[Towertalk] Dayton declining...

Fri, 24 May 2002 14:23:32 -0400

Elmers...now that is a concept.  

Imagine how many hams would be in the USA today if each of us made the 
committment to find and Elmer one new ham a year or one every 5 years, 
etc. Myself  I've Elmered four hams in 30 yrs so, not to bad but not 
good either.

I work in the IT field also and  I've got three guys interested in the 
hobby...they really like ham fest for the UPS and Racks that show up, HAHA.

73s,
dave
wa3gin

Ed Dial wrote:

> 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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