Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

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Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

Jimmy Jonkenri Scott (KD7VDB) on May 1, 2003
View comments about this article!

About a week and a half ago I got my license it was the happiest day of my life; I couldn't wait until I could get on the air…

Some reasons why most people don't want to get into HAM Radio:

1. Once they get motivated enough to ask to take classes they get discouraged by the technical aspect of it. I do think we should still have this aspect though.

2. Some one tells them they have to take Morse code to be a ham. I think we should still have Morse code but it should only be required for 40m and up to operate because that's about the only time you'll want to.

3. They figure out the price of radios. A basic 2m handheld with 5 watts costs about $150+. But there is a way to beat this, bring back Heathkit and all the kit manufacturers and they need to make affordable VHF and UHF kits.

4. Most people these days don't even realize it exists. If somebody hadn't shown me their radios and let me dink with them I would have never joined. Advertise about what you do instead of drugs, let others know about ham radio!

5. Nobody gets the new guys involved. Take someone out to the repeater station with you to work on it. It will mystify their minds about talking all over the world.

Thanks for reading this and I hope that you try to fix these problems.

Member Comments:

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Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N6VHF on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Because the person that showed them Ham Radio in the first place doesn't keep them motivated. Without an Elmer to show them the ropes, their excitement fizzles. Most of these guys don't know what to do, or how to operate and are afraid to ask for fear of ridicule. Someone needs to help the newbies out until they get the hang of operating.

73,
Neil - N6VHF

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WA2JJH on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I have been a HAM for over 25 years. I have taken long breaks from HAM radio, only to return.

IMHO..INTERNET has taken most of the lime light out of HAM radio.

Some one that posted on another thread said"
I was so happy to work japan, only to have my eight year old kid say.... I can do that with AOL."

HAM radio is confused with GMRS/FRS, and 11M.

Many live in a QTH where they cannot put up an antenna. They know any time the buildings cable TV screws up, the ham is the first to blame!

Some just got bored with it.

I used to love to roam around NYC with a dual band h-t.
In NYC nobody cares or is interested.

REILLY at the FCC sends complaint letters to hams that use new types of SSB modulation.

The university I attend is an engineering school.
No ham club. The FM broadcast transmitter is down. I try to offer my skills to get it back on the air,...Nobody cares!forget about starting a HAM radio club at BKLYN POLY TECH, I am the only ham. All the undergrads use the cell phone or FRS.

NEED I SAY MORE!!!!!!

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N8VQJ on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Um, what about Ten Tec? Ten Tec's T-kits are available and you can put them together without owning a scope! Their 2 m Transciever kit even has options typically found in most base level 2 m Mobiles and the base model is 195. an extra 84 bucks gets you a 30 wat amp so you can have 30 wats in the mobile. This is a great idea even for the not so new ham.

To get them interested otherwise, you need to "elmer" them. Have a late night informal discussion net. Before big hamfests/hamvention, if you have a bigger vehicle, offer the other hams in your area (new and old) a ride to the show....your heading that way anyway! When your on the road you can chatter on the repeaters or eyeball contacts in the car! Have Pizza parties and invite not only club members, but non members as well. Let them get to know who they talk to on the repeater and they'll feel better about it. And when they do something stupid, try not to admonish them on the air (and embarass them). Give them a landline and tell them that those stations they heard on the repeater that appeared to not be identifying are actually identifying, but we could not hear that part because it was skip(on our local machine you can always hear a machine 200-300 miles away when the band is open....confuses the hell out of new hams...).

Also, clubs need to me more proactive about organizing things on their machines. I can throw out my call a dozen times on a dozen different machines every morning and noone comes back. Yet sometimes I do this afer someone kerchunks the controller and still noone comes back. Traffic needs to be generated. Organize drive time nets (wheeled, not message traffic). Use the message feature on some repeater controllers to advertise club events. If your part of a vec team, keep track of folks who pass through your testing session and when they get a call issued, send them a piece of traffic.

I actually as of late have been finding more new folks to talk to then old folks. Some of my old friends are not on the repeaters becuase they "only" work HF since upgrading. Come down and slum with the techs! Share ragchews on how you worked Fiji Island or Jordan on a cheap antenna. If the extra's stick to HF, then the techs hear no reason to upgrade! There's nothing wrong with talking on the repeaters to other lower class operators! You Extra's who are DX fiends tend to forget.....we Tech's will not be motivated to join you if you don't talk to us! ;) Also, drop this BS about No-Code Extra's and all. Just becuase you ahd to pass 20 WPM to get your upgrade does not make you a better ham necessarily. All it does is make you an Extra class licensee. One thing I can compare this to....what do you call a student who gets his medical degree with only a c average.....you call them Doctor! That's the same thing here. A Ham who passes the FCC required elements to get a Extra license NOW is a Extra Licensee.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K0AST on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

For lack of a stable QTH at the present, I am and have been on VHF only, even though I have attained my General & am working towards Extra. Licensed now about 1.5 years or so, I came to ham radio because I always wanted to try it. And I am no techie in the least. However, something I experience that is missing from ham radio is more comraderie...

If someone calls monitoring on a VHF repeater, and you can tell they have a newer call sign in your area -- CALL THEM back!

Ham radio needs this more than anything else IMHO. Nothing is more discouraging than to call "mobile & monitoring" to get no response, only to have 3 guys start up 1 minute later when one calls the other. What has anyone got to lose with a quick intro QSO? In fact, many times I add "anyone up for a drivetime QSO?" (as i am on the radio most times while mobile) to my call just to open the windows a bit.

I have enjoyed my time in ham radio, and plan to keep going. But I know there are others out there not quite as gregarious as me who need you all to call them back.

Dan

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N6AJR on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

What I do is when a friend or relative I have got intrested int ham radio passes their tech test I give them a 2 meter HT ( usually a Rat shack htx 202 ) and a 30 watt linear and a 2 meter mag mount antenna.

Now they can get right on and enjoy it and keep the interest up. There is always another ham somewhere. get on the air and talk. if the school doesn't have a club try the local town or nearest city.

Ask on the repeater. or what ever you are on. I work, hf , ssb and psk31 and have a ball. I have friends on 2 meters tell me when they hear some one rare on the hf bands, we help each other, and you can work from flordia to calif on 2 meter /440 with an dual band radio and an arrow antenna with 5 watts.. no excuse not to find some one to talk to.

have fun 73 tom N6AJR

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WA2JJH on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I must AGREE WITH K0AST. 2 Meters has always been a little cliqist. Not a good band to meet new ham friends.
20 years ago calling CQ on 146.52 with my 1.5 watt drake TR-33c was more productive.

Most 2 meter machines have a club. Some give the good old americsn welcome. Some if you are not a member, you are chopped liver!

I have found 440 machines much mre friendly in NYC.

In the old days nobody had PL's. All do know.

Keep trying OM. You did pick the worst band to meet new ham friends.

I am very gregerious my self.
I will be the first to admit that ham unity is down from 20 years ago!

I found he contoversial 14.178 gouup very helpful.

Do not loose the faith. IF YOU HAVE 440MHZ DID THAT A TRY. Many 440 guys left 2M, because of the same social dynamic.

Keep trying

all the best MIKE

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KK5CA on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

In an era when most radios were assembled by hand, and involved considerable point-to-point wiring, Heathkits provided a low cost alternative by having the builder provide the labor for the otherwise expensive hand assembly and wiring. With modern automated production processes, there is little opportunity for cost savings by passing the hand assembly to the purchaser.

Look into the ARRL's new CCE course, "Life Beyond the Repeater."

KK5CA

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by W8OKN on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

The cost of getting on the air is cheap. In the 70s, a new two meter rig was around $350 and that's in 1970 dollars! That would be like $800-900 in today's dollars! Then what about the features. They've gone through the roof!!! So much better now.

I was inactive in 1976 when I was first licensed. It took me awhile to get an antenna up and to get my first rig. Then there was the fear of my first CW transmission. Yes, it was a tough road with all the learning that was needed. But it was also one of the most rewarding! The harder one works to achieve a goal, the greater the reward.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K1MKF on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

In response to no. 3 - VHF mobiles and HTs are cheaper now than they ever have been. They even have hundreds of memories and functions you will never use. A kit would cost more to buy and once you built it it would have less features and perform below the standard of commercial rigs. If you want to complain about HAM radio the price and availability of gear is not the place. There are plenty of used HF gear in the $350 - $500 range. Heck, some of the new stuff starts at $600. Compared to what stuff cost even a few years ago and adjusted for inflation it's never been cheaper to get into HAM radio. In most countries HAMs are only the rich. I've seen HAMs in the USA that probably qualify for government assistance.

MarkF

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N4SNL on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I still like to talk on the old radio but so many have gone to the computer. I don't think it's the cost because you can always find a deal on ham equipment or horse trade. My radio is always on but I always hear the same people in ther all the time and it gets boring after a while. To keep up my interest I go out and buy something for the hobby like a new antenna or mike or even a new radio(new to me). But propagation has a lot to do with it too. And exotic DX or a country you don't have may spark some interest but you have to sit down and listen for a while and be willing to wait your turn in a pile up or just listen for some far off station hoping they will hear you. Right now we are living in Germany and the Europeans are in there constantly wanting to talk to the states and other areas so I have to contend with that plus they don't have the same band privileges we do in the states on some bands especially on 40. Yikes!!! Also I just don't think it has the appeal it used to and cell phones over here they are called (HANDYS) FRS/GMRS and PMR (EURO for FRS), and internet over the phone and now internet over the palm computer. You really have to be a hard liner any more to want to get into the hobby like we used to. I still like the old fashion way, pick up the mike and call the world. Always will! 73's

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KU4UV on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I wonder if maybe they get discouraged by some of you old farts who constantly argue with each other either on the air or in the ham radio newsgroups. They might also get bored with the local 2-meter geeks and their weekly nets where they have trivia questions between each other like how many tubes did they XYZ radio have in 1963? Give me a break!

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KE4SKY on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

New hams are our greatest resource for ARES and RACES. They are anxious to learn, and want to be Elmered.

We encourage them to check into nets, take EmCom training and team them up with a "training buddy" who is more experienced, to help them in station building, assembling a go kit, etc. We don't care what class of license they have as long as they are active.

Our Virginia RACES training materials are available as free .pdf downloads for ANYONE to use. Visit our web site at www.varaces.org and click on free training materials.

Amateurs living in Virginia and surrounding states can attend one of our FREE live training classes. The next session is May 31 at Eastern Mennonite College in Harrisonburg, VA. There will be another session October 25th in Hampton, VA, site yet to be determined.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N8VGY on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Just to put my 2 cents in...

I've had my license for over 10 years and I was 13 at the time I got it. Obviously, at the time the Internet was not booming. I was highly active for the first 2 years.

Over the course of 10 years, I've learned quite a bit about electronics and computers. Admittingly, I walked away from Ham Radio when I reached High School. Too many other things happening in my life. However, I did return to it once I reached college.

One thing I have learned is that only operating on 2 meters can get old. Fast. I had an HTX 202 for the longest time and that's all I used. I became inactive again after college because of 2 meters getting old.

One day, as I was noticing my license was about to expire, I decided to upgrade to General instead of renewing. After learing 5 WPM code and passing the test, I had a renewed interest Ham radio again. This time, I made sure to aquire an HF rig. The challenge on HF far outweigh sitting on AOL or AIM and chatting with someone half way around the world.

Sure, I still monitor 2 meter repeaters. But now I have more interest in HF, 440, and 2 meter packet. For any new Hams getting into the hobby, please DON'T get stuck on 2 meters FM. Even with a tech licence, you have 6m, 220, 440, or SSB, Satelite, or Packet.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N3BIF on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Intimidation, whether real or perceived.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by VE3FFK on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

These days I see two kinds of hams coming to exams.
The first are into ham radio to support some other activity, such as car rallying or emergency service of
some kind. These people are stay active in their specialty area until they lose interest in the activity that prompted them to get their ticket in the first place. Some of these do, in a small way, stick their toes into the greater amateur community and over time become more rounded hams. Most still can't stand the three hour repeater rag chew about nothing. (I can't blame them for that)
The other kind of new ham I see finds their way in past the non-existent public profile, past the misconceptions about how "expensive" it all is (have you priced other pastimes these days?). These guys
(and gals) are on the edge, and can come in to or go out of ham radio very easily, depending on the reception they get. If they are shunned (or think they are shunned) on 2m, then the rig goes into the bottom drawer and they are gone. If they get answers to their questions, help with offsets and CTCSS tones and repeater technique, then they are with us for the long haul. A small percentage of them get their CW after a year or two on VHF, and are lost to 2m for a considerable period. As antenna restrictions become more pervasive there are fewer of these. They aren't ready to rock the boat, or to take up mobile or portable operating just yet.
I'm coming up on a third of a century in ham radio, and haven't been bored or tired of it in all that time.
There have been times when I have considered myself to be too busy or too poor to come out and play radio, but on looking back it seems the problems were all really between my ears. One thing that did keep me off the air for a while was a combination of bad antennas, bad TVI and a lack of knowledge about how to fix either or who to ask. Now I try to be around to answer those kind of questions.
73& keep making (radio) waves. mk VE3FFK . .

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by AB9DF on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I am always amazed when I hear fellow hams talk negative about the internet. I personally feel that the internet is a enhancement to Ham Radio. Remote base operations, databases, ect. In my opinion (using myself as an example ) most new hams struggle with the costs of a full size station. Hobby money is limited with most people. I started my HF experience with building a K-1 and using code. Slowly my budget has allowed me to set up a more robust system. Ham Radio's biggest appeal for me is that there is never ending learning. More I learn about electricity, radio, antennas ect. the more I love this hobby. New hams can just start slowly and learn. HT's are rather inexpensive and used one's are even less. From my perspective, there is an over-whelming amount of stuff to learn. I suppose the new hams are somewhat taken back by that reality.
Thanks for the discussion point 73, Rob AB9DF

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K8AG on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I think it is the pre-made toy syndrome. When I was a kid, we made a lot of our toys. For example, we would spend hours digging in the dirt and making forts for our green army men.

Today toys are advertized and when the kids get them, they do what the ads show and then they are essentially done with the toys. I have seen it repeatedly with my own kids.

Today ham radio is largely appliance box operation. The new ham buys his gear, sets up his station, then doesn't have the urge to go farther or learn how anything works. It seems that the object of ham radio is not what it was. It was supposed to provide a pool of technically capable individuals. More and more it seems to be only providing consumers.

I don't have the answers as to how to get kids interested in the way things work and not just the successful conclusion. I don't think the pre-made toys are the answer.

