What's Killing Ham Radio?

Here is my spin on what's killing the hobby.

 

By what metric, what measurement, is the assessment made that something is killing ham radio? The premise that ham radio is being killed begs a definition of context. Are we talking globally? Are we talking by jurisdiction (like the USA versus Japan or Italy, for example)?

 

This rant is complete and utter nonsense. I've been licensed since '98 and ham radio is more polite than ever. If you think the old-timers administer a verbal spanking these days for being a clumsy bonehead on HF, you should've heard it 25 years ago. I didn't cry and bellyache about it as a new ham, I kept a stiff upper lip and learned from it like a man. Eventually, a lot of of those crotchety old cusses warmed up to me and I got to know them. Most were really good people; grumpy, irritable, smart, lovable guys.

Also, amateur radio is not dying. There are more licensed and active ham radio operators right now than at any time in its history. I think the problem might be an entire generation of pampered young people entering amateur radio who have a trophy case full of participant ribbons and a lot of unreasonable, selfish expectations. Oh ya know, the kind of self-centered young people who –– for example –– might think it's a good idea to start a YouTube channel about ham radio as a General Class operator with less than a year of experience.

Skywarn and ARES are very healthy where I live, as is the local VHF/UHF activity. Ever wondered if maybe it's you? One of the tricks as a ham participating in these organizations is in knowing when/where you're needed and when/where you aren't, rather than constantly badgering local authorities to be superfluously included at any and every drop of the hat. We should never attempt to create false need for our assistance, but rather, we should be ready to respond professionally and humbly to *real* need.

Ham radio should be, above all, enjoyable. If the Amateur Radio Service is causing you distress or anguish, you should probably do something else with your time. In the meantime, stop dumping your dissatisfaction on everyone else. We're having a good time and being effective where we can, rather than demanding the hobby conform to our perfect ideal of what it should be.

 

"QRZed; The hub of amateur radio's demise!"
-me, circa 2010.


Comment: AR is not dying. Even if licensees dropped by half it wouldn't be dying. It was a great hobby when there were 50k and 25k hams, and will still be a great hobby if our numbers reach those levels again. [Licensed since 1980.]

 

metric was observation though my first year licensed.

 

Thank you for your input by no means did I say it was dying. Instead pointing out things, in my opinion, that do prohibit the growth of the hobby. Thanks for responding though.

 

I find this part funny "Oh ya know, the kind of self-centered young people who –– for example –– might think it's a good idea to start a YouTube channel about ham radio as a General Class operator with less than a year of experience." Have you ever thought of the reasons starting the YouTube channel were not about the growth of the channel but to document the growth of the individual? Probably not, because of your reaction I have a feeling that you may be one of the people that got called out in this video. Thank you for watching though. Have a great day.

 

Repeaters, I think I understood?
By my metrics, that's not even part of A-R.
I am licensed for much less time than you, so less able to judge, but one single year, only trying repeaters, that would be foolish.

Oliver

 

I don't do videos. But. The only thing that is killing ham radio are people who think that something is killing ham radio. Except they are not actually killing ham radio, because they don't have the capacity to do that.

I have been licensed since 1963 and the hobby is just as alive today as it was then. Different in some ways, and even better in some ways.

 

I made reference to HF also in the video. Maybe watch the whole thing? Thanks for Watching.

 

I have heard that as well, and I my no means meant the hobby is dying, in fact i think its more alive now than even a year ago, but we do have things to improve on and that was the point of the video to point some of those things out.

 

I'd like to make some statements.

0. Amateur radio is not dying.
1. Number of licensees does not exactly reflect number of ham OPs.
1.1. With distribution of 'social media' including but not limited to internet forums, internet social nets, internet messengers, etc., hamradio lost its 'social net' role.
1.2. With loosing noticeable amount of not-really-hams who used amateur radio as social media the number of licensees overall could decline but statistics does not confirm this.
1.3. With loosing noticeable amount of not-really-hams who used amateur radio as social media the percentage of ideological radio amateurs increases so 'quality' of remaining OPs increases.
2. Today the situation is better than ever before. Today one could buy ready made anything. Today one could buy any parts and/or any kits to build something by oneself. Today information is widely available so one could learn for anything first instead of hard way of trial and error.
3. Today is easiest time to get the ticket. Some countries dropped code requirement, some other reduced to 5WPM (and will probably drop it the future) so no more scary code (still one shall voluntary learn code to get access to DXs).

 

I like the colors of your T shirt.

There certainly are, always will be, grumpy old men/women in any hobby/sport/activity. I was a Tech for twelve years before getting my General and found that I didn't care for repeaters. I was a trucker running, mostly, from TX coast to W. Canada and Alaska. I turned off the split freq function on my 706 and just learned to enjoy "head-on" (as I call it) communications with whomever I could reach. Also, I used the 706 while sailing on the Atlantic Ocean so I wouldn't be restricted to standard marine vhf rigs. I thought it to be really fun on ten meters in the middle of the ocean. I would be choked with pileups of hams calling me. I used a 102" whip, with four 1/4 wave radials, on top of my mast which was 49' above the water.

IMHO, and, like others say, "get out of the basement." Go find some form of communications that do whatever it is that you are looking for in AR.

 

Try HF . Put up some antennas . Get the Handbook and the Antenna book . There are people on 24/7 on HF . You are close enough to I 80 to pick up some travelers on simplex 2M . But from the basement an HT is not too good .

 

tl;dw