MEANINGFUL ENTRY-LEVEL LICENSE PRIVILEGES

Rene,

Well, I believe we are more in "violent agreement" on this issue than you may think.  

I agree that it does appear the "work ethic" (or lack thereof) has significantly changed in the population as a whole. But, so has the idea of a "hobby" that one pursues in one's liesure time.  

My 13 year old daughter informs me that a "hobby" these days is supposed to be something one does for "fun"...not work.  That fundamental shift in mindset may, in turn, be giving rise to some of the scorn the younger set is now getting from those of us who still believe there should be some time and effort....some "work"....involved in order to "enhance the enjoyment" of the hobby.

However, right now, my daughter also spends an inordinate amount of her spare time rushing from one scheduled activity to the next.  It seems the pace of her life (both in and out of the classroom) has now kicked up significantly since I was in school.  

As a result, she's also now informed me that she's certainly NOT about to "waste" what precious little spare time she DOES have going through a formal licensing program for Ham Radio just so she can talk to a bunch of us old, retired, (not to mention "geeky") geezers!

73,

Keith
VA3KSF / KB1SF

 

But is it true?

Check out:

http://www.speroni.com/FCC/New.html

If my math is correct, FCC has issued 21,788 *new* licenses in the past 12 months. Upgrades and renewals do not count as new licenses in this tabulation (an upgrade is actually a "modification" to FCC.

How many newcomers did we get in the 1965-1970 time period? Back then there were only about 250,000 US hams, so 20,000 per year would have made for pretty fast growth. But there was very little growth in US numbers of hams in the 1960s.

My request for "hard data" comes from the fact that our
perceptions may not be the reality.

Most young people I knew in the 1960s weren't that interested in "radio for its own sake" either. We had TV
and telephones and music systems.

What we didn't have were PCs and all the doodads that go with them.

Depends on how it is presented. I still remember seeing Apollo 8 send us live TV of the Earth from lunar orbit in 1968. Seven months later we saw the lunar landing live on TV. What "DX" could compete with that?
Yet we got new hams.

That *is* a big problem - and one we can reverse.

One of the big attractions in the old days was
that the mags and books were full of projects
that just screamed "BUILD THIS RADIO!!!" at
the hands-on folks. They were not articles for
gadgets or accessories but actual RADIOS you
could really build without a lab full of tools. And
with which you could listen to the world. That sort
of thing still exists in the form of kits but it's been
pushed to the background instead of to the forefront.

Remember when ARRL published books like "How To Become a Radio Amateur" and "Understanding Amateur Radio", which cost a dollar or two yet contained lots of info and projects that hooked you right in? That's
one thing that's needed today.

If you say it's work, people will see it that way.

If you say it's fun, you have a chance.

And when I was in high school, we had 1 ham per 400+ students.

No, they've got the right approach. The "magic" isn't there for many people - in fact, it never was. The trick is
to find those for whom the "magic" is there.

The biggest difference I see today compared to years ago is that more and more people have no idea ham radio even exists, or have an extremely distorted view of what it is. Too many think it's the same thing as cb, or something that nobody does anymore.

When's the last time you saw a TV show or movie that
presented ham radio as a current thing, and in a positive
light?

73 de Jim, N2EY

 

N2EY,
Based on your recent reply  to my most
recent posting about why we, (the amateur community)  
cannot attract young people nowadays,--I am almost
certain you must either work for the ARRL, or have
"vested interests" in the organization in Newington.
WE obviously do NOT agree, and may never on this
subject,--so as KB1SF would say it is probably "moot"
at this point to discuss this any more.
                         73, K1MVP

 

to Bill,--KD4MXE
Just shipped this afternoon,--the transformer and manual
for the HP-23, you want to "duplicate".
Good luck, es if you have any questions, feel free to
e-mail me.
73, Rene, K1MVP

 

k1mvp- ok sir good deal , as soon as it gets here I will get Back to you thanks you have Been a Big help , if I can ever help you I will do my Best , 73 and thanks again, Bill

 

kd5zek- --------------

 

Well, you're completely mistaken about that.

