Does Ham Radio Need to Rebrand?

Owning radios doesn't make you part of the "radio community", owning guns doesn't make you part of any "firearms community", owning a guitar doesn't make you part of a "guitar playing community". There is no "us", there is no "we", and no self appointed "leader" gets to "speak for us" and take away our rights.

More 1984 newspeak, more political machinations. The whole "let's start throwing them into wood chippers" sounds a little better every day.

 

How bad is the "apocalypse" for ham radio anyway? 70 years ago it was, what, 160,000 amateurs? Where they wailing and gnashing their teeth at the coming of the darkness and the end of the hobby because of low numbers?

If Ham numbers drop, does that mean Ham will evaporate into thin air? No? Oh. Strange. Seems like, contrary to histrionic modern attitudes and the cancer to society that is modern marketing, decline does not mean death.

Yes, things can go into natural healthy declines without dying. No, you don't need growth to sustain. Not everything in life is a Ponzi-esque system that needs eternal growth to keep from imploding.

Does Ham radio need to be saved? And from what?

Do we want to attract endless amounts of people who have fleeting or no real interest and won't participate beyond getting a license? Do you want to pump up membership with hollow numbers of non participants, or worse, bad participants? Are we trying to keep the service strong, or pump up numbers, or just more dues paying ARRL members?

CB brought in a lot of people of the older generation back in the day, and yes there will be decline in the service as they die off. Yes, kids today stay in their safe spaces and don't do hobbies seriously because their parents stuck them in rooms with smart phones and told them not to do anything because they preferred a zombie existence of non activity to having them do things on their own int he big scary world. Yes, there are more threats from other things that want bandwith.

But none of the "let's go market to the kids" has ever actually come up with ONE idea to solve the "problem", and they all seem to not understand that there isn't a problem to begin with.

"OH no! The service will go back to dedicated techies and radio enthusiasts and go slightly down in numbers! It is the end of world!"

 

People new to the hobby quite likely grew up with text messages, e-mail, and internet chat forums. Packet radio, FT8, and many other digital modes would seem quite natural to them. Those that want to pick up a microphone and talk to people have that option. The problem with phone modes is bandwidth, and that takes more power, more antenna, or something more than FT8 in many situations. Depending on the situation this more may not be available.

I don't know what people new to the hobby expect from Amateur radio. I'm quite certain that we can't make a blanket statement that they won't like FT8.

 

Most young people can't carry on a conversation with another person unless a screen is involved.

 

How about no phone be feed no contract no prolbem. It's better than 5G!

 

If cost is the problem for a group like the ARRL and RSGB then maybe they can pair up with a radio manufacturer or (are you sitting down? prepare yourself for the shock) a Part 95 organization.

They already have ..... have you seen all the advertising in QST..... that what keep them alive, but it is not as rosy at all. Now once you advertisers own you or the ARRL, they dictated the contents!

Ham radio is was never about providing cheap communication, it could, but then the fat boys cannot brag about size of their antennae and the manufacturers of HAM gear wouldn't make any money! Poor Guys... or marriage of inconvenience!!! @

 

The ARRL advertising in a publication for its members is not going to get them more members. At least not many as I'm sure some of them find their way into the hands of non-members by way of family, friends, and being forgotten and found.

I'm talking about the ARRL teaming up with someone to buy advertising in places where the general public will see it. Things like broadcast TV and radio, newspapers, billboards, etc. The ARRL buying advertising in a magazine they publish is not going to be effective. Selling space in their publications to Part 95 manufacturers and clubs is just a way to grow Part 95. Maybe more licensed Amateurs intermingling with the Part 95 people will get those people interesting in Part 97, but that's going a long way around for getting members, and not likely to be nearly as effective as direct advertising.

As for the Part 95 people "dictating the contents" I have to wonder what that means. How would this change the content? Would it make QST more attractive as a publication to Part 95 users? What kind of content do they seek that the ARRL would print? Okay, so they advertise some CB, MURS, and FRS/GMRS gear. Would QST review these products? Perhaps, and would that be a bad thing? For Amateur radio operators there may be some interest in how they can be adapted to Part 97 use. I have a pair of Part 95 radios that can be programmed for Part 97 use on 2 meters and 70 cm. I could see some Amateurs finding interest in that.

The ARRL has a long history of pairing up with Part 95 groups, so this is nothing new. ARRL/ARES has some agreement with REACT, and both groups invited the other to fests and conventions they ran. Skywarn has partnered with REACT and ARES for some time. What's new in this? Very little by my estimation. Maybe we get a bit more Part 95 adverts in ARRL publications, but how would that change any content outside of the adverts? Then comes another question, is this a bad thing? Additionally, how would this be a bad thing? So what if we see antenna projects for 10 and 12 meters include the numbers for 11 meters? That will add another paragraph to an article. People talking about the joys of low power AM/SSB, but now with 11 meters! Okay, so they dictate the content a little. Sounds like all gain to me. I'm sure some purists will have a heart attack over it. Just hope they paid up on their life membership first.

 

Ham radio is by it's very nature a broad church of multiple interests and any tightly focussed branding exercise is doomed by this very nature. If you want to make the medium relevant focus on the messages that reaches all of these diverse interest groups. In particular make the approach and access as easy (online) as possible and strip away some of the vested interest barriers put in place to defend the turf of the incumbents. 73

 

the amateur radio manufacturing companies would withdraw the advertising dollars if they would do that... and a lot of already upset members would abandon the sinking ship! There is no money in QRP!

 

Indeed, this is a group of varied interests, and that's why I shake my head to any comment along the lines of, "That's not ham radio!" A single focus rebranding will fail to get the varied people Amateur radio needs, so a rebranding will have to recognize this and likely have a multi-prong effort. There will be the emergency communications types, the electronics tinkerers, and so on. I mentioned pairing up with some Part 95 groups for the emergency communications and storm spotting angle. Open source software, the "maker movement", and such are a good pairing for the tinkerers. There's been a long standing crossover with the SWL groups, but I don't know how popular that is any more. There's some crossover with stargazers, experimental rockets, and all types looking up to the stars.

I guess that there's going to have to be a start somewhere, and no matter where that is someone is going to complain.

 

Why would advertisers be upset about the ARRL advertising Part 95 gear alongside Part 97 gear? Aren't the people that make Part 97 gear already making Part 95 gear? As for there being no money in QRP there has to be some place people are getting their 5 watt radios. Then when people get tired of QRP they are going to buy amplifiers.

As for members getting upset then let them get upset. If they are wound up so tight about seeing a CB radio advert in QST then they were already going to leave over something eventually. The gain of new members is going to offset those lost to cancellations and heart attacks.

In short, I'm not seeing it.

 

Yes. How about "Radio Artisan"?

 

I heard that in a George Harrison sing in 1970.

 

Well I got to around 1:46h where the re-branding topic started. First off, and I am not being overly-critical (I hope), but the Podcast is waaaaaayyyyyy too long. That said, is there a need to 're-brand'? Become 'Amateur Wireless' or something like that? I got the impression that they were looking for something where something doesn't exist.