Dustin, >> I was the subject of no less than 4 death threats this year I am saddened and disgusted. I'm sorry you had to endure that. Thank you for your time invested in this initiative. >> There is a large portion of the sample size that are unable to copy or send CW, which was surprising given the number of US - Extras that answered the call. I'm not following your logic there. What connection do you see between Extras and CW that leads to your surprise? I studied for several months to get my Extra license. I've spent about as much time working on my CW and I'm not even at the point where I can identify all the characters, even at the lowest speeds. CW is hard. (for me?) And its an either/or proposition. I can either practice CW or I can go QRO for that Georgia QSO party. There are only so many hours in the weekend. Maybe a question about people's aspirations around CW would be appropriate. Do they want to learn? Do they want to get faster? Do they see CW as a valuable mode going forward? For those with solid CW, what tool/method provided them the most boost? >> Method of logging contacts & QSL methods I would be interested to see if there are relationships there between logging/QSL method and operator age or logging/QSL method and operating modes. I would assume that computer logging & QSLs correlates strongly with younger operators and with those who are operating digital modes. I remember a comment on a forum rather recently. The gentleman was complaining that he would not QSL by one certain digital channel because he "couldn't keep up with the automated QLSs". I'm not sure what automated meant in his mind, but if you're paper logging then yes, you will not be able to keep up with the pace of, for example, FT8 contacts (which seems to be the new normal). >> If there emerges a gap in license time vs active time, what is causing this? Taking a license exam is cheap. Radio equipment is not. That was the gap for me. I passed for my General in 2012. I picked up a 2m FM HT around that time. It was not exciting to me. I wanted my radio waves to reach out over the horizon. All the HF rigs I saw around me were multi-thousand dollar base stations that were so far out of my financial reach as to not even be a consideration. In 2018 my oldest child graduated HS, got a job, and began taking some of his own expenses. Around the same time I located a used FT-450AT with a 60 day warranty for *just* several hundred dollars. Those two events together I finally felt like I could begin putting a HF station together. >> HOA's ranked very high as a reported issue ... The confusing part ... they were not impacted by an HOA I wonder if the disconnect here is in the phrasing of the question. (No offense intended to the author.) It makes me wonder if all the respondents have a common definition of "impacted". My HOA has regulations around antennas. This means that I cannot put up antennas that are as high or as big as I would like. I have chosen to build indoor antennas or outdoor "stealth" antennas. These antennas reduce my DX effectiveness, but don't keep me off the air. I accept the compromise to keep the peace with my neighbors and HOA. Have I been "impacted" by the HOA? Thanks again for your work on this. Matthew, KT5WB Fort Worth, Texas
Oops! I am sorry for that confusion Mike! Thanks for pointing out N8RMA's death threat issues... we have problems in ham radio and the best way to resolve them is bring them forth and continue in our usual friendly manner. As , of course, you are showing Hope to work you from DK sometime 73 Chip W1YW
No worries, it happens. You're on the reachable side of the country for me from my modest station in Germany which is only 100W into an AV-640 vertical. 40m seems to be most promising on CW at least. 73 Mike
For what it's worth here.... I've been reading the responses here with some interest. There a few things I would like to interject into this discussion. It's always "appeared to me" that ham/amateur radio is something people want to "keep doing it the old way" just because that's the way it's always been done. With no apparent thought given to the fact change is inevitable. Nothing stays the same, even ham radio. To not change and resist most, if not all, attempts "to change" is equal to give rise to it's demise. For ham radio to survive long term and prosper change "must come" and be embraced. On the code question, I would like to offer something for consideration. I, and I'm fairly certain I'm not alone in this, have some degree of hearing loss. According to those that are supposed to know such things, it has to do with certain frequency ranges of sounds, etc. I've studied and tried "upping my code speed" beyond that which I "did pass" back when "Tech Plus" was a thing. I just, to put it short and sweet, just can not hear it well enough to do it. Not that I wouldn't love to be able to, but it just doesn't work with me. And another thing that's always bothered me, to some point, about ham radio is how there are some who always seem to be the happiest when they are able to "exclude" someone from being able to pursue new and wonderful things in amateur radio. Ham radio is not the only thing I've seen I've seen it in, but ham radio surely has it's share of it. It's sort of like the old "I know something you don't know, "nanny nanny poo poo." Too much of an "elitist" attitude when progress in the chosen endeavor would be much better served by putting that effort into progress and moving the common good forward.
