The AM Forum

Long Read - But Oh So Worth it (esp. last paragraph)
Aside from the radio reference, this is an apt  commentary about society in general.

-Bruce


I grew up with a fairly good idea of the value of money. It didn’t grow on trees—that much I knew, or if it did, certainly not on my parents’ trees. I had an allowance for which I performed many chores: cutting the lawn, watering the yard, cleaning my room, washing dishes, and sometimes ironing my own shirts and pants. Working was not foreign to me. Having a paper route, doing other peoples’ yards, and selling Christmas cards door-to-door earned me money to buy records, a bicycle, a basketball, and a Heath Kit radio. For the most part, if I wanted it, I had to earn it. And earn it I did.

The work ethic instilled in me by my parents helped to develop a healthy perspective of things financial, things earned. I wasn’t the type to try to shake their tree, hoping that maybe a dollar or two did linger in the branches. In the case of my basketball, I saw it in a catalog, ordered the Christmas cards I would have to sell to earn it, waited for the cards to arrive, sold the cards door-to-door in my neighborhood, sent the money back to the company, and awaited the arrival of my hard-earned prize. That involved 100% my participation. An invaluable part of the process of earning anything is the anticipation of attaining one’s goal. I didn’t think of the ball, snap my fingers, and instantaneously have it in my hands. The anticipation in every step of the way, consciously living each moment of purpose, made the basketball’s eventual arrival all the more meaningful.

The only time I can remember really complaining about not having something was in my junior year of high school. I was carless, with no prospect in sight. The cost of such was beyond my teenage capabilities, and I was inconsolable because most of my friends had cars. By then I had a job working in a music store every day after school and on weekends, and had already saved for and purchased a new set of drums, but in no way could I possibly earn enough for a car. Finally, after hearing just so much of my moaning and complaining, my father showed me the title to a 1962 English Ford Anglia. I remember being completely confused because our family used to own just such a vehicle when I was younger. My father explained that what I held in my hand was the title to my first car. He was the Head of the Albuquerque High School Vocational Department and had arranged for the auto shop, as a class project, to rebuild an old car from the ground up, and when it was in running order my folks were going to present it to me as a gift. I was floored, speechless. I didn’t know what to say. My father had spilled the beans only to finally shut me up. It was perhaps one of the most profound experiences of humility in my life. After all the crabbing I had done I felt about two feet tall.

Years later I was at my friend Stan’s graphic design studio when a woman and her four-year-old child came in with a job. While the woman was talking to Stan about the specifications of the project, her son kept nagging her for a treat. She repeatedly told him that he would get one when they got back to the car. He became more belligerent as time went on, to the point where he was jumping, trampoline-style, on Stan’s black leather couch screaming at the top of his lungs, “I want a treat, I want a treat!” His overtures were so deafening that work in the entire suite of offices came to a standstill. The poor woman had to finally apologize and leave with her little tornado screaming all the way to the car. Poorer still was Stan, who eventually emerged from his office ashen-faced, eyes bulging, and catatonic. When he was finally able to speak he instructed his staff to lock the door and turn off the lights if they ever saw her return.

The woman obviously had never taught her child the virtue of patience. The boy was a classic case of one who expects and demands instant gratification. He was used to having his every wish immediately granted. It was evident who wore the pants in that family. There could not possibly have been any regard on the parents’ part for instilling in the child a very crucial building block of character development, and unfortunately it remains absent in too much of today’s generation.

In raising my son, who is now in his twenties, I do not recall ever seeing an example of any of his friends having had to work for something, much less develop a savings plan toward the purchase of a desired item. The parents usually bought the child the toy, the video game, or the movie-on-tape. In most cases it was purchased either the day of the request or the next. Those children were not made to be financially responsible for any part of the purchase, and, as a result, the true value of the item lost all significance. If something is so easily attained, then how can it be of any value? Some kids of today want a free ride: they’re reluctant to apply for college student loans because they don’t want to be saddled with debt upon graduation. (My generation did it, and we survived somehow.) They expect their parents to foot the entire bill. How valuable will their education truly be to them in the long run?

Some toy stores now issue scan guns to little shoppers who can walk through the aisles and “point ’n’ shoot” each item they wish to add to their birthday or Christmas list. Aunts, uncles, and grandparents around the country can consult the “registry” and then buy something the child wants without duplication. A mother who was interviewed about this new feature was thrilled that finally her son would not be disappointed at Christmas either by getting something he didn’t want or by not getting the toys he did want. Where has the element of surprise gone? When our children know ahead of time what they will receive, why bother to wrap the gifts? And how dare we risk disappointing them by not giving them everything they ask for!

