[Elecraft] Helping to spark interest in Ham Radio
Wayne Burdick
n6kr at elecraft.com
Thu Jul 31 16:11:13 EDT 2025
Morse Training at a Local Bar definitely takes the cake for most original
new-ham-creation method, Glenn. Thanks!
Wayne
N6KR
On Tue, Jul 29, 2025 at 3:51 PM Glenn Maclean via Elecraft <
elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> I recently took an introduction to computer programming class at a local
> Junior College. My final was to write a python program. I did the
> assignment and my program was how to learn Morse Code broken into learning
> letter groups each week. My instructor really liked my program.
>
> I teach a CW class every Wed night. The class is held at a local
> distillery and the owner is in the class. My computer programming
> instructor is also in my class. Everyone is progressing well. I have 3-4
> students every Wed night. One of the students got his General Class license
> and is trying out QRP Pota operation. I loaned the student a QRP radio
> portable antenna and power supply.
>
> The class is fun and because it is at a bar I have had customers come over
> to our table and are very interested!
>
> I have put my Python program on GitHub under Duart Castle Learn Morse
> Code. If anyone is interested feel free to download and tryout my program.
> It is cross platform Linux, Mac, Windows. I think the program is great for
> someone new who wants to learn Morse Code. You can also find a link to my
> program from my QRZ page.
> Glenn WA7SPY
>
> > On Jul 29, 2025, at 09:03, elecraft-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
> >
> > Send Elecraft mailing list submissions to
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> >
> >
> > Today's Topics:
> >
> > 1. K3/100 For sale (F Barry McWilliams)
> > 2. Special invitation from Ken Widelitz (Ken Widelitz)
> > 3. Elecraft 20M SSB Net Results: 27 July 2025 (Brian Maynard)
> > 4. Re: Effective ways to introduce amateur radio to newcomers?
> > (Wayne Burdick) (Wayne Burdick)
> > 5. Re: Effective ways to introduce amateur radio to newcomers?
> > (Fred Jensen)
> > 6. Re: Introduction to ham radio (Al Lorona)
> > 7. Re: Effective ways to introduce amateur radio to newcomers?
> > (Dave W8OV)
> > 8. Re: Effective ways to introduce amateur radio to newcomers?
> > (Julia Tuttle)
> > 9. Re: Introduction to ham radio (David Gilbert)
> >
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:39:25 -0400 (EDT)
> > From: F Barry McWilliams <barrymcw at fairpoint.net>
> > To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> > Subject: [Elecraft] K3/100 For sale
> > Message-ID:
> > <255278654.28398250.1753727965463.JavaMail.zimbra at fairpoint.net>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
> >
> > Elecraft K3/100 s/n 297 with
> > - KAT3 installed antenna tuner
> > - FLA-500 500 Hz CW filter
> > - Elecraft MH2 hand-held microphon
> > - power cable, manuals
> >
> > $1,100 plus $52 shipping via UPS
> >
> > Frederick, K8LEF
> > (518) 392-0541
> > barrymcw at fairpoint.net
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 2
> > Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 12:04:49 -0700
> > From: Ken Widelitz <kwidelitz at gmail.com>
> > To: undisclosed-recipients:;
> > Subject: [Elecraft] Special invitation from Ken Widelitz
> > Message-ID:
> > <CABs+SNBjgvE_j_j1+w2LSOsbxwtsXDyjUaLLHEPJzy3C+LYG8g at mail.gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> >
> > [image: Punchbowl]
> >
> > You're invited! Please click on the invitation to see more details and to
> > RSVP.
> >
> >
> > *Special Party Invitation From *
> > *Ken Widelitz*
> >
> >
> > [image: Surprise Birthday Luau for Bob!] <https://ibit.ly/A8a4V/>
> >
> >
> >
> > [image: Open your invitation] <https://ibit.ly/A8a4V/>
> >
> > [image: https://www.punchbowl.com/invitation/9d959cab7e01efd6/t.gif]
> >
> >
> >
> > If you can't see the above invitation, click here <
> https://ibit.ly/A8a4V/>.
> >
> > NB : We believe your data belongs to you, so we use it
> > only to display your invite contents only.
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 3
> > Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 16:08:50 -0400
> > From: Brian Maynard <briankmaynard at gmail.com>
> > To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> > Subject: [Elecraft] Elecraft 20M SSB Net Results: 27 July 2025
> > Message-ID:
> > <CALRmESTw00y6L12aDbetRzUhETZUixUYOhy93-tvwqGuDwfzsw at mail.gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> >
> > We had an interesting net this week with the East and West Coast
> > effectively segregated. Thanks to our excellent relays - Paul-W9PCS,
> > John-N6JW, and Phil-NS7P. As always thanks to Dave for logging. Please
> join
> > us next Sunday at 1800Z on 14.3035 MHz. Check netlogger as well. - -
> Brian,
> > K1NW
> >
> > CI # Callsin Operator State Rig Notes
> > 1 N8SBE Dave MI K4D #1358 logger
> > 2 K7BRR Bill OR K4D #704
> > 3 N6JW John CA K3 #936 relay
> > 4 W9PCS Paul WI K4D #620 relay
> > 5 K1NW Brian RI K4D #863 net control
> > 6 W4DML Doug TN K3 #6433
> > 7 K6VWE Stan MI K4D #193
> > 8 W3SA John NC K4D #616
> > 9 KD8RV Greg MI K3 #5600
> > 10 KR8L Bill IL KX2 #4336 10w qrp
> > 11 KE3GRO Jim MO IC-7300
> > 12 KE8KEF Steve MI K4D #1683
> > 13 K5SJC Steve CO K3S #10311
> > 14 KD9RFW Brian IL FT-dx101mp
> > 15 WB7S Jerry WY K3s #11545
> > 16 K1DIH Brian CT K4D #1274
> > 17 VE1JS John NS K4D #1268
> > 18 K3FZT Steve PA FT-dx3000
> > 19 NS7P Phil OR K3 #1826 relay
> > 20 AG7TH Gary OR K4D #1281
> > 21 K7JG John WA KX3/100 #3519
> > 22 KN6TCI Brian CA IC-7300
> > 23 KR6Q Damien CA FT-990a
> > 24 NK9A Stan MI FT-710
> > 25 KX6F John TN K4D #1534
> > 26 K4SO Mark VA K3 #6359
> > 27 KQ4SZL Tony SC K3 #7686
> > 28 WN8A Jim MI K3 #3480
> > 29 WW4JF John TN K3s #11177
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 4
> > Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 13:32:31 -0700
> > From: Wayne Burdick <n6kr at elecraft.com>
> > To: Eric Fitzgerald <kg6mzs at gