When tuning across the HF bands  you seldom hear a woman.  Though the hobby's official organization is chaired by a Woman."

I work with and have worked for many professional, women who are technologists.  Yet I have NEVER heard a smart, articulate professionally accomplished  woman on the ham bands.  There have been many studies and various organizations exhorting Women to go into technology fields in the past 2 decades. I don't know  the success rate of those efforts. But in her new book,  "The End of Men"  Hanna Rosin posits that the future of the professional workspace is becoming more and more feminized.  Indeed, for  every  2 men that graduate from college  this year, 3 women will graduate. The Post Industrial Globalized knowledge worker era does not need the kinds of positions that men have been attracted to. And they (men) are dropping out of the workforce in droves (according to NY Times last week.) Further, Women  have “started to dominate” in lower-profile professions like accounting, financial management, optometry, dermatology, forensic pathology and veterinary practices, among “hundreds of others.”   

It's easy to see why professional Women would not be interested in Ham radio. Take a number. But it's the hobby's loss that so very few accomplished Women are present. --- I know someone is going to come  in here and tell me about a Woman who is a Quantum mathematician who is active in their local 2 meter club!  Ha! --

Perhaps this shift in the economy at large (and in turn the culture) accompanied by de-emphasizing the buffoonery of EmComm will open the hobby up to a more interesting demographic.  Recently KB6NU wrote  a piece on his blog "Where are the Hams?" where he asks: "question, why don’t hams get on the air anymore?" and laments what he sees as a drop in traffic on the bands (high and low).

The answer is that Ham radio is a very narrow cultural  niche. More hams than ever, but traffic is  surely dropping. (No metrics needed).  The fact is, most of those several hundred  thousand that joined the hobby in the post-Code era found out, that the bands are full of tired middle aged to elderly men who just aren't very interesting. The bands are populated by retiree groups with their working lives behind them, as they sit on  a metaphorical radio porch and "play dominoes" as men in small towns did generations ago.  Or  others who sit  at  their desk with a huge pile of radios as if they were in the bunker with "Dr. Strangelove".  It is a laughable and pathetic image. In an era of explosive world wide communications, these are the ones who will be there "when all else fails" (makes  one want to gag)   Ham radio is a place where  professional Women may be welcome but smartly they take a pass. As well they should. 

Recent  grumbling about the coming Kenwood TS-990 from the usual suspects in Ham Radio.

" looks nice but totally useless and uncalibrated."

"an S-meter is just eye candy"

Amusing observations gents. But  irrelevant. Kenwood did not make the radio for RF technicians.  

They designed and  built the radio for the vast majority of hams who are appliance operators.

Kenwood is a recognized market leader in building consumer ham radios. I  think it's highly likely  the Kenwood TS-990 will dominate the  high end market, for the foreseeable future. Just as the 830 did in it's time and the 940 (perhaps the most popular Kenwood radio of all time) did as well.

The vast majority of hams will be more than pleased with the feature set.  Real Engineers and the features they seek are relics in Ham radio.

Kenwood doesn't need any "luck" on this rig. They designed the radio with a specific and (unlike most ham manufacturers) FUN feature set. The retro visual display features are operationally insignificant but reflect that lots of hams like the "eye candy" deemed worthless by others.  

The 990 looks to be an IP addressable device. (One of the corporate videos reveals an IP/ DHCP  line in the menu). You mean you don't have to kluge together 3rd party gadgets for routine IP connecticity?!!!  

I'm betting AES and HRO among others are feeling the blues right now. As the drawn out introduction of the 990 continues, sales of the  Icom7800/7700  and the Yaesu 5000/9000 series must be "Dead in the Water".

Most Current Video HERE:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXKFyRf0X1o&list=PL32ECD38E86850C49&index=6&feature=plpp_video

mike/wa4d

Good Come back Man.

That you are out of the local club scene and not wasting your time with the Emcomm buffoons  is a step in the right direction.  But I would say to you that not all hams are equal. Elitism matters. In all walks of life.  Equality is UnAmerican! We may be "created" equally. But in life, some people are achievers and well....most are mediocre at best! That's the way it should be!

Tune the bands. ANY band. Find literate, informed, engaging discourse on  technology (no not appliances) technology, film, literature, history, art, "last book read" or language.  You won't find it. One of the great myths of Ham Radio is that it is a vibrant environment for communicators. When in fact the vast majority of exchanges are of the most insipid drivel.

 I  stand by my remarks. Come back when you've got that shiny new general ticket and tell us what you have done,  not what you're going to do. (Because most don't!)

Cheers from LA

This is why sociologists say, "Don't listen to what people say, Watch what they do".

Yet another ham who says  he is "tossing around the idea of going from tech to general". More talk. And oh yes, he "would be interested in" modes ....  How do you predict what "modes" you'll be interested in before you have used them?

We've heard these guys for years. Since the No-Code ticket emerged. "Oh, I'm tossing around the idea of learning CW,  but first I need to let my ears relax and then ask my wife for some new headphones, is there a way to learn this in your sleep?, I read you can be hypnotized to learn CW................"   Of course few ever do. Rare do you hear a ham who got his ticket in the last 10 years on the low end of 40mtrs at 30wpm. Talkers. Not Doers.