We can’t really blame our kids entirely for this sad state of affairs. They are merely emulating their elders with their “I want it now” attitude, possessing the same false sense of need. Credit cards, mail-order catalogs, telemarketing, home shopping channels, and on-line services have fueled the sense of immediacy by which it is possible to order something at five-o’clock in the evening and have it on one’s doorstep by breakfast the next morning. I did just that in the purchase of a new scanner. From the time I placed the order to my first full-color scan, the earth had barely completed two-thirds of a turn. It seemed as close to immediate materialization as it could be. I want it—POOF!—I have it. Because we can obtain something so quickly we feel that we also need that something—whatever it is. Effort of any kind has been removed. We no longer have to wrestle with our conscience whether or not we should purchase a product because the credit card in our pocket—which only postpones the inevitable—and the overnight delivery services make it too easy to justify our amassing material things, items that the process, by its very nature, persuades us we need.

I heard of a father trying to convince his little son that he couldn’t afford a certain toy. The boy asked to see his father’s wallet. Upon seeing no cash the boy suggested writing a check. The father said that even though there was some money in the bank, there wasn’t enough for the toy and the bills he had to pay. The boy then told him to use the ATM because he always saw Mommy get all the cash she needed from that machine. Aside from the ridiculous situation of allowing the little one to even question his father’s “No” and submit to an examination of the wallet (another case of who’s really wearing the pants in the family), there had been no education whatsoever in the basics of money. That father is forever doomed to financial servitude to the son. I can just imagine Junior’s future lawyers demanding to see Senior’s tax forms to determine ability to pay for whatever Junior wants. Similarly, in a letter to Ann Landers, a young man complained that as he had reached the age of eighteen, his father’s child-support payments had terminated, as per divorce decree. Financing his college education was very tough on his poor mother, and he felt that Congress should pass a law dictating that fathers continue to pay until their children graduate from college. Ann Landers asked if the boy had ever heard of getting a job.

In spite of their wonderful availability of instant cash, ATM’s are actually the devil in disguise. They provide us with the means to satisfy our immediate cravings without stopping to consider the ramifications of such an expenditure. No longer do we take pause to consider if we can really afford to buy X, Y, and Z. We also no longer plan a purchase by putting aside fifty dollars per month until next September, a buffer that could also allow us to change our minds over time and realize that maybe X, Y, and Z were not that important after all. If we can’t control our own styles of spending, we shouldn’t be surprised when our children think of ATM’s and credit cards as the answer.

Gone are the days of earning the build-your-own Heath Kit radio. Not only will an aunt, uncle, or grandparent buy the item for the child, it will already be assembled and painted. No muss, no fuss. If it breaks, so what? There are always plenty more where it came from. And if not, one can always jump up and down on someone’s black leather couch and scream, “I want it, I want it!”.


- Stuart Vail

Interesting, welk written,  and very much to the point .
 
When we, both as a collective society and as individuals become too "addicted"to instantanerous gratification and having  things "made easy" with little or no effort  we  wind up loosing out on the most wonderful kind of self fullfillment and gratification of all. That which comes through learning,  work, time and effort.  Indeed there is a lot of potential out there these days but not  enough inducement.

There are other reasons amateur radio is dying. Some of comes from within the hobby.. Interesting take on this angle here.

What's Wrong With Ham Radio? It's Brain Dead!!

Ham radio is brain dead. How did that happen ? Well, it's a long story, but I'll see if I can explain it to you. Amateur radio operators today can be basically subdivided into two groups - Clueless Newbies and Brain Dead Old Farts. Well three groups really, there's the Died In The Wool Pee In A Bucket Under The Desk Contest Fraternity, but we'll save them for another discussion, because thankfully they only show up on major contest weekends. So let's take a look at our two basic groups.

get this rest at

http://kh2d.net/opinions/article.cfm?id=4

Gee, My kids must freaks in today's world.
Maybe I should go home and tell them I'm sorry

Well, that certainly doesn't sound too optimistic now, does it ?  ;D :'( ;D :D

It's a bit over the top and simplistic, I think mainly to accentuate his points. But I've seen the divide he speaks of in action. Think about it, what youngster in their right mind would want to interact with a bunch of grouchy old men that have nothing but disdain or indifference for newbies?

