Fred, AA7BQ, (founder of this site, BTW, thanks for creating this site), CB radio is not dead. It continues to serve a very small group of "skip talkers." A lawless band of folks who think they're sticking it to "the man" when they get on. It's some kind of self-serving ego thing and as long as they're not interfering with their neighbors' TV/Radio, nobody cares. Nobody has cared in decades. I've always had a CB since the early 70's. Back then, as a very young teenager, I would stand by it, waiting for my father to get within range and call me as he was making his weekly trip back home. Very disappointing distance using 4 watts AM base to 4 watts AM mobile. It was at this time I was learning 5 WPM morse code and achieved WN5UAA. Haven't keyed up a CB since then. But I keep one on channel 6 even today. When I hear the "skip talkers", that tells me to start calling CQ on 28.050. Anyway, that's beside my main point. Main point: it's very generous of you to offer a free handheld to anyone who gains their technician class license. It's also very generous of the ARRL to pay the latest FCC fee. However, I believe THIS is the problem in today's society. Not just in amateur radio, but in American society as a whole. To put it bluntly, free stuff = dumba55 bait. What happens to them when the free stuff no longer comes their way? What happens when there's no more free stuff? I believe there is some theoretical percentage of the population who is interested (or will become interested) in amateur radio and there's no point trying to make it more than that. Those who are not currently licensed will become licensed when the time is right for them. Trying to get them licensed before that time is a noble cause, but it may just be wasted effort. And trying to get people licensed who would never have gotten interested in it (other than the fact that the prize is a free handheld) is just a waste of good effort. As for removing barriers to entry, the FCC is in the process of doing just that. I don't know if you noticed it or not, but out of no where the FCC just put out a public notice asking if 14 VECs is enough. We'll probably see at least one more (but no more than 4 or 5 more, they say) VECs added in the next year or so. What's the purpose of this? Well, just look at one of the executive orders just signed on Jan 20 of this year. So, more barriers to entry are getting ready to be removed. Just look at the trend. Look at what it took to get a ham license in the 30's/40's. Then look at what it took to get a ham license in the 60's/70's. And look at today. It hardly qualifies as a real achievement any more... as it stands today. I've been welcoming new hams for that past 10 years or so and every single one couldn't care less about old technology. We live in a new world today. No reason to learn where we came from anymore because next year it'll be different anyway. That's the world we live in today. Change is happening every where as fast as society can accept it. And some people can accept change faster than others. As I've already stated in another thread, amateur radio today is just another wireless interface to connect to your computer. In the 70's, my CB license was KCN6537. Then the FCC realized and asked the question, "Why bother?" Do we have more CB ops today? If we gave away ham licenses today, would the numbers increase today? Maybe a little in the near term. Then there'd be a small blip in new radio sales, maybe. Last assignment I had in the Air Force, I had four electrical engineers working for me. None of them had ham licenses. I was shocked! "You guys are electrical engineers and none of you are hams?" All of them had heard about amateur radio in their life times. I told them, you could look at some frequencies where you're allowed to operated for 5 minutes and then pass the Technician class license test today. All of them said, "Why?" They were mostly computer guys and audio guys. They didn't care about RF. My best guess on how to see if there's a spark in someone to get a ham license? Bring them to your home station and show them FT8. If that doesn't do it, give up. Listening to voice anywhere won't do it these days. All the voice I hear is exclusive. The (almost) anonymity of FT8 (which *looks* very much like twitter) is the most inclusive these days.
Fred's plan to play the numbers is all about more money. If we "play the numbers" hopefully there will be more paid subscribers to QRZ! Here's an idea...along with your free HT, give them also a free Premium Subscription Package to QRZ?
Nathan - I did the same started out with the CB walkie talkies!!! Glad you made the trip too... NJ4Z.
I think the key is Digital Modes. And I am not referring to FT8 exclusively. Contesting, Ragchewing, Local Nets, Regional Nets, National Nets, EMCOMM can all be readily accommodated using digital modes. PSK, Olivia, Thor, MSK etc etc etc. These modes enable the modern ham to over come the HOA restrictions and high noise levels and still actively participate in all facets of the hobby. It can be done inexpensively and effectively. If the OT's sincerely want to make a go at attracting new members and younger generations, then I believe that embracing the digital modes is the best path forward. FLDIGI.....GOOGLE IT
I certainly hope not... It is up to us to make sure when we become SK's that there are 3 or 4 operators to take our place.
