[ARC5] What Happened to where is a new generation? the original question!!!

[J Mcvey]

All things change in time. The radio hobby as we knew it, is now different with a more "modular" approach available for home brew. For example,the November ARRL QST magazine had an article about starting a radio internet backbone using commercially available 3.4 gig small repeater systems. The author spoke about it as being a radio relay much like what was done in the early days of radio, but with digital equipment.I was thinking that the younger guys may become  intrigued with the concept of a private digital radio network ( as I am) and run with it. There are lots of technical problems to solve to make it work reliably all over the country, but it could be done.  

That being said, as a latecomer to being a licensed Ham at age 57, I know both sides of the story. I did  a lot of projects when I was a kid (as welll as  later in the electronics industry) and know about the home brew aspect. However I was also a newbie showing up to radio club meetings. I have to tell you that it was not helpful experience at all.  First, the old timers who don't even know me, decided that I'm an "Extra Lite" because of the no code requirement. Then offer no help when I expressed a desire to learn code. The attitude was if I wasn't operating a spark gap transmitter at age 10 and can't do 35 wpm, I might as well go home! 
I watched many younger men come and go as they were systematically "shut down" by the grumpy old men.
You really can't blame the young guys for not wanting to deal with that.

It's not the hobby, but often some of  the people in it that are the problem. They make it not fun. I can cite many other unfun things they did, but you get the idea. If I wasn't a tenacious SOB who knew what I wanted to do and why, I would have said the heck with it too.
Consider this next time you encounter a new recruit. 


    On Sunday, November 22, 2015 3:18 AM, Brian <brianclarke01 at optusnet.com.au> wrote:
 

 This apparent growth has no age or geographic distribution data. So, what explains the growth? We have several factors to consider:
  a.. Medicos are helping us live longer - so there are more oldies looking for a hobby 
  b.. Removing the Morse code competence requirement - so, people requiring instant gratification can join 
  c.. In America, the ready availability of standard question and answer banks - so, parrot learning is easier (but experiential learning is totally absent) 
  d.. Reduced effort or cost of entry through cheap imports from Asian countries - so, pensioners can afford it.
All this happens without any need to invoke the possibility that young people are queueing up to join our ranks. In Australia, a quick jaunt around several radio clubs over the last few years shows that membership is ageing.

I have not heard of Boy Scouts cranking out tech students. When did that start? 
In Australia, the scouts’ radio badge is at the level of:
  a.. See the pretty radio 
  b.. Watch the pretty lights move 
  c.. Listen to what happens when I turn the big knob.
Like wow, man.

I think the original question has gotten lost in the welter of oldies recalling how they entered the hobby, but who have not connected the dots for present-day young people. It’s an attention span loss that occurs with Alzheimer’s syndrome – by the time they get their death-rattle sentence typed, they’ve forgotten the question. But to answer the original question, we need to connect the dots.

73 de Brian, VK2GCE.


On Sunday, November 22, 2015 1:00 PM , Phillip drew a conclusion, probably erroneous, as it happens:

Hey Guys,

Why are we worried about young Hams? There for more Amateur Radio operators today in the US than there ever has been!

December 1971 was 285,000
December 1981 was 433.000
December 1991 was 494,000
December 2001 was 683,000
December 2011 was 700,221
December 2012 was 709,575
December 2013 was 717,201

Boy Scouts and STEM schools are cranking out tech students and feeding the Ham rosters. Scouting has a Radio merit badge and Signaling (Morse code) merit badge. ARRL sponsors scholarships for young Hams. Our local club sponsors Fox Hunts and brings Scouts to participate in appropriate activity during Field Day. Ham Dads encourage their kids toward the hobby. I don't see why the worry...

My Father introduced me to the hobby back in 1967 when I was 12 years old. I listened to DX on his vintage Hallicrafters SX-43. I started out assisting with logging contacts during Field Day and sending out QSLs then worked my way up to DX contacts. I knew all the old Hams from my home town, almost all SKs now. My Elmer was a TV Broadcast engineer and Ham who loved RTTY and ATV. He is still at it (K4VZZ).

I believe that the younger Hams will pick up our tube stuff and go with it as they mature in the hobby and become more interested in the historical methods and modes.

I know several young audiophiles who started out as Op Amp guys and migrated over to Toob Amps. 

I think tech curiosity will take care of any worries we have. The big concern is how long will tube stocks hold out?

Phillip W4RTX
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