Jim hits the nail on the head more often than not.

My 1998-to-present perception:

I think the disconnect comes from the "assumption" that the ham radio hobby in the USA is full of knowledgeable people who share the same fascination with radio, and enjoy playing with said radio equipment.

Ok, well, its more like a delusion... one I'm still barely able to delude myself with. More like, theres a very narrow niche within the ham radio hobby where that assumption is correct.

The reality of the situation is that the majority of people involved with ham radio in this country are some of the most socially screwed up, misanthropic, myopic, and just plain rotten people.

(Ok, if you're reading this and getting really pissed off... its a good sign you need counseling!)

Before the days of the little man being able to talk big smack over the internet, it was done over ham radio.

Sorry to sound so negative, but I've had some really sh)))Y experiences with "fellow hams." I'd prefer not to go into specifics, but I will say one incident resulted in my dropping the hobby entirely for almost 5 years.

It is my PROFOUND fascination with most things radio, a lot of patience, and at times a lot of effort and determination to "pan the gold from the sewage choked river" that keeps me involved with this hobby. (though I must add that this forum rocks, and I just subscribed to ER yesterday, btw!)

I think the best ad agency in the world would have a heck of a time trying to market such a flawed and damaged item. One has to really love it to put up with the crap that comes with it. So really, there is no good way to "sell" it. The people who are interested in it will find it, and thats the best that can be hoped for. (And why I am grateful we have our own congressional lobbying group, and grateful those representing it appear to be upright-walking humanoids, dorky as they may be!)

Oh, yeah, then there's that "extreme nerd factor" to be dealt with...  :D ... just kidding.

-Jason kf6pqt

Sorry for the misnomer/misunderstanding...  But still, better the league "represent" us than some of the "hams" I was referring to.

-J

Well, if QST gets any worse, it wont be long! ;)

Since the ARRL is chartered as a nonprofit organization, it is expressly prohibited from lobbying Congress.
I don't think this is correct. The NRA is a non-profit organization and one of the biggest lobbying groups in America.

73,
Darrell, WA5VGO

Hey Phil not completely true....

"Charitable, religious or educational organizations which are exempt from federal
income taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. §
501(c)(3)), which have the privilege of receiving contributions from private parties
that are tax-deductible for the contributor, may not engage in lobbying activities
which constitute a “substantial part” of their activities if they wish to preserve this
preferred tax-exempt status...The activities covered under the limitations on lobbying by charitable
organizations generally encompass direct or indirect “grass roots” lobbying, but
exempt nonpartisan analysis, study or research; advice or assistance given at the
request of a governmental body; “self-defense” communications before governmental
bodies; contacts with the organization’s bona fide members; and contacts unrelated
to affecting legislation.

Otherwise organizations such as:

National Rifle Association, Sierra Club, Ameraican Medical Assiciation  and the good old ARRL would not exist.
How to do this? Have annual dues that provide a magazine and support other efforts

Come Carl! How can we continue this ARRL Hate Fest when you post stuff like that! :P  We know the ARRL is pure evil. They've never done anything right in their entire history. Pure evil.

Have a nice day.

Bingo !! That's exactly how I see it. I often hear many older hams complaining that " kids nowdays ain't interested in ham radio", Meanwhile there are a lot of bright and eager young minds out there.  I often wonder how many of them are completely  put off whence they encounter the grouchy set that  predominates the HF spectrum.

Steve,
back in the early 60s when KW AM signals covered 75 there were a number of older guys who didn't care for us wipper snappers hanging on their band. We learned to strap.
Then came the slop buckets

no kids no lids no space....

Yep, us bleeding heart liberals always think that kids should act  unruly and make absurd demands of people.

Truer words have never been spoken.

Actually I have no problem with CB'ers getting their licenses.        I know several CB'ers that got their tickets and made excellent hams, including some who became AM'ers.  I don't like everything the ARRL  does and sometimes  I question their usefulness. But then again,  if we scrapped the VE program and went back to FCC administered exams and if we did scrap the ARRL I have a feeling that we'd all  be scrapping our equipment in short order. Either that or using it as fancy and rather oversized paperweights and boat  anchors (in the literal sense).

Yea, there probably were always grumpy old farts and newbie haters. But ham radio have never been older and more grumpy than it is right now. Remember when 3885 kHz used to be inhabited by the New England Teen Net? When was the last time you heard a net where all the participants were even under the age of 30, let alone teenaged?

