[Elecraft] Elecraft Digest, Vol 256, Issue 20

Sun Aug 31 02:04:57 EDT 2025

Great post!

Except that I'll differ on one point.  We COULD come up with other ways 
to use ham radio that might ... I say might ... be interesting to folks 
who aren't predisposed to have an interest in it as it is now.  Over the 
past few years I have publicly suggested two or three ways we might do 
that (don't worry, I won't bore everyone by repeating them here) and the 
answer I ALWAYS got from almost everyone was along the lines of "that 
isn't really ham radio".

We're dinosaurs that aren't wiling to evolve enough to survive.

Dave   AB7E

On 8/30/2025 10:42 PM, KJ7SOY via Elecraft wrote:
> I’m going to disagree with you completely. While I still enjoy SSB and CW, FT8 has supercharged my interest in radio. I find the study of propagation fascinating now that I can watch pipelines around the globe open and close in real time through digital communications. Watching WSJT-X streams and seeing the propagation paths on different bands and matching that to atmospheric conditions has given me a new appreciation for what’s happening over my head, and I never get tired of observing and trying to figure out exactly what’s making the bands open and close as I watch digital calls appear and disappear.
>
> I don’t believe the existence of digital technologies has anything to do with the decline in radio popularity. I think it’s far more likely that the growth in instant digital communications mediums using cell phones has a lot to do with it. I also firmly believe that, like any other human endeavor, it’s not possible to interest people in radio unless they already have a predisposition to it. They have to have that spark in them (no pun intended). All we can do is show them an outlet for their interest.
>
> 73, Adrian
> K7RJS
>
>> On Aug 30, 2025, at 10:13 PM, dyno lab via Elecraft <elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>>
>> FT8 and some other modes have made it too easy to sit on our backsides and let the computer do the work while we gradually lose interest.
>> It takes the excitement out of making contacts the hard way.
>> No wonder so many are giving up.
>>
>> There was a time when we built our own equipment and could not wait to put it on the air.
>> We need something that makes it hard and interesting again.
>>
>> I thank the Ol Man Upstairs that I still find it really fun and interesting to see a problem and go about building something to fix it.
>>
>> 73,
>> Hal
>> W7YNC
>> DynoLab.com
>>
>>
>>> On 08/30/2025 6:51 PM PDT Glenn Maclean via Elecraft <elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> I have to say. The on going Morse Code Class I teach at a local bar because the owner is a ham and welcomes the class. I am little by little getting more students that see our table and are curious. I give them my spiel about ham radio and why Morse Code. Which is when boom boom the lights go out Morse Code will always come through! Then the next thing I know I end up with a new student who wants to become a ham! The new students are in their 20’s - 30’s
>>> Glenn Maclean WA7SPY
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>>> On Aug 30, 2025, at 09:03, elecraft-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
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>>>> Today's Topics:
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>>>>   1. Re: Effective ways to introduce amateur radio to newcomers?
>>>>      (email)
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>>>>
>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> Message: 1
>>>> Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2025 11:12:55 -0400
>>>> From: email <email at nr3i.org>
>>>> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>>>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Effective ways to introduce amateur radio to
>>>>    newcomers?
>>>> Message-ID: <7beb844a-160f-4775-a305-bb3ddb9d052b at nr3i.org>
>>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
>>>>
>>>> Why ?? (Why is it necessary that we talk other people into ham radio in
>>>> the first place??)? WELL, In the USA, the average age (determined by my
>>>> browser) is 65 years old.? That means in 20-30 years, that 800K number
>>>> will be 400K without adding new (younger hams) ???
>>>>
>>>> My kids are in there 30's (and have let the license lapse - but plan on
>>>> renewing ??)
>>>> My wife is not active...
>>>> I know a number of hams in retirement communities that are not active.
>>>> How many of the 800K are active ??
>>>>
>>>> I have a friend (Scout admin I work with/for) that had a novice in grade
>>>> school, she let it lapse a number of years ago.? I have been giving her
>>>> Tech class info and she may have time to do the zoom class...? She did
>>>> like CW (still knows it).? I may give/lend her my "old" NorCal 40.? It
>>>> would be nice to have a kit again ??? for new hams.? The NorCal 40 is
>>>> simple to use and a single band dipole is simple to "throw" into a tree...
>>>>
>>>> 73, Steve WB3LGC
>>>>
>>>>> On 7/26/25 18:57, David Gilbert via Elecraft wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Exactly.
>>>>>
>>>>> Trying to talk people into being interested in things we're interested
>>>>> in for the reasons we're interested in them is a foolish endeavor.?
>>>>> Evangelism is boring and off-putting.? The best we can do is describe
>>>>> what ham radio can offer and let people decide if that has any
>>>>> interest for them.
>>>>>
>>>>> If we have to convince somebody that ham radio is interesting to them,
>>>>> then it probably isn't and even if they go along it won't last.
>>>>>
>>>>> Which brings me to this question:
>>>>> *
>>>>> Why is it necessary that we talk other people into ham radio in the
>>>>> first place?? * There are supposedly close to 800,000 licensed hams in
>>>>> the U.S., which is a bigger market and a bigger pool of like minds
>>>>> than LOTS of other activities.? Is there some sort of collective
>>>>> insecurity complex going on every time this comes up? And it comes up
>>>>> with annoying frequency on almost every forum.
>>>>>
>>>>> Dave? ?AB7E
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 7/26/2025 2:27 PM, Fred Jensen via Elecraft wrote:
>>>>>> They almost all view ham radio from a utilitarian perspective, not as
>>>>>> a hobby ... they have hobbies and interests. Probably the largest
>>>>>> non-work interests were in the outdoors.
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>>>> End of Elecraft Digest, Vol 256, Issue 20
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