WF0H
11-27-2001, 11:05 PM
To a great extent, I agree with your attitude, and I am once again very sorry to hear that 2 meter activity in KC has dropped off. The KC repeaters used to be very active.
I think I'll summarize some of the better ideas that have been expressed here and also on eham.net to this question.
First, there have been a number of suggestions on how to increase monitoring. There is a general concensus that there may be too many repeaters, spreading the activity out too much. A solution to that problem would be to designate one repeater in an area as a 'calling frequency' to be used to establish contact and then move off to another repeater or simplex if possible. This is already done in many areas .
This will make it easier for people to monitor a two meter frequency and not have to listen to lots of ragchewing, which can be boring to those not participating. Many people suggested monitoring '.52' as well.
Another really interesting idea was the suggestion to have a sort of 'bootcamp' for new hams to demonstrate different operating modes (and hopefully correct operating procedures) to encourage the growth of all modes, including things like SSTV, APRS, PSK31 which can be done on FM, as well as other modes that can't. Many new hams know nothing about SSB. I'm pursuing doing this locally - if I can find some volunteers I hope to present it no only locally, but in other cities 100 miles so distant, so those who want to try PSK31, for instance, will find some DX to work!
There have been many suggestions for new nets - a net for new hams, a net for teenaged hams, etc.. Good ideas. We have a 'ragchewer's net' on one of our higher level machines on Monday nights.
Many people have commented that they think this trend is cyclical, and 2 meters will recover on its own, eventually.
Thanks for all the comments, even the disparaging ones, because it's nice to know that either the activity level is really high in some places yet today, or, it is perceived as such.
Contact: wf0h@home.com
I think I'll summarize some of the better ideas that have been expressed here and also on eham.net to this question.
First, there have been a number of suggestions on how to increase monitoring. There is a general concensus that there may be too many repeaters, spreading the activity out too much. A solution to that problem would be to designate one repeater in an area as a 'calling frequency' to be used to establish contact and then move off to another repeater or simplex if possible. This is already done in many areas .
This will make it easier for people to monitor a two meter frequency and not have to listen to lots of ragchewing, which can be boring to those not participating. Many people suggested monitoring '.52' as well.
Another really interesting idea was the suggestion to have a sort of 'bootcamp' for new hams to demonstrate different operating modes (and hopefully correct operating procedures) to encourage the growth of all modes, including things like SSTV, APRS, PSK31 which can be done on FM, as well as other modes that can't. Many new hams know nothing about SSB. I'm pursuing doing this locally - if I can find some volunteers I hope to present it no only locally, but in other cities 100 miles so distant, so those who want to try PSK31, for instance, will find some DX to work!
There have been many suggestions for new nets - a net for new hams, a net for teenaged hams, etc.. Good ideas. We have a 'ragchewer's net' on one of our higher level machines on Monday nights.
Many people have commented that they think this trend is cyclical, and 2 meters will recover on its own, eventually.
Thanks for all the comments, even the disparaging ones, because it's nice to know that either the activity level is really high in some places yet today, or, it is perceived as such.
Contact: wf0h@home.com