John Pawlicki, K8AG

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WA4DOU on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Before we start a dialog on this subject, is this a faulty premise? Where has it been demonstrated that new hams are inactive and especially "most" new hams?
And what, pray tell, does cellular telephone, FRS, CB radio, computers or the Internet got to do with amateur radio? To the extent these "activities" syphon off activity, I submit to you that the person involved has become a ham largely for reasons that will not sustain activity as a ham. This was all quite predictable when ,about 25 or so years ago, we began seeing a serious mania displayed to "recruit" new hams. The "hardcore" of amateur radio was always made up of individuals who found and were drawn to amateur radio on their own. They found it via the "magic" of broadcast band radio and short wave radio and they were enamored by the magic of the distances covered by wireless means. They were motivated by something inside themselves. Many found their way on their own mostly because they were internally motivated. Those types didn't need "recruiting". 30 or more years ago, who ever heard of new hams afraid of making their first qso, phone or cw? Who ever heard of hams back then who had the attitude that antennas were ugly and should be hidden? Only the truly unambitious and unmotivated would allow cw to stand in their path to a license. Have any of you ever heard of Cliff Corne K9EAB? Cliff was in an iron lung and could only wiggle a toe(if I remember the story correctly, as I heard it)but was known to be a competent cw enthusiast. Hows that for motivation? The fact is, for many of us they couldn't have erected barriers high enough to keep us out of ham radio and today they can't seem to lower them enough to suit some. If amateur radio itself, on its own merit and virtue, can't hold the interest of some, I don't give a hoot.And if you're among those to whom amateur radio put a deep hook in you, welcome to a lifetime of fascination.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N3NL on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

If we got the right to put up some type of outdoor
antenna, it would certainly help a lot. Many
Americans live in no-antenna communities.

Nick Leggett, N3NL

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by AG4QV on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I returned to Ham radio last year after a short break of 35 years. But about three years prior to that I bought a small SW receiver for getting the BBC news while overseas. I started to regain my interest in Ham radio by tuning to 75 meter SSB and just listening.

What I heard was then disgusting. Hams were swearing at each other, recording and playing back transmissions of others, and intentionally interfering with each other. My feeling was, "Do I want to be a part of this???"

I turned off the radio and didn't try again for several years. When I did, it wasn't as bad. Maybe I just caught the worst of the worst or maybe it got cleaned up. But I still hear some of that on the air from time to time.

Unfortuneately, I read similar behavior from time to time on the internet. My feeling is that the bickering and name calling turns off a significant number of individuals. When someone expresses an opinion and the replies are, "Only a stupid person would say that," there is a strong chance that many are turned away.

Just my $0.02.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KD5VKT on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I just received my first licence 2 months ago, I have tried to talk on 2 meters many times by getting on a repeater and giving my call sign and the phrase "monitoring". I hear other stations out there but not one comes back. Occasionally someone will if they have done the same and gotten no response. I agree that most hams in this area (Tulsa, OK ) only want to talk to certain other stations and won't reply to unfamiliar call signs. If you participate in the nets you can talk IF you can get in.
Also some hams will tie up a repeater for an hour or more and no one else can get on .
I think this can be discouraging to new a new ham.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WB8ROL on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I am not a new ham -- I was first licensed in 1963 but I DID go INACTIVE in 1980 and stayed inactive (except for a few very short bursts on 2mtrs FM) for almost 23 years. I believe the reason I was inactive has a little bearing on why many hams become inactive.

I went off in a different direction in my life and did NOT have as much time to spend on Ham Radio but the main reasons I dropped out were not because of time.

Initially I lived with my parents and they let me put up a tower (which I could afford because I lived at home) and a big home brew monoband beam. I could get on SSB and CW and put out a great signal and ragchew and DX very effectively. I put out a great signal all over the world working primarily 15 meters.

The reasons I dropped out were caused by the fact that I finally moved away from home and have been a renter ever since then - moving around and NOT buying any property.

1. I didn't want to get back on the air with a poor antenna, makeshift antenna, and not be able to put out a decent signal ... Relegated to working little DX and not being able to have decent ragchews. Oh, I know some Hams use compromise antennas with pretty good success but it is a discouraging factor.

2. The cost of possibly overcoming reason #1 was not something I felt like I could afford. Namely, getting and using an amplifier and/or buying or building numerous "exotic" antennas. Neither of these things were assured to help that much anyway.

3. Just the cost of Amateur HF rigs were enough to discourage me (though not enough by themselves to stop me).

I think many NEW Hams run into the same problems. A new Ham often gets his ticket and often buys a 2 meter rig and enjoys it. After a while the shine wears off and it is NOT as exciting and he wants to try the HF bands or new modes. Try to price a new VHF/UHF or HF rig and a decent antenna -- not cheap.

And if they do do get a HF or VHF/UHF rig and can't put up a decent antenna the results can be very disappointing ...

What finally brought me back to active status was reading an article on the web about PSK31. It gave me a glimmer of hope that I could get back on the air without spending an overly amount and have an effective station with a less than optimized antenna. PSK31, because of it's narrow band quality and it's interfacing to my computer, made an apartment antenna actually useful. I found I could have high quality ragchews that were not possible on other modes -- including CW (though I could do OK on CW, PSK worked out much better for ragchewing). It made ham radio fun again -- quality QSO's running less than 50 watts to less than optimal antennas -- and even on 20 meters where the KW+ amps abound!

So the real answer is making Ham radio affordable and effective for folks that can't spend thousands of dollars and have NO space for big antenna farms. That would keep many (but not all) Hams more interested and active.

PSK31 did it for me BUT there are possibly other things that apply better to others. We need to "advertise" more of these other modes and aspects of Ham radio. It seems that too much ARRL magazine space and web space is dedicated to SSB and contests -- both of which takes a good more power and antenna to work effectively on a regular basis.

As elmers lets start talking more about the OTHER aspects of Ham radio to the ones we want to keep active AND help them to put together effective and enjoyable stations.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KC0MBM on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Cost is not a problem with Ham radio. Radios are cheaper than ever.
Technical obstructions. I disagree. Anything of quality is worth the educational investment. Tech and General class license are not really difficult.
Awareness of the hobby. This is definitely a problem. Computers are in our face everyday.
Yesterday on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" ham radio was the topic. This is the type publicity we need.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N3OQD on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I believe that it is sad that this is a problem worthy of discussion. I know that with the advent of personal computers, cell phones, and consumer grade walkie talkies that amateur radio is fading. In this I feel that it is important for more active use of the bands. What is VERY important to realize (and many hams may not know this)is the fact that technologies of today have taken up virtually all of the available air space. We may end up getting to the point of the proverbial "use it or lose it" situation. I hope and pray this does not happen but I feel that it might if things go unchanged.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WA4SE on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I don't know that "most" new hams are inactive, but I do share K0AST's frustration with 2-meter "cliqs." I have been a ham for 10 years. I got licensed when I went away to college at UCF in Orlando. I was an engineering major and it seemed like a neat thing to do. Lots of young guys, an active club and repeater, a great shack in one of the buildings on campus - I had a phenomenal elmer back then (N4ZIQ - thanks a lot if you're out there!!).

I was very active in my time there. When I moved back home (Fort Lauderdale area) to start my job, I couldn't find many folks to talk to. You would key up and say "WA4SE listening (or monitoring)" and nothing - dead air. Then 30 seconds later some other guy would do the same and his friend would come right back to him. I can appreciate that maybe someone wouldn't be in the mood to talk to someone new, but when this went on for a while, I gave up.

Eventually I made a couple of contacts and I went to a couple of local club meetings, but never really found one that I clicked with. That's not anyone's fault - just unfortunate. I'm 28 and most of these folks are much older. In their defense, most of them were EXTREMELY kind, but they just didn't do much VHF work - mostly HF.

I have been out of the hobby for the better part of 6 years since then. I would really like to get involved again and explore some of the digital modes that can be done with VHF - packet, APRS, etc. - but it's really no fun talking to yourself... I would really like to buy a nice mobile rig for the car - but it's tough to justify it if no one ever wants to chat...

I'm now considering starting a club for students at the high school where I teach, so this has turned into a very relevant discussion. How can I get them motivated and keep them involved? It would be nice for them to meet and chat with some hams of ALL AGES.

On another note - to this day when I return to Orlando, all I have to do is key up and someone comes back for a chat. It's interesting how different ham radio is depending on your location...

-- Scott / WA4SE

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KG6NMP on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I got my tech license about 6 months ago, and have only been able to purchase a 2m/70cm HT, and a broken mobile 2m that I was able to fix up to working. The 2m mobile doesn't have a high fidelity sound because I had to re-wire it, and some people give me crap about that. I think they should just be happy that I am on the air. If they want me to sound like I am next door then buy me a new rig. Also, theres way too much bickering and stupid operators out there. I have volunteered to do some local communications for bike races and so forth, and someone comes up and jams the repeater because we closed it for the day. I am trying to call in a biker down that need medics and some fool is jamming me. Yeah, that makes me want to continue. Why should I want to join a group that just argues? Just because its wireless doesn't make it interesting to listen to. But I am in it for the ARES/RACES, those groups are normally solid operators. And for all those that bitch about the no-codes, calm down, I am trying to learn the code, but college comes first and until then I will just work the VHF/UHF.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K7SBK on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

As a percentage of income, ham radio gear today costs less than it did in the days of Heathkits. I bought a Heathkit SB102 about 30 years ago, it cost about $350 at that time. Just compensating for inflation it would cost $1450 in today's inflated dollars. A new TS570 transceiver can be bought for less that a $1000 today. Cost is not the issue, and as the logical trend toward inexpensive surface mount components progresses, the possibility of kits for hams diminishes.
Today's infrastructure makes communication anywhere in the world easy, reliable and affordable, check telephone rates, internet rates etc, so from a practical standpoint there are much better ways to communicate almost anywhere in the world today than ham radio.
If new hams are not fascinated by the concept of generating and transmitting rf based signals, pretty much independent of the communications infrastructures, then operating a communication appliance quickly grows old.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by AC0X on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Jeez.. ham radio is facing it's biggest threat since WW I (Power Line Communications) and Eham still posts stuff like this.

> 1. Once they get motivated enough to ask to take
> classes they get discouraged by the technical aspect
> of it. I do think we should still have this aspect
> though.

Well, gee, thank you that you think we should keep a technical aspect of ham radio. My apologies to your buddies who thought otherwise that you can't just put your fingerprint on an application to get a license.

> 2. Some one tells them they have to take Morse code
> to be a ham. I think we should still have Morse code
> but it should only be required for 40m and up to
> operate because that's about the only time you'll
> want to.

Yup, you're right, no one uses CW, so why have it? All that di-dah'ing I hear on every ham band must be random noise, I guess.

> 3. They figure out the price of radios. A basic 2m
> handheld with 5 watts costs about $150+. But there
> is a way to beat this, bring back Heathkit and all
> the kit manufacturers and they need to make
> affordable VHF and UHF kits.

Considering the cost most kids spend on all the crap they do, $150 isn't that much. Yeah, I know some people can't even afford that, but, my god, the stuff has to cost SOMETHING. And, as others have said, if you take into account inflation radios are FAR CHEAPER now than they've EVER been (Handhelds cost the same 20 years ago with less features, and people made less money).

> 4. Most people these days don't even realize it
> exists. If somebody hadn't shown me their radios and
> let me dink with them I would have never joined.
> Advertise about what you do instead of drugs, let
> others know about ham radio!

I love to talk about ham radio, but I'm also smart enough to know that not everyone is going to like it, and that's OK. If I know someone who has no interest in science or math, I'm not going to try to convince them to become a ham. If they ask, I'll tell them how much I love it, but I'm not going to bend their arm trying to convince them to enjoy it, too.

> 5. Nobody gets the new guys involved. Take someone
> out to the repeater station with you to work on it.
> It will mystify their minds about talking all over
> the world.

Blah, blah, blah. It's SO EASY to post something that says "we need to get the new guys involved". Stop telling people to do that and do that yourself. You'll make a bigger difference.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KG4OOA on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Maybe we need a survey made not on the internet but by a company that specialized in surveys and sent to hams who have had a license one year or less and find their reasons, in an unbiased way, why they are operating or not operating. Every hobby, advocation and vocation has some degree of attrition in the begining but I don't think it is as big as presented here.

Reading this thread though I will make some comments:

1. What are the Elmers doing? Are we helping and encouraging them or complaining about the technical aspect or having to learn CW? They need to know if I can do it, they can do it. Teach and learn yourself. I have.

2. Young, younger and youngest! God help ARRL and the ham community. I am not against young operators but I think the recruitment level is too low. We should be shooting for high school and college students. They are arriving to a point in life where they are ready for ham radio meeting the real world. Leaving licensed hams out, how many parents are going to hire a lawyer to fight city hall to put up an antenna? I can just see a kid in the fifth or sixth grade working out a TVI or RFI complaint. Do you honestly think an adult is going to listen to a child in a situation like this? Adults have a hard enough time with it. This is another item to think about.

3. Are we adequately seperating ham radio from the internet. It is true, we are using the internet for many things but we have to get by the I can do that on AOL without a license if we are going to sell ham radio. This is radio, we have to get the interest in radio. Introduce the newcomer to DX, contests and other activities not offered without the use of rdaio frequency energy being radiated. Press the fact that you are controling the system, not an ISP.

4. If all I could work was 2 meters, I'd turn my license back to FCC! The band is for the most part cliquish and loaded with snobs (well maybe they are just afraid of new people). The only reason I keep 2 meters is for mobile on trips. I figure I can get local help in an emergency. I think you need to talk with them. The newbies don't bite. That stranger might even be the one to really help your club someday when you really need it.

5. Are we working to help the newcomer upgrade and encouraging them to do so? Don't just jump up and down crying aboutthe difficulity. I got my 13 WPM General by teaching a calss of new hams. They learned the CW and I got my speed up by helping them. It was a win win situation. I told them I was only a Technician after we all took and passed the test. We all had a good laugh.

Help ham radio, don't hurt it. We can all complain and bicker about the politics of in and surounding ham radio, and there is plenty of it, on these forums but it is best for all concerned to promote ham radio to the newbie.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WB9YCJ on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

1) Contact all "New ops" to inform them of all clubs in their area and meeting times/locations.

2) Clubs should consider creating a "New Op" assistance team. ie: help with antennas, locating low priced used equipment, jargon intro, basic op practices, etc.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N2MG on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I thought this was going to be about the pitfalls new hams run into. No offense, but four of your five points don't coincide with your title - they deal with folks not knowing about ham radio at all. And the fifth one, showing them a repeater, is not exactly showing them how to "work the world".

Let's face it, people's free time is not what it used to be - even those with a technical thirst no longer "need" ham radio to quench it. The things that differentiate ham radio from the other pursuits is what will save it - if anything. IMO, talking to one's neighbors on 2m is not one of these.

