should the term "ricebox" be discarded? I think so.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

I'm getting to where I hate hearing the pejorative term 'ricebox' used to describe any rig other than old buzzard american gear.

Wowsers! This from the guy who coined such terms as The AM Ghetto, the Black James Bond, and more? Never thought I'd see the day! 

Other words/terms that some have suggested be removed from our radio vocabulary:

AM, AM Ghetto/AM Window, Boatanchor, CW, Class E, ham/HAM/HAM, Elmer, Munkey, D-104/D-10-4, Mod, Iron, T-3, Berringer, solid state, vacuum tube, Chinchilla fur coat, hyellaphone, microphonium, Porkrot, alien traveler from another dimension, Novice, old buzzard, snot rocket, HI/H-I, FB, OM, 73/7-3/73s/seventy-thirds/Good numbers!

..and the list goes on.

There was a time not so many years ago when at least one then-prominent voice in the AM community asserted that you had to have broadcast-quality audio, use a REAL broadcast mic, no excuse not to, ricebox = bad and all that. A few of the weak-minded followed suit and it became the fashionable thing for AM newbs to say. Fortunately that seems to have run its course, and the vast majority of folks on AM today are just happy to work almost anyone using the mode. My understanding of the term is that it came into being as a result of the much smaller/solid state based Japanese rigs that were roughly the size of a box of rice. No doubt some will read some racial or ethnic meaning into it, as they do with anything else in their lives. To folks like that or those who are easily offended, I'd paraphrase the HUZman and say 'suggest you take up stamp collecting'.

Life is short, freedom of speech, precious. As is the freedom to look stupid in the eyes of others who don't agree with you. Book burning or PC speech in any form never appealed to me. Seems silly to blame a word or term for someone's choice to employ it.

[AF9J]

I know what Dave's talking about with regards to motorcycles.  Oftentimes a Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, or Kawasaki is called a riceburner or rice rocket.  I never cared for either of the terms when I was still actively riding.  

With regards to amateur radio gear - I have mixed feelings about the ricebox term.  Yes, ricebox has become a general slang term used to describe a Japanese made radio.  But, I very distinctly remember hearing a few people use the term with disdain back in the 80s.  And yes, we've probably all heard a few people on 75m AM also using ricebox in a disdainful manner.  I like my Viking II.  But I will not lie, it basically spends most of its time on 75m, due to the fact that my 30 year old Yaesu FT-301SD, is MUCH MORE frequency agile (it doesn't take 1/10th the time to tune up compared to my Viking II).  Yes my Viking II uses plate modulation.  Well, my FT-301SD uses collector modulation (the solid state equivalent to plate modulation), and as a result, I've been told sounds very good.  My Viking II has more power, but on 40m & above, my FT-301SD is my radio of choice.   So, I really have no reason to be apologetic about using it.  Neither should anybody else, who does not use traditional AM gear.

[John Holotko]

Well, I knew one ham who felt that a peice of equipment had to be 100% home brew in order to be considered a "real radio".

[KL7OF]

Bamboo radio

[kc2ifr]

But IFR...he sounded great ON frequency... screw the poor bastards down the band! 

Cant argue with that......

[flintstone mop]

I have been using the term "off shore radio". A generalized term Don, K4KYV refers to
Fred

[W1GFH]

I think it all depends on how it's used. "I'm runnin' the ricebox on AM tonite, driving it with the SB-200" is just colorful ham lingo. While "Damn slopbuckets and their good buddy rice boxes! Get a real radio!" comes off as insulting.

[KX5JT]

The Great Debate!

[Opcom]

I'm getting to where I hate hearing the pejorative term 'ricebox' used to describe any rig other than old buzzard american gear.

Wowsers! This from the guy who coined such terms as The AM Ghetto, the Black James Bond, and more? Never thought I'd see the day! 

