Radio amateurs have spoken and the results are in! This year had a fantastic turnout for the State of the Hobby survey. I want to specifically thank QRZ.com for generously featuring this on the news portion of the forums not once, but twice. The larger the sample size, the more clearer a picture we get when looking at the results. While 2019 not only had the biggest respondent turn out, it was also the longest survey to date. The accompanying report is also the longest, so I suggest getting a nice cup of coffee and settling in. It's worth the read. 73 - hope to catch you on the air and see you next spring! Dustin N8RMA 2019 State of the Hobby Results
How do you view this thing? It keeps opening a page with a link then another, then another. Got tired of futzing with it. Waste of time.
No need to click anything extra just click the sway button. go to the popped up sway office page and scroll down.
The guy does us all a favor, doing the survey. Takes the time to do the survey and prepare a report on the results, and all you can say is "waste of time"? Not nice.
Pretty simple to view actually. Even an 'old goat' like me got it.... Thanks for the work, interesting results......K0EQH
Took the survey last year and again this year. I am amazed at the amount of data and time he has put into this for All of us. Very interesting look into our hobby. Thanks again, Good Job...
Great job. Useful and insightful data. Thanks for taking the time to do this -- that it is an independent "entity" and not our main advocacy group, not political, and not government, says a lot for the validity of the survey. Well done and congrats.
Thanks for doing the survey, Biggest take-away, "As expected, techs responding to the survey were overwhelmingly for this (adjusted HF privileges), scoring it a 3.95," - so that answers the allegations from naysayers that Tech's don't want it. It's disappointing that so many higher class licensee's are opposed - use it or lose it (them) - ie. HF allocations and noob's.
But, apparently not enough to pass a simple written exam, it only proves they will respond to an internet survey.
In this day and age that someone would take the time and effort to do anything like this deserves congratulations! There's a very simple solution to the issue of someone not liking what, or how, something like this was done! You do one the way you think it ought to be done. See how many people take exception with what "you did." My point, there is no way under the sun to please everyone. It "ain't happening." So, thanks for doing what you did. The same thing goes for the conclusions derived from this survey. You get people's personal opinion. That opinion is colored by their personal biases (sic?), personal agendas, etc. Does it represent a true, verifiable fact about ham/amateur radio? Probably not, but then again, maybe it does? Again my opinion which is most likely running afoul of yours. End result is have fun with what you have, how you can and keep on keeping on. Hey! Another survey! Who believes in the Easter Bunny? You know it's just a few days down the road! Absolutely, positively, totally an old goat stirring the pot! Barney in the Great (or Not So Great at times) State of North Carolina! 73
It proves Techs would like to experience HF, but CW is a non-starter and 10m is dead. The survey also shows that the majority of Techs are EMCOMM / Preppers. I think they are being misled into ignoring HF. They are not SWL's, as the survey showed most of the OM's did, for obvious reasons; not much to hear there any more. Not much interesting for many going on in the FM VHF/UHF bands either. So providing a better path to taste & feel it could create incentive to try HF, upgrade for more, and most importantly, to become and remain ACTIVE HAMS. Not suggesting the Tech license should have the same as the next level license of HF privilege, just adjust what they have to fit the present day technology and propagation situation, ie perhaps an FT8 / JS8CALL frequency or two on 80,40, 15, with power restrictions, mimicking the old Novice entry level license. Maybe even a small SSB allocation on those same bands, or at least permission to check into various established NCS controlled phone nets (for HF mentoring).