Good points. From what I've seen first-hand amateur radio is very alive, very vibrant and becoming more diverse by the day if not by the minute. I know old hams who are so curmudgeonly that they'd rather see the hobby die than change their approach or attitude. I lump these guys into the same category as the death-threat hams. Miserable, selfish and relishing the opportunity to impede progress, destroy morale and ruin the hobby for all...to their last breath. I know old hams who are busy elmering old school AM tube transmitter theory and restoration while simultaneously grabbing WAS in FT-8 and formally commenting on proposed FCC rulemaking. I know old hams who pull up to Field Day in a Honda Fit, assemble a EL-AZ rotator with dual beam circularly polarized yagis on the roof rack and proceed to elmer us all in AMSAT, tracking software, visible birds, and then make QSOs. This same old ham single handedly designs our emergency repeater setup for the SET exercises and makes VHF beam antennas out of foam board and aluminum foil. I know new hams who will never pick up a microphone, but are using their license to extend their drone range, launch pico-balloons or perform digital satellite QSOs. I know new hams who jump right into the public events and want to be a part of emergency communications and public service as well as get on the air with HF with both SSB and CW. Our technician classes result in new hams walking away with a license and a freshly built 2 meter ground plane antenna that they build from scratch and get to use to check into the weekly net. The hobby is healthy...and I am very optimistic that it will remain so, but we have to fight for it as there are competing interests for our bands. Take a look here, and if you are interested in making comments to many of the FCC rulings that are on the brink of threatening the amateur bands, consider filing your opinion with the FCC: http://wireless-girl.com/HowToFile11828STD.html
As a General I have written off HF on the weekends! The regular contests fill General class with G's and Extras including the week day working folks which I understand. I would not oppose giving techs more more HF freq's from the General portion if the Extras want to give up the equal amount of their territory to the General class. Otherwise Generals are in a lose lose and we are just piling more bodies into the Titanics life boats.
Wait, where is the problem? Sounds like incentive licensing to me. Just take the test and upgrade to Extra.
Change happens. I remember we had the first television in our neighborhood. Now everyone has multiple televisions in one house. I just don't see the problem with giving Techs a bit of HF phone space. Its a much smaller 'thing' than many are making it out to be. And in 50 years, the naysayers will mostly be gone due to extreme old age, and it will happen any way. Of course, cyberization like Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell could come along for real. But then, there will be those who wont like the new fangled thing. Just like some in the distant past were not interested in wheels and fire.
Thank you for making MY POINT!! The Techs also have this option now without a Participation Trophy! It is like a show up college degree or walk in citizenship.
Why would the "kids these days" be expecting a participation trophy? Maybe because they've been given them since they were children. If you want that expectation to stop then everyone needs to stop fulfilling that expectation. The problem isn't with them, it's with the lessons they learned from their parents, teachers, and all the other so called "adults" in the room setting an example.
Who mentioned kids? I passed my test for Tech at 63. I was discussing anyone getting a Tech and getting something I had to take a second test for. I have earned everything I have and pay for what I want. This includes my subscription to QRZ. Have a nice weekend, I am going back to Morse practice.
It seems you have been unaware of the many adjustments to Amateur radio privileges over the years. A recent example of this was the addition of the 60 meter band in 2003. Did you "earn" that too? I'm guessing you earned it just as much as any Technician would earn access to HF from the additions the FCC made since then. You have a nice weekend as well. I'm going to fold laundry for a bit.
Informative! Interesting! Thanks, Dustin! Laborious work! "Aging out", HOAs - 2 bigest pains here too ( 73s to all! de RZ1O
