Ham radio had that kind of appeal fifty years ago because for most of us
it was the best way to get something done (i.e., communicate around the
world). That no longer is even close to being true, and ham radio now
falls into the category of a niche hobby like model boat building, fly
tying, crossword puzzles, bird watching, quilting, guitar playing, or
fishing. The problem is that thousands of those exist and most even
offer competition in one form or another. Your description is
completely accurate for most of us, but it is not just "dated" ... it's
ancient history and your premise that it offers appeal for newer
generations doesn't hold at all. It would be like somebody telling us
we should use oiled paper for windows because it lets in so much more
light than does a solid wall, and how "magic" it is when the light is
right so that we can actually make out the landscape outside ... when
glass gets the job done so much better in almost all conditions. People
who want to communicate want to communicate, not put in a lot of effort
and pay a lot of money for the meager possibility to do it poorly.
I think that's where a lot of hams go wrong ... they don't realize that
the majority of the younger generations actually want to communicate and
interact in depth and couldn't care less about the mechanism of doing so.
In all reality, that probably is more the case with us than we tend to
recognize. I will bet that the average amateur radio operator spends
far more time communicating via other means (cell phone, texting, email,
etc) than they do by ham radio, and I'll even bet that the average
subscriber to this reflector spends more aggregate hours each year
reading and responding to these posts than they do actually operating in
a contest. A wisp of a signal emerging from the background noise is
magic to us, but other media that allow simultaneous sharing of voice,
pictures, and music in real time in conversational quality with anyone
in the world are going to win out every time. And when you consider the
relative depth, visual environment, richness of competition, and cost of
participation for video games versus a ham radio contest, there is
simply no comparison.
I truly love radiosport, but at least I recognize that it is a legacy
infliction that wouldn't even exist if I were a generation or two
younger. When I was a teen, nobody had to recruit me to ham radio. I
was technically inclined and fascinated by the possibility to
communicate with the world. For us to think that today's teens ... with
the mountains of information available to them ... are too lazy,
ignorant, or ill informed to make similar choices just seems illogical
to me. We may acquire a few converts, but they're going to be in the
same category as those drawn to clock making or classic car restoring.
73,
Dave AB7E
On 5/28/2013 2:42 PM, Radio K0HB wrote:
Here is something that I wrote a couple decades back --- it's a tad "dated"
now, but I think the central premise holds...
Dit dit,
Hans, K0HB
-------------------------------------------------------11
What is Ham Radio, and How do I get started?
- A short introduction by Hans Brakob, K0HB
(I have to explain something you might not have realized. In doing so, I'm
going to paraphrase something written by Steve Ford, WB8IMY, in his
introduction to a book entitled "The ARRL Operating Manual".)
In case you didn't know, belief in magic is a necessary requirement for all
Amateur Radio operators. Of course, you won't see a question concerning
magic or metaphysics on the test you take to obtain your license, but in
your heart you will come to believe in that powerful, intangible force.
<snip>
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