[Towertalk] Dayton declining...

[Ed Dial]

I have to go with Tom on this one. There's a sweeping social change where 
young (and old ones too) are looking more and more for instant 
gratification with little or no effort. Amateur radio is a classic example 
of this trend. Over the last twenty years, the path to ham radio has been 
grated, paved, and lined with park benches and water fountains. Code has 
all but been eliminated, and has been for one class. What is left is a 
multiple guess exam. The Extra written exam has been radically simplified, 
and each and every single question, verbatim, is published as it appears on 
the test. Our good friend Gordon West even publishes strategies to avoid 
any seriously technical engagement and attain the necessary points to pass. 
Yet as much as it has been simplified to enter the hobby, there's still 
waves of complaints that Ham Radio is "too hard", it's just a hobby, it's 
not an engineering exercise, ham radio is a collection of elitists, trying 
to keep out the riff-raff... you've heard them all, I'm sure.

In my own profession, I've noticed the same phenomena. I'm in the computer 
networking field, and one of the certifications that has become popular is 
the Cisco Certified Internet Expert (CCIE). This certification started out 
as a 100 question written exam, followed by a two-day practical exam in a 
lab which consisted of both written and oral components, as well as 
hands-on. This certification couldn't even be attempted without the 
requisite work experience. Due to the massive complaints Cisco received 
over the complexity of the test, it has now been reduced to the written 
component, followed by a one day hands-on lab which has been reduced to not 
much more than a speed test. The experience requirement has been dropped. 
The certification has been diminished considerably by the infiltration of 
what is commonly referred to as "paper CCIE's", or those who have trained 
for the test at boot camps for the exam and didn't even know what a network 
was 12 weeks earlier. I've heard similar stories from other walks of life 
where requirements have been watered down to make it easier to pass from 
civil service to technical disciplines, and our culture is eating it up. 
But then from a professional perspective, the more you have passing the 
certification, the greater the supply of labor, which equals lower 
demand/salaries. Great for business.

And then there's the Internet and computers. $699 for a computer at Best 
Buys, $20 to your local ISP per month, and you're up and running. No 
antennas to deal with, no complaining neighbors, no tests, and no real 
rules and regulations. It's a perfect fit for today's teenager looking for 
a hobby. And those who DO elect to apply themselves to learning something 
about the technology can earn a decent living doing it, provided he/she 
purchases the requisite certifications to pacify the industry.

Having said my thoughts on restructuring and the social condition, on to 
the future....

The largest issue concerning amateur radio in my opinion is the lack of 
elmers. Time is a problem for everyone, and those formal code & theory 
training sessions sponsored by local clubs are few and far between now 
days. There are very few trying to help these guys/gals learn the skills, 
and most importantly for the 21st century version of ham radio, not 
teaching operating procedures. Instead of leading by example, some (not 
all) ignore new people and won't talk to them. It's not their fault that 
they got on the air without having learned code, or that they are an Extra 
class having learned five words per minute and passing a comparatively 
simple exam. That's the ARRL's fault/credit....for good or bad. These 
people passed the requirements that has been defined by the FCC/ARRL 
necessary to become an amateur radio operator. The majority of new 
candidates that come to Amateur Radio comes from the CB ranks. CB has 
become our new "novice" class, or entry program. Most of these people are 
good people, trying to escape the condition known as CB and looking for a 
better radio experience. Although many complain about the effort to make 
the jump, they have the interest in the hobby to do it. The future of 
amateur radio ARE these folks, and it's up to us to help them make the 
transition. I believe, with a few exceptions, these guys want to fit in and 
learn the "etiquette" of ham radio. Perhaps we need to look at this 
resource and find ways to usher these folks into the hobby as welcome and 
productive users. And maybe with a helping hand guiding them through the 
process, there would be less bitching about having to learn ohm's law. Maybe.

Some day I'll share my thoughts on the "death of Dayton" and how Ebay has 
changed the face of hamfests.

I apologize for boring you guys with my rants. Party on.

Cynical Ed
WA4RYW / VK2IOS






At 07:06 AM 5/24/2002 -0400, Tom Rauch wrote:
> > Curt, but interesting comments...  I attended Dayton in 1999, and
> > found I was one of the few "younger" men there.  I was 33 years old at
> > the time.  I also finding it VERY difficult to converse with others in
> > my age group on ANY amateur band.  I suppose now I can consider myself
> > a youngster, at least as far this hobby goes.  This IS worrisome.
>
>It isn't a promotional or license requirement problem, it is a social
>change. All technical or skilled hobbies are declining at a rapid
>rate with younger people, from automotive interests to radios.
>
>You can't promote or give away something that people don't want to
>do.73, Tom W8JI
>W8JI@contesting.com
>
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