[SBE] Industry retirement situation

[jack leishman]

There will always be a need for the well rounded BC engineer that can do
most anything called upon to accomplish, but BC electronics has truly become
a complicated world.  Many items must be repaired at the manufacturers
facilities because of the lack of test equipment, trained engineers and the
quick turn around makes it logical. Again, an older, up to date engineer may
be able to fix most anything given adequate test equipment, but, the fact
is, that most small and medium market stations cannot afford the personnel
or equipment to accomplish this end.  As more of the veteran engineers move
on, the fix anything problem becomes that more grave. The educational
requirements of a station engineer is generally based upon what management
thinks they can get adequately get away with. Management would do well to
provide full educational benefits to help groom their future engineering
mainstays.  With the loss of many college level communications programs, FCC
licensing and declining interest in BC engineering, the SBE certification
program should logically be used more by broadcast employers to screen their
applicants.  It seems to be a "no brainer" that some level of competence is
necessary, but who measures it and how are the pertinent and up to date
requirements determined.  The thing I see missing in many young engineers is
the conceptual understanding of what is going on and I am certain that some
currently considered analytical entry skills of the BC technician must give
way to a concepts only approach given the enormous scope and change within
our field.  Every step of the educational process must allow for a deeper
understanding as required.   A conceptual and logical thinker with an
understanding of business will always be employable and trainable.     I
would guess if you haven been required to use it in the past 5 years, it is
probably obsolete and not hardly worth knowing or testing.  An engineer must
constantly update his credentials to remain viably employable and I can't
imagine anyone not recommending further education, at any level.  Something
must change, the question is:  what and who is going to do it?    My 2 cents
...  I'd rather work with a ham any day.   jack K8XX CSRE

-----Original Message-----
From: sbe-bounces at sbe.org [mailto:sbe-bounces at sbe.org] On Behalf Of John
Freberg
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 10:24 PM
To: sbe member discussion mail list
Subject: Re: [SBE] Industry retirement situation


ROTFLOL

On Mar 17, 2008, at 8:48 PM, Barry Mishkind wrote:


> Yes, with fuel prices rising, it is time to take note. I'm already  

> working on my new career as a buggy whip engineer, and including a  

> certification program for all analog and digital buggy whip engineers.

>

> The group I am working with, the Association of Buggy Whip  

> Manufacturers, has high hopes for our new Digital Buggy Whip. As  

> designed, each new digital buggy whip will have multiple whiplets (2  

> or 4) on it, and capable of whipping multiple horses at one time.  

> Precorrection will be employed, so the lead horses get whipped  

> first, in order to prevent excessive crashes. Installers will need  

> to be careful to make sure the assembly is carefully aligned. (If  

> misaligned, it is easy to see how they could cause trouble for  

> adjacent buggy operators.)

>

> We are hoping to lobby successfully for a government mandate,  

> requiring digital buggy whips on all carriages (The Amish will also  

> have to have them too, unless they ride with one wheel on the  

> shoulder, to prevent any possibility of interference with oncoming  

> buggies). We are hoping to also get a "sunset date" on all buggy  

> whips, except those used on one-horse carriages.

>

> By the way, information from the ABWM has been prepared to explain  

> this a special type of digital whip: known as IBOC (in buggy, on  

> carriage) and which will be licensed by the ICOR (in carriage, on  

> road) company. Originally, it was considered calling it the HD whip,  

> but then someone said "hot dog!" and we adjourned for dinner.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> At 03:28 PM 3/17/2008, McGlothen, Darryl, wrote

>> Knowledge and skill in the manufacture of 'buggy whips' may just  

>> likely

>> be a valuable commodity if the cost of fuel continues to rise. The  

>> key

>> in any economy is flexibility. The 'engineer' of today may well be

>> replaced by the technology of the future; and that sooner than most  

>> of

>> us think! Make use of the tools at hand (SBE membership, education  

>> and

>> participation) but be ready to move in a totally new direction.

>>

>> Darryl

>>

>>

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: sbe-bounces at sbe.org [mailto:sbe-bounces at sbe.org] On Behalf Of

>> Barry Mishkind

>> Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2008 3:09 PM

>> To: sbe member discussion mail list

>> Subject: Re: [SBE] Industry retirement situation

>>

>> None of these media have managed to make any money aside from a few

>> publicized buyouts, so "embracing" such media is still premature.

>> Would one want to learn how to make buggywhips?

>>

>> Without a clear view of how things will shake down - and which ones

>> may have a viable economic foundation    the rest is just talk that

>> does not help people who are scrambling just to survive.

>>

>> snip

>>

>> > > The really sad part is that while we can see these issues, the  

>> tech

>> > > folks have relatively little leverage to do much. Sort of like a

>> > > train engineer, we can only drive on the tracks we are given.

>> > > Until the content problem is solved - a way to involve young  

>> people

>> > > in the air product - we will see more erosion in listeners/sales.

>> > > The challenge for engineers to avoid being red-lined.

>> >_______________________________________________

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>>

>>

>>

>> _______________________________________________________________________

>> Barry Mishkind     -       Tucson, AZ    -   520-296-3797

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

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>

>

>

> _______________________________________________________________________

> Barry Mishkind     -       Tucson, AZ    -   520-296-3797

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

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