Mike N2MG

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N0XMW on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

If you want to keep new ham operators interested-Stop requiring the learning of the code to get a general- I passed all test to get a general license but can't pass the code and there were alot of ham's there in the same boat-I have not been active since I got my tech license cause I'm not able to pass the code.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K0RGR on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

The first thing we need to do is find the old two meter rigs and put them back on the air. Activity breeds activity - silence leads to silence.

We had 7 new hams pass their test after our radio classes last fall. In the class, we spent 15 minutes each night introducing a different part of ham radio - public service, DXing, weak signal VHF/UHF/Microwaves, satellites, Echolink, etc.. All the graduates of our classes get a free one year membership in our radio club.

So far, I have only heard three of them on the air. A couple more have made it to a club meeting. Of the 7, I think two of them are pretty active - one on 2 meters and the other primarily on Echolink.

I don't think it's cost, though so many kids today get turned off if you tell them it might cost over $100. I think this is because their parents paid $1,000 for their PC, and are paying $150 a month for cable TV, high speed Internet, and HBO (at least in this area). These little 'extras' are a huge burden on the family income.

We may not be able to bring back the heyday of 2 meter repeaters, but if we care about the future of the hobby, we need to try.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WA4SE on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

KG4OOA has the right idea with his observation about the ideal age range to target prospective operators. My high school students could really get a lot out of ham radio - and I think there is sufficient crossover between ham radio and computers to attract them. The challenge for me trying to start a club at the school where I teach is going to be getting a demo set up.

I also like the idea of local clubs sending out a newsletter or something to those who are newly licensed. I don't know the specifics, but it shouldn't be too hard to get a monthly listing of new hams within 50 miles of a club's zip code... Heck - I get a traffic ticket and within 5 days, every attorney in the county is filling up my mailbox with flyers...

For what it's worth - I don't buy the "cost" argument either. My students spend $299 on a Playstation and literally thousands (Where do they get that kind of cash?) on computer parts... For $299 you can get a heck of an HT or a decent mobile unit for that to get on the air.

This is a good discussion and will no doubt generate some good ideas!!

WA4SE

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K0RGR on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

By the way - have you looked into the ARRL 'Big Project' - a major push to get ham radio into the schools? I think there are some serious dollars available to get your project started, and some formal curricula for using ham radio in classes.

If you want to start off with a 'bang' sign your school up for ARISS and hopefully in 8-12 months, your kids will get to talk to ISS astronauts via two meters. All you need on your end is speakerphone conferencing ability. That should stir up some excitement. If you don't want to wait that long, I would expect you can find some local hams who'd be able to demo FM satellites, PSK31, and other interesting things.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by HAVECALLBUTSPEAKFREELY on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

2 meters is great turn off to new operarors.
Its like thst Jack Nicolson movie..."Is this is good as it gets".

That is an incentive to learn 5 WPM. If all you are going to use is a dualbander, Ham radio will get stale real quick!

The Clique factor #1
No more of a challenge to operate than CB or GMRS.
In fact GMRS the people tend to be more friendly

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by W5HTW on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Changing times. The internet. "Radio? Does anyone do 'radio' anymore?"

For one thing, it comes to easy. It was exciting when there was an apprenticeship, in which you got on the air, and began to learn how it really goes, and how it should go. The Novice ticket was an excellent training program but once it was made long-term and renewable, it became a place to become stagnant. And bored.

Converting people from CB to ham radio. They are already talking 25 miles on their radios and doing what they want to do. Making them into hams on 2 meters doesn't give them more; it gives them less, for now their are rules they need to follow.

Thinking every person in America should be a ham. Exposure of ham radio to people is not a bad thing. But constantly nagging them about becoming a ham is. Maybe they like car racing, or model railroading. This is - or was - a small niche hobby, in which people who were truly interested in the hobby became a part of it. Those who are not interested, but do so to please the hubby, wife, father, friend, are not going to stay.

On that line, a lot of today's hams get their tickets for the sole purpose of keeping in touch with the spouse. They have no interest at all in ham radio specifically, just a means of utility communication. Another "bring home the bread" or "pick up the kids at the kennel" sort of thing. As hams, they have nothing to contribute, and no interest in doing so. Spouse told them "Honey, it's a great way to keep in touch." They bought into it and here they are, licensed cell phone hams.

What about the promotion of ham radio? Ah, yes, working the world, big beam antennas slowly rotating in the sky, kilowatt rigs, phone patches, DX expeditions. So the prospective ham gets terribly excited. Then he studies, hits the VE session, and walks out with a Technician ticket. No big beams, no DX expeditions, no DX, no drama. Just a sort of CB/cell phone that is not at all what he was told ham radio was all about. There is virtually no resemblance. He feels frustrated, for this isn't what he worked for. And he may feel deceived. The excitement disappears, the rig is sold or rarely turned on, and a good many of them go back and pick up the 11-meter microphone where they can have some real fun.

The fact is, changing times. We tend to promote ham radio as if it was what it used to be, and then the newcomer gets into it and he can't find anything exciting. And then, God forbid, he has to actually "work" to upgrade so he can participate in the 'real ham radio' and he doesn't have time, doesn't have the ambition, doesn't have the interest.

Ham radio, other than the CB/cell phone/internet variety, appeals to those who want personal achievement, want to "do" things. When those goals are too easily attainable, they have no meaning. If the rules of golf permitted a par-14 on every hole, we'd all be professional golfers, and none of us would enjoy it. There has to be a challenge, not just something you "can" do *if* you get into it, but something you *need* to do to *get* into it.

Yet stricter licensing is not the answer. In fact, there IS no answer, for we are falling victim to the first two words of this response; changing times.

73
Ed

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K8DIT on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

If someone shows interest in the hobby we should be right there to find a house from which they might be free to set up antennas, give them the rig, coax, and necessary tools to put up an antenna. Then we need to promote self confidence so they can be assured to learn the morse code and then speak with poise and brevity to hams worldwide. We then need to get them help with their other duties and responsibilites so that they'll have ample time to operate. If Congress could pass such a bill it would be wonderful and ham radio would live on happily ever after.
On the other hand if active hams were given the credit due them in terms of status and monetary benefit they do for the community, others might be so positively influenced by this that they might make time to achieve this objective.
As in so many things in life, achievment and motivation
come from a place not easiy acquired. If it were easy wouldnt everyone be doing it? In a world where only we North Americans take eating regularly and sleeping indoors for granted do we lower the bar so others can participate, or do we keep standards high so to have something finer in life which to strive?
I suppose the answer to this might run along political/ideological lines. It can be demonstrated that if you give away the goodies, making it easy to achieve you get only whining and complaining as a thank you. Folks seem thankful only for an opportunity to prove to themselves that they have what it takes to cut the mustard. Ham and Mustard. That sounds good. I think its lunchtime.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N2YPH on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I'd have to agree with WA4YSE - It seems that depending on where you are, there's plenty that discourages younger hams from getting into or staying active in the hobby. Whether it is active or inactive, it occurs.

My history:
I got my license back in middle school after seeing a ham shack at Boy Scout camp. I was relatively active for a little while, but not too long. Two reasons:
a) The "2m clique" issue. After one of my first calls on a local repeater, the first response was, "Only licensed amateurs may use this repeater. I'm shutting it down.". Yup, some guy SHUT THE REPEATER DOWN. 15 minutes later I tried making a call to someone else I heard. To the club's credit, this person apologized for the first incident, the first guy had misheard my call as A2YPH, which is invalid. Would've been much easier for everyone involved if he'd simply asked me to repeat my call in phonetics rather than assuming the worst and shutting the repeater down. Even if the local clubs hadn't been cliquish and too expensive for me, the conversation on the repeaters wasn't too interesting due to the age gap. (Piece of advice to those who have a say in club operations - Give younger hams a discount! $50 a year may seem like a drop in the bucket to someone who is 40, but to a middle schooler who just spent 1/3 his life savings on a radio, it's a pretty big discouragement.)

Fast forward to college. I was inactive for 5-6 years, until I saw a post on my college ham club's mailing list (where I lurked but didn't really participate) about doing some satellite antenna work.

Satellites? COOL! Note that I primarily got my license for VHF+ communication, I'm an EE and like the cutting edge. That started a 2-year burst of activity, which included working on designing a communications board for a satellite. After college graduation, I returned to the same area I grew up in. It was nice up there - There were three repeaters in Ithaca. The W2CXM repeater, where the college students hung out, the county club repeater, and then a privately owned repeater that was regarded as the "gearhead" repeater. I spent most of the time on the CXM repeater and the "gearhead" one, since I was a gearhead. :) The county repeater rarely had conversation I was interested in joining.

I'm back near where I grew up and am 23 now, and unfortunately all of the local repeaters are similar to the county one up at school. :(

So to those HFers - As another persion said, don't frown on those Techs. Be nice to them, and they might be working with some really cool stuff. I'm sure if there were a few other people in my area into satellite or microwave I'd be much more active.

In the end, I'm buying a TS-520 from my former school club's advisor. No General yet so I can't use it, but now that I have half of the chicken-and-egg problem solved (deal was too good to pass up), I'm finally going to go for my code and become active again. (It helps that an old friend from school is now in the Peace Corps in the South Pacific, suddenly HF has become much more appealing. :)

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WB2WIK on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I'm afraid it's all part of the undeniable "dumbing down" of the hobby.

There is virtually no financial investment involved for those willing to take the bull by the horns and dive into ham radio. When I was first licensed in the mid-1960's at the age of 13, my first several stations were entirely homebrewed with the money I accumulated from an allowance and a paper route. As I met local newbies, I found out they did the same thing: Built their stations from old parts, junk picked up at garage sales and so forth.

This is even more possible today then ever, with a lot more interesting parts! But are young hams really doing this? Not much. Surely not like they did in the 60's and before.

My first "commercial" rig, a Heathkit Two'er, was a kit that sold for $40 and required assembly. It didn't work well, but it worked and there were thousands in circulation. Although that sounds like a very low price, remember this was 38 years ago...the equivalent today would be about $400, considering 38 years' worth of inflation.

My first "real" receiver was an NC-125, picked up used (and old!) for $65. I scrimped and saved a long time for that, and it was worth it. For my first several years in ham radio, all my HF transmitters were homebrewed, and so was most of the VHF stuff. The "Bible" was the ARRL Handbook, and the internet did not exist.

Where have we gone wrong?

WB2WIK/6

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KF4VGX on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Most Hams (not all ) like to show up newer and younger hams with superior knowledge. there for making them feel inferior . 2 meter contacts on a repeater can make one quickley turn and walk away.
Clubs pushing their members to do something instead of Asking can you help us out .How many club meetins have you gone to without someone stating an arguement? I met one ham who stated that the first meeting he went to some guy was pounding his fist on a desk ,red faced loud. I havent heard from that ham in a long long time . all the above and more. We as hams should learn to deal with newer hams and turn this back into a HOBBY ! Courtesy is learned on 2 meters and passed on to HF

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by CURMUDGEON on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

There have always been egocentric hams, lots of them. The newbies are just as egocentric as any of the oldtimers were/are. Life will teach you sooner or later that you have to learn how to overlook and forgive an awful lot cause you ain't perfect either.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KG4YJR on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

My wife and I are fairly new to ham radio. We've always listened to shortwave broadcasts and the interest in ham radio grew. We enjoyed studying together and we both passed the exam at the same time. We found one thing (The Red Cross) to volunteer our skills and equipment to instead of spreading ourselves out and obligating ourselves too much. We go to every monthly meeting of our local group and told ourselves to keep doing so. Once you miss one meeting it's easier to miss another, then another, then another.....

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by JA2WWE on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

They hear 160M USA operators and decide to turn it off for good-

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WA4SE on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Thanks for the information K0RGR - I printed out your post and will look into the items you suggested.

Our school has a magnet program for international studies and information technology. If that isn't the perfect jumping off point for a radio club, I don't know what is... They can use technology to talk to people around the world...

Thanks again!

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K0CBA on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

JJ (and others) complain about the costs of radios while probably using a $1500.00 computer attached to a $15 to $40 a month internet connection. I must be missing something there.
Many, many people seem to be confusing V/UHF repeaters with ham radio; IT AIN'T!...it's a part of ham radio and it's 'communicating' with a ham license but it is NOT all there is to ham radio. If you chose to limit yourself to having V/UHF only privileges, don't lay the fault anywhere but where it belongs.
If one tenth the effort expended on learning computers, dreaming up reasons why code should be done away with and crying about having to learn it to upgrade, the ham bands would be filled with first class cw ops.
Whinning about 5 wpm...oh yeah, there's a real mental challenge!
So many give lip service to how much the hobby means to them but never give a second thought to doing what is required to get to the top ticket. If it really means that much, why wouldn't a person want to be an asset by giving it their best?

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KE4ZHN on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Its up to US guys! We as hams need to elmer these newbies and help them instead of ridiculing and intimidating them with smart remarks or ignoring them. I was fortunate enough to have a friend who was a ham that taught me cw and showed me the ropes. This helped considerably for me to at least not be fearful of making stupid mistakes on the air or feeling intimidated by the typical newbie jitters we all experience. Didnt we all have the jitters when we made our first HF or 2 mtr. contact? Many new hams feel afraid to get on the air because some disgruntled old fart will chew them out over nothing. I have heard new hams literally run off a repeater by some self proclaimed frequency cop who thinks he has the right to do so. We all had to start somewhere. I work mostly 75 mtr. phone at night, and welcome new callsigns anytime. Youd be surprised how many new hams check in and give a call while our group ragchews at night, so Im not totally convinced that new hams arent active. I look at it this way, if the person was willing to go through the effort to get his/her ticket, then why not cut them some slack? Whether they did 5 wpm, 13 or 20 who cares? They STILL are a ham! CW alone doesnt make a true ham, but how the person conducts themselves on the air certainly does! Just my opinion for whatever its worth.

