[Elecraft] Effective ways to introduce amateur radio to newcomers?

[Fred Jensen]

Wayne:

>From about 2005 to 2024, I delivered "Congrats on your new license" 
radiograms from the NorCal net to NE CA and NV. <see below> something 
over half of the new hams answered the phone and we had a chat, 
something over a couple hundred total.  A major revelation came from 
those chats:  New hams are not the people everyone thinks of when the 
phrase "new hams" comes up.  They are not eager teenagers or young 
20-somethings eager to experience the magic of radio.

They are overwhelmingly new Technicians with an HT and maybe a mobile, 
in their 30's or 40's with jobs and families [often heard kids in the 
background].  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.  Many were 
in off-road clubs and ham radio was the end of a migration from 
CB-->FRS/GMRS-->Ham repeaters/APRS.

I do not believe this is understood by most and especially ARRL.  HF, 
DX, contests, awards, and the like do not attract them.  The 1st 
commandment in business is, "Know Thy Customer."  From what I've 
learned, not denigrating the new folks with terms like "shack on the 
belt", outdoor radio seems to be a good starting point.  Personal, 
one-on-one contact is pretty much essential.

73,

Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

<below>-1:  3533 1900 Pacific (year-round)

<below>-2: Home you can make N6XI's Truckee Radiogrill tomorrow

> Wayne Burdick via Elecraft <mailto:elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> Wednesday, July 23, 2025 7:52 PM
> Hi all,
>
> Please share any methods you've used for stirring interest in our shared
> pastime. How have you communicated the science, the camaraderie, and the
> intrigue of the radio art? Real-world examples would be inspiring to read
> about.
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
>



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