With the number of young folks I see getting licensed around here I doubt we're on the last generation...
Some see the writing on the wall and as I see the collapse of the internet at some point in the future. Many ways this could happen but when it does radio may be the only way for many to be informed. At least for a while.
Yup, that's how I got started too... I was amazed that I could hear someone from a far away place coming in over my little Walkie Talkie. I thought it was cool and wanted to talk to them. I couldn't back then, but NOW I can. Dan WQ4G
When I was a kid practically everyone had at least one cheap CB talkie. It was "exciting." Quin, K8QS Subscribe to "Ham Radio Perspectives" YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3MJT8o8-XMxF8XROf7Q5GA/videos
I think it's CRUCIALLY important that every club has a functioning radio station...especially since so many new hams have highly restrictive station. Also, so many new hams operate in a vacuum...they have no real idea how radio is supposed to behave. Having an actual available station removes a lot of the mystery and misunderstanding.
What about insurrectionists? What about their intentions? I say this because the local club here has been giving training in the use of Radios to a militia group, who's flags were seen flying high above one of the groups that attacked the capital... Should we be training militia groups and inviting insurrectionists in just to increase the numbers? I respectfully disagree. Hook up a CB radio and turn it to channel 28 when the skip is running. You'll hear about a million CB'ers all trying to talk over each other. CB is not completely dead. There are quite a few of them in my area, many running Ham rigs and Ham amplifiers. And, the one's not using Amateur gear have illegal import radios and big amplifiers. As someone previously posted, these people seem to take pride in 'sticking it to the man.' Many of them have absolutely NO regard for the rules and as far as I can tell, see themselves as 'outlaws.' They profess to be 'law and order' people, but they are the farthest thing from it. These are NOT the people we need on the Ham Bands. Now, I WILL say that they are not ALL bad. There are a few CB ops who take pride in their stations, try to at least operate a clean station, and try to be respectable. There is a local group who, every morning at 8:00 AM, hold an informal net where they all 'check in.' They never discuss anything - just check in. And, there are even some who try to repair, maintain, and home brew their own equipment. These people MIGHT make good Amateur Radio Operators. Yes, there are some CB'ers who might make good Amateurs. But, there are a whole lot more of them that curse OTA, splatter into other bands, maliciously interfere with each other, openly discuss politics OTA, degrade women, express racism openly, they engage in sedition, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc. I even heard one of them threaten to rape another op's 9 year old daughter - I heard him say that openly OTA. It was repulsive and disgusting... If there was a way to separate the good ones from the bad ones, well then it might be okay. Otherwise, these are not the people we want to invite into our ranks.... At least not all of them. Character (quality) does matter, especially in light of the fact that we are 'de facto ambassadors' to the world. Respectfully, Dan WQ4G
In about 1963 my folks gave me set of cheapo one frequency walkie talkie radios. They were great to play with and talk to my buddies when we were exploring. I got an idea in my head that perhaps they would work better with a wire antenna attached. So, I went into my dad's stash of materials. I found a few wooden stakes about 18 inches long and a ball of wire he had wound up. Next, while he was at work, I got on the roof and placed a stake at each gable end of the roof and then strung the wire, every bit of it, to the stakes, down the side of the house and into the window of my room. I hooked one of the talkies to the end and Boy were there more signals heard. Most of the time it was like a pile-up of today but once in a while I got to talk to another human! I was given a small kit for a crystal radio. It had the galena crystal and the required hardware. I remember winding the coil on a toilet paper roller. I spent hours finding the sweet spot on the crystal and tuning with the coil and the tuning lever. It was difficult though using the old one ear surplus headset I had found at Yellow Front... But IT WAS FUN! My folks gave me a clock radio for Christmas. I liked tuning around and listening to distance stations like KOMA, WGN, KNA and others. I got the great idea of attaching my "antenna" to the radio and seeing what it would do. I heard many other stations and they were louder! Yep! It was exciting and the next two years of high school I took electronics. Unfortunately a desire for the radios in kit form I saw in class were not to be then or for quiet some time... We can always hope to find someone that had similiar experiences and introduce them to today's tech...