73`s all DE KE4ZHN

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WA4DOU on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Rental property or CC&R's that forbid outside antennas aren't insurmountable obstacles. I believe that as a ham, its my right to have antennas. I lived my adult life up to 4 years ago in various homes, apartments,beehives,etc. In 1976-78 I lived in Flagstaff,Az. in a hive and had to resort to a wire out the window to the rain gutter. It worked and with even 300 mw. on 15 meter cw, I could easily work 1-2 hops, 1500-3000 miles. Despite a "no antennas" policy, I managed to later erect a 270 ft. long wire and use it for a year or more. In Charlotte,NC in 1978-80 I had a vertical on the patio of a townhouse. I used 20-30 short clip-on radials which I removed when we were using the patio. It was good enough that I could work central and south Asia, long path in the mornings on 20 meter cw with 100 w. This despite having an apartment due south of mine and 100 ft. away. Brick construction. In 1982 I lived in Durham, NC where the apartment policy was a strict "no." Under cover of darkness I split the ground from my back bedroom window
out to a nearby field and buried 150-200 ft. of cheap RG-58 coax and fed an inverted vee. It worked swell with 3 watts from an HW-8. After a couple of years I came home one day to find the field being scraped by bulldozers and my tree and inverted vee gone, the coax cut off at the ground and no one ever knew it was there. I cut off the other end and left the coax in the ground.
I have a K9 friend who has over 250 countries confirmed
on cw despite having to use attic antennas. He and I have been at it for a few decades now, but whats the rush? Amateur radio and the Honor Roll are lifetime endeavors and we've both got the rest of our lives. One wonders when you hear that so and so has been licensed for 3-5 years and is on the Honor roll, what are they going to do for the rest of their lives? I once met a ham who was on vacation and staying in a motel in Key West. He had his Drake gear in the room and coax going out the door to his mobile antenna on the car. Neat! Before I'd accept being off the air I'd have a mobile antenna on the car/truck and coax comming in the house.
All it takes is imagination. Thin wire antennas, fold -up-fold down verticals,flagpole verticals, antennas in the attic. Where there's a will there's a way. Mountain topping and other spots like going to the forest,parks, or the seashore offer plenty of chances for portability with better antennas. Only the unimaginative and lazy would accept the situation laying down. You don't have to and its not immoral to have antennas even if someone else forbids you to. Just use your imagination to hide or disguise them. They don't have to be perfect. Experiment and find what works for you. And don't run lots of power if your neighbors are very close. You don't want their tv's and cordless phones telling on you. Read books, talk to others in similiar circumstances, learn more about antennas. Teach yourself to overcome your particular obstacles. You'll learn, grow and profit from it.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by W9JFL on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I am a new ham (4 months) and became licensed because I've always wanted to achieve the goal and be part of the exclusive hobby. I must add my vision of the friendliness and openess of the hobby has been tarnished somewhat by a few points.

1 - When I received my ticket, I couldn't wait to get to some "ragchewing" to make contacts and begin learning. I made over 30 "monitoring" calls to various repeaters in my area without ONE single response (yep I logged them). Yet it seemed that inevitably a few minutes later, 3 or 4 "regulars" were chatting about some topic, clearly ignoring the call from an unknown stranger. I travel frequently and take my HT along for those nights alone in the hotel. Very rarely have I been successful in making a contact this way (except in Salt Lake City!) I keep carrying it along for some reason!

2 - It seems all too often that I am criticized for "only being a Tech" instead of congratulating me and leaving me alone to enjoy the accomplishments of my hobby. Sure I'm curious about the added priviledges, but right now I'm getting my feet wet. I'm not lower class than the CW folks. I'm not any less of a ham. I'm a Technician, pure and simple. Instead of brow-beating me, why not intice me to progress by explaining the fun you're having on all those other bands!?

3 - My local ham organization is not well suited for "newbies". Despite attending nearly all membership meetings and nets, I've never been greeted, spoken to or contacted by any board member. In fact, they look at me like "who's that guy" in meetings. So... I'm looking for a more social group of hams to join up with and learn from.

Like most all things, the hobby is what you make of it. However, for some reason, there doesn't appear to be anyone consistantly welcoming the new members. It's almost like to some, it's a club not a community of individuals with like interests.

It's a great hobby, it can be great fun and like any hobby it is most enjoyable when you can share it with others that have the same interest. I'm still excited about the fun I can have with this new priviledge I've earned. I only wish I was able to find a way to learn more and become more of a member of the "community" without having to beg!

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KC0ODY on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Of all the new hams out there- "new" meaning what, <3 years licensed? <1 year? How many of those new hams are "inactive", and whose standards are we using to discern what "inactive" means? I don't believe there's one accepted answer to that question.

If the real purpose of this thread is to start a dialogue, then here's what this newbie (I'm 7 months licensed) has to offer in terms of an opinion.

First, there's no such thing as a monolithic "amateur radio newbie". People who get into this hobby are all very different from one another on a number of levels, and they get into the hobby for various reasons. The only real thread I can see that binds us is a keen tendancy towards understanding communications via RF, and the details vary considerably from there.

Second, I think that having interests in other parts of the RF spectrum besides amateur radio frequencies will help to stimulate interest in the amateur bands. I know that an awful lot of SWL's got into this hobby because they were first listeners to SW radio, and their interest in transmitting on those long-distance HF bands were piqued from there. There are so many bands and modes to listen to that would keep one busy for a lifetime- if they were curious enough to look into them. If not, then they will do what they can in their one or two favorite areas and either thrive there, or eventually stagnate and get bored- then, they'll go on to other hobbies.

I think the point I'm trying to make here is that we who are interested in RF communications should be willing to show new folks to our hobby that there are other parts of the RF spectrum and other modes to be interested in, and that these are not necessarily exclusive of amateur radio. I for one love to listen to SW, MW and I have also taken a liking to scanning various local VHF/UHF frequencies for any kind of communications I can hear with my current equipment.

Third, I think that elmers are a key- perhaps THE key - in helping newbies to stay interested in the hobby. When I say elmers, I don't necessarily mean a one-on-one tutor for a new ham; I'm more talking about a person or group of persons who are willing and enthusiastic about their hobby enough to show the newbies that there are many fun areas in this hobby to focus on, and then be available to answer questions and so on. I'm very grateful to the folks whose brains I've been able to pick with my incessant questions over the past 7 months. Keep on keepin' on, OMs, YLs and everything in between!

But I also don't think that this hobby will ever appeal to the majority of people. That is okay. My 'other' hobby is amateur astronomy, and there I've seen a lot of parallels to amateur radio... our clubs tend to be relatively small and consist of a dedicated group of folks who appreciate various things that the hobby has to offer. Some amateur astronomers are into purely visual astronomy, and others are into astro-imaging. Some are into building telescopes. Some are into collecting certain types of astronomical equipment. Some are into observing certain types of objects almost exclusively of any other type. We have room for all of 'em, and many of the people in our astronomy club love to do outreach and share our hobby with the public (I am one of them). The people who get interested in amateur astronomy will often choose to focus on one or two specialized areas of the hobby, and that is fine! We need all types, after all, because there IS no "one"
type of amateur astronomer.

I never share my hobbies with the ultimate goal of 'converting' or 'signing up' X number of the folks who visit our observatory, or who see a demonstration of my radio equipment. The best I can do is communicate my enthusiasm for my hobbies to them, and try to answer any questions they might have. I figure that if they are interested enough, then they will look into the hobby further. If not, then no harm done.

We amateur radio types have one thing in common that I can see: a special interest in various methods of communicating via RF energy at various wavelengths... and from there, the hobby starts to get diverse.

So my creed is, don't twist people's arms to try to convert them. Those who are meant to be here will find their way here. And those who want to stay will find enough interesting niches in the hobby to keep them fascinated for a lifetime.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by W9AIR on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Better question - why are veteran hams inactive??? Used to be, anytime you tune around on 20 meters, it would be band edge to band edge with activity. Now, alot of open, and I do mean open, space on each of the HF bands!!! Most of the time the bands are open, but no one on!!! I have called CQ until I am hoarse on the HF bands with no answer!!

No wonder new-comers lose interest so quickly. Other than to get on the air and chat, I have no answer for the inactivity. I hear alot about computers and Internet being the culprits, but do not think that is the whole truth.

In my county in Indiana, at last count we had 450 licensed hams, but never hear any of them on any of the bands, most of the time.

C'mon, fellow hams, let's use out licenses and got on the air and talk!!!

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KG4PZZ on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I'm 15, bought my own HT (VX-7R -- not one of the cheaper models, mind you), and bought my own HF Rig (TS-520SE). I already have a summer job planned out to come up with the money for an FT-920 or similar and a tribander. I picked up a FREE tower in Maryland (a short drive, but really, can you pass up a free crank-up tower?), and am digging the hole for the concrete pad right now. A little effort goes a long way (most teens want things handed to them, though -- go figure). I became interested through a chance encounter with a ham. Grew tired of VHF and above and upgraded quick. I try to respond to KG4xxx calls if they're 'hot-off-the-press', and welcome them to the hobby if I hear them on the repeater. My Elmer(s) are all wonderful and are always teaching me something new. I even Elmer my dad (KG4RZG) for the most part. I guess I'm just an exception to the rule, though.

One more thing, I just have to say it because it's bugging me. The original post mentioned elimating CW on 40 and above, or just above 40, or something to that effect. I'm not sure where this info was picked up, but I know CW is alive and well from the depths of 160 to 10m (even 6m!) and everywhere in between. Check your sources again on whatever info you based that on!

Fred
KG4PZZ

RE: Your Comments

by KG4OOA on May 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Setting up a demo at your school should be fairly easy. I have worked several QSOs on 10 and 17 meters which was a demo at a school. There was also an article in October 2001 QST about a teacher who did what you are suggesting. Maybe it will help. One suggestion, set up a sked with someone you know. That will help insure a plesent first QSO for the prospective ham. There might be a chance of latching on to someone you don't want to QSO with at that time. You know the geezers I am refering to.

As far as getting the addresses, I think you can download the FCC data base or part of it and sort and delete by your needs. Let me know how it works out.

Good luck.

73,
Bob KG4OOA

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N6HBJ on May 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I would think that if an individual took the time to get his ticket, that alone would be motivation to at least get on the air and try it.

$150 for an HT or a single band mobile is CHEAP! Cheaper than a computer. I don't see the price of equipment as a big issue. At least not to get started.

Nor do I see cliques as a big issue either. 2 meters is crowded with activity and half the hams appear to be relatively new so there are plenty of people to talk with.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K0AST on May 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

W9JFL -- so sorry to hear of your lack of acceptance. This is what I mentioned earlier -- ham radio needs more comradarie! You keep at it though! One way to "join in" is to break a few conversations when you hear someone discussing something they can expound on to you. People (including hams and sometimes especially hams) LOVE to talk, and the more you let them talk AT you, the more they will accept, and later talk WITH you. Just make sense as you get in there...

I also wanted to add that it would be nice if local clubs gathered addresses of new hams (tech or whatever) and actually "reached out" and invited them to a meeting. Make them feel wanted and special and a part of things. Heck it is NOT hard to get new callsign addresses, and I would think the clubs would want MORE members. Simple recruitment.

I might also add that I have heard new high school hams on the radio, and it seems everyone ignores them but me and their friends. After a while, I don;t hear them, and assume they have just moved back to DVD games on the PC's again. What a shame -- no human interaction there.

Nonetheless though, 2m VHF is where most new hams start, and if the "turn-off" starts there, they won;t turn on again.

Dan

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WB2WIK on May 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Although I've operated VHF-FM and used repeaters since the earliest repeater days (and still own two repeater systems), it is very unfortunate that this aspect of ham radio is many hams' first introduction to the hobby. I don't think anyone ever intended it to be that way.

Repeaters in the 1960's were new technogadgets being enjoyed by experimenters who were building and converting equipment; we never imagined that a two meter FM rig would be the first thing a new ham might use.

Those who are *real* "Elmers" should be spending some of our time showing new and prospective hams how to get on the air in other ways. FM-repeaters have their purpose and utility, but I can easily see why they would be very disappointing to anyone whose entry into the hobby is only that port.

WB2WIK/6

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KNAUFF78 on May 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

This is a lot of good information. I don't have my license yet, but hope to within the next few months. I've been actively scanning the ham bands for many years.
My goal is to start out with my technician and maybe move on from there. I've decided to definitely get a rig with 2 and 6 meter capability. As many people have stated already, I'm afraid a 2m HT just won't keep my interested very long.
I always welcome any information/tips for a newbie such as myself. Thanks everyone!

Dan
dknauff@woh.rr.com

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K0RGR on May 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Well, we haven't made much progress in getting newcomers to equip themselves with multimode rigs.
Here, we try hard to get them to at least get a mobile rig for starters, but that suggestion too often falls on deaf ears. They've seen people use HT's and that's what they want to do.

If we could further promote simplex activity vs. repeaters, I think this would have real benefits.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by G3SEA on May 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Wow ! This topic has understandably hit a nerve.

AC0X basically said it all.

One might ask the question : " Why are so many relatively older hams inactive ".

Probably for the same reasons as this topic ?

USA Ham figures ( the highest ) are usually touted in activity discussions but what are the licenced ham figures ( again not necessarily active ) for all other countries ?

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WB2WIK on May 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

G3SEA, with regards to the U.K., we'll probably never know, since your licensing authority does not publish license information!

That absolutely astonishes me. In the U.S., the entire FCC licensee data base is public information, always has been, and is on line. I cannot imagine why other governments don't do the same. Here in the U.S., it is also not possible for an amateur radio licensee to be "unlisted."

WB2WIK/6

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KC8VWM on May 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I don't think it's a matter of equipment pricing, "cliques" or lack of elmer support, or the 440 guys vs. the 2m guys, 75m operation protocals, antenna restrictions, computers, cell phones etc. etc. etc. etc.

I think it is rather a matter of the fact that most individuals in today's society may be increasingly losing the simple ability to carry on a robust and somewhat interesting conversation about a particular subject matter.

We live in a very fast paced world. Communicating now requiring us to convey information using short efficient uninteresting spurts of information.

In addition, I don't think the problem is that the repeaters are really inactive, but rather that we all have our radios set on scan mode simutaniously listening for repeater activity.

How can there be activity on the local repeaters if we are all just "sandbagging" or waiting for some activity to happen?

Someone please just get on the mic and say something ?!

Just my food for thought,

73's
KC8 VWM

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by W7JK on May 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

In my opinion the lack of mentoring is a major factor. Having someone available to show what gear they use and how to use it effectively would make a big difference.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by W3ULS on May 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

One factor in discouraging participation is the battles hams get into. Earlier in this thread, KE4SKY referred to Virginia RACES and referenced its web site. Well, Virginia RACES appears locked in a life/death struggle with Virginia ARES, and a new Virginia ham such as myself finds the battling that has been going on between the two organizations a turn-off. There is such animosity between the hams occupying the two camps you'd think it was the battle of Fredericksburg all over again. Most hams, I'd guess, don't want any part of such rivalries. Certainly this one doesn't. Some, no doubt, walk away from the hobby rather than get caught in the cross fire.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by JN3XCV on May 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

"We may not be able to bring back the heyday of 2 meter repeaters, but if we care about the future of the hobby, we need to try"

Why??!!!

What we really need is to show that ham radio is more than talking accross town or just yammering on a repeater. Let's show the interesting things, the things that take thought, show creativity, and talent. If all you want is to talk on an FM radio, buy a FRS and be happy!

73
Scott

SEZ WHO?

by N6HBJ on May 3, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I've got a big question:

Where did the original poster get his info?

I mean WHO SAYS MOST NEW HAMS ARE INACTIVE? I've seen no evidence/documentation of this. Or did we just all get suckered into taking one man's opinion as fact?

RE: SEZ WHO?

by N6HBJ on May 3, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

The original poster is giving erroneous information! His title is why "are most new hams inactive" yet his points are all about why someone doesn't get his liscense to begin with. Except for the last one.

