This is as close as I get to "social media" After owning and/or operating all the major brands I still stick with Kenwood for cleaner signals and great RX and TX audio. I had nothing but problems with Ten Tec in the past and I'll never own another. The KX3 Ive had on loan since late December does not impress me on SSB in particular and receive audio is harsh on any mode no matter what options I try. Carl
This "older" ham (70) embraces advancing digital technologies in amateur radio with acceptance and approval. One reason I allowed my local club membership to lapse several years ago was the often heard "It's not real radio...." when I would mention the word "Echolink". It seemed to me that to be a "Ham" one had to possess a shack full of hf gear complete with an obligatory linear amp. Licensed in 1961 and still having the time of my life in Amateur Radio.
Amen! Adapt, or watch the hobby die off from intolerance and lack of innovation. Fortunately, in spite of the curmudgeons, there's enough interest in seeing the hobby evolve.
If you are going to use our information and/or opinions, you should allow us to print or pdf these results. Your surveys might actually make a difference in amateur radio. If you are just doing it for fun or personal gain then i do not have much personal respect for you. Wayne/KW5M
A useful survey might be one that limited the questions to seniors and/or to those who anticipate being "curmudgeons" and active hams with digital and more advanced amateur activity in their future. While many may still appreciate 160AM and other more traditional means of communication, even these hams have among them those who "dabble" in or use extensively more modern means of communication. Some of them can be heard bragging how they have contacted places using FT8 and other modes that they have never used before. A mix of old and new is the wave of the future, I believe. It's part of the growth evolution of the art.
Enjoy it all FT-8 is neat and fired up the Drake TR-4CW/rit and had a real nice contact on 40 CW this morning with Bruce W8RA.
Thank you for doing the survey. I also would be interested in being able to view and print the results. I've been around amateur radio off and on, all my life, from high school until now. The code requirement was my stumbling block. I'm a fairly new ham, only been licensed since 02/2017. I don't have any HF radios yet at my QTH, but have access to HF equipment at the event station I volunteer at, as needed. I only have an HT, hooked to a mag mount on my car, to get onto the 2M repeaters in the area. I've joined one of the local clubs here, the one that sponsored the ham classes, it a good cross section of young, middle and older hams. I've been welcomed and asked what I'd like to do. I've joined the public service team and have helped at a couple of events. As to the Elmer’s in the club, there is a good cross section, some are avid DX'ers and contesters, some are in to digital modes, a few are into QRP, a large group in to public service (ARES, Sky Warn, RACES) and last but not least, a lot of rag chewers. So all-n-all Older hams have not been an issue, for me.
I'm 62 and don't consider myself to be an old timer yet. I think it's unfair to throw many or most elderly hams into a group labeled intolerant and curmudgeon. I work many hams in their 70's to 90's on the digital modes very often. There is a wide base of much knowledge with these guys and gals. Just sayin! 73 & GUD DX, Thomas F. Giella, W4HM Lakeland, FL, USA http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/spaceweather https://www.facebook.com/thomasfranklingiellaw4hm
Well, not exactly. Last week I had students from Weston High--their initiative and at the encouragement of their math teacher-- come down to make a fractal antenna with a 3D printer. That was pretty immersive, as they say. Teachers can be a mixed lot. but most will push for their students whether the resource is in-house or not.
I take it that's your hat.. Another Oregonian, too. Also, a very nice array of digital awards on your qrz bio page...
Nope, but I figure apropos for someone that sees as much conspiracy as he does. 100s of pages of huge fonts and spastic colors. Not really much of a bio as it is political vomit, and IMO, out of place. (And you're welcome Dan, although I'd really rather not be associated.) Lived in 10 States, seen all but AK/HI, and OR is still my favorite. My only discomfort so far are the anti-gun reps like Bonamici. Sure hope Oregon doesn't become Californicated. :/ Thanks! Proud to have worked 50+ amateur modes, and decoded another 50+ outside the ham-bands. Never met a mode I didn't like! 73
Well here in my world the Old Ham problem is reverse of your comments. Its the young hams that have no desire to learn from the old dog or teach the old dog new tricks. The term ELMER is a term of one person passing on knowledge to the next. The ELMERS the old guys the originators, how did they do it? By gathering and elmering to others in person one on one or in groups. There are no young Elmer's. The current train of Kool-Aid thought from the young is look it up it up on YouTube, Google it, or have ones face focused on a Smart Phone. The why is obvious. There is no accountability or embarrassment this way. If one don't get it just re-watch 10,000 times alone in the dark till you do and then come out and look like the man. Or if one never gets it no harm done, forget it move onto something else, as this was yesterdays news and irrelevant now anyway, and know one knew what the hell you were doing anyway as ones attention was focused on a computer or smart phone alone in the first place. I am all about technology and the new ways but sooner than not, when the Ol guys are gone the young wont know how to fix or repair anything, just replace. The young are truly dependent on replacement only methods. In todays society the young are being taught that todays awesome device is tossed for the new one coming out tomorrow. The main problem I see with todays awesome tech and the young is it is ISOLATING the person. The young have no social skills to interact with each other let alone the young to the old. I can't tell you how many times a DAY, I read or hear the statement. (I DON'T want to talk to them I will send them a Text or Email.) (2nd note here is I don't understand the interest in the young becoming a Ham as they clearly have absolutely no desire to speak to others in the first place, and you cant READ RADIO right?) Me personally, I think this is a bad thing. It is becoming a problem far greater than racism has ever been. Its 100% total human being segregation at its birth. Time will tell as there is no stopping it from happening. We will see in 50 or 100 years. So now I gather you will say hey this is an ol guy talking, maybe so, I am 56. I hope you were or are not offended by my response, as it was not in any way meant to be argumentative or curt, nothing more than a conversation of two points of view. Face to Face this would be obvious, electronically impossible. Thx Kevin K7BMG