I've never worked for ARRL. I was an ORS way back about 30 years ago, and I'm a member now, but that's about it.

I think that we *can* attract more young people. And older people, middle aged people, etc.

I was one of those young hams way back in the '60s. I
also deal with young people every day, now in 2005.

One thing that was true then and now is that ham radio
isn't something that most young people - or most people - are going to be interested in, then or now. But we don't
need "most people", just those who really are interested.

Fair enough. But I for one am not going to give up.

73 de Jim, N2EY

 

I am a brand new technician level amateur operator with over 25 years of experience in military and commercial radio, I have had both my General and Restricted Radiotelephone Operators licenses for over 15 years and I built my first crystal radio 30 years ago.  

Morse code is obsolete, I have no problem with small segments of the frequency spectrum being used for code only but the Amateur Extra's on here insulting people just because they are 'only' Technicians makes you sound like a bunch of drooling idiots.  

Also don't assume that just because someone is 'only' a technician that they don't know how to use a radio, I can troubleshoot, diagnose, and repair a radio down to the component level, can you?

If you treat people on the radio like your comments here I can see why many people would not want to be amateur radio operators.

 

Jim,
Well,we DO agree on the fact that ham radio will not
attract the youth in today`s world,--from what
I have read,--the ARRL seems to believe we STILL can,
and with that I totally disagree with.

As far as "giving up?,--I am not one to usually "give up"
also,--BUT at this point, I think the discussion has
"run its course".

I also believe the FCC will do what it darn well pleases
in spite of what the ARRL or many of us want, even
with the solicited "comments from the public".
Just my opinion,--but as KB1SF has often said,"time
will tell.
                              73, K1MVP

P.S, I also believe the FCC will do what it wants with
     regards to "bandplans", but that is another subject,
     as I am sure you have seen in other forums.
     As I have mentioned before in some of my previous
     posts,--I am beginning to think, with all these
     "issues" before the FCC,--we are just becoming
     a "thorn" or "liability", and NOT an asset in the
     eyes of the FCC(IMO)-I could be wrong but again,
     "time will tell".

 

Hey Jim, Keith,
Here we go again,--we have come "full circle" again,
"morse is obsolete",--I`ll let you guys respond to this
one.
                         73, K1MVP

P.S.,-- am beginning to think ham radio is "obsolete",
                        "cheers"      

 

Well, first of all, Todd, welcome to Amateur Radio!  I’m very glad you have decided to join us.

Second, please accept my apologies for the sometimes boorish behavior now being shown by some of my fellow Hams.  As you may have guessed, the issues being discussed here are very emotional, and the proponents of this or that particular approach to licensing and testing are often speaking based on their many years (often decades) of deeply held tradition and beliefs.  However, that fact still does not justify launching verbal attacks at someone just because their beliefs may be quite different than those you (or I) may hold.

Third, I learned long ago that people aren’t “just” an “anything”.  Each of us brings our own unique perspective and experiences from the world to these discussions and, therefore, each of us always has something uniquely different (not to mention valuable) to share.  

For me, nowhere was this concept more apparent than during my time as the President of AMSAT-NA (the Ham Radio Satellite folks) back in the late 1990s.  Our ranks (then as now) were as diverse as the day is long.  Our “experimenters” (as I called them) brought some of the best and brightest minds in Amateur Radio (or anywhere else) to our group.  I was continually amazed at just how blessed we were as an organization to have these fantastically educated and broadly experienced people on board with us.  

However, while most of these folks were an absolute whiz with all the high tech “rocket science” involved in building space satellites, by their own admission, getting some of them to coherently compose just some simple words for a Press Release regarding their particular work on the satellite to date sometimes took them weeks to accomplish.  In fact, I never DID get that information out of some of them…even after the satellite had been launched!

