energy photons smashing up your skin cells - BUT - the author says that UV radiation is actually GOOD for you, "especially your eyes". Very small amounts of UV radiation help your body produce vitamin D (which doesn't really matter because it's already fortified in every gallon of milk anyways). However, UV radiation for your eyes will leave you blind in a very short amount of time.
The author is an idiot. The magazine is simply his pulpit for worthless non-radio-related babble. |
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