HamRadioNow: That ARRL Entry Level License Survey

As a teacher, I see that we definitely do have to teach to the test to survive, which is not good. But, I see WAY more kids taking calculus and trig much EARLIER. Many of our students are finishing those in the sophomore or junior year, and taking college math classes like Calculus II, Finite, etc. during the senior year. One of mine right now is taking differential equations! While my school is toward the top more than several, it's still your typical public high school. Other "average" high schools have the same thing happening.

We need to make this test, since we are stuck with it, relevant so that it teaches potential hams to know how to participate. Once they are on the air, that's when the real learning starts. But those fundamental facts and skills need to be checked off somehow before we turn them loose.

 

Well said. Keep up the outstanding work getting one student up to DE's, that is great. It would be nice if your school would be able to pass the mojo around.

 

John why did you bother to reply if you weren't concerned? The sky isn't falling. The hobby is dwindling! It is quite apparent to me and others. I am certainly not worried about it. I am simply not in denial like you are.

 

I posted cause I wanted to. I didn't know I needed your permission!!
I will let you and others take care of the "dwindling hobby". I am just going to keep having fun with it and I never have any trouble finding someone to talk to on the radio on the "dwindling hobby". I have plenty of things to take care of in my life without thinking about a "dwindling hobby" that is not effecting my life in anyway. I still have as much fun on the radio as I did 42 years ago.
Good luck to you in making Amateur Radio what you want it to be. I am just going to have fun with it.
John, WB0MPB

 

Your actions imply a false statement on your part.

 

I am amused that we should be 'cautious' because we don't have 'data on how many young people are in the hobby'.

Duh! Listen on the bands! Look at club meetings! Look at the VE sessions! Look at ham conventions!

Young people in ham radio are an anecdotal demographic and so rare as to be approaching extinction.

THAT is why we -legitimately-- make such a big deal of showcasing young hams at ham conventions.

 

Very true, another demographic that should be approached would be the 20-30 year old group of quality parents. Those parents engage with and nurture a positive environment for their kids. That positive environment would facilitate an introduction into something other than TV or Facebook. The all ham (amateur radio operator) family photos in ARRL and other magazines show the importance of quality parents and how they provide an entry path into ham radio that is not obtainable by an "outsider".

 

The surge in new Techs is by vast majority the result of public safety professionals becoming 'just-in-case' hams.

Many of these are actively encouraged to do so in order to coordinate ancillary efforts in emergencies.

There are millions of public safety folks. A very small percentage pursue ham licenses.

Its great that these folks become hams; its not great that they are essentially inactive, and none are, by definition, 'young people'.

They are always welcome on the bands !

 

leave things as they are

 

Given the decimation of the FCC there is a key bottleneck that would affect any new license class--assuming 'entry'. That is: the FCC doesn't have the interest in supporting it, because it lacks the money to maintain it.

:-(

 

Young people need not apply....

Is that the point?

 

How does leaving things as they are keep young people, or anyone for that matter, from obtaining a license?

 

Jim,

As a new licensee I completely and utterly disagree with you and KB2SMS. The test to get a license to use amateur radio is absolutely ridiculous. Who cares how many volts a circuit makes? Why in the hell do I have to know how to read a schematic? What do these things have to do with talking on the radio? Nothing. Building a radio? Hell yes. Am I going to build one? Hell no. Am I going to get my General? Maybe if I can memorize the answers to enough questions to pass the test, and then absolutely trash of all that memorization because it has ZERO to do with operation. That is what these tests should be, a practical test that shows that you can operate within the rules and limits put forth by the FCC. CW is antiquated. Digital modes are the new CW. Technology is changing and too many old hams are trying to keep amateur radio behind instead of letting it evolve into what it should become.

Go ahead and rebuke my statements, but there is one problem with that. I am the top of the target demographic that the ARRL is trying to bring in to save a dying hobby and truth be told I currently am not motivated to go any farther with it. It isn't a lack of interest, it's the BS you have to go through to get into a super expensive hobby. Not worth it.

73,

Eric K3HDG

 

How old are you?

How did you prepare for the Technician?

Do you have an active club close?

Local Elmer?

 

Thanks Eric,

I've been trying to tell these people exactly these points, but when I do, they simply attack me and say you represent a 'dumbed down' ham that shouldn't be round.

I strongly disagree with that. I strongly support your point of view.

You shouldn't have to take a full intro electronics course to get a ham license. That, essentially, is what the question pools do these days.

I happen to love CW, but am well aware that digi modes are the future. In fact, I first pointed that out, on QRZed, in 2006.

Here's what I had to--reluctantly--memorize in 1967...never came close to using this 1920's circuit. And in 3 years, the transition to transistors and IC's had happened.