Yeah, after studying for my liscense, I lost interest because no one took me to the repeater site. Ha!

I think the poster just wanted to post anything to be heard, whether it made sense or not. OK dude you got your 15 minutes.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N6JSX on May 3, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Most new HAMs seem to obtain the desire due to listening to 2m activities. The problem is that this is only a very narrow part of HAMdom.

I emplore all new HAMs to stay away from involvement in repeater politics or becoming an officer/volunteer in any repeater club/ARRL/RACES/ARES organizations for a few years. Play at the hobby see what interests you FIRST - keep your EARs open and take in the comments. Then make your judgement as to what YOU want now knowing the exposure you may get!

Yes, we need HAMs to do the work and volunteer their time and effort - but NOT at the price of damaged ego's, alienation, or fade-aways to a different hobby. Repeater group politics is cut throat and any one that says different hasn't been an officer trying to affect democratic change within a group. The long term successful repeater officers are either very skilled with people or they are whimps that will go any direction that is popular or what the inside click tells then to do.

HAM radio was more fun in the pre-80's when you did not get as personal as you can within local repeater groups. Also you had to have more than just basic electronics knowledge to modify or build the equipment you used. There was PRIDE in accomplishment that seems to be lacking in post-80's. Now most equipment is purchased and the PRIDE has diminished to being an expected service not an earned privilage.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KC8DSS on May 3, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Hi, all! Enjoying the thread. I thought I'd throw in my two cents. I've had my call since 1996, but I'd still consider myself a new ham, because I've been in and out of the hobby several times, never really able to get into it that much. Here are some of my experiences:

I still have never gotten any equipment other than my HT. I'm 28 now, and have been at least moderately interested in ham radio since I was 13, when a friend of mine got his call. I've been in college for most of the past 10 years of my life, and never was in a financial position to drop a lot of money on HF gear. I agree that it doesn't take a lot to get started on 2m, but beyond that, all the little costs you incur while assembling an HF station do tend to add up.

When I was 13 and 14, I remember reading a book called Tune in the World with Ham Radio, put out by the ARRL, I believe, and it really got my excited about getting a license. The trouble is, my interests vary from time to time, and I tend to move on from one hobby or subject to the next, whatever I happen to be particularly fascinated with at the time. I had a vision in my mind about what it would be like to communicate with people all over the world, marveling that it was possible with some reasonably simple electronic gear and a strand of wire. I also imagined that people would be talking about all sorts of interesting subjects. I can't deny that I was disappointed with both the activity and the quality of conversation I heard on the repeaters. It just seemed, to be frank, boring conversations from middle aged and older guys about nothing. At the time when I got my ticket and an HT, I was 21 or so, and it didn't seem to me then that I really would be interested in talking to many people if ham radio was really this mundane. Now reading messages from other hams on this web site, I can see that this impression is not at all uncommon. I've started listening again to the local repeaters, and I'm trying to have more of an open mind than I did at 21. :-)

Another problem is that I have found the technical aspects of ham radio fascinating, but also intimidating. I do not have a technical background, and I've always had a difficult time understanding that type of material. Being stupid is not the problem, however. :-) I'm about to get a Master's Degree in City Planning. But my brain, for whatever reason, does not quickly assimilate this type of information. I would be very interested in attending a class for new hams that would help them put into practice the basic elements of antenna design and construction, soldering, kit construction, etc. There is a QRP club in my city which does do some of these kinds of things, but I can't help but to be intimidated by my own ignorance in this area. I should just shut the hell up and go. I can't argue that it's totally easy to pass the test and have no actual idea about how to do anything except press PTT.

As far as the code goes, I actually like it, even though I've never used it in practice. I still don't have a firm command of all the characters, but I'm using a software program, CW Player, to send paragraphs of miscellaneous text to get me up to speed. I guess I'm probably something of a rarity, because I don't imagine too many new hams have an interest in QRP with CW. I think part of the reason I like it is that it's kind of an anomoly, a link to a different age. It carries with it something intagible that more modern technologies cannot offer.

That said, I can't help but being excited about new technologies like Echolink. I can understand others' criticism of it, that it's not REAL amateur radio, and to a point, I can agree with them. But for someone who can't at this time afford HF equipment, it offers the capability to talk in real time to hams around the world. I don't think it should be opened up to non hams. If people are interested enough in the hobby, getting a technician ticket is not hard. I think this will serve as a great introductory way to get more people interested in doing the real thing and radiating some RF.

73,

Matt
.:kc8dss:.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KC9ASI on May 3, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

The problem that I see is a lack of kits and project suggestions that are usable by the average "new ham".

"Back in the day", I'm told that it was typical for someone to go and buy a regenerative receiver kit with their paper route money, and let the radio bug bite.

Then, add on a simple transmitter kit and beg a few crystals from somewhere. (When the license arrives, of course.)

Now, we're all drooling at the candy store, and plopping cash for the shiny HT, playing ARES/RACES, and feeling good because we're "giving back to the community". (Not necessarily bad.)

However, that's not so much "playing radio" as I'd like.

Where's the kits and projects that encourage the new hams (the Technician licensees without morse code endorsement) to build something and get on the air?

Frankly, I'd love to see the Bodan Six or a similar kit come stateside. 6m is legal for everyone Technician and higher, it encourages the apetite for doing more with less, gets people building... and generally good things.

BTW: I did cry when I finally broke down and _BOUGHT_ a few antennas. (I console myself by saying that Mobile and HT antennas don't count. :) )

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by MCL on May 4, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

This is a fascinating discussion. As a new ham (I passed my technician exam this morning, with a perfect score), let me share some of my feelings.

First, some background: I've always been fascinated by communication in all forms. From an early interest in radio and telephone communications (which became a somewhat unhealthy fascination with the phone company as a teenager), to codes and ciphers and concealed communication, to human interaction (leading to several degrees focusing on how we communicate with each other), to the Internet and digital communication (how I currently make a living), and currently in radio astronomy. (I managed what I like to call a pseudo-DX, a bit over 7 billion miles, recently -- I was present at the reception of one of the final signals from Pioneer 10, received on equipment I helped build and it's my job to maintain for SETI at the world's largest transciever: Arecibo Nat'l Observatory).

I came into Amateur radio by accident. I spent the past few years tinkering with 2.4GHz unlicensed datacomm (802.11b), learned to build a 1-meter Yagi, and started getting interested in long-haul wireless data. I started learning about FSK, discovered RTTY was alive and well, learned about packet (and am still excited about it as an emergency net access tool), and finally discovered a common interest in HT operations with a loose association of computer security folks I know.

So, I decided to start taking the exams. The tech ticket was easy, and most of the "hard stuff" was common math and basic electronics -- things I'd long since mastered.

I've yet to QSO. I'm waiting for my call to hit the FCC database.

Will I QSO anytime soon? Well, that depends. I've got two HTs (a Yaesu VX-5r and a Yaesu VX-7r), a few dual-band replacement antennas and a new tri-band whip I picked up today. I've got the current national and local repeater lists. I'm studying for my code ticket, which I'm going to take in the next 2-4 weeks, followed closely by the General test, and then, yes, I'm going for Extra.

Why the hesitation to QSO and become active? A few reasons I can list off the top of my head:

1) Attitude. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the approach many of the helpful hams have. It's a refreshing change from the curmudgeony attitude found everywhere on the net (which I myself have been guilty of on more than one occasion). But as a relative outsider looking in, I see a group (more accurately, a collection of groups) unhappy with each other, and themselves. This isn't a very welcoming atmosphere for the newcomer. Internal strife in any group is usually a warning sign to the newcomer, when it seems endemic and unproductive. Which brings me to my next reason:

2) Inertia. For all the complaining I see, I see much less action towards a goal to resolve the complaints being aired. Many seem content to whine, very few seem willing to work towards changing their circumstance. Were the complaints a quiet sussuration in the background, it could be overlooked as the result of long-lived institutionalization. But the bickering is loud, frequent, and easily seen by the newcomer, and seems to be un/counter-productive. This is also a turnoff.

3) Confusion. For the newcomer, this is a VERY confusing hobby. Not because of the technical content -- that's masterable. It's because of the rampant use of both formal and informal abbreviations, and the lack of adherence (and in some cases, apparent contempt for) the communications standards taught. For example, I had to email my local VEC just to find out whether BT, "vvv", "vvv vvv", or something similar would be used in the sample QSO for the code test, if they're all interchangeable, and what they represent. Many of the prowords aren't expanded anywhere (SK as "silent key", for example), and those that are require detective work to find. And then there's the debate I was reading in the forums here, regarding the use of ER ("didididididididih") vs. ii ("didih didih") vs. various other approaches to indicate CW errrors. And the lack of adherence to similar standards on phone. Newcomers are taught one method and standard of behavior and one set of behavior, only to find many practitioners ignoring them in favor of shorthand approaches, and justifying it because "everyone does it", or "experienced hams would know what it means", or "it's just informal communication". Personally, I see the same justification on the net for poor spelling, grammar, and formatting of emails and discussion group posts. I fail to see these as valid points to support such behavior there, and I fail to seem them as valid here. A hobby focused exclusively on communication should respect the boundaries established for that communication, and police itself accordingly -- which brings me to my final reason:

4) Lack of enforcement/lack of use. just tonight, I was scanning 40m novice CW to find a few QSOs to copy, and I find instead someone sitting on 7100, playing music, having a chat with friends, and nobody identifying themselves. Other times, I've spent hours scanning 6m, 2m, 222, and 440, hearing nothing. Granted, it's just a 5W HT, but I know it has a functional receiver. The volume was turned up. The speaker and headphones both work. But I got hours of dead air. In fact, in the past month of intermittent scanning, I've found 3 ragchews (all 2m), and one CW session. Perhaps it's my lack of "insider knowledge" about when certain things occur on certain frequencies (in fact, I'm certain this is a part of it. I know the information exists, but finding it -- particularly as a newcomer -- is both daunting and difficult).

Bundle this all up, and what you've got is someone with an interest, and the willingness to grow in the hobby. That same someone, however, is on the outside looking in at what amounts to a contest between obfuscation and chaos. This isn't meant as a criticism, except perhaps as a constructive one. I want in (and, technically [pun intended], I *am* in, as soon as my name hits the FCC database), but I'm somewhat off-put by what I see when I look at the group to which I am to belong.

I personally see that as an opportunity to effect change within the group, but change of that magnitude cannot come from the actions of a single individual. The group must want to change as well. I've seen comments that suggest there's been too much change already, but who can honestly say they're content with the amateur community status quo?

In the meantime, I'll get my code ticket, and spend time working CW, because -- believe it or not -- CW interests me. But, as others have mentioned, if nobody ever answers, it'll get old quickly, and I will move on to other things (living in a north-facing, third-floor apartment, I'm somewhat limited as far as high-gain HF antennas).

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by MCL on May 4, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

One final point I meant to raise, but forgot:

5) Redundancy. Phone is what the outsider sees most when they look at amateur operations, and phone is something they can do myriad other ways. Think back to the time before cellphones, the Internet, and, to a lesser extent, ubiquitous televisions and telephones. Ham radio was exciting, because it provided a means to do something otherwise impossible for the average citizen.

What the hobby needs (or, more accurately, needs to focus on to attract and hold the interest of newcomers) is a return to that sense of wonder that ham radio had in the past -- the ability to do things otherwise impossible.

EME. Satellite bounces. ISS and shuttle comms.

Note that all of these are in some way associated with extraplanetary activity. That's not necessarily an accident. Much of the rest of the hobby overlaps with one or more ubiquitous (and at this point, appliancized) forms of communication. Sure, I see the allure of DX. Someone not yet bitten by the bug isn't going to "get it", though. As another poster mentioned, this is something much more easily and efficiently done with email or instant messaging.

The hobby needs more "shiny" methods. Methods that buy you something you can't get otherwise. Eye-grabbers and attention-getters that also have some depth to them. Things the average person can't do with their computer and cable modem, or their cellphone. Things some of them will want to do, over and over again.

In short, amateur radio needs a new killer app.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by W4UUU on May 4, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Dear New "Hams",

I know what you mean, about the price of new radios.
AES has Sales constantly on nice Products. Ten-Tec now has kits available. Recently got an Alinco backup radio, for far less than a $1000.00, and find myself using it more than my more expensive Kenwood, `cuz of it`s ease of operation. And it powers up my old Heathkit SB201 with no problems.
I finally got my Novice ticket in `78, at the age of 46. (My life long dream).
Started getting up super early in the morning to get on 40 Meters Novice Band. And religously would work that Band, till time to get ready for work. By doing this, I was getting Code speed up to the point, that I got my Advanced in Dec. `80.
Worked CW for 24 of those years, accumulating a total of 257 Countries. Year, or so ago I joined a net on SSB, at 7AM, Eastern Time, till 7:30AM, all the rest is CW. But now I discover that my CW proficiency is dropping off, `cuz you new operators have fled the Novice Band on 40 Meters.
I`ll start monitoring 40 Meters, and will work anyone at their speed, from 4AM, till7AM.
Lets get going Guys, and Gals. I gotta get my Code Speed back up where it should be, and you folks are the ones that can help me.
GOD, luvya !
.....Eustache "ED" Ames...W4UUU
w4uuu@strato.net

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by W3ULS on May 4, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Note to "MCL" et al:

With regard to the confusing amount of abbreviations and terminology that a new ham confronts, the ARRL recently put up on its web site a comprehensive glossary <http://www.arrl.org/qst/glossary.html> and another comprehensive listing of abbreviations <http://www.arrl.org/qst/aguide/Abbrev_AWE.pdf>. I hope the ARRL (or someone) will publish these things in printed form.

There are glossaries in many different ARRL publications, but they are incomplete and usually focused on that particular publication. The web site glossary/abbreviations are the only source I know of for an overview and are very helpful to me. They may be to you as well.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by MCL on May 4, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Though those two lists are indeed helpful, they don't quite address my point (which is entirely my fault; I don't think I made the point clearly enough).

Take the PDF list of abbreviations. There's one (!) Q-code in there, and its meaning, rather than expansion, is given. I know the "Q" part of the code is arbitrary, but the rest of the code must have *some* meaning. Otherwise, the set of Q-codes would just be a sequential list of letters, preceeded by the letter Q, to which definitions were arbitrarily assigned.

And if this is in fact the case, why isn't it mentioned anywhere?

Neither list provides an expansion or definition for most of the common prowords. Nowhere is "AR" expanded, or even defined.

The key to learning these sorts of things (for me, at least), is not just repetition and memorization, learning that certains strings of characters have certain meaning (e.g., Morse). It's understanding their history, their use, and -- in the case of acronyms -- their expansion.

