[RTTY] RE: JARTS Contest and operator age

[Jim Lowman]

--- Kok Chen <chen at mac.com> wrote:

> On Oct 19, 2004, at 10:18 AM, Phil Cooper wrote:
> > Actually, the average isn't that meaningful
> anyway, and one should go 
> > by the
> > MEAN age, which happened to be reasonably similar
> for most of us.
> 
> Phil, do you mean the "median" age?
> 
> "Average" is synonymous with the (unweighted)
> "mean."  (Sum of samples 
> divided by number of samples)
> 
> "Median" is when you line up all the samples in
> ascending order and is 
> equal to the value of the sample smack at middle the
> list.
> 
> A nonuniform density function (as is the case with
> age, whether hams or 
> the general baby boomer anomaly) can cause the mean
> and the median to 
> be wildly different.
> 
> I suspect that in addition to the 50-59 generation
> coming off the baby 
> boom, there is also some contribution due to being
> the right age to get 
> hooked on radio when the Sputnik craze hit (.... ..
> .... .. .... ..).
> 
> I put the blame on you guys.  Afterall, Sir Bernard
> Lovell was the one 
> who started DX'ing Sputniks at Jodrell Bank :-).
> 
> 73
> Chen, W7AY

Or perhaps the modal (most frequently occurring) age?

73 de Jim - AD6CW