Darrell,

Dig a little deeper on the NRA: You might find the NRA doesn't lobby, it's Political Action Committe the NRA-ILA does, all's legal. That's how the game is played in DC.

73's
wd8kdg
Craig

You might be right that the demographics show even more old men (and maybe more grouchy). But it's always been out there.

Gad, what a reminder of how the first ham radio club I was ever exposed to was clearly set up to gratify the old white guys who had retired and apparently missed bossing people around. SO the younger fellows, and kids like me, were their targets.  Instead of administering a club such that newcomers might feel included, there was this very clear dues-paying, serve-your-time environment that shunted everyone who hadn't been there since dust was invented.

The regime gave the distinct impression they wanted no outside proposals, nor original thought.

(http://www.we.tv/images/header/logo_home.gif)

^^ Indeed.  I remember 20 years ago when our college radio club decided to attend a meeting of the local ham club.  We were shunned by the group of bitter OMs and one nasty OF even demanded to see my license. 

It was unfortunate that their 2M CB repeater was on our campus and, subsequent to this meeting, some idiot in our club left a scanner going during thanksgiving weekend with their repeater frequency programmed into one channel and another channel programmed to their repeater input +10.8 MHz.  Apparently the LO from the scanner kept keying their repeater, and we were all very sorry that they spent the whole Thanksgiving weekend vainly trying to track down the kerchunker with their Doppler DF equipment  :(

I posted this experience elsewhere and received a nice email from the current club president who said that all the bitter OFs have either crapped out or were encouraged to leave the club.  That club is apparently full of enthusiastic guys, both young and old, and according to him has achieved a new life.  Good on these guys for recognizing the problem and dealing with it.

There has been much attention given to the fact that many "seasoned hams" have become very grumpy and cynical and are not very good ambassadors to youth who might be attracted to the hobby.  This may be true to some extent, but it certainly is not the case with everyone who fits into the category of the "older generation".  It should not be a label that is placed on all older hams.

Certainly, many of us who are collectively called "old buzzards" have become rather jaded and disappointed since the "dumbing down" or removal of many of the "screens" and requirements for an amateur radio license.  It certainly is viewed as somewhat of an insult to those of us who previously put forth the effort to study, practice and acquire the needed knowledge and skills to pass the test(s), and now observe the greatly watered-down requirements.  This is not elitism.  It is a pride in accomplishment and dedication to the attainment of recognition of a certain basic skill level. 

CW may be considered by many to be an antiquated and useless mode in this computer age, but it has represented a basic skill, commitment, and dedication of those who desired an amateur radio license.  It served as a screen to filter out those who had no such dedication and commitment.  I for one, think it was a mistake to reduce and, perhaps soon eliminate, the CW requirement.  The theory tests may or may not represent what is needed to have some basic ability required to build and operate an amateur radio station.  But, it seems that just about anyone can pass a multiple choice test after enough tries at it.

The point is, that myself, and I'm sure many of my fellow seasoned contemporaries, really want to see younger people get into the hobby and carry on the torch.  I, for one am greatly encouraged when I hear youngsters at the local middle school radio club operating on the air and enjoying ham radio.  I look for ways to help newbies get started and I get involved in activities that get the message out.  For instance, I took a vintage AM station out to Field Day this year to demonstrate our niche of the hobby.  It was very well received and the younger hams thought is was really cool.

One of the great strengths of amateur radio is the tremendous diversity of interests that it represents.  We need to capitalize on that and embrace that wide range of hobbies within the hobby to attract new hams.

Yeah, sometimes I am grouchy, but I really enjoy ham radio and I want to see it continue for the future generations.  Hopefully, in some small measure, I can contribute to that outcome.

73,  Jack, W9GT

Jack:

I understand where you are coming from. The point is, the newbies of today can't help that the test is easier (if it even is easier, since I've seen no legitimate data or proof) than the one you took. They passed the test that was put before them. They are here. Why not welcome them with open arms, engage them and use your years of experience to fill in the gaps in their knowledge? After all, the older buzzards previous to your generation could have said the same about you. The tests in those days included drawing schematics and oral questions from the FCC examiner (no easy multiple guess).