This is typical of the mediocre crowd that is attracted to the hobby.  No passion. No drive. Just "tossing around.............

After seeing various photos and videos of the Kenwood TS-990 at Dayton, many of us were impressed.

But Kenwood played their cards close to the vest at Dayton. Either because the Radio wasn't ready or they (smartly) chose to reveal the most tantalizing features last.

Take a peek at arguably the most important redefining of the HF basestation transceiver since the KWM-2.  Watch closely.

Japan Amateur Radio Link on You TUBE:  http://youtu.be/Zt01SczTFDM

K1CJS treads into the waters of Political Science/Economics and International affairs all in one post.
And gives us his analysis circa: 1982.

The era of "Western ideals"  in the 21st century is a fast fading memory. It is currently in the vogue to write of Western decline and influence. And surely recent events bear this out.  The Euro's fiscal woes, the delusion of an "Arab spring", the rise of radical muslim states, even increasing hostility in Latin America.  Fareed Zakaria ( reformed plagiarist of late and veteran of the Council on Foreign Relations ) writes of this decline in his best seller, "The Post American World".  As does Politcal Scientist Ian Bremmer's recently published, Every Nation for Itself "A world order in which no single country or durable alliance of countries can meet the challenges of global leadership. What happens when the G20 doesn’t work and the G7 is history?"

Mutual cooperation isn't much practiced now.  25 years ago, Europe, Japan and the USA were the dominant forces in the world. Today, "they struggle to find their footing".  Europe is on the ropes. Japan has been economically marginalized for 20 years. And the US with massive debt, 2 inconclusive wars, domestic political dysfunction and ever increasing entitlements  on both ends of the demographic spectrum is hardly in a position to push "pax Americana" as it did in the 2 decades after WW II.  And what about Russia?  Now democratic but hardly "cooperative". And what of the US "Pivot" to Asia as the rise of the Pacific Rim looms over the world?

The era of American exceptionalism is over. As Thomas Friedman said in last week's NY Times. "Average is over". And that's what most Americans are.  "Average".

NOTE: I'm reading Bremmer's book but have not read Zakaria's.

Does the entry of Chinese VHF/UHF HT manufacturer Baofeng portend a shift in the hardware of Ham radio? A ham showed me his  $50 Baofeng UV-3R. A Dual Band HT that a few short years ago would  have been priced over $200.

A $50 dual band radio is basically a throw away radio.  The blistering pace of change in these ever smaller/feature  rich "intercom" radios means that new functions are added to each release model continuously. How  often do one of the "majors" (Kenwood/Alinco/Yaseu/Icom) release a new HT?   Annually?  And now that the Chinese have entered the space, the bottom has fallen out of the price floor.  And  simultaneously impacted the used market.  Yes, some of us will cling  to our favorite brands for several more years, but it's clear the economics will soon overwhelm nostalgic preferences.

Kenwood  is about to release  what looks to be a worthy successor to it's long and distinguished history of Amateur radios.  The hotly anticipated TS-990.   One wonders is that the end of the Top of the HF line for Kenwood (and others)?  For if the Chinese enter the HF space with their seemingly "how low can they go?" prices--- the impact could be damaging to the majors.  It will be  fun to watch.

I'm guessing the High end of the HF segment might be "a bridge too far" for these 'hit and run'  Chinese electronics manufacturers. Still their  presence  should be worrisome for traditional Japanese Amateur radio companies.

mike/wa4d.net

K7BRW suggests a band loading data gathering plan that makes sense. And then poses the question, but "then what to do with that information?"

Easy. You publish it.  Transparently. Indeed, there is no reason your suggested concept couldn't be posted in real time on the net for anyone to  see, with aggregate history pages complete with time graphs and location and numbers of repeaters in use vs. those not in play at any given time.

But that's pretty ambitious and the propagandists of the hobby won't welcome such scrutiny.  I'm betting most areas would do fine with say a half dozen repeater pairs on 144/450 each. The rest of the spectrum should be reallocated and removed from ham radio.

What's the likelihood of that? Slim. Ham radio is fundamentally the same as it was a half century ago. WARC bands were introduced, a few AM stations dropped off 7.0mhz, the ham band allocations tweaked ever so slightly. But for the most part the spectrum assignments to ham radio are little changed.

Interesting ideas you suggest Don.

And I'd welcome them among others. But change does not come easy to Amateur radio.

Cheers from LA
Mike/wa4d.net

Here in Los Angeles a random scan of assigned repeater frequencies reveals much dark spectrum.  Traffic is light by almost any definition. Dozens and Dozens and Dozens (many private) repeaters sit silent only to dutifully Auto ID every 10 minutes and then return to non use for days on end.

This condition is not limited to Los Angeles as Washington DC area hams have stated that the traffic levels are low on the VHF/UHF bands in their region. I'm betting this is the norm across the nation with a few exceptions.

