[Boatanchors] Reality Comes Knocking.

[KA2PTE]

I had a novice ticked in 1982 and it expired 4 yrs later. I recently came 
back with a tech
class in 2017, and the general in 2018. The local ham club was a big help, 
so I volunteered to take
the vacant presidents position under their reasoning for low attendance at 
the meetings was because
lack of new hams getting into the hobby. Had a pretty decent time for a wile 
and I focused on attracting new people and got a few to attend
and also some regular hams that had left came back and said the reason they 
left was how this club was ran.
I later learned myself the main reason first hand.

One night on our local 10m net, the club VP doing the NCS duty said that I 
"better get my head out of my ass"
after I voiced a concern with a local internet provider. When I confronted 
him for more on that insulting statement
he claimed no recollection, and no other hams on the air that night uttered 
one peep. Needless to say I resigned from
the club completely. I even bought up the fact the club is trying to attract 
new members, and when a new ham fills a position
and start making a difference, they are insulted and no one objects. If 
there were any non ham listeners that night, I dont see
how that inspires people to want to be in our "crowd" as they can get the 
same thing all over the internet and dont need to buy
a ham radio.

This kind of carelessnees is something I also see on the crowded 80m band , 
where squatters "control" frequencies
daily, push loads of power drowning out barefoot operators and make it look 
like some kind of click.

Later you can hear them start up complaining why there are no new hams, but 
its never their fault for how they use the hobby
selfishly, rag chew in tight groups and rarely put out their call.

So yea theres some serious issues out there and its not the value of the 
boatanchor, which radio is great, who has the most
power on the band - its how current hams act that is more responsible for 
the frustrations seen in the hobby.

--
Steve Hearns [ KA2PTE ]