Exposing Amateur Radio to the Public A Case for the Public Library

Our school system was very receptive. My club, the Midland ARC in Midland, MI (think dam flooding) sponsors clubs and the Middle School and at one of the High Schools. The High School has a very good station which is often used in Public Service Events and ARRL School Club Round up.

 

This maybe the case for you, but across the board (Entering to Public Schools), I can assure you at the private schools with a ratio of either 4:1 or 8:1, and the parents are paying dearly, are by far more receptive to receive Ham radio (Well I rebranded to call it "Communication course" . Also putting up a Hex Beam with a Mast, along with setting up a table with small amplifier is not so easy, even using a private school.

Our public school here in Allen Texas, is one of the best in Texas in the USA. Allen Texas, is voted # 2 town to live in the USA, much of this was due to the school here in Allen. ..

Having said all that, If Hams can go to a public school, or private school, it does not matter, all good!.

But it should be an effort and an aggressive one, as all those young adults who are destined to be a Engineer or Technician are not being exposed to Ham radio, and what a shame.

We all see the results, just go to any Ham club, and see the aging population! Average age is now 55 years old (I saw this survey done most recently!)

ARRL should be the ones to charter this (Ask the Ham Clubs)....If we are trying to protect are frequencies, what best way to do this, other than having more "Active" and young Hams using those frequencies we are trying to protect...

NN2X / Tom

 

Or, you can reread his short post. My interpretation was that he said that in jest. In other words, his meaning of "expose" may be a tad bit different than your interpretation. Just a thought. 73 de NK9Y

 

when folks think of ham radio "oh those guys that wipe out my tv & radio"

 

Here in America, I've also seen a lot of people using libraries as meeting space (a lot of radio clubs meet in library meeting rooms), a place where kids go to study for exams, a place where people without lots of money can go and get out of the house without spending anything, a place where kids from less-than-loving homes go to get away from the mess, and a place where older people who have no desire to own a computer but find themselves in need of one a few times a year can go and use a computer for free. It's also a place where you can just go and relax in a pin-drop quiet place where nobody will bother you. Not to mention a lot of libraries have expanded their collections to non-book items, like 3d printers, fishing poles, Kill-A-Watt electricity meters, metal detectors, and even specialty cookware that somebody would only have occasion to use once or twice a year.

Given how little our libraries are funded here in the US of A, I'd say that the average yearly cost to the individual taxpayer is the cost of an average pint. I'll also say that the libraries of America are doing a pretty damn fine job for how little they get. Imagine what they could do if they were properly funded!

 

In the 1970s perhaps. Nowadays they think "people still do radio stuff?"

 

Something for the MORSE CODE gang. CwCom ( CW Communicator ) and SUPERALDIS3 are free downloads that could be used in Libraries, Senior Centers, Schools that don't want or can't afford a radio station. Both will send Morse Code over the internet. They can also be used for off line single sending practice. Computer to Computer code, and if you get messed up on CwCom you can type in the message you are trying to send. Spend a little time with it and find out. SUPERALDIS3 is a little tougher to figure out because of the lack of help files but if you play in the terminal mode you can get it to work over the internet. If you work with it by yourself get an audio recorder, digital or the old tape ones. You can speak what is being sent into the recorder and not have to try to write it down while looking for the next letter or word. How many of you have been able to go to someplace like these and send or practice Morse Code ?

 

Oh........where to even begin with this.......

I personally do not know a single person who has been to the library in the last 20 years or longer. Not one. I'm 41, but I work with a ton of people in their early 20s. They would look at me like I had 3 arms if I talked about the public library. I don't care what the Gallup polls say, or the survey that was put out by the Library Institute (no skewed results there, I'm sure). Ask around and see how many young folks actually go to the library.

I think KJ4VTH hit it on the head. I don't think it's any lack of exposure. It's that radios are just not needed anymore in the day of cell phones and the internet. We could have all the exposure in the world, I just don't think we're going to see the interest that used to exist. The only thing setting up in a library is going to do is get people to ask the question, "People still do radio stuff?"

We have a bunch of old people trying to figure out why younger people aren't interested in amateur radio. There's nothing to figure out. Just ask them. If they want to talk around the world, they get on Skype. If they want to talk to family locally, they use a cell phone. I don't know what it's going to take to get people interested, but the odds are certainly stacked against us.

 

Hi Brian,

I’ve been a professional survey researcher for several decades and have heard comments like yours—-survey says X but one persons I don’t believe X because I have never observed X—-but that’s just proves the point that a systematic survey is needed! Your QRZ profile says you work for the FAA. Do you believe the FAA survey results? (See https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/aero_data/survey_data/). I’ve never known a flight controller who committed suicide but I do believe the survey results that give estimates of the number who have. Gallup is one of the world’s leading professional survey organizations, conducting many surveys for agencies like your employer, the FAA. I’ve hired them to collect data for me in years past. They are a top flight survey organization.

