[Elecraft] Has the KX3 rescued Ham radio?

[Howard Evans]

 My experience has been similar to yours, Dan. Off the air since 1967, I
 became licensed again April 1, 2013, bought a KX3 with all the trimmin's,
 and am now proud to be a part of the Elecraft community.

 Ham radio didn't die between 1967 and 2013. If anything, it has expanded.
 More bands, more modes, more everything except new young amateurs.

 The amateur radio community is all about having fun and communicating with
 each other via radio. The younger generation is all about having fun and
 communcating with each other too, except their medium of choice is the
 Internet and cell phones. We can introduce them to HTs and repeaters, but
 how do you compete with Facebook and Youtube? Maybe we can't. So instead of
 competing we offer alternative ways to have fun and communcate and use
 Facebook and Youtube to promote the alternatives.

 Ham radio doesn't need to be resecued. It just needs more participation 
from
 a younger group of people to really thrive and grow against the competition
 for more bandwidth. Use it or lose it, as they say. Coordinated efforts 
from
 all involved are necessary: ARRL, clubs, and local publicity in schools and
 colleges can all be helpful. Kit building seems to be driving a resurgance
 of interest in electronics and computers, and that can lead to an interest
 in amateur radio. Mentoring youngters who might want to become Hams works
 too. QRP CW is yet another avenue to attract new Hams with low-cost rigs 
and
 simple antennas.

 There are endless possibilites for recruitment to "rescue" amateur radio,
 much more than when I got my Novice ticket forty-seven years ago. But it
 will take more than just on-the-air ragchewing and posting to the choir in
 Ham radio forums such as this one. It will take a concerted effort. Join a
 club. Join the ARRL. Participate in high-profile community services that
 involve amateur radio. Become involved.

 Thank you for your revival in interest and your post.

 Hop - AC8NS

> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dan McCoy" <docdano at gmail.com>
> To: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2013 12:58 PM
> Subject: [Elecraft] Has the KX3 rescued Ham radio?
>
>
> <SNIP>
>> I read as much as I could find, dropped an order for every extra 
>> component on a Friday. The ups man was at my door on Tuesday with the 
>> little radio. I bought the pre-built model so literally I threw 26 feet 
>> of Wireman 534 and a counter poise on the BNC adaptor....2 min later I 
>> had a contact in Wisconsin.
>>
>> So why do I think it will rescue Ham radio? It forces us (ok, gently) to 
>> go back to being experimenters, operate remote, makes using code cool and 
>> useful, and to be honest just great fun.
>>
>>Great job Elecraft. Proud to now be a part of your family.
>>
>> Dan
>> N2DRM
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>