You see, "SK" makes perfect sense to me, now that I know it's "Silent Key". It's easier to remember as the pair of letters "S" and "K", its purpose is easier to remember, and its placement at the end of QSOs makes intuitive sense now. Much moreso than were it still an opaque character string.

"AR", on the other hand, is still confusing to me. I know what it means, but what is it an acronym of? From where did it come, and why is it used the way it is?

"BT", for "Begin Transmission", was making sense to me, until I found that some people use it not only at the beginning of a transmission, but to indicate breaks in transmission as well. The same goes for "vvv". I know it's used, and I even know why (it's easy, it's readily-identifiable), but which is correct, and which is convention? Hearing "5NN" (and the other substitutions of letters for numbers) baffles me as a newcomer, who saw no such description of such abbreviations being standard, or even common practice.

I've yet to see "UR" even explained, nor "KN" (A proword my VEC mentioned I should learn). I've got a sneaking suspicion (one that's tightly coupled with a churning stomach) that "UR" is supposed to represent "You are". I grok that usage in CW, because brevity is the order of the day (or so I've gathered. Nobody's explained why QSOs look the way they do...everyone seems content to say only, "This is what a QSO contains"). But I also see similar shortcuts appearing in typed text, without explanation. Is it laziness? Accepted practice? Is there a standard for that sort of thing defined somewhere?

I suppose what I'm getting at is this: Nowhere does there seem to be collected the knowledge necessary to understand the communications aspect of CW and phone from the ground up. Sure, there are literally tons of texts that will explain the theory behind the RF and circuitry as used for either, but the breadth and depth one finds there seems limited to the technical side of things. There doesn't seem to be a text anywhere that explains why prowords are what they are, how and when they're used, why CW is the way it is, and so forth.

In short, there doesn't seem to be anything out there that makes all the abbreviations and acronyms in active use during communication *meaningful* to those who are just coming to the hobby. We see them, and we're just told, "learn them". That's not a bad thing per se, but it would be made quite a bit easier if that aspect of the hobby was laid out clearly, defining all terms, explaining the structure of the communication (both phone and CW), the history and evolution of that structure and those terms, the current standards and practices for that communication, and the variants and justification for same (such as hearing "NN" where one expects "99").

Otherwise, it's like studying auto mechanics for years, finally opening the hood of a running vehicle, and finding half an engine held together by a wriggling pile of mealworms. Sure, you can learn to work with it, but why the car runs at all is somewhat of a mystery to you, and you feel just the tiniest bit confused, because what you see in practice bears little relation to what you learned in study.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K0RGR on May 4, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

MCL - welcome to Amateur Radio - I'm sure you'll find a lot of strange things in our Ham vocabulary.

Sorry, but 'SK' has two meanings. When you read QST and other publications, 'SK' is often used to mean 'Silent Key', which is a euphemism for an amateur who has gone to the great Wouff Hong initiation in the sky. On CW, it is meant to end a QSO - and like some of the other prosigns we use, it goes way back to the 19th century and landline telegraph operators. If you have ever studied journalism, you may know that it was traditional for journalists to end their stories with '30'. '30' was the prosign that the telegraphers used to end a message. '30' in American Morse (used on the land telegraph) was ...-. - , which sounds like SK in International Morse that we use.

5NN is shorthand for 599. Again, back in the days of hand keys, instead of sending a long string of dashes, the operator would hold down the key for a long dash. A long dash followed by a dot was 9, a long dash with no dot was a zero. Hence, Dahhhhhhdit got interpreted to N when we started using electronic keys that could not make the long dashes.

UR (your) is part of the 'Phillips Code' another old telegrapher's shotcut - a list of common words were abbreviated to 2-3 letters to save time in sending telegrams.

No, there is no rhyme nor reason to the last two or three letters in a Q signal. I won't say they were randomly assigned, but it would seem so. When followed by a question mark, the Q-signal is a question. Sadly, we tend to abuse these Q signals - they weren't intended for use on 'phone, and when they are used there it is often incorrectly. However, if you know the basic meanings, it all comes together.

With apologies to many other authors, the ARRL Operating Manual (not the handbook) is pretty much the ultimate resource for operating information and etiquette. It should be required reading for every ham!!! I have been licensed almost 40 years, and I keep one handy at all times, because nobody can remember it all!!! Get a copy and browse through. Read the chapter on CW operations and Chapter 17, which containes a multitude of reference materials. You will be very glad you did, and so will the people who work you!

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KG4OCV on May 4, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Hi. Here's my take on this. Why are new hams inactive...because they just don't want to give it a shot, I guess. I haven't been a ham long. Her's my story. I saw an ad for FRS radios..they looked cool, so I bought some. My wife called me a geek and refused to tlak to me. Bummer. But, I went to a bunch of FRs siteson the internet, and saw people talikng about scanners. I thought that looked neat, so I bought one. Again, I read everything on the internet I could, and saw a lot of people writing about ham radio. I didn't even realize that was stillaround, so I staried reading all I could on the net about ham radio. It looked like fun, so I bought the books, studied, and took my test. I bought an HT, and joined the local clubs. I talked on the repeater, and I listened a lot.

They key is, I didn't wait for someone to hold my hand and drag me into ham radio. Elemers are great, but if you want to have fun in ham radio, take the initiative and do something. You can't really do anything wrong..after all, you have a license. The only way to learn is by going out there and trying. Everyone makes mistakes, so what. nobody is going to bite your head off. Everyone I've ever met or talked to in ham radio has been really nice.

Jeff

Radio Active New Ham

by KC8WBK on May 4, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

It is a great time to get into ham radio. Money isn't a problem. There are many good low cost, high quality qrp kits available, such from Small Wonder Labs, Emtech and many others. I bought a SW+ kit for less than a hundred dollars and built it while studying for Elements 1 and 2. My monoband CW kit, a wire resonant dipole, straight key and ear bud headphones are powered by a wall wart or 8 AA batteries. CW isn't a problem. It took me about 2 months of hard studying with tapes and a great computer program, MorseCat, which made learning CW easy. The Internet isn't a problem. I learned more about ham radio from the net than from any book. There are great communities of people discussing various areas of interest, and they will help you out (although you do have to be prepared for the occasional flamer, hey its the net). The ham tests aren't a problem. Heck, they give you the answers on the ARRL website. What more do you need? I spent a lot of time learning CW. I also read through Now You're Talking and read the Tech and General questions many times. Passed the test back in March. No sweat. New hams aren't active? I don't buy it. Check out +/- 7120 some evening, lots of folks trying out CW and lots of experienced hams helping them out. I'm saving my dollars for a "big rig", maybe an ICOM 718. But there is plenty to listen to on 40m CW. My 2 watt output usually gets me one hop on skip, and the other ops seem to be able to copy me well, even if my signal is not as strong as others. I am also reading the ARRL Handbook and trying to learn basic electronic theory so I can put together a simple homebrew xcvr and understand what each section is doing. I would also like to get into PSK and 15M, 17M and 20M DXing, and I would need another xcvr for that stuff, probably not QRP. The point is, not all new hams are carrying walkie talkies as a first step. Also, being a new ham is about learning new things, and anyone who does not have the motivation to keep learning is not going to hang in there very long. The motivation comes from personal interest. I do have one suggestion for helping out new hams. When trying out contesting, the code speed is so fast that I can't get the callsign. I can copy 10wpm and I can prbably get a callsign at 15wpm after a few repeats, but faster than that I can't seem to copy at all. If contesters were to send a 10wpm or 15wpm cq every once and a while it would help out new hams get into contesting.

Do we need the DRAMA?

by N6HBJ on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

W4UUU, sir you are seriously overdoing this. It is not as complicated and dramatic as you are are making it out to be. Every hobby/job/field/sport or whatever has it's own lingo, rules, etc. Your idea to simply LISTEN for a while is a good one. LISTEN and you will learn! This applies to all fields of life ham or not.

BTW, other countries allow hams to use phone communications in the 40 meter "CW" band. And you will find broadcasters there too. You would have known that if you listened more. (I had to say that).

PS. Been a ham since 1982. I Couldn't give a hoot about satellite or EME. So your reality isn't everyone else's reality.

73 Mike

RE: Do we need the DRAMA?

by N6HBJ on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

W4UUU, sorry OM. I meant to direct the above post to "MCL".

RE: Do we need the DRAMA?

by MCL on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Here's a perfect example of the "attitude" to which I refer above.

Thanks for making a newcomer feel welcome. In the future, I'll make it a point to keep silent.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N6HBJ on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

MCL.

Its interesting that you haven't even received your ticket in the mail yet and already you are telling the rest of us how to "recapture the magic" of ham radio as if it is lost already.

I've been a ham for 21 years and it is STILL magical. And I don't give a darn about satellite, ISS, or whatever. Good ole SSB and the ionisphere. Thats all the magic I need.

Most hams are out here simply to talk with and meet friends. Same as it ever was.

RE: Do we need the DRAMA?

by N6HBJ on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

MCL, I stand by my post. I find it bemusing that someone with zero ham experience is telling everyone what to do to save ham radio.

This is equivalent to starting a new job and on the first day telling your boss how to run the company.

At least put a little time in. C'mon man.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by MCL on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

And I think you're misunderstanding what I wrote. I'm not addressing the interest of existing hams. I'm proving you with the viewpoint of someone who is relatively outside the ham arena, looking in.

In short, I'm telling you what I see, from a perspective you can't hope to have, having been a ham for 21 years.

Take it or leave it. Personally, I find your responses exactly the sort of thing that is so offputting to so many. First, you misaddress your venom, then you miscomprehend my points. You suggest I do not know about that which I speak (specifically, you suggest that I do not recognize what I heard on 40m for what it was, rather than the abuse I know it was), you make assumptions about my (lack of) knowledge and experience, and you buttress your own implied expertise by asserting your length in the hobby.

I didn't walk into that test, or this hobby, tabula rasa. My knowledge did not begin when I walked out of the testing center, nor did passing the test bestow any magical knowledge upon me.

Perhaps, in the future, you might consider softening your approach a bit. I recognize you're nonrepresentative of the hobby, and I've got a fairly thick skin. The next newcomer you jump on might not. If zero-population growth in the hobby is what you're after, it's a fine approach. But I don't think that's really what you want.

THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING

by N6HBJ on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

MCL

1. You don't know me so you don't know my perspective. You are doing exactly what you are accusing me of. Making assumptions. So take a lesson from your own words.

2. I'm not being "venomous". I stated my opinion without malice. If you feel that I am, then you surely ARE thin skinned.

3. Ham radio is surviving fine all by itself. We are at an all time national high level of hams in the US. The sky is not falling.

4. You claim that we need to return to the "sense of wonder from the past". What makes you think it isn't there now? I could have called my friend across town on the telephone just as easily as I had keyed my microphone on my 2 meter radio. This was in 1982 before cell phones and computers.

5. Ham radio doesn't need "shiny methods" as you call them. Ham radio isn't some competition against the rest of the world at their computer desks or on their cell phones. That was lost long ago with the advent of the telephone (see number 4 above).

Ham radio is what it is. And its fine. Its not as fractured as you make it out to be. Oh the drama.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WA2JJH on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

MCL, STICK TO YOUR GUNS AND DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED.
I went though the same hazing 26 years ago.
zyou have the right to your vision of how you want ham radio to be for you.

You have a right to your vision. LAST TIME I CHECKED MY PASSPORT IT SAID U.S.A.

This thread has a psyco-pathology to it. You will have to pick and choose, which hams will help you or hurt you.

It is human nature for people that have been in any hobby a while to have an attitude to the "NEW JACK".

Keep studying,upgrade quick, and realise that you might get lambasted by a minority. However the minority are also entitled to their opinion too.

Most hams will help you, rather then shoot you down.

I got lip recenty from another on 440, because
I did not wait for the coutesy beep to go off in between a single transmission. We were both EXTRA's!
The other ham had his ticket for 40 years.

Nobody is the perfect HAM! hence the name amatuer
radio!

73 and good luck MIKE

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KD7UHL on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I am a new ham. In late January I was talking to another ham and decided to take the exam. It was something I had toyed with 35 years ago with a club and neighbors.

After the exam I asked the VE's about their clubs, meeting times and interests. They told me to look up the the club info on the web and they couldn't talk now because they wanted to take care of the remaining paperwork and leave.

I'm now in New England. I've been to one club meeting. I contacted the club president in advance and informed him that I was new in the area and a new ham and wanted to find out about activity beyond 2m FM. He told me where the meeting was and that I should look up how to get there on the web. At the meeting people said hi and that was about it.

I've asked at an amateur radio store for information on activity and interest in the area and was given a repeater to listen for a particular call sign.

During contacts I let people know I am new and ask for information and get little or no response.

I believe that the experienced hams do not know or have forgotten how to include new people in their activity. They are comfortable with their friends and do not consider inviting someone new into their circle.

My interest lies beyond 2m FM but without someone to show me I'm not going to jump in, try everything and find out what I like. Without the help I will probably become inactive.

Look my up on QRZ if you wish to reply directly.

RE: THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING

by MCL on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

N6HBJ:

You say:

"1. You don't know me so you don't know my perspective. You are doing exactly what you are accusing me of. Making assumptions. So take a lesson from your own words."

The "perspective" I claim you have is that of someone with 21 years as a ham. More importantly, the perspective I claim you lack is that of a brand-new ham, or of a non-ham.

It is simply impossible (references from 30 years of cognitiev psychology research available upon request, and with a bit of patience) for you to perceive the field as a newcomer, or non-ham, would perceive it.

You say:
"3. Ham radio is surviving fine all by itself. We are at an all time national high level of hams in the US. The sky is not falling."

That's an interesting use of statistics. What's the rate of new, never-before-been-a-licensed-ham technician licensing in the US per capita? increasing, decreasing, or stable?

If you're going to resort to statistics, THAT is the statistic that would indicate a stable or growing membership, NOT the overall number of licensed hams. That could simply be due to population growth, or lapsed licensees receiving new licenses.

You say:
"4. You claim that we need to return to the "sense of wonder from the past". What makes you think it isn't there now? I could have called my friend across town on the telephone just as easily as I had keyed my microphone on my 2 meter radio. This was in 1982 before cell phones and computers."

I'm saying that amateur radio is in deperate need of decent marketing to non-hams. And that marketing needs to include a "sense of wonder", something that's not a redundant function of existing technology. And I'm saying that "sense of wonder" is for the benefit of non-hams, not existing hams (the position from which you seem determined to argue).

You say:
"5. Ham radio doesn't need "shiny methods" as you call them. Ham radio isn't some competition against the rest of the world at their computer desks or on their cell phones. That was lost long ago with the advent of the telephone (see number 4 above)."

See my response to #4 above. If you're content to hide the hobby away (it is quite well hidden now, and currently grows mostly through an apprenticeship model), then you shouldn't be surprised by the number revealed by the statistic I recommend in response to #3 above.

