Here are the rest of my thoughts on increasing
activity on the VHF/UHF bands. If the ARRL really has
this as a goal, they need to look at revising their
own educational program.
I recently finished helping to teach a license course.
I am happy to report that 4 students recently passed
their technician license, and another one just missed
it, but she is continuing to study and will be
retesting very soon. We used the book "Now Your
Talking" by the ARRL, which is probably studied by 90%
or more of prospective hams. The book was still fresh
in my memory, but I did review it over the weekend to
verify my initial impressions.
The ARRL approach to the technician license does
nothing to educate or encourage SSB/CW/Non-Packet
Digital modes on VHF/UHF. I hate the term weak
signal, so I won't use it. The book mentions 6 meters
in the list of allocated frequencies for technician
licensees, and briefly discussed E skip in the
propogation chapter. That is it for 6. 2 meter
SSB/CW doesn't receive that much attention. Satellite
operation is mentioned briefly in the special
operating modes area.
The general approach taken is once you get your
license, you get on 2 meter FM, thru a repeater.
Maybe you branch out into 2 meter packet. It makes
statements like your first QSO will occur on a FM
repeater, things like that. It also takes the
approach that if you want to talk further, you study
your code and get the tech plus or general license so
you can get on HF. No real discussion about getting
on 6 meter NOW, since you can do that as a technician.
I stressed 6 meters several times during the class,
since it is my favorite band, but that might not
happen at many classes, and I am unsure how much of
that was remembered by the students. Now Your Talking
never encourages technicians to get on 2 meter SSB.
Now part of this is the instant graficiation approach.
You can get a 2 meter HT and get on the repeater
within the 15 hours it takes the battery to charger.
Sooner if you buy a used one with a charged battery.
Getting on 6 meters actually takes a bit of effort.
I have also belonged to 5 different local clubs (in 3
different areas) since I have been licensed. They
either stressed 2 meter FM (primarily) or HF
occassionally. VHF/UHF SSB was never really discussed
or encouraged except by individuals who happened to
operate their themselves. So some of our local clubs
don't to much to encourage techs in this area either.
Here is one reason that we have such a high attrition
rate for technician class licenses. If you are
reading this, you probably operate more than just 2
meter FM. Suppose that was all you operated. How
long would you stay interested in amateur radio if all
you could do was get on the local repeater? Probably
not as long as many of us have.
So if we want to increase activity and participation
on VHF/UHF bands, we need to hit it from several
areas. At the top, the ARRL needs to rethink their
educational approach to include and encourage these
bands and modes. There is alot a technician class can
do, but many of them are unaware of it. Go to
eham.net and read any code/no code discussion. The
technician class licensees there act like the tech
privledges are purgatory. Not quite Hell but close.
Most of them never tried 6 meters, 2 meters SSB, or
satellites.
We also need to improve our elmering of new hams into
these areas. I first got interested in 2 meter SSB
after reading an article in World Radio in the early
1980s about Sidewinders on Two. When is the last time
you saw such an article in QST? Yes there is a
microwave column, and the world above 50mhz, and they
are both good columns, but are also at a pretty high
level for the new ham to read and understand.
If you get a chance, operate 6 meters or 2 meters at
Field Day. Or make a club presentation on it. We
need to show new hams that there is life on VHF other
than on the local repeater, and that long distance
contacts are possible with the current technician
privledges. We also need to stress that getting
started is cheap and easy. I know one ham who starts
every satellite presentation by bragging how much
money he spent on his satellite station. Not exactly
the way to encourage people to get started, but seems
to feed his ego in the process. We need to stress the
other end, that a simple dipole or quarter wave will
get you VUCC on 6 meters. I know because I got my
first 6 meter VUCC using an indoor dipole
73s John NE0P EM04to-Lawton, OK
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