The Morris Code isn't and never was a screen or filter. We've had malcontents and troublemakers in amateur radio since day one. Further, the knowledge of Morris Code contributes absolutely zero to the knowledge of radio. A person can learn code, be an expert at it, send and receive 100 WPM, and not know one thing about radio. Thousands of telegraphers working for Western Union proved that. Knowing Morris Code back when it was the only viable (or nearly so) means of communicating (let's say from the teens through the ealry 30's, maybe WWII, if you want to stretch it), made sense. Since this time, knowing the Morris Code made absolutely no sense in the context of radio. It most certianly made no sense to have it as the ONLY skill based portion of the amateur radio license testing.

So, I say to you and all the other old buzzards, it's time to move on from the Morris Code complaints. It's over, it's gone and it's not coming back. What we do about it is what will make a difference.

P.S. Yea, I learned the code to get my license. Check QRZ, you'll see I'm an Advanced. But I don't begrudge those who didn't have to learn it, or learn to the speed level I did. I know several guys who know as much or more than me about radio, and never learned more than 5 WPM. They would know just as much about radio if the learned zero WPM.

Hey "HUZ" man............I'm not the enemy!!

Hmmmm......Well in the first place it is Morse not Morris Code!  More accurately, it is International Morse Code that is utilized on the radio.  As for it being useless, my question to you Sir is what would you do to communicate in an emergency if your mike was broken, you had no other means to modulate your transmitter other than turning the carrier on and off?  My guess is, you might be trying to remember that "useless" way of communicating.

Yes, I had to draw schematics for my license test(s)!

No, it is not accurate to say that I would take it out on those new licensees who didn't have the same test...They are, afterall, really not themselves at fault.  I am however, somewhat resentful over the fact that we have collectively lowered our standards without any support for the values that got us to this point.  Voila!....as previously stated,  instant gratification and no thought about the consequences.

Hey...whatever happens, happens.  I may be only a faint voice in the wilderness when it comes to dealing with the current challenges and threats to our existence, but at least I'm not just complaining.  Peace!!!

73,  Jack, W9GT

I'll go out on a limb and venture that I'm the youngest guy on this board. Just got my General last summer. I think cw is neato, and having been distracted by many non-cw aspects of HF, AM included ;) , I'm practicing it again to be able to effectively USE it. How else am I gonna get my ARC-5's on the air?

Its too bad they got rid of the novice class. While struggling to cram the code into my head, I often lamented to myself, hey, its too bad there isn't a way to actually PRACTICE this on the air. Sure, one could set up a sched and  do 2m/6m cw. But when work and life and the GF keep the evenings unpredictable, that sort of scheduling is a pain, theres a need for spontaneity.

I think they should have kept the old novice license, the one that would expire. Upgrade, or wash out. But it should have included some limited HF phone, providing the exciting oppurtunity to experience true HF propagation. 6m E skip was a big letdown. ;)

Like I said in my rant earlier, a lot of people get into ham radio (IMHO) for the wrong reasons. Sure, learning the code is a pain, but the requirement  was an excellent crapfilter. As well an an excellent motivator.

-Jason kf6pqt

After reading all these threads its a wonder why anyone would want to be involved with Amateur radio at all. There are other ( easier and cheaper) ways to be belittled elsewhere. I heard a young kid 12 years old who just got his Tech and was on a repeater with his new HT his dad just got for him. He was shaky as all hell but he made a call and sure enough a old bastard (call sign withheld) gave him crap about how to use I'm guessing his machine. I jumped in and tried to save him. I've only heard him on once since. I thought this hobby was suppose to be fun and educational and accepted all.  ::)

This thread is a little scary.  Man, what a pessimistic view we have going here.  I suggest we dump it and focus and accentuate on the positive.  I believe the positive will overcome the negative.

I also suggest each of us get involved and recruit at least one person who's interested in radio (young or old) involved in getting their license instead of complaining about it over the next year.  Screw the ARRL and whatever organization that supposedly represents us.  We can do it alone, especially the group of people on this forum and AM community.  I think here resides the most  positive group and pro ham group there is.  If I didn't think that I wouldn't be here.

I'd like to add, when I was out on the west coast recently my wife and I stayed at her girlfriends house for a few days.  I got to know her girlfriends son who is 13 years old.  When he found out I was a ham he spent the remainder of our time quizzing me on ham radio.  Over that time I think I believe I have a convert with his father in tow. Since coming back to the east coast I've been sending ham info to them.  I think soon we'll have two hams.  They're very much interested in ham as a father and son team.    I hope I prevail.