The question at hand is not, "how do we keep ham radio from dying," it's, "why are most new hams inactive?" The answer to that question lay in the points I raised (assuming the question is valid to begin with).

New hams, protohams, and potential hams face a hobby that seems to play things close to the vest, in which the arcane knowledge will only be passed down from elder to novitiate, and only after said novitiate is deemed worthy. They face a hobby in which opinions are valueless until the opinion-holder has reached a certain license level or time-in-hobby. These are a few of the things that tend to make new hams shy away: frustration, disillusion, and perceived unwelcomeness.

Before you respond again, consider this: Everything I've said -- EVERYTHING -- has to do with a new ham's, or non-ham's, perception of the field, and NOT yours. If you perceive the hobby differently, that's great! But to argue that no problem exists because you are unwilling and/or unable to see it is at best a logical fallacy.
Your previous responses have assumed that I'm expecting the hobby to change, or that I'm attacking your comfortable niche in the hobby.

I'm not. I'm simply saying that the non-ham's/novice-ham's perception of the hobby is quite a bit different than that of someone with 21 active years under their belt. We are blind men trying to identify an elephant, and you're insisting I'm describing the tail you've got a hold of, while in fact I'm trying to tell you that the rest of the non-ham world sees only the trunk. For whatever reason, you keep thinking my description of the trunk is an attack on your opinion of the tail.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WB8ROL on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

MCL --
Welcome to Ham Radio. I'm sure you will find many things that seem and are inconsistent - many things that may disappoint you (and others). I do hope you will find something that will interest and delight you. Many people like Ham Radio for many different reasons.
As far as standardization ..... well we suffer from the same malady as most of the rest of the world and life in general does ..... Ham Radio is a living and changing thing -- not static - and Ham Radio is really referred more accurately as Amateur Radio. We aren't professionals, purists, perfectionists, or experts as a group. We have, though, made important contributions
to humanity and will likely continue to do so.
It is OK to want more consistency and to even work towards it (if it seems important to you) BUT I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for it. Amateur Radio is an evolving "hobby" and I wouldn't want it to be too rigid and uniform. In fact, I find the inconsistencies and oddities in Ham Radio add color, charm, warmth, and character to a group who could be otherwise too clinical , quasi scientific, and just plain boring.
Anyway, congrats on the new ticket and hope you get it soon. Decide what you want to get out of the hobby and go for it. If you can't get what you need or want ... then you may need to go elsewhere to find it.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KG4LLQ on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I don't think most new hams are inactive. I think, for some, the novelty wears off. BUT, for me at 57 years old, I stand in amazement and in awe that I can take a radio, either one I built or bought, and string an antenna I made to it and I can talk to almost anyone in the world. The wonder of it all still gives me goose-bumps! I don't really need a phone line or an internet provider or even the power company to help me do it. I can do it myself!
I've only been a ham for a little over two years; but my interest in radio goes back 43 years when I was a teenager. My interest in radio was suppressed because of college, military service and the need to establish a career. BUT, my interest in radio never really died. Why was it revived?
Because of a most active and friendly local amateur radio club! I live in Randolph County North Carolina and we have the finest hams anywhere. Period. Our club encouraged me to study for my tests, they helped me erect my antenna and they advised me on many many technical matters. Whenever I have questions, I simply ask and am answered. Never have I felt "stupd" because of a question I had asked. I can't say enough good things about our friendly & active club.
Our club enjoys an active 2 meter group. Whenever a new ham announces his presence on our "machine", he's greeted and encouraged to participate. He or she is invited to our club meetings and is given a hearty welcome when he or she attends!
Well, that's why I enjoy ham radio. Sure I love HF and contesting and chasing a little DX, but most of all I enjoy the encouraging friendship of fellow hams who are there when we need each other.
73, Ken

RE: THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING

by N6HBJ on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

MCL said:
"It is simply impossible (references from 30 years of cognitiev psychology research available upon request, and with a bit of patience) for you to perceive the field as a newcomer, or non-ham, would perceive it."

MCL, I totally disagree. I remember quite well the fascination and excitement that I felt when exposed to shortwave radio and ham radio for the first time. If not EXACT, I can certainly remember it plenty close. Certainly close enough to be in the ballpark as to how a current newcomer would feel.

MCL said:
"That's an interesting use of statistics. What's the rate of new, never-before-been-a-licensed-ham technician licensing in the US per capita? increasing, decreasing, or stable?"

Ham radio IS surviving by itself. The number of hams are at an all time high. So what if per capita the percentage has decreased?! Lets assume hypothetically for sake of argument that there is a ham on every block in every city in America, and then suddenly one day the US population doubled overnight, that would mean that "per capita" the ham population would have dropped an alarming 50%! But so what? There still would be a ham on every single street in America and certainly no shortage of hams Do you see where this is going? Statisics don't always mean squat.

Here is a parallel example. Crime in America is getting worse and worse. Close to home. Yet if you look at it "per capita" you may see that crime is actually LOWER than ever percentage wise. That is no comfort to me or millions of other Americans because as far as we are concerned, crime is way high and not many Americans would say that crime is going away any time soon. Regardless of STATISTICS.

MCL said:
"I'm saying that amateur radio is in deperate need of decent marketing to non-hams. And that marketing needs to include a "sense of wonder", something that's not a redundant function of existing technology."

Ham radio is NOT in desperate need of marketing. It has never been marketed as a mainstream hobby. It has survived and continued to thrive over the years very well despite views such as yours which have been predicting the fall of ham radio for decades.

Like I said on my last post, I could have easily picked up the phone and talked to my friend across town, but instead I picked up the mic on my 2 meter FM rig. Now THAT act(talking on the radio across 2 miles) was certainly a redundant function of existing technology (telephone) at the time, but why did I do it? Because it was fun. It was fun because RADIO is fun, not because I was able to beat my phone. At the time, there were others with your opinion. Yet inspite of telephones and the internet, ham radio operators are everyday picking up their microphones to chat across town when they could just as easily pick up the phone. Why is this? Hint: the answer has NOTHING to do with shiny technology.

MCL said
"The question at hand is not, "how do we keep ham radio from dying," it's, "why are most new hams inactive?" The answer to that question lay in the points I raised (assuming the question is valid to begin with)."

Who in the world is this guy who claims that most new hams are inactive?! This original poster had several answers but all except for one of them dealt with people who never got their ticket to begin with, not people who are already hams. So he asked the wrong question. Only one of his answers dealt with a ham losing interest after being licensed.

MCL said
" to argue that no problem exists because you are unwilling and/or unable to see it is at best a logical fallacy."

There certainly arent problems with ham radio to the degree that warrant your theme of it being a "desperate" situation. Geez, talk about exageration! Like I said, "Oh the drama". Minor problems sure. You can find a problem anywhere if you look hard enough.

When I became a ham in high school, there was only one other ham operator in high school. Ham radio was always considered some geeky science dork hobby. And it still is considered that. Most kids would rather chase girls and hot cars than sit at home talking on the radio. Thinking back, I would rather haved chased girls too but I was a geek at the time. So every one of us is a nerd to some degree. Ham will never be a mainstream hobby and frankly I like it that way. Thats what makes it special. Not everyone can do it.

Can you imagine the HORROR and melee that would ensue on the bands if ham radio was a household name and every teenage kid was as interested in ham radio half as much as he was interested in his computer games? That would SURELY be the end of this fine hobby!! Oh wait! Those of us who remember CB radio don't have to imagine it. We lived it.

Good old "arcane" amateur radio. If it aint broke, don't fix it.

RE: THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING

by KG4OOA on May 5, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I just wanted to say how correct you are. Only one slight difference. I chased skirts and played ham at the same time. But you are 100% correct.

73,
Bob,KG4OOA

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KG6R on May 6, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I may have a few clues on this subject below.

There were no classes in my area starting up , so I had to study alone. Not whining but I had no chance to meet other new hams in my area. My local club meets early on Sat. morning not the best time for me after a 60 hour work week.

I rec'd my license last week. I did several hours of web surfing to compare equipment and finally thought I would settle on at Patcomm 9000. I came to find out they no longer make the model. The replacement model will be ready on Dec.

I asked an on-line Elmer to help with equipment selection and they were not very helpful in the final analysis.

After deciphering the maze of available equipment, I plunked down my hard earned bucks on a ft-8900.

I went on the air tonight and called CQ on 2 meters until I was blue in the face. No one replied although I heard plenty of folks chatting away. Now I remember why I gave up my Novice license 25 years ago. Too few successful contacts..... It's the old boy network.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WA2JJH on May 6, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Sorry for the last poster's, old boy network experience.

2 METERS IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO START OUT

In my day, you started with HF CW. Then with the General ticket worked some hf phone.

2 meter fm repeaters came later.
Also calling CQ on a repeater is not the way to go.
Just say your call, then say listening.

Yes some 2 meter repeaters are exclusive. I have found 440 to be warmer. Many 440 people just wanted out of 2 meters. So they understand.

I recommend to hams I elmer to save up and buy one of those D.C.-daylight rigs. Like a FT-100D or ICOM 706
For 700-800 bux, you get your 6M, 2m and 440, and you can listen in on HF CW and phone.

No it is not a nifty dual bander you can put in your shirt pocket.

However you will see all the modes and bands of Ham radio.You get a high quality shortwave receiver to boot.Also a police scanner as well. All in one little car stereo sized box.Digital modes, computer interfacing, and other station do-hickeys

You might find that HF is what you want. 2M you can start your own little group. I had a regular group on simplex. my Drake tr-33 put out only 1.5 watts. I had a crew in no time

2 meters is not the ambassador to ham radio!

Back in my day a two meter H-T was a frill.
We had to use XTALS. Some of us bought decommisioned
police motorola VHF radio's(ht-220's amd MX-350's)

Give it another shot. You passed 5 WPM a while ago,got your tech. See if you can get a General ticket!

Do not let a bunch of elitest turn you off!

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KA0SOH on May 6, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

We have too many weak activities. 1. Field Days are usually weak events now. We need at least three per year. 2. There is simply too much politicized chicken band talk on ham bands nowadays. Kids learn to ignore things like that as they seem to be getting it regularly in everyother media so why waste time in a hobby that is supposed to support national interests in health, emergency services, education, welfare, public service, etc. 3. We could change this even now by offering the incentives of long ago such as decency, electronic skills, wide body of knowledge, etc. 4.Even the code is a very good tool because people that learn and use it, get into the mystic. Its part of our "mystique" even now. 5. Our postal authorities could help ham by just making the QSL card a virtual "freebie" and not such an expensive activity. Kids get excited about cards from mysterious places. 6. Clubs are slow to recruit and do little to retain. Younger people in general have more demands made on their time than 40 yrs ago. Ham is less enticing and less exciting to kids.
We need the excitement. We're boring.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KD7UHL on May 6, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Thanks for the info on 2 meter FM. I suspect you are correct that this is not the way to go when getting started. I received advice from several sources while on an assignment in Las Vegas. I think that there are several possible reasons for the advice.

1) Those giving the advice are experienced hams and feel that 2 meter FM is the easiest and least expensive way to get started.

2) Those giving the advice find talking with established friends enjoyable and assume that this is the best place to begin.

I've begun researching HF and 6 meter transceivers and operation. The QST and eHam reviews and forum postings are helpful but nothing beats seeing someone's shack, watching them operate and asking questions.

WJM

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WB2WIK on May 6, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

KG6QHP, sorry to hear about your experience, which was obviously a repeat performance of a long-past experience. I'm guessing you personally did it wrong, both times.

2m FM/repeater work is absolutely, positively a wonderful thing to extend the range of mobile and portable equipment, and is used for that. It's not ham radio, by a long shot. It needn't be friendly, it's an accessory application.

Before 1965, fewer than one percent of all ham radio operators had any way to operate 2m FM. We were far better off back in those days.

For those of us who choose to actually enjoy, and participate in, this hobby, FM and repeater work is such a small portion of our activities that it's inconsequential.

If you decide to start over, sell the FM gear and get going with the hobby! There are interesting digital modes, satellites, moonbounce, weak-signal terrestrial work and many horizons to conquer, and hundreds or thousands will be right there alongside you trying to conquer them first. It's great fun. There's nothing to conquer using FM. Might as well just stay in chat rooms on the internet, it's about as interesting.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N6HBJ on May 6, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

KG6QHP,

please don't give up! Here are some tips:

1. calling "CQ" is not normally done on "channelized" FM work, especially on a repeater. CQ is done when you are trying to attract someone's attention who may be tuning his VFO dial up and down the band and come across your frequency (usually HF). So calling CQ on 2 meters unless it is on sideband or maybe simplex, sounds kinda silly.

2. The general practice is to give your call and then maybe your location followed by "listening" or "monitoring." This doesn't always work well though because if you listen to ANY repeater long enough, you will hear many people say that numerous times all day long. You can't answer EVERYONE, and some guys are just waiting for their budies to respond to.

3. The BEST way is to listen alot and find a repeater where there is a person or a group of people who you find interesting. After they finish their conversation, you need to SPECIFICALLY CALL the ham you wish to speak with. Engage him in conversation related to what you hear him talking about. Most people will be happy to talk with someone about a subject that they are familiar with or have a mutual interest. Sometimes others will jump into the conversation with comments and now you have made some new friends. What I do is take some notes on who I talk to, like their name, location, job, hobbies, etc or whatever. Just something that I can remember them by.

You can also ask to make a comment in the middle of a conversation you are listening to but be careful not to be bullish. If they are interested, they will engage you.

From there you can SLOWLY intergrate yourself over a period of weeks into the fraternity. When I say slowly I don't mean call the guy everday single day or every single time you hear him on the repeater. This would annoy anyone. Just say hi a couple of times a week when you hear him/them and he/they will begin to become familiar with you and chat more often or even call YOU if he/they hears you talking on the machine.

I GUARANTEE you that this method will be successful unless you have a personality problem. Just put in the effort and time but at the same time don't try TOO hard-it will show.

Calling CQ or even announcing yourself is in my experience not very successful approach. You need to reach out to people. Call them first. If you give up the hobby over this, you will be making a serious mistake.

BTW, I just got the 8900 also. Great rig!

73 Mike

RE: THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING

by N6HBJ on May 6, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

I wanted to add something regarding MCL's opinion of attracting people with 'shiny' technology as he puts it.

Whenever I have discussed ham radio with a layperson they almost always ask me the same question: "But what do you guys talk about?"

And thats a very important question. Because if there is no content to our communications, then it means little to the average person. All the satellites, digital, television, moonbounce etc means NOTHING to a non ham if there is no content to the contact. If its simply a meaningless contact, the average layperson would compare it to making a phone call and then once your party answers, you then hang up.