Other words/terms that some have suggested be removed from our radio vocabulary:

AM, AM Ghetto/AM Window, Boatanchor, CW, Class E, ham/HAM/HAM, Elmer, Munkey, D-104/D-10-4, Mod, Iron, T-3, Berringer, solid state, vacuum tube, Chinchilla fur coat, hyellaphone, microphonium, Porkrot, alien traveler from another dimension, Novice, old buzzard, snot rocket, HI/H-I, FB, OM, 73/7-3/73s/seventy-thirds/Good numbers!

..and the list goes on.

There was a time not so many years ago when at least one then-prominent voice in the AM community asserted that you had to have broadcast-quality audio, use a REAL broadcast mic, no excuse not to, ricebox = bad and all that. A few of the weak-minded followed suit and it became the fashionable thing for AM newbs to say. Fortunately that seems to have run its course, and the vast majority of folks on AM today are just happy to work almost anyone using the mode. My understanding of the term is that it came into being as a result of the much smaller/solid state based Japanese rigs that were roughly the size of a box of rice. No doubt some will read some racial or ethnic meaning into it, as they do with anything else in their lives. To folks like that or those who are easily offended, I'd paraphrase the HUZman and say 'suggest you take up stamp collecting'.

Life is short, freedom of speech, precious. As is the freedom to look stupid in the eyes of others who don't agree with you. Book burning or PC speech in any form never appealed to me. Seems silly to blame a word or term for someone's choice to employ it.

I'm going to rant on this one too. I was holding off, but might as well go ahead now.

There are basically two kinds of people that object to such slang.

One, is a decent type that simply does not like it, or is somewhat annoyed by it.

The other is one that makes a grandstand out of acting offended, and acting offended on behalf of others, often for political reasons. Those I will address. Wherever we go, there are always pablum-gurglers who, like a bumblebee on a rose, just wait for the opportunity to generate the appearance of being offended or the appearance that someone has said something evil, and then make the most of it. They crucify themselves on the inverted cross of political correctness, hearts bleeding for all to see the terrible injustice done to them (and whatever following they claim or group they belong to, with or without the consent of the cgroup at large)!

Lately in Dallas, one county commissioner, who is an unconvicted violent criminal (this is after all Dallas TX), upon hearing the words "money disappearing into a black hole" began to hoot and howl, generating noise, and claimed to be offended by such a horrible radial slur.

The individual is obviously hard of hearing as well as very ignorant. A few days later, after having made a donkey's rear out of himself yet again, he began to receive a few anonymously sent books on outer space and stars and the like. A balck hole, after all, is merely something like a bottomless pit, except that there is no visibility into a black hole, it has no accountability.

Not that it mattered. He had already intentionally made an embarrassment of the person who was speaking, demanded apologies and the like, etc etc.. 

Just a point that there are always those ill-meaning people, just waiting for a trigger word, or something that sounds like a trigger word. Such people are often hateful, lice-ridden Poobahs and/or have their hands in others' pockets.

1. never apologize to someone like that. It only reinforces their otherwise unfounded acusation, and enables them to make trouble. Cut them off, when they say "what !!>??"  then repeat it exactly as before. You've done no wrong and they are acting strangely. If they do not understand, teach them, right there on the spot, in front of their now rapt media audience, the meaning of the word(s) they objected to and ask them to explain what their problem is.

2. see rule 1.

other words that someone who does not know what they mean might contrive to be offended by:

riceburner
junkbox linear
boatanchor
smart dirt
sand state
pig iron
b*tch box
steel soldier
deal soldier
chi-com
b*tch seat
chicken band
plastic radio

Anyone who's blood gets to boiling over such silly nicknames for everyday objects, most of them well-earned, needs to ditch the birkenstocks, pour out the Kalifornia Kool-Aid, and grow some hair on their chest. Unless they are female. Then there is no need for hair on the chest.

My TS-430S is a damn fine radio. It is a ricebox. I like it very much. I also like my IC-706, for a plastic radio it does alot of stuff, but it is not and never will be, a Harris.

[N3DRB The Derb]

I'm taking HUZ's disruptor crown off his head. 

[Opcom]

No need, the rant was merely an unsuppressed transient on the twisted pair of life.

I like pie!

