[ARC5] dying hobby?

[Hubert Miller]

I am surprised Fair Radio lasted this long. I don't think an actual physical "surplus store" is a viable business any more. Outside of some fanatics ( in a good sense ),
there's very little demand, matched by the supply dried up, except for selling off other people's estates. 

As for 'ham radio', i think unfortunately both "ham radio" and "amateur radio" terms are legacies of an earlier age which is now surely gone. The ARRL is not going
to like it, but some time it will be time to think about a new name. Those names are antiquated and do nothing to garner respect for the avocation. I also don't 
see anything particularly negative about hobby radio appealing more to "mature" adults. Maybe the younger people have more immediate worries and preoccupations
to take up their time. 

Screens versus radio hobby: i don't see much real difference between screen game points and ham radio contact awards. Like WAS, WAC, or FT8 contacts really
mean anything? A lot of ham radio conversations i hear are pro forma and little meaningful contact. I don't think anyone need fear the government taking away
the amateur radio bands; there's no burning need for that much of the spectrum any more. But if you enjoy paranoia, go ahead and luxuriate. 

We have a local ham radio emergency net. I don't participate, just hasn't seemed to me to be worthwhile plus i cannot regularly attend their callups. I have 
wondered, tho, why these emergency exercises don't involve the local National Guard. The NG has their own communications network and has shown that they
will be an important part of any disaster response.
-Hue Miller