The way to attract people is to use the HUMAN side of ham radio. Most everyone likes to have friends and make new friends. Most people like being social and being part of some kind of group or club with similar interests. THIS is what attracts people to ham radio. The idea of having friends just a flick of the switch away.

Certainly there are those with a more technical interest and and those that develop that later. All the fancy modes are neat but those are offshoots of ham radio. Quite often though, after the 'shiny" technology becomes mundane and loses its new car feeling, once you've "done it all" whats left?

The true core and allure of ham radio is, in my opinion, a couple of friends just chatting away. Just being human.

RE: THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING

by WB2WIK on May 7, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

N6HBJ, surely simply chatting, and interesting conversation, are part of ham radio -- but have never been the core, nor the core attraction, for most.

Chatting is easily done in chat rooms on the internet, for free. Chatting can be more easily accomplished on CB or FRS, because there are simply more people there, and these are license-free services.

Not many (not any, actually) hams I know of, including myself, became licensed to chat with people. I chat with people all day long, until I'm hoarse. Don't need more of that in my hobby.

The allure of ham radio is the experimental nature of it. We (American hams) are the only wireless communications service allowed to build our own equipment to our hearts' content, and to experiment 24/7 if we wish to, even using rather high power (1500W PEP output), far higher than any unlicensed service and also higher than allowed in many other countries. We are not even regulated with regard to effective radiated power, so if you can build a 1500W output station feeding a 30dB gain antenna system: Congratulations, you're now running 1.5 million Watts e.r.p., and it's legal on most bands and in most places (in the U.S.) for a licensed ham.

There's all sorts of things possible, and allowed, and all the interesting ones don't involve any chatting.

If I find someone interested in ham radio because he wants to chat, and only for that reason, I'd encourage him to pick up a CB rig and go for it.

WB2WIK/6

RE: THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING

by N6HBJ on May 7, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

WB2WIK,

Thats your opinion. Not mine.

Most hams like to chat or ragchew or whatever you call it. That includes the guys who are into experimenting.

Spend a day on the bands and listen to the hams ragchewing vs conducting experimental modes. I think the ratio of chatters to experimenters is quite high.

RE: THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING

by WB2WIK on May 8, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Hi Mike (HBJ),

Of course there's lots of chatting going on. I don't have to "spend a day on the bands," since I'm on the bands virtually every day, and am quite active on 160m through 70cm, making an average of about 20 contacts a day (during non-contest times), and have done so for more than 35 years.

Which would explain why I'm starting ARRL Logbook #292 now (1000 QSOs per book, and I have them all back to book #1).

But it's impossible to tell how many experimenters are out there, because most of us are chatting as well. I make contacts to help verify my latest antenna changes worked out well; or to see how propagation is, and how it's varying; or to see how far I can work with 1W when the band's in good shape; or any number of things. Those are all experimental in nature, and making contacts assists the experiments.

Just as operating contests is an experimental, competitive and often rewarding exercise. I operate lots of contests, mostly the worldwide DX ones, not to see if I can make 5,000 contacts in a weekend but to see how well I can do, compared with others; or, maybe to see if I can pick up any of those last few elusive DX entities I need; or to see if my antennas are working better this contest, compared with the last one. Or maybe just to get the adrenaline pumping.

I've worked e.m.e., satellites, every digital mode there is, and have been active on VHF-FM since the days of the earliest repeaters. I've built, installed and maintained (still do) two 2m repeaters, and none of that is to "chat." It's a community service, and one that has its own rewards. It's also one big experiment, since everything ultimately fails and requires service or redesign to prevent recurrance of the failure. And, of course it's great exercise to be climbing tall towers while maintaining repeater antennas!

So, I disagree that most hams just want to "chat." I don't know anybody who's been in the hobby as long as I have who would say that. There's nothing wrong with it, but "chatting" seems a silly goal for getting a ham ticket, when one can chat all day long without one.

WB2WIK/6

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WORLDWIDE390 on May 8, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

So JJ. Ya like Vikings?

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by W5WLB on May 8, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Interest in ham radio is down from 30 years ago, no doubt. Why? Because radio is old hat now. There is no "magic" in radio these days.Technology has moved on past that.Ham clubs around here are on there last legs, the last meeting had 23 people and the big club in Dallas had 34 present while there are thousands of hams in this area.I quit going because these clubs are devoted to two meters and repeaters, no talk about hf, cw, dx etc, just 2 meters. In fact I gave away my 2 meter gear because all the talk on 2 meters was about how they just talked to some guy in New York through a computer . Ham radio is not getting on a computer and talking through some repeater to another no coder in maine ! Its no wonder their interest fades. Might as well just dial up a ham chat roon and be done with it.
w5wlb
qcwa/ootc

RE: THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING

by N6HBJ on May 8, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

WB2WIK, well I guess I'm just "silly" and you are special.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by R0TER on May 9, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

ANNOYING PEOPLE. Like those that go bonkers over the the most trivial things.
Hams that have an attitude over ticket class, or god forbid you used a CB.

people that go out of their way to find a fault with some one else.

Lack of women in the hobby. Lets face it, on a date
you will not impress the babe if you say your a ham.

ARRL self appointed demi-gods of RF!

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by R0TER on May 9, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

ANNOYING PEOPLE. Like those that go bonkers over the the most trivial things.
Hams that have an attitude over ticket class, or god forbid you used a CB.

people that go out of their way to find a fault with some one else.

Lack of women in the hobby. Lets face it, on a date
you will not impress the babe if you say your a ham.

ARRL self appointed demi-gods of RF!

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N6HBJ on May 9, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

ROTER, What in the world if anything, does your post have to do with the current thread?

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by NK2U on May 9, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Due to the fact that Ham Radio is in the STONE AGE. Nothing new under the sun...

SSB on HF
FM on VHF

We've been doing that for 50 years or more...

No digital voice (APCO P-25 protocol.)
No Blackberry type equipment.

Until our radios can do what current digital cells phones can do, we're going to be BEHIND THE TIMES!

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N6HBJ on May 9, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

The how come ITS SO MUCH FUN?! A lot more fun then the cell phone.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by RobertKoernerExAE7G on May 9, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

"Thanks for reading this and I hope that you try to fix these problems."

Well. I read it.
I'm not going to try and fix any of the "problems".

Plus, I'm waiting to see the proof that "...Most New Hams (are) Inactive."

As someone else noted, I don't see the relationship between the title and the "problems".

I believe it is a mistake starting new hams on VHF. As you can probably tell, I've never spent much time on VHF; just 2M for a few years. If people are board on VHF, there is a lot more to ham radio than repeaters.

One of the people that took the same class I took for a Novice license, got hooked on 2M CW when we both had passed our General tests. He loved 2M CW Dxing. I loved HF Dxing. Probably because it was a BIG deal to get a DX Q when I was a Novice using wire antennas I made, and being restricted to 250(?)watt input.

But, if hams don't want an HF ticket, or experiment with non-repeater Qs, there isn't much we can fix.

Building a crystal radio kit, is ultimately what got me interested in RF. I couldn't imagine how this kit, that wasn't plugged into the electrical outlet, like my radio, could function as a radio!

Bob

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by N6HBJ on May 9, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

The MYSTERY is in the SIMPLICITY!

No Hams at "BKLYN POLYTECH"?

by RADIOWEENIE on May 13, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

The situation at the engineering school of "BKLYN POLY TECH" comes as no surprise. No Hams-- just cell phones and FRS. But that is but one BIG difference between a school like "BKLYN POLYTECH" and M.I.T., unarguably the best engineering school in N. America, if not the world. It may interest you to know that M.I.T. and Tufts both have VERY active 440 repeaters in their engineering school. And I have been fortunate to be made welcome on the M.I.T. repeater in the past. They offer the most intelligent and technically enlightening QSOs that i have ever had in my life.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KE8YY on June 2, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Simple: It's too easy. You pass a test that takes about 15 minutes of study, buy an HT and you're a ham. What that means is a large number of the people getting a ticket today aren't terribly comitted to radio. It's just a passing fancy.

I've seen the same thing in other hobbies, like amateur astronomy. You can buy a computer controlled scope that you just set up, push a button, and it takes you on a tour of interesting objects. You don't even have to align it. The result is a lot of scopes that sit in closets after one or two uses.

-- mike

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KD5VGB on September 3, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

You get your Tech ticket, Get a 2m ht. Have trouble programing the ctcss. In the welcome flyer the local Arrl gives out they list local clubs and when and where along w/ coffee klatches. Not wanting to wait 3 weeks till the next meeting I took off work to go to the 10:00 klatch. Upon arrival I saw the only patrons ( 9 ) in the back at a big table. I approached and stood nearby and listened to the conversation. It was radio related. I walked over to the table with my ht and instruction book in hand and 8 of the 9 turned their heads away and #9 looked straight ahead and said " Another one of them 2 meter CB'ers and looked away. Well You can pound that up your,, I still haven't beenable to get the radio programed, have not been able to use it and do not really care if I ever do. I have monitored all the repeaters in the area with the radio within reach for 14hrs at a time and only hear one ham call home every day at the same time every day and that is all that is on the air except the repeater ID's. I try simplex freqs and nothing. Yea I sure want to continue with this! Why should I invest in 6m gear when all I will get is BS or worse yet nothing.

You wonder why????
It is you.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KD5VGB on September 3, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

Thank you for letting me vent.

Yes I have spent hours calling and nothing. To be honest yes there is an occasional, but is is a closed coneversation about nothing and they will only respond to known call signs. I have been told " this is a closed freq "
It is still you.

You can beat me down but you will never keep me down.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KG4PZZ on September 3, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

KD5VGB -- the problem is probably the 2m HT. No fault of your own, of course, but 2m is populated mostly with conversations between people that already know each other, or at least that's the way I've always seen (heard) it.

It's a shame they got rid of the Novice license. I wasn't around when it came about, but HF is a much friendlier place to operate, hands down. I put up with and moved past the crotchity old timers on 2m, and now enjoy talking with people all over the world on HF. So why should you invest in that new rig with 6m ssb (and hopefully HF, too)? Because friendlier people are, by and large, there in better numbers. You'll still meet that crotchity OT that will berate you for not knowing morse code at 50wpm, not being able to decode RTTY by ear, not knowing how to make a transceiver out of nothing more than a toilet paper tube and some stray wire, etc... but just move past them and be the better person.

Sorry about your bad experience, honestly. I was fortunate to have an elmer (actually, a few) that encouraged me, showed me technical things I otherwise wouldn't have been shown, and let me listen in on and operate on HF. Find a local ham that is active on HF, and head to his house on a Saturday night (usually the bands are full of people) or on a contest weekend (same). Hopefully something will bite you and perk your interest. For me, the real big catcher was Field Day a few years back, and it encouraged me to finish upgrading.

There are more than just the 50WPM-or-nothing OTs out there, promise.

Fred
KG4PZZ

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KG6SIC on February 7, 2004 Mail this to a friend!

Last August I passed my tech test and for the last two months I have stood in a field with line of sight of four repeaters (boxing the Compass). Call after call has gone unanswered on the 2M yet there is traffic. Some friends have offered to help with their higher meter radios and the same has happened.

One e-mail contact has been great saying he will listen but I believe the distance is too great or a there is a dead zone.

The frustrating part...I might as well be talking to myself.

The real sad part is thet we recently had a lock down at my school and it would have been a good feeling to know there were other people out there with whom I could communicate. That was one reason I got the license. I have used radios with the Forest Service and on Campus with the security staff so it is not as if I am saying "Duh, what do I do?"

If people want Ham Radio to die the best way is not to encourage or welcome new people. Welcome by answering the calls. Remember when?

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K7UV on May 11, 2004 Mail this to a friend!

You make this sound like a case of someone losing their religion. This is just a hobby...people lose interest, or find out they really don't enjoy ham radio. No big deal I say. However, if you want to discuss how rude/unfriendly the majority of hams really tend to be, or the forced segregation by having ten times more repeaters than needed, you might get my interest.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WB4QNG on May 12, 2004 Mail this to a friend!

Just to add my opinion most of which has already been said. New hams get tech ticket no activity on 2 meter lose interest. Simple as that. I would agree that there are no elmers anymore and that is a big proplem.I hate to regress but when the novice ticket was the main entry to ham radio you had to fine some other ham to give you the test. This help a lot. Also you got a taste of HF even if it was 5wpm CW. I think the new structure will be better but I still wish they would have made a class manitory before they could upgrade. It wouldn't have been a class to pass the test but just a general session on ham radio. For that matter the ARRL could have produced an hour or so movie and you could have had two or three hams show up just to answer general questions. No tech. stuff would even have to come up. This would just allow people to meet a ham in person.
Terry
WB4QNG

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by K1MVP on May 25, 2004 Mail this to a friend!

Maybe the question should be "Why are most old hams
inactive?"--or becoming so, es I am not speaking of
"silent keys".
Maybe it has something to do with where ham radio
has been "headed" the past few years,--i.e. the
"new restructuring", etc, etc.
73`s, K1MVP

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by AA4PB on June 26, 2004 Mail this to a friend!

I think a major part of the answer is in the electronics. Years ago many hams built equipment, built kits, modified military surplus, etc. For a lot of hams it was their interest in electronics and how things worked that fueled their activities in ham radio. Many of those I knew that purhased ready made equipment and just plugged it all in have long since dropped out. Most of those who built or assembled their own stations are still going strong.

Today technology has advanced to the point where it is beyond the capabilities of the typical hobiest to build their own radios, although there are exceptions such as Elecraft and a number of QRP kit mfgs that are making a go of it. From an economic standpoint it is generally less expensive to supply a machine assembled radio than it is to package the components, write the instructions, and provide the user support needed for a kit of any degree of complexity. There is however a sizable benefit to building a kit, even if it costs more and doesn't have all the features of some ready-made radios. There's a real thrill to working DX on a radio that you built yourself - even if from a kit.

RE: Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KC0KBH on September 26, 2004 Mail this to a friend!

It is really not all that hard to get people to stop using FRS or GMRS. Just jam them. Once I was jamming a few ididots who just kept saying,"Lets move to channel x (x=any channel they said)." With my modified VX-7R, I could get there faster than them, and I had a lot more power. DTMF tones can realy screw up a person who does not know what they are. I can play a few songs, and get people to think it is their computer interfering.

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by WA6BFH on October 5, 2004 Mail this to a friend!

I was a bit troubled by your second point. I subtracted the 3 bands you mentioned, from the 23,471 MHz total of Ham radio, and then thought -- most Ham's I know are not particularly wedded to CW on these bands!

Why Are Most New Hams Inactive?

by KK8ZZ on October 1, 2005 Mail this to a friend!

When my neighbor saw me putting up a BiggIR vertical in my backyard, he asked "Isn't ham radio obsolete, replaced by the Internet?" I replied... "it's like the difference betweeen fishing, and being given a fish...."

Consider that, my HF friends....

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