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ARRL Digital Membership $9.99/6 months

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by AC3DB, Jul 21, 2016.

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  1. AC3DB

    AC3DB Ham Member QRZ Page

    This is the letter I sent to the ARRL this evening upon thinking about spending $49 per year for a magazine that I don't really want. I wonder if I'm the only one who feels this way?, or am I way off?
    ____________________________________________________________
    Good evening.

    I absolutely love the ARRL and how important you folks are for defending our band and operating privileges, and everything else you do as a wonderful organization representing the best interests of amateur radio in the United States. No other country in the world has a group like you, and without you, the bands for us would be a sorry state of affairs like they are in many other parts of the world..

    I thought about renewing my ARRL membership, but I just can't allow $50 for that. I am still saving up $40 of fun money for an extra baofong handheld or my next antenna project. I represent a large part of the amateur radio community. I am younger than 40 and not wealthy but financially responsible. I am very busy with my jobs and my gf and my house and my dogs. I have only so much time for radio and an occasional antenna project. I have no interest in a print magazine or radio insurance or any other membership benefit, other than possibly an @arrl.org email forward.

    Right now I do these things for free:
    callsign lookup, classifieds, logbook and profiles on QRZ
    reviews on eham
    special interest group forums on facebook groups
    local repeater finder on repeaterbook app on my phone
    I read the ARRL letter on qrz (and I love the ARRL Letter)
    (You could corner all of these markets if you tried to keep up with digital versions of articles and the internet in general)

    I would gladly have $9.99 automatically taken off my debit card every 6 months for an expanded monthly digital version of the ARRL letter including advertising, articles featuring new product reviews, antenna projects, qrp projects, theory, myths vs facts and so on. I would be so excited for the next version to come out each month to read on my tablet between meetings and classes and in my rare evening downtime. I would also enjoy few other member benefits.

    If I was the ARRL and I only had 1/5th membership or 160,000+ of the 740,000+ of licensed (which is the most ever and growing fast), I would be very interested in getting at least 1/2 or 2/3 of that culture. Your articles would be much more relevant reaching 50-70% of your target audience compared to about 20% now and your advertising would be much more valuable because it could reach 3 times the audience.

    Sincerely and Respectfully,

    Aaron Miller - KB3LSM
    Former ARRL member
    Licensed technician 2004, upgraded to general in 2007
    Mostly active on qrp and digital modes
    Repeater owner
    307 Pheasant Drive
    Evans City, PA 16033
    aaron.climatesys@gmail.com
    724-272-8629 evenings is best time to call but not too late please.
    73s
     
    W9FTV, K9ASE, N9LYA and 10 others like this.
  2. WN2C

    WN2C Ham Member QRZ Page

    So you are saying that you can't come up with an extra $2.50 a month for 12 months to pay for a membership? Do you expect full membership to include voting rights for the $20?
    I think if you gave up buying 1 coffee at the local convenience store per month would take care of it. It all comes down to priority of what is more important and what organizations you support.
    I do appreciate your "love" for what the ARRL does for ham radio.
     
    KG5WR, PP8DA, K3RW and 2 others like this.
  3. W5JCK

    W5JCK Ham Member QRZ Page

    I haven't had a worthless ARRL membership in well over a decade now. They don't offer anything I cannot get for free. I could care less about their magazine or articles database. I don't care about their political power which may or may not have any effectiveness. Nor do I need them to represent me. The way I look at it, the ARRL membership fees mostly go to build and maintain a plush headquarters building in an isolated area of the country. I have never visited it, have no reason or plans to visit it, nor desire to help them pay for something that very few hams will be able to enjoy.
     
    NY7Q, AD5KO, KM4NOW and 13 others like this.
  4. N3PZZ

    N3PZZ Ham Member QRZ Page

    Let's face it, ham radio is expensive.
    Unless of course, you have money coming out of every orifice.
    Antennas, radio, power supply, coaxial, QSL cards, insurance, this, that and the other.
    Did I miss something? Oh yes, membership in whatever. And a dozen or so gadgets that we must have.
    Which I for one have given up something already to save for. Like:
    Rent, mortgage, food, utilities, car note. Let's not forget the wife and kids too.
    I understand where KB3LSM is coming from.
    9.99? I can do that.
    Maybe that membership fee in the ARRL is nothing to the rest of you.
    But don't take away my morning coffee, not even once. I get really grumpy without it.
    73

    My two cents worth, now I can't have sugar in my coffee...
     
    NY7Q, AD5KO, K3DGR and 4 others like this.
  5. K2OGT

    K2OGT Ham Member QRZ Page

    if you had thought abt it a life membership was worth it as got mine way back in the 60s get both worlds yes hobby not cheap but neither is life it self
     
  6. W4KVW

    W4KVW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Good for you! Are you always so cheerful & happy with that Positive attitude or were you just having an extra special day? Back to the topic of the original posting the answer is NO.I don't get the Electronic Version of the magazine now.It's kind of like electronic logging & electronic QSL's not my thing.I'd rather read the magazine & if it should ever go all electronic for the magazine I'll cancel my membership.The biggest bonus with membership for me is the savings on QSL cards to other countries thru the bureau which pays for itself quickly when you do a lot of DX Contacts & on HF that's about 90% of my contacts I'd say.

    Clayton
    W4KVW
     
    AF6YG, KC3BZJ, KK4NA and 1 other person like this.
  7. K1OIK

    K1OIK XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    My daughter got her license when she was eight, bought a Heathkit transceiver used for $75
    When I got licensed in 1959 I got my rig for about $200, equivalent to $1800 today. For $400 today you get on the air with a TS-140 ($45 in 1959 money), far better than the rig I had in 1959.
    A Smart Phone is more expensive than a ham rig.
     