Never said you were. Sorry if I gave that impression.


I know it's the Morse Code. Just being funny (or not).

Your question is a red herring. How would you communicate if all you had were flags? Better know semaphore. Let's put it on the test then. One can always come up with some extreme condition to make Morse Code required. So what? I could just as easily ask how you would communicate if your radio was broken? Knowing the Morse Code isn't going to fix the radio (remember this is amateur RADIO, not amateur Morse Code). The mike broken angle is an old and long discredited argument. The reality is that in emergencies, since the advent of phone, the majority of traffic has been handled by phone. It's faster and easier. There's no getting around this.


And I think that's cool. I personally think the technical portion of the tests should be harder and more in depth. But I didn't have to draw schematics. Does that mean I'm not as "worthy" a ham as you? Does that mean I know less about radio? Maybe, maybe not. The point is, I passed the test given at the time. That's all I could do. What we do AFTER passing the test is what really counts. So looking down on those who passed a different (maybe easier test) than you is meaningless, unless you look at what they did after they passed the test. Just to be clear, I'm not saying you do this. But plenty of people do. It's stupid, short sighted and counterproductive.


Then you should be resentful towards the old timers, not the newbies. After all, it was on their/your watch the standards were lowered. I understand being resentful. But at what point do we move on or take positive action?


I hope we can all take on the challenges rather than complain. There’s way too much of the latter going on here and on the air, and too little of the former. And that was the crux of my point from the beginning. What newcomer or potential newcomer is going to want to associate with people (young or old) who continually complain about how things were better in the past and how these newbies are undeserving? Hams are their own worst enemies more often than not.

Bravo for you Bob. You have the right idea.

I couldn't  agree more. This has been my argument for many years. I hear so many people whether thaey are talking about ham newbies or  young people in general  and I always hear the same arguments from the older set, "these young kids didn't have it as hard as  I had it", "when I did this I had to work harder", "these kids have it easy compared  to me"...blah blah blah.  Well there are two choices, we can complain and brag about how much we know (or think we know), or we can welcome them and help them along.I prefer the latter for two reasons. First It accomplishes something constructive instead  of just complaining and grumbling.  Second, we may be pleasantly  surprised to fuind out that a lot of these newcomers are smarter than we give them credit for and have a skillset that they can put to good use provided we give them an inducement to move forward.

Never trust anyone over 30    ;D ;D

Hello John! i remember Elmering you, Dean B., guys like Carmine, Big Pete (N2OKJ now S.K), Dave Ucthtel, and other guys around Yonkers back in the early no-code days. you sure didn't last long on 2 meters, and found AM. what a blast it was to see you guys grow into real hams. yeah, the test is dumbed down, but so is America. the hobby is what you make of it. some stay with the G5RV ten feet up with a ricebox, and others go onto bigger and better things. the state of the hobby does worry me though- i read the other day that Gordon West was voted "Amatuer of the year" this year. something is very wrong in Newington. i left the ARRL years ago. i'm still in the NRA though- at least they actually do something for me in return for my dues!

Dayton Hamvention named him; Newington had nothing to do with it:
http://www.hamvention.org/media/06ATY.htm

[
The point is, that myself, and I'm sure many of my fellow seasoned contemporaries, really want to see younger people get into the hobby and carry on the torch.  I, for one am greatly encouraged when I hear youngsters at the local middle school radio club operating on the air and enjoying ham radio.  I look for ways to help newbies get started and I get involved in activities that get the message out.  For instance, I took a vintage AM station out to Field Day this year to demonstrate our niche of the hobby.  It was very well received and the younger hams thought is was really cool.

One of the great strengths of amateur radio is the tremendous diversity of interests that it represents.  We need to capitalize on that and embrace that wide range of hobbies within the hobby to attract new hams.

Yeah, sometimes I am grouchy, but I really enjoy ham radio and I want to see it continue for the future generations.  Hopefully, in some small measure, I can contribute to that outcome.