The FCC should do unannounced Band Loading analysis in various geographic regions and immediately seize large swaths of these unused bands. Said spectrum should be given up for commerial use or turned into Non Licensed spectrum.

The ARRL is constantly squealing over one injustice or another done to Ham radio. The oracle of the ARRL K1ZZ writes in the current QST about the "threat" of  HOA rules.    --- It's time for the league to take a leadership position and demonstrate to the FCC that they are a responsible body. Use the spectrum or give it back.

One of the great myths of Ham radio is that it is a medium for reliable and meaningful  communication.  It may be reliable but hardly meaningful. (Tune ANY band and find literate, informed, substantive discourse....It's not there). Nor are the upper bands used more than occasionally. And then most often for the most insipid exchanges. "Traffic is light this morning Fred"...."I'm destinated now, Henry".

In the absence of authoritative metrics we are left to speculate. The reduction in entrance standards for ham licensing, allowed a flood of new ticket holders who bought into the illusion of ham radio as an exciting hobby. Moreover the vast majority of those who entered, came to use VHF/UHF spectrum. My own empirical observations note that few of these would be hams are techologists   They listened to the propagandists of the hobby and bought their cheap entry level VHF/UHF radios with easily mounted commercial antennas (it was plug n play heaven) ----- And after they finally broke into a local repeater with it's insular culture and  gave a few weather reports while driving to work, many realized, "Hey, I've been "punked!"   They saw ham radio for what it is!  The culture of the spectrum they are allowed to use was revealed to be shallow and populated by a mind numbingly bland group.

End the farce of allocating frequencies to those that don't use it.

mike/ wa4d.net  

Mark....

Your observations spot on.  

The  headline on your post : "There currently are no real bad rigs."

and the best antenna book I ever read was Bill Orr and Stu Cowan's Wire antennas book.  

Cheers,
mike wa4d.net

Robert....

How long has the 7800 been out?  5+ Years?  Even so, I don't see Icom dropping the  price to $6000 or even $8000. It is a $10,000 radio. And in my opinion even after 5+ years it remains at the top of the heap among "Amateur" radios.  

I once had to buy some new proffessional Microphones in a Studio setting . I knew that my colleagues preferred Brand X. But I liked and wanted Brand Y.  So I brought them into the studio control room and they listened  to 3  mics I had selected without knowing what they were. A test in the blind.  Guess what? They all chose my preferred Brand Y. -------------  I've always thought it would be a fun exhibit at Dayton to have a table set up with say a Kenwood TS-830, an Elecraft KX3 and a Yaseu 5000 and throw in an SDR rig. Use an RF Splitter, all fed to the same antenna and then have people sit in a booth [without knowing WHICH rig they were listening to) and see what radio they feel has the best capture and sound. ( Flat of course without filtering, bandpass or DSP).  The results might surprise!

Mike

Kenwood's return to the HF Base station market has prompted much disucssion around the net. Some amusingly bemoan "too many knobs", others the design, and since no independent source has even heard it and we don't even know when it will ship, it leaves a void. Thus we are left to speculate.

But there is one area that is clear. "Marketing". Kenwood has positioned the radio for the serious operator.  And in doing so this rig is aimed directly at  their competitors. In my mind, the elegant Icom 7700 is the most vulnerable to the TS-990. Single receive and  currently priced well above the 990 (estimate) makes the Icom 7700less attractive. (Still the Icom is a beautifully designed/ spec'd rig) That said, I think the TS 990 strengthens the Icom 7600 as an alternative to a full sized HF radio. A 100 watt xcvr, Dual "Watch" and a competive price in smaller dc powered rig. Yaseu? The 5000 makes it own statement. But, I think the TS 990 will outsell it at similar price point. Indeed in the $5000-$7000 price range, only the Yaseu can compete.

We don't know yet what the "LAN" connection functionality is on the TS-990. But assuming it makes the rig IP addressable, I'd say game over for the 7700 and a major dent to the Yaseu 5000 sales.

Some complain about radios that cost $5000+, but in my mind, the suggested price range for the Kenwood TS-990 is perfect. Kenwood has built excellent amateur radios for how long? A half century? They know what they're doing.

To me, it's great to see Kenwood back in the Big Iron HF radio space!

Ok, that's my take. Ready to hear yours.

Cheers from LA
Mike/WA4D.Net     [ who first learned Morse on an ARC-5 in 1965]

This is a "teachable moment".  At least for me.

N6AJR and KJ6AMF both saw through the fog that I did not. They're right. Their insights made me pause. The wish list of features I offered are soft and will fade if not outright disappear in time. Moreover, the foundation of a great HF rig should be the RF section and it's functionality. 

Having just returned from the NAB Digital Media show just hours before submitting this list, I was still intoxicated with the "IP everywhere" and feverish Social media mania that contributed to my dysfunction.

So thanks for the nudge gents.  My mind is clear and free of clutter in thinking about this subject.  Looking forward to Kenwood's new release.

Mike/ WA4D.Net

Valid point. there are lots of ways to come at it. And I appreciate the preference for a radio is a radio is a radio.

Cheers from LA