[Elecraft] Introduction to ham radio

[Eric Fitzgerald]

On 7/29/25 10:43 PM, wb0m--- via Elecraft wrote:

> BTW: Non-shamelss plug: Tnx to DXEngineering & Icom for donating equipment to our club.

Not a plug at all in my opinion Jeff.  ...and it brings up good point:  
bestow your unused gear on somebody that shows interest rather that just 
ebaying the stuff.  My elmers generously gave be stuff and I've made a 
point to pay it forward.

This discussion brings up a bigger philosophical point that others have 
touched on in this thread.  Should amateur radio be an exclusive club of 
elites that rigorously disqualifies anybody not deemed a "real ham," or 
should it be an open tent that invites anybody with a curiosity about 
radio wave propagation, wherever that nascent curiosity might lead the 
neophyte?

I'm firmly in the latter camp.  I believe that the former mentality 
dooms the hobby to attrition, bleeding off younger potential hams to 
other technologies.

I guess that makes me something of a ham evangelist.

YMMV ;-)

Eric KG6MZS