[k4kyv]

If  you think "ricebox" might be offensive to the Japanese, what about Hashifisti Scratchi, a monthly feature that got its start in Radio magazine before WW2, and continued in CQ well into the 60's?

Steve, I also find the term "boatanchor" offensive.  I recall it was a term of derision used by slopbucketeers in the 70's, for anyone seen hauling away an older transmitter, receiver, transformer, etc. at a hamfest.  Those of us who hoarded that stuff have the last laugh, as it now commands big bux on ePay and fleamarkets.

Of course some may find the term "slopbucket(eer) offensive.

One way to play it safe safe would be to limit yourself to the High High Fine Business Old Man lingo over the air.  Better still,  replace the High High bit with Aitch Eye.

[W1AEX]

That's an interesting observation Derb. I first heard that dismissive tone when I was a little kid and dragged my toy dump truck into the sandbox with the other little kids. One kid looked over and laughed because my dump truck was littler than his. I think I hit him in the head with my little dump truck due to my immaturity at the time. That scenario continues through life with the whole "mine is bigger than yours" attitude. It won't change because it's human nature, but at this point, I have changed. I just find terms like "ricebox" amusing and have concluded that it is irrelevant as long as I like what I have.

This statement in your initial post is where I reside now in this hobby:

"These days I'm less interested in gear and more interested in people."

That pretty much says it all for me too. Building and modifying station gear is still a lot of fun, but what I enjoy most is leaning back in my chair, putting my feet up on the desk, and having a nice conversation with someone. If I'm on the new radio and they want to call it a ricebox, I won't find it offensive. If operating my new radio somehow irritates someone, then I'll no doubt be very amused...

Rob W1AEX

[Ed WA4NJY]

OK, help me out.  For ever I was under the impression that a "ricebox" in radio terms was relating to the stupid little boxes that "Chinese" food came in.  By stupid, the boxes were flimsy, easily soaked with grease, etc. Insulting quality.

When and why did anyone link "ricebox radio" to a people group?

Would an Asian person please tell me, are you offended with the rice part or the box part?  Or something about the combination? I will then have a first person perspective to learn from.

I am in 4 land, own and like Ten-Tec rigs.  Am I now in someones eyes insensitive?  Make the logical progression simple for me.

                                         Ed WA4NJY

[WBear2GCR]

When and why?

I covered that, and some others did as well... please read the thread?

 

           _-_-bear

Ever seen or been to a japanese restaurant in Japan?
They serve things in little box like thingies, afaik...

[WU2D]

When I was a little johnny novice in 1973, our ham club in northern NY was made up mostly of old farts and kids. When we went to do field day, the kids usually did CW using various nicotine coated XCVRs that the OF's supplied and they did SSB and messaging. I was on 40M CW and I was given a classic Drake TR-3 and my buddy was given a Hallicrafters SR-150 with tired output for 80M CW. Compared to our ARC-5 and BC-652, and BC-348 Novice stations, this was luxury operating equipment.

After we got set up, this 25 year old hippie college professsor from Clarkson shows up with equipment and asks how he can help on field day. The OF's put him on 20M CW and they asked him what he had. Out of the back of his car he produces a brand new FT-101 and he sets up a station with a bug and a tuner and a small Quad beam. He doubled our score single handedly. That was the first time I ever saw a ricebox.   

Mike WU2D

[WB2YGF]

WX3K and  I were the youngsters at our first field days.  We brought our own equipment except for a tower and quad we borrowed from the club.  I ran 20 CW with my DX-60.  The OF's were more interested in 2M FM, but us JN's were doing just fine without riceboxes.

I think the most fun we had contesting as JN's was a VHF contest at a mansion on the top of the southern most Watchung range above Greenbrook NJ.  You could see the NYC skyline from this location.  The VHF experts were Technicians, and needed us JN's to copy code and log for them.  Some of the equipment was homebrew and very cutting edge for it's time, like the stuff for 1296.  We stayed up all night long contesting from that super location.  It was quite a rush.

[w4bfs]

What about boatanchor? I find that term offensive.

heavy man, heavy