On the other hand, yours truly often didn’t have a CLUE as to which end of the satellite was "up".  However, as you might have guessed, my particular forte in the organization (and the job I enjoyed most) was in doing all the administrative, media writing and “people” work involved in helping to keep everyone (members, fund-raisers, volunteers, experimenters, office staff and our internal and external media contacts) all "in the loop" and headed in the same direction.

So you see, each of us had a totally different skill set at work.  But, in the grand scheme of things, each activity was no more (or less) important to fulfilling our mission.  Each was absolutely critical to making the whole organization “go”.

Now, with that all said, you have stated in your post that “Morse is obsolete”.  To which I must then ask you, “As compared to what?”  If you mean that Morse is obsolete as a mainstream, high-speed means of communication that is able to handle large volumes of commercially based message traffic quickly, then I would very much agree with you.

However, if you believe Morse is obsolete in the sense that it has long outlived its usefulness as a unique, elegantly simple, and relaxing form of communication among Ham Radio Operators, then I would argue that Morse is no more obsolete than are sailboats to a recreational sailor, or a fishing pole is to a weekend angler.  I also contend that Morse will most certainly be with us as a wonderfully unique form of communication (but just one of MANY ways modern Hams communicate with each other) for many decades to come.

In fact, personally, Morse is my preferred mode when I’m operating on the HF bands.  I like to work HF DX (long distance communication).  However, I’ve only been in one place over the years where I was able to put up a decent antenna to “work the weak ones”.  However, during my first days as a Ham many years ago, I discovered that with my “peanut whistle” CW signal (and a good ear) I could work almost anyone I heard.

However, if you go back and look at my now (yikes!) SEVERAL posts on this thread, I think you’ll find my own particular “beef” with Morse is in the FCC’s continuing need to test us for Morse PROFICIENCY on their exams.  In addition, I have a strong disagreement with the way some people view Morse proficiency as a “rite of passage” to some “inner sanctum” of the hobby (or as a filter to keep the “riff raff” (spelled “newcomers” or the “CB crowd)) out.  Over the years, I have found proficiency in Morse actually accomplishes none of these.  Maybe that’s because all a test for Morse proficiency measures is one’s proficiency in Morse.  

However, and as I’m sure you’ve already seen, there are many folks (both here and elsewhere) who will passionately argue that I’m very much “out to lunch” on these and similar issues.  And, that’s perfectly OK with me.  For, such disagreement is simply one more indicator of the wonderful diversity of our hobby.

Anyway, once again, Todd….Welcome Aboard!

73,

Keith
VA3KSF / KB1SF

P.S.  I see you list your home QTH as Tipp City, OH.  I was first licensed (WD8CMU) and spent 10 years of a 20-year USAF career stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB.  Might we have crossed paths there at some point?

 

Keith

Perhaps I used a poor choice of words, what I meant by obsolete is that you can now purchase computer software and/or other hardware to both encode and decode morse code.  I know someone will say what do you do if your coder/decoder is broken, to that I say what do you do if your radio is broken.  How many hams out there can actually repair their radio?

I grew up in Beavercreek, did nine years active duty in the Marines all over the world and then 3 years in the Air Force Reserve (Grissom AFB).

 

Hello again, Todd.

Well, yes, certainly few Hams these days repair their modern radios.  However, there are still a lot of Hams around who love to build some of their own equipment (like HF amplifiers) or to work on (restore) older equipment.

Also, if you grew up in Beavercreek, then you are probably familiar with Beavercreek Township.  I lived out there on Fairgrounds Road (between Trebein and Hilltop Road) for about 10 years just before I moved here to Canada in 2001.

73,

Keith
VA3KSF / KB1SF

 

Keith

When I was growing up there was only Beavercreek Township, I don't remember exactly when part of the township incorporated (sometime in the 80s) but I know exactly where you are talking about, I lived near Kemp and N. Fairfield for about 10 years then moved over by the High School until the late 70s. My parents and my wifes parents still live in Beavercreek.