Lou,
Let me add one more reason to your list: Radio is so much a part of the
landscape today that it just doesn't hold the fascination for younger people
that it does for those of us who grew up in the fifties, sixties, and
seventies. I wonder how many young people who are tightly connected to
their cell phones even realize that they're actually talking on a radio.
Sadly for the hobby, I don't think there's much we can do about this
phenomenon, so we'd better support and embrace technologies like Echolink
and IRLP. If we don't, ham radio will go the way of the Stanley steamer.
Steve
Steve
----- Original Message -----
From: "Louis Kim Kline" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 22:14
Subject: Re: Echo Link WasRE: Introduction
> Hi John.
>
> Don't kid yourself. Those guys would probably never have upgraded with or
> without Echo Link. There is always an excuse for laziness: I can't learn
> the code, the band conditions suck, the equipment is too expensive, etc.
> I
> don't think they ever would have been an asset to the Amateur Radio
> Service
> anyway.
>
> Frankly, that is nothing new. We've always had a certain amount of people
> who never followed through with anything after getting licensed. My own
> father got his Novice license, never made a contact, and never upgraded.
> I
> think he eventually let his license lapse. His only contribution to ham
> radio was building my Heath HW8.
>
> Anyway, I think it is probably a mixed blessing because for every person
> like the two you described, there are probably a couple of others that are
> intrigued enough with it to try it out and eventually move on to other
> things.
>
> Truthfully, I find the "gray" factor in my area to be a far bigger threat
> to the future of ham radio. Like it or not, the biggest problem is that
> the hobby is top heavy with people beyond 60 years of age, and the older
> members of the amateur radio service don't have the energy or sometimes
> even the health to be out there and active, and newer and younger people
> are not being drawn into the amateur radio hobby. And, it could be
> because
> we are old stick in the muds about too many things and we are becoming
> boring.
>
> 73, de Lou K2LKK
>
>
>
> At 11:06 PM 11/1/2008 -0400, you wrote:
>>There won't be a "radio" part of it to use if we keep demonstrating
>>echolink
>>to potential hams and new hams. I used to have a simplex link up for a
>>while
>>until I heard some new ham saying he wasn't going to ever bother upgrading
>>his license because he liked echolink better since he didn't have to worry
>>about band conditions and the person he was talking to agreed with him. I
>>pulled the plug on it right after that idiotic statement was made, and
>>when
>>I thought about it, I realized just how bad it really is and I'm so
>>ashamed
>>of myself for ever putting that link up. I kick myself daily for
>>contributing to that kind of thought process and general stupidity. Why
>>even
>>get a license in the first place if you want to talk all over the world on
>>the computer? Oh well, no one will ever change my thought process on that.
>>It's a very lazy day and age we live in today and that unfortunately is in
>>general. As soon as I find something else to do I like, or if things get
>>much worse on ham radio and it gets more to be ham computer, I'll probably
>>get out of it 100%. Many I know have done it due to that and the dropping
>>of
>>CW, I'm not as hot about the CW topic but I feel my years in ham radio are
>>probably numbered. Hopefully I can find a partner for my UHF repeater
>>project so I don't have to find a home for that when that day comes that I
>>do pull out, or I might just move it to GMRS. Anyway, no one will ever
>>change my thought process on this, I think the hobby is going away fast as
>>real radio and it kills me to see it. Hopefully when the HF bands get good
>>things will change, I'll wait for that but if not, I won't be around for
>>the
>>next one.
>>It's funny though, everyone thought there would be problems on the HF
>>bands
>>with CW being dropped, I'm seeing a lot more problems on VHF than anywhere
>>and if it wasn't for the NTS and ARES/RACES involvement, what very little
>>time I'm on VHF now would be 0.
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "John J. Jacques" <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2008 8:37 PM
>>Subject: Re: Echo Link WasRE: Introduction
>>
>>
>> > Hi all, I believe that echo link is a great way to marry amateur radio
>> > and the internet. I enjoy accessing my echo link node via UHF simplex
>> > but I can appreciate the ability to connect with just a PC, unlike
>> > IRLP.
>> > For example, last year, I was able to park my echo link node on the
>> > local
>> > club repeater, while I was in Michigan, allowing me to check into the
>> > net
>> > that I usually run, with my laptop! Though I love all of the older
>> > forms
>> > of communication such as A M phone, I think we need to use the new
>> > technology that is available or soon, there won't be an amateur radio
>> > service left to use!
>> >
>> > 73 and 88 to the YL's:
>> > John
>> >
>> > John Jacques
>> > Amateur Radio Station: KG7FA
>> > "Where Cat Is, Is Civilization!"
>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>Checked by AVG.
>>Version: 7.5.549 / Virus Database: 270.8.5/1763 - Release Date: 11/2/2008
>>7:08 PM
>
> Louis Kim Kline
> A.R.S. K2LKK
> Home e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> Work e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> Work Telephone: (585) 697-5740
>
|
