Jim Southwick's - n7js Online Tuner

Jim Southwick n7js, wrote on August 15, 2005 (today!) on the s-meter forum:

"I feel I can start to be freed up to get mine back to its original intent. A receiver for various facets of radio (i.e. sstv, shortwave broadcasts, air traffic, AM DX, etc. and OF COURSE ham radio) rather than a receiver for listening continually to a few personalities. "

I absolutely back him 100% on this! I know first hand how frustrated he's been over the last couple of years having his 'tuner' literally hi-jacked by all us SWL'S!!! It's his site, he should be able to do what he wants with it, but he didn’t, bowing instead to the wants & needs of the SWL’s!

Jim has given countless hours of pleasure to the SWL side of the Amateur Radio hobby, especially those of us without radios, or not in a good location for listening on our radios.

I know he realizes this 'logically', but I still don't think Jim understands the emotional impact of that ‘voice in the night’ to those of us who just can’t go get on air, to the insomniacs, aged, ill, or just plain lonely!

Yes, the 3.840’s are frequently a SOAP OPERA of sorts, but compared hour by hour, that usually is NOT the case. I have no doubt, as many of the HAMS have said repeatedly; SWL’S often turn into HAMS.

I can’t foresee that happening to moi! Plus, there is NOTHING WRONG with being a SWL, of claiming it as a hobby (I do!). It’s as much a part of Amateur Radio as are the on air personalities.

When 3.840 turns into Days of Our Lives, many of us, HAMS & SWL alike, enjoy the hell out of it while it lasts! We gossip, twitter, email, record, and meet in chats. BUT, we also listen when there is no controversy, or when Art Bell isn’t on. What does that say???

Now Jim’s n7js site is going to get technical. And I’ll probably never go there, as I’m not a HAM, nor am I a technical person. I am a SWL, the other side of the coin.

I also wanted to point out that there is a real ‘audience’ for dedicated online tuners. I used to listen to local police/fire online YEARS AGO, before it became illegal, on a dedicated internet tuner in my city. It’s too bad that there aren’t more of them. Perhaps they fulfill a service just as needed as Amateur Radio.

Perhaps after Jim is ‘done’ restructuring his site, he’ll consider doing a site for SWL’s, a place where we can ask all the stupid questions we want, get the info we need, all without being laughed off the net???

I want to thank Jim Southwick n7so, for his service to the SWL community. And to wish him the best of luck with whatever his new site turns out to be, and most of all, I want him to have FUN with his site!