Your location is reported on QRZ as Lancaster CA, a suburb of Los Angeles. The Institute for Museum and Library Services is also a government agency (imls.gov), like the FAA. In the LA County Library System, there is a served population of 3.3 million in the county library system which serves the branch library in Lancaster (the county has 10 million residents but LA has a separate city library system). There are 2.8 million registered users of the LA County Library System with 9.7 million visits in 2017! Yet, you personally do not know any one of them. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist or, perhaps, you do but are just not aware that they visit the library. I’m going to guess that that’s why your employer, the FAA, has a survey division and does not rely on the (limited) personal experiences or impressions of management. I do not think that the FAA’s survey division intentionally “skews” their survey data just like I do not think that IMLS does. Both use fully disclosed survey methods and, often, release the data themselves. In my blog post, I actually analyzed the raw data from the IMLS on public libraries.

Brian, I’m not responding to bash you or engage in just another diatribe on QRZ. You specifically mentioned one of my posts and questioned the validity of the data. I think the nature of your criticism is all too familiar. Many of us hams use our “personal windshields” as our sole means to observe things and don’t believe systematic evidence contrary to what we personally observe. But most of us can’t just look at a dipole antenna and tell if it’s resonant for a specific frequency. We have to take measurements. That’s what the IMLS (and the FAA, among thousands of other organizations) does in their survey program.

I don’t expect you to change your view because of this post. But you suggested that we should “just ask” young people about their interests. I did as part of my trying to learn: see Episode 319 of the ICQ Podcast (https://www.icqpodcast.com/download...ode-319-launching-the-illinois-young-ham-club) and a blog post on his statement (http://k4fmh.com/2020/03/03/attracting-youth-to-ham-radio-get-out-of-their-way/). Graham Brody says he learned about ham radio on YouTube.

Thank you for what you do toward keeping our skies safer.

73,

Frank
K4FMH

 

Frank,
I appreciate your engagement in this discussion. All my article was attempting to do is to show that if you form a relationship with your library, they may be open to trying new things. We regularly conduct our VE sessions there (except for the Covid 19 shutdown), and have held "Learn to Solder" classes there and even Introduction to Ham Radio classes. Once they saw we were well-intentioned, they were very receptive to having us establish a working ham station. We have been very pleased by the initial responses and know that by having someone there to explain all things ham radio, we are performing a public service and reaching out to an untapped audience. Having trained one of their staff to get their FCC license has further cemented the relationship. I have enjoyed the diverse viewpoints in these replies so far. Obviously, we have touched a nerve that needed touching. I admire what you do for the community.

 

Hi,

The FAA survey you cited is the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). It has absolutely nothing to do with an actual survey with questions and answers. As far as actual surveys, like Gallup, no, I do not believe them. We saw what happened in 2016 with the world's leading professional survey organization. The IMLS...if libraries were private entities, I would be WAY more inclined to believe their findings. However, since libraries are funded by the public, with our tax dollars, I personally believe they have a great interest in inflating the numbers and making it look as though library usership is high. After all, that can very likely have a direct impact on the funding they receive. When I've driven by the Lancaster Library and Palmdale library (which is at least twice a week), there's nobody there. The parking lot is pretty much empty. Since there really aren't houses around, people didn't walk there. I don't know how else to explain the empty parking lot. So my "survey" through personal observation is that nobody is there. Like I mentioned, I don't know a single person who uses the library. Of course it doesn't mean they don't exist. It's like UFOs and aliens. Anything is possible. I just haven't seen it...just like library users. I personally haven't been myself since I was 14 and doing a project in high school. I could have done the project without going to the library, but the teacher forced us to go. And if the visitorship is actually what those numbers say, it's probably a bunch of old folks visiting the library, not the younger demographic.

And what did the young people say? Did a single one say it would be a good idea to put a ham radio exhibit in the public library? I doubt it. The young man on the podcast did some searching on Youtube.......the internet. He didn't go to the library. He didn't do research in books. He used the internet. Everything he mentioned was web-based. In fact, the only person to even mention the library was the older gentleman conducting the interview. And this is my point. Ask a young person how they got interested in [insert your favorite hobby here] and I can pretty much guarantee you that 100% of them would not mention the public library. 100%.

Again, we have a bunch of older people who are set in their old person ways. For us (I'm not exactly a Spring chicken anymore, LOL), the answer might be the public library, because that was one of the major resources we had growing up. But that isn't true any longer. The general demographic here on QRZ might agree with the concept and think it's the greatest idea since sliced bread. But that's because the general demographic is a bunch of old people. Again, I include myself in that demographic. Heck, somebody in this thread even brought up online CW courses. CW is dead. You start using CW to get the younger crowd interested in ham radio, you can forget it right there. It's a non-starter.