73,  Jack, W9GT



Well, it seems that the above comments were overlooked or ignored entirely.  I just thought I would make an effort to restate them.  I have seen my comments and my position twisted and blasted to the point that one might think that myself and all older hams are the worst ogres since Genghis Khan!!  Regardless of how my intentions or my reasons for offering comments to this discussion are misinterpreted and/or ridiculed, I continue to believe that we all have a common bond in wanting our hobby and our love of communication to continue for the future generations.
I have attempted to say, maybe not clearly enough, that regardless of any resentment about some of the changes that have occurred in the licensing process, I still very much enjoy and support young people getting into ham radio.  In some small measure, I have tried to contribute to the effort.
Samuel F.B. Morse is probably rolling over in his grave over his system being referred to as Morris code...........(I really didn't think you were serious about "Morris" code)  I am sure, however, that many young hams still enjoy CW whether it is required or not.
I will now retreat into my cave with my fellow Neanderthals and we will entertain each other by tapping out messages around the fire.  ;D

73,  Jack, W9GT

Flags can be very effective too. If you have a set of 3 red 3 white and 3 blue flags you  can make 1680 different signals.  Not bad ??

Howdy Chris. Hope all is going well. Yep, I remember those days when I was just starting out. AM was the big inspiration for me.  More recently you helped me out with some good hints and ideas. Thatsa the important part of it. There is always more stuff  to learn.

You raise a good point. It works two ways. It's great to elmer a newbie but the newbie also has to respond to what hsi elmer teaches. If you teach the newbie how to make a good antenna so he can strap and all he does  is hang onto that g5rv 10 feet off  the ground he ain't  never gonna get  nowhere.

Gordon West "Ham of the Year" ?? Again ? I could have sworn he was HAM of the year before.  ;D

Jack:

I don't consider you as one of the grouchy old buzzards that are scaring new people away from the hobby. It sounds like you are engaged and do what you can to interest and bring along others.


Amateur radio could double its ranks if each current licensee elmered just ONE person. The technical and operations competence of amateur radio could be vastly improved if each experienced ham passed on even a little of the knowledge they have. The reality is that guys like you Jack have probably forgotten more about radio than I know. You and others like you are an incredible resource that is invaluable to the next generation(s) of hams. If these newbies are smart, they will sit back, listen and learn. Most will, if given a chance.

With the Web and sites like this, that vast storehouse of knowledge is much easier to share. Hopefully we can take advantage of this capability. So, don't go into that cave! ;D

Yep, I agree, HUZ. Elmering is the key. And it doesn't necessarily mean that we need to devote months to someone, though it helps.

But here's a technique I use -  if applied over a long period of time, it pays big dividends....

Whenever I go to a ham event of any kind, I always keep my eye out for someone who seems interested in AM but is shy and just seems overwhelmed by it all. There is always someone there who probably has big potential but might just as easily give up because of intimidation. Look around at the next party or fest for the person who wants to fit in, but acts nervous. Remember the FIRST ham event YOU attended? Like me, you probably hung out alone and left early not knowing hardly anyone.

Anyway, I remember a party a few years ago at Jim/WA1UQM's place. There were maybe 25 guys there. In the corner stood a younger guy who wasn't talking, just observing. I made it a point of coming over and chatting with him for a good 30 minutes. It turned out it WAS his first AM party and he was a new EE. After introducing myself he said with a big smile, "YOU'RE K1JJ?!!" I didn't know if he was gonna sock me or shake my hand...  ;D  Anyway, after hearing about his ham interests and technical background I told him he would be the perfect candidate to build a class E rig. Well, over the next two years this guy ended up becoming a class E guru and leading the way in this  technology for AMers. Blew me away! We all know him now as the famous Bill/KE1GF.

There's more of these stories I could tell you, but you get the idea.
My point is, at every social event pick out the one new person who looks like he might need a boost. They will remember this conversation forever and it might be the turning point in their ham careers.

73,
T

 ;D ;D

You are such a gracious host Tom!

Great story.

 ;D ;D ;D  You're a gracious host too, HUZ...

BTW, back in scouts there was a signaling merit badge. We had to learn Morris code at 5wpm, semaphore at 5wpm and wig-wag at 5 wpm.  I was the troop signalman... 

I'll bet you don't know what wig-wag is, right?  You already know it and could send a flag message 100 yards away...   Take a flag and wave it right for a dit and left for a dah. Pull back to the center to space between letters. We'll have to try it at the next fester using our hats.

Caw Mawn.

T

Your left or his left and does left-handed/right-handed make a difference ;D

Pete, it depends if you are above or below the equator.

I bet the scoutmaster loved you Tom. Any special visits to his house?

Is this where the saying, "I'm wavin' my hand!", came from?

