‰  NOW 35 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM MAY 2015  QST  PAGE 63 ‰

HANDS ON RADIO H. WARD SILVER, N0AX, N0AX ARRL. ORG  EXPERIMENT 148 PROOF
OF PERFORMANCE YOU WANT TRUTH?  YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH.  GOES THE
COURTROOM OUTBURST FROM JACK NICHOLSON IN A FEW GOOD MEN.  THE SAME CAN
OCCASIONALLY BE SAID FOR FINDING OUT ABOUT HOW OUR STATION REALLY PERFORMS.
UNTIL WE GET AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE ON THE AIR OR IN OUR MAILBOXES IN THE
FORM OF AN OFFICIAL OBSERVER REPORT, MANY OF US MIGHT NOT REALLY KNOW IF
OUR STATIONS ARE DOING WHAT WE THINK THEY ARE DOING.  HOW TO FIND OUT?  THE
BROADCASTERS PROOF OF PERFORMANCE CAN BE A POWERFUL FRIEND TO THE AMATEUR
STATION OWNER, AND ITS NOT AS DIFFICULT TO UNDERTAKE AS YOU MAY THINK,
EITHER.  WHAT IS A PROOF OF PERFORMANCE?  EVERY BROADCAST AND COMMERCIAL
STATION IS REQUIRED TO REGULARLY CERTIFY THAT IT MEETS THE TECHNICAL
STANDARDS REQUIRED BY THE RULES FOR THE SERVICE UNDER WHICH ITS LICENSE IS
GRANTED.  PERFORMING THAT ONGOING CERTIFICATION CALLED A PROOF OF
PERFORMANCE IS PART OF WHAT ALLOWS THESE POWERFUL STATIONS TO TRANSMIT
WITHOUT CONSTANT ENGINEERING SUPERVISION.  AS WE ALL KNOW, THINGS BREAK,
WEAR OUT, COME LOOSE, GET WATER IN THEM OR LET THE WATER OUT, CORRODE, ARE
DAMAGED THE WAYS IN WHICH RADIOS AND ANTENNAS CAN BECOME DEFECTIVE ARE
SEEMINGLY WITHOUT NUMBER.  WITHOUT AN OCCASIONAL INSPECTION, IT WOULD BE
ILLOGICAL TO ASSUME EVERYTHING IS FUNCTIONING JUST FINE.  IN FACT, ITS
‰  END OF 35 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