I don't know what the answer is, but I know what the answer isn't. Almost everyone I have seen lately who has gotten their ham licenses falls into two categories:

1. People involved in public safety...namely CERT.
2. Off-roaders who previously used FRS/GMRS/MURS but want access to repeaters, more "private" frequencies, and higher power radios, especially on VHF, which works better for off-roading.

The average age is probably 50. A nice thing about #1 is that it is also attracting a lot of females into our hobby, greater than I've ever seen before. At the VE sessions, I'd say 35-40% of the people taking tests are women. So #1 has helped us a lot in that regard. But no young folks.

So what it is going to take to get young folks involved? I honestly don't know. Before going to work for the FAA, I was a teacher for almost a decade. Part of that time was spent at a magnet high school that concentrated heavily on the sciences and technology. We had a club and station and a lot of interest. But those people are close to being my age now, and it was a time where cell phones were just being introduced. They weren't prevalent, but they were out there. Same goes for college. I was an officer in our college club. We used ham radio everywhere, including our high-level club repeater, because cell phones were still the old bricks where you got 20 minutes a month. We would set up a small HF station in the quad during the day, or during the club drives, and such. Some people thought we were crazy, but others took great interest and thought it was very fascinating. We got a lot of people interested in ham radio that way, and hosting our own VE sessions right on campus really helped. But again, that was a different generation...the generation before cell phones and the internet being what it is today.

 

I don't know about the library twist personally. In my range of travels, they all seem to have empty parking lots, from what can be seen driving by. And am particularly referring to the "pre-covid" era, in case one wishes to bring that aspect up.

However, when a prospective new ham sees my truck, with no less than 8 ham antennas on it. And this would be the pre winter, tree strike appearance. Am confronted with a plethora of questions most every time the truck parks somewhere, or it stops at a job site. Then, a year, or so later, they confront me again. Guess what? They too have a license now! The new comments are on the order of: "When I told my girlfriend, or wife, I want my truck to look just like that one." The reported response is usually, and sometimes complete with an eye roll: "Go for it." And many do.

During the initial contact with an interested person, they are invited to look at the station setup in the cab. They always look at the micro switches wired back to back, and mounted on the console. "Is that your Jake brake, or a transmission split er?" Response. "No, actually that is for sending Morse code." Then the rig turns on to 20, or 40 cw. It is always fun to watch their eyes light up to the sound of the cw music.

This is what works for me. Since I live deep in a rural setting, on a desolate gravel road, not many are going to see the towers around the house, and drive up for a Q&A.

 

Just an add on for the CwCom and SUPERALDIS3 . I know most places and organizations have either dropped or are dropping the Morse Code. If you have Scouts or Emergency personnel or any other group learning the code, these software packages can be used for NON-LICENSED people to learn how to send and receive in small groups or one to one. If you are teaching the code to a couple of scouts you can go to a channel on CwCom and practice sending code between a couple of computers to let the kids get practice time in when you get done at the regular meeting place. It's not a teaching tool for the code itself but something to be able to USE it as the kids or adults LEARN the code. How many of you that took code lessons memorised the code tapes or other means that were used to teach. This helps keep it from getting boring and works to get some rhythm for sending with out having to get on the air. IT ALSO WORKS IN SCHOOLS. My only hang up with using CwCom myself and the reason I don't get on it more is the lack of a spell checker. I'm horrible at spelling. I've been told not to worry about it but I do. They're very underused programs but worth looking into.

 

What do we hams do serve donuts and coffee?

 

As a ham who has only been licensed a year its always good to be lumped into the 50 year old male we don't need category! It is also way to easy to just point and say some old ham is the problem! How much courtesy and friendliness do you see on the American roadway but for some strange reason kids all want their drivers license? Road rage, honking, getting cut off on purpose in retaliation and situations that could lead to actual physical harm but a mysterious mean guy on the radio drives them all away? Have you been on Xbox live! I was for about an hour and it was nothing but trash talk, threats, name calling and distasteful comments about your mom but has continued to explode in popularity and subscriptions with 14 to 25 year olds yet some old ham is running kids off! This library project is great. Try to get amateur radio out to people and hope they become involved. Go to an astronomy club or an RC plane club and who do you see? usually all old people who are the club members and you will also see lots of kids and their parents coming to see the stars or fly a plane but they are not regular members. They might be later on in life but not now. The average American family spends 37 minutes of quality time together per day!! 54 percent of couples get less than one date night per month! His and Her work schedules, kids crazy school schedules and extra curricular activities, homework and the weekend spent catching up laundry, grocery store, cleaning. The average family takes 7 days a year on vacation. IF they can even afford one because we got the American family working like a 3 legged sled dog to make ends meet! We are fighting our society not a few crotchety old guys! A kid will have a very hard time getting into ham on their own, they need the local club at school or the club in his town or the family pretty much has to take up the hobby and how much time do they have? Oh and lets not forget that there are billion dollar industries fighting for the few bucks of disposable income they do have! So plant the seeds and hope they grow but just remember it may be awhile before they finally get a chance to come back because life happens.