I don't think ham radio is dying, at least not in my area.
There are more people putting in mobile HF rigs, more people on VHF and UHF 
and more people setting up home stations than there has been in probably 25 
years.
Allot of young people live in apartments, or condo's or townhouses where HF 
antennas just aren't an option no matter how they try to skin the cat.
So, allot of them are getting an 857, or a 7000 to put in the vehicle as 
both their 2M/440 radios and as an HF radio...allot of guys around here have 
a mount on the vehicle for the HF antenna, and put it on when they wish to 
use HF.
There is gaining interest here in DStar as we have a brand new full 3 band 
DStar repeater with excellent coverage.
We have allot of community events through the local club as well that allot 
of people are interested in.
So, I think the idea of radio as an end, as aposed to a means to an end is a 
good description.  most of the new hams got their licenses because of the 
possibilities of ham radio as aposed to the ability, or means to simply 
communicate with others.
being able to communicate with someone half way around the world just 
doesn't have the magic it did before the internet and cell phones became 
part of pop culture.
But, experimentation and tinkering and trying new things still does hold 
that magic for allot of people who have the interest.
That's why I think more emphasis needs to be put on the 
experimental/theoretical aspect of this hobby, rather than the old 
tradditional emphasis on being able to talk to a guy on some pacific island 
or something...that's as easy as a click of a mouse and an internet 
connection.

anyway, sorry to regurgitate some of the other comments, but I feel much as 
Buddy does about this stuff.

73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Buddy Brannan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2011 3:18 PM
Subject: Re: Dumbing down, was Re: Selling Gear Online


> Hi Steve,
>
> Other (easy) ways to communicate may have something to do with why =
> people who are casually interested in just talking to people aren't =
> really going to ham radio. Are there easier ways to talk to people? =
> Sure. Mobile phones, skype, online chat, all that. But they aren't =
> radio. Do we need numbers? Maybe, but what we really need aren't just =
> numbers, but rather, people who are interested in radio for its own =
> sake, as an end in itself rather than as a means to some other end. That =
> might mean people interested in electronics experimentation. We =
> definitely need those, and we need the technical experts to show more =
> people how ham radio can be a vehicle to doing interesting things that =
> might not be easily do-able without an experimental license, i.e. an =
> amateur license. I'd wager that often, a tech license is enough for a =
> lot of cutting edge radio and electronics stuff. We also need people who =
> are just plain interested in radio. What radio does, how radio works, =
> playing with the unpredictable nature of it. Communication is almost =
> secondary. Communicating can be done with lots of things that aren't ham =
> radio. Fortunately though, there's lots to interest lots of different =
> kinds of people. But I think in a sense, we need to change our focus, =
> and in that respect, I agree with people who have said so. If in fact =
> ham radio is dying, it's because the world has changed, but our focus =
> has not. The world is a lot smaller now; it's not such a big deal to =
> talk to someone on the other side of it every night. It still *is* a big =
> deal to do so without an infrastructure. Maybe that needs some attention =
> as well.=20
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>
>
>
> On Apr 30, 2011, at 5:04 PM, Steve Dresser wrote:
>
>> Buddy,
>>=20
>> Despite the no-code license, there seems to be a die-hard bunch of =
> devoted=20
>> CW operators.  If we want to look at why ham radio is dying (and I =
> think it=20
>> is to some extent), it's because there are so many other ways to=20
>> communicate--cell phones and the Internet, for example.  All that =
> said,=20
>> though, people seem to find ways to enjoy the hobby if they're truly=20=
>
>> interested.
>>=20
>> Steve
>>=20
>> ----- Original Message -----=20
>> From: "Buddy Brannan" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2011 16:26
>> Subject: Dumbing down, was Re: Selling Gear Online
>>=20
>>=20
>>> Oh boy, here we go. So, passing a code test pases on interest in hf? =
> =3D
>>> That's a bit convoluted. I agree that the tests have gotten easier. I =
> =3D
>>> was also one of the first to get up in arms when we got our first =3D
>>> codeless license. I was, however, also one of the first to admit that =
> I =3D
>>> was wrong about the codeless tech brnging an end to my beloved hobby. =
> =3D
>>> The hobby's been dying now since the introduction of the Novice =
> license =3D
>>> in 1951, if not before. And it's still alive and well. You don't =
> think =3D
>>> the difficulty in erecting hf antennas, owing to cc&r's and HOA's, =
> might =3D
>>> not have something to do with the seemling lack of interest in HF=20
>>> gear?=3D20=3D
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> I, for one, have observed that when people talk about "dumbing down", =
> =3D
>>> what that really means is "Things aren't the same as they were back =3D=
>
>>> in*my(*day." Believe me, I can be as curmudgeonly as the next guy. I =
> =3D
>>> didn't dub myself "the world's youngest old fart" years ago for =
> nothing, =3D
>>> you know. But change is inevitable. Roll with it.=3D20
>>>=20
>>> And, more to the point, has anyone else noticed that the people who =3D=
>
>>> often holler the loudest about how the tests are dumbed down and we =3D=
>
>>> should still have a code requirement, aren't cw ops? Interesting.=3D20
>>> --
>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> On Apr 30, 2011, at 4:17 PM, Tom Brennan wrote:
>>>=20
>>>> Steve, unfortunately we're seeing the result of the no code and =3D
>>> dumbing down of
>>>> the tests.  Now we've got a bunch of techs that are only interested =
> in =3D
>>> 2m
>>>> repeaters.  I'd think that online selling of gear would be fairly =
> easy =3D
>>> either
>>>> through Ebay or even through this list or sales lists run by sites =3D=
>
>>> such as QRZ
>>>> etc.
>>>> =3D20
>>>> Tom
>>>> =3D20
>>>> =3D20
>>>> Tom Brennan  KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP
>>>> web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html
>>>> =3D20
>>>> On Sat, 30 Apr 2011, Steve Matzura wrote:
>>>> =3D20
>>>>> Date: Sat, 30 Apr 2011 14:56:01 -0400
>>>>> From: Steve Matzura <[log in to unmask]>
>>>>> Reply-To: For blind ham radio operators =3D
>>> <[log in to unmask]>
>>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>> Subject: Selling Gear Online
>>>>> =3D20
>>>>> Where's the best place to go to put some gear for sale online? =3D
>>> Someone
>>>>> I know has a relative who's giving up the hobby because they'll be
>>>>> moving into an assisted living facility and will have no space or
>>>>> other wherewithal to work the hobby other than via either a =
> handheld
>>>>> or a mobile rig with a magmount out the window. I'm told he have =3D
>>> quite
>>>>> a modern HF station, but have no specifics as to what gear is =3D
>>> actually
>>>>> involved. Funny thing, the ham wanted to donate it to a local club =
> or
>>>>> school, but the few takers he could find were only interested in
>>>>> VHF/UHF gear. Any recommendations greatly appreciated and will be
>>>>> passed along.
>>>>> =3D20
>>>=20