    N3PZZ, K7MH, K8EF and 5 others like this.
  8. K8AG

    K8AG XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    I don't think that Ham Radio is as expensive as some say. I happen to be both cheap and lazy and ham radio is my favorite hobby. As with any hobby one can spend tens and even hundreds of thousands of bucks on towers, gear, classes, books and periodicals. But one can also get on the air very cheaply.

    From the standpoint of ecology QST is a bit unnecessary. A digital version would be fine for me.

    My second hobby is flying park fliers. These are small electric foam construction planes. It is like flying a kite but with a motor. I am currently watching the FAA and communities falter dealing with personal flying toys (drones). It is ruining the hobby for those of us park fliers who don't want to spend $400 a year to the AMA and some local club so that we can fly our foam planes in a park. I believe that the ARRL does help keep the FCC sane and out of the kinds of issues that face the FAA now. So a few bucks doesn't bother me. So I am cheap, but not so cheap so as to cut off my nose.

    My 2 cents.

    73, JP, K8AG
     
    AF6YG, K0ESX, N5KGN and 3 others like this.
  9. W4IOA

    W4IOA Ham Member QRZ Page

    I joined the ARRL this last Xmas getting a 3 year membership. I could have just continued to get the magazine a month late from a friend for free but I made the decision to join, same with joining QRZ.
    During life, we always have to make decisions on what to prioritize. I certainly don't have unlimited wealth at this time in my life, so I have to decide. So far, ham radio hasn't been expensive or I couldn't have been in it. I just made good purchases and have yet to buy new other than my FT 270. Good Craigslist purchases, good swapmeet purchases, elbow grease and help from other hams in repairs have been my method. Slow and steady in purchasing, selling stuff I don't use, and realizing that I'm no more going to have a setup like K9CT than I am a house larger than 1050sf.
    Is the ARRL perfect, not at all. Are they living plush? Certainly not if you look at what they have. Will I renew my membership? Depends on if I can afford it. It costs money to operate, just as it does for me. Make your choice, but don't expect others to carry you.
     
  10. KF5FEI

    KF5FEI Ham Member QRZ Page

    I'm with the OP -- $49 for a monthly rag that is mostly ads, awards, SK notices and articles that don't interest me is not money well-spent. And I've been disappointed with many of the books (besides the antenna books and handbook) I've purchased. $49 will get me into a few more hamfests and pay for expenses related to field day, winter field day and the state QSO party.
     
    1 person likes this.
  11. AD0AC

    AD0AC Ham Member QRZ Page

    For $49 a year, the least they could do is open up some of the fine rigs at W1AW to remote control for their members...

    That said, having been a government employee and worked for non-profit organizations, most taxpayers and members of non-profits tend to believe that anyone who works for the government or a non-profit should take a vow of poverty and appreciate being able to "contribute nothing" to society. My problem with the ARRL this year stems from the construction of HR 1301 and the concessions made to the HOA lobby, which I believe will hurt amateurs more than existing CC&Rs. I don't have a problem with their employees earning a good wage and being paid relative to the market for their positions.
     
    1 person likes this.
  12. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    I wouldn't call it plush, and I don't see any waste to speak of. Also, suburban Hartford is called many things, but isolated is the most amusing, and wrong, description yet!

    ARRL is fun to visit---people are open and its a little like a bar--always welcoming and warm.

    The dues are not particularly high, and if you don't want to waste paper, you can have green pride and just get the digital edition.

    The dues don't just pay for a paper magazine--most of that expense is met thru advertising.
     
    K1HC likes this.
  13. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    I think you can expect that sometime in the (near?) future...its a donation issue from members with deeper pockets....

    You should expect there to be several stations ultimately.
     
  14. KG7E

    KG7E Ham Member QRZ Page

    Oh boy....another league-bashing thread! It's been, what, a week since the last one?
     
    KG5WR, K1HC, N3AB and 6 others like this.
  15. K2HAT

    K2HAT Premium Subscriber Volunteer Moderator Volunteer DX Helper QRZ Page

    About 6 years ago or so, I did the Lifetime Membership for the ARRL. :)

    I did the same 20+ years ago with the NRA.

    It is all relative, if you have never had a hobby that takes any money.

    Ham Radio is an inexpensive hobby, you folks that whine about $49 a year make me laugh really hard.
    Or complaining about paying $5-10 to enter a Hamfest Flea Market.

    Take for example a New Icom IC-7300, it is $1500. with shipping.

    I was into the Automobile Hobby for many years, and never blinked an eye at putting $4000. into a $3500. car;
    that after 5 years and putting a lot of time and money into it; I might be able to sell for $4000. :)

    Some folks think that the Dayton Hamfest is large, yes for a Ham Radio Flea Market it is pretty darn big,
    go to Spring or Fall Carlisle and then you will see a BIG Flea Market. :)

    Motel rooms are even more expensive than for Dayton too. ;)

    Fall Carlisle; Sep 28-Oct 2, 2016 Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, And Sunday. 5 days.
    Adult Admission: Daily Wed.- Sat. $10 / Sun $7 / Event Pass $30
    Gate Times: Wed.-Sat. 7am-6pm , Sun. 7am-3pm

    http://www.carlisleevents.com/carlisle-events/carlisle-fall-swap-meet-corral-auction/default.aspx
     
    K1HC and KC9UDX like this.

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