I wish I could find just one interested person. Last weekend I got permission to set up a HAM table at the local Fire Department Open House. I figured this would be a good place to get some exposure since there
would be lots of young people and families. I had all sorts of handouts about HAM radio with my name and phone number in them. During the three hours about 700 people came through the fire station to get free pizza and watch the 'jaws of life' and other fire demonstrations. A few came over to my table to see what I was listening to on my radio and to ask a few questions.
Six people took the HAM handout and nobody has yet called me.
Now I am going to take the left over handouts and bring them to the local schools science department chairpersons. If I can get just one new ham in my community I'll be happy!

Regards
Q

Why neglect engineering students?

Dave Goncalves
W1EUJ

                                  "Why neglect engineering students?"                   

Offers of beer and pizza get their attention...  Although, Steves 'special visits' may be problimatic for some......  klc

    the most valuable and gratifying (not by special visits, Steve) activity i have found in this hobby is Elmering. Dad was for years a "professional" Elmer, teaching a credit ham radio course in a local high school. we have put a lot of people on the air over the years. one thing you can't predict though is where they go- some into CW (imagine that!) DX, sideband, VHF, whatever. it's all good. Tom hit the jackpot with Bill KE1GF- head first into AM, but you never know where they will go in radio. i consider Elmering my duty, and obligation to return something to the hobby. folks i have elmered have often go very far in radio, and some go nowhere. my latest prodigy is over in Afgahnistan mopping up bad guys while trying to find time to hang a dipole for some 20 meter slobucket "portable YA1". he has collected a house full of boatanchors back home while on leave, and when he returns for good we are gonna build a strapping AM station. a young kid i work with and elmered did not get his ticket, but has become a stone  professional radioman, and went into the NRA shooting sports. ya never know!

Just had to clarify...someone several pages ago mentioned 'CW lost its usefulness by the lated 30's or so...'well, not so, since cw was the primary communication in WWII, Koeran War, & Vietnam...to begin, weather reports were sent from ships via cw, encoded in enigma. then supplied to U Boats...ALL CW, In Vietnam , encoded traffic was intercepted by guys called 'ditty boppers' ....I believe from my collection of radio mags eliminating cw has been an issue since the 30's...aafter 65 yrs, it happened, almost....when the AM freqs get too much for me, I am glad my rigs and I can run CW!  73 steve

I seem to recall a memory saying from Cub Scouts 46 years ago or so for wig-wag convention:
   
            Remember what the old Dutchman said "Dot's right".

I never said any such thing. CW will always be useful (to some extent or another) as long as there are at least two people who know it. My point was that as a test element, it was outdated by WWII or so. For discussion sake, let's go with your time line, let's say it was still the main comms mode until the early 70s (I disagree with this premise since in any segment, amateur, commercial or military, voice comms and/or other data comms use far out paced Morse comms.) Surely, you are not suggesting, this still pertains today? Go talk to any military recruiter. Asking him how many diddy-bobbers he/she are recruiting. They won't even know what your are talking about. The top 10 most wanted job specialties (MOS) recruiters are looking for today don't include ANY that fall in the Signal or Military Intelligence areas, the two where someone with Morse Code skill would work.

So, it's not about usefulness, it's about whether the Morse Code should be part of the amateur radio test.

I was doing JOTA all day with lots of scouts sheepishly talking into the Hallicrafters SR-150's microphone. It was great exposure for ham radio and lots of fun.

The JOTA organizer is Technician Class and a real Ham Radio activist and promoter with the kids. I asked him why he had not upgraded. He said that he is dyslexic and he can not copy over 7 WPM. I said great - take the test. He said that under the current VE code provisions, the farnsworth method must be used to administer the test. The characters are sent at 15 WPM , but the spacing is 5 WPM and it is the fast characters that mess him up. So I said, just have somebody give you the test at straight 5 WPM. He said nobody can do that now. I said that I could give him the test. He said that I could not because I was not registered under one of the several recognized VE groups such as W5YI or the ARRL and they must use Farnsworth.

Now I know that he could probably get a doctor to sign some kind of paper which would allow an accomodation, but this all seems like BS to me.     

MIke WU2D

Yes....total and complete BS......

ARRL VEs can  and MUST accomodate 'handicapped examinees'  Yes, MAY have to have a doctor's note....

BUT this sounds like a VE team that doesn't want to go out of it's way.....

This is an excerpt from the ARRL VE Manual


http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/vemanual/VEman-ch7.pdf

That guy needs to complain LOUDER and take his upgrade !!