[AMRadio] Hamfest and AM'ers

[CL in NC]

While hamfests can take on a carnival atmosphere, especially with the shapes of people and the fellows with 5 HT's hanging off them or a hard hat with a whip antenna, there are some folks there in earnest looking for that one piece to complete their treasure.  It can also an avenue for folks to reminisce about gear they owned when they look at it on your sell table, and then tell you what a piece of junk it was when they had it when it was new.  After listening to their comments it doesn't take long to realize many of those folks would look down the barrel of a gun to see if it was loaded.

The one thing that is quite evident though, is that ham that is looking for that one last piece is usually much older than the normal attendees.    Unless there is a group of folks waiting in the que who want to learn and appreciate 'the old way' of tubes and amplitude modulation, or the newer ways like Class E, this is a dying art.  In the book, '200 Meters and Down', there is a great observation that the hams of the day had a thirst for knowledge and understanding of radio and propagation. Ham radio is evolving into a low level of understanding or interest of how things work.  I'm afraid one day, folks will open the box to their new transceiver, and the license will be included. 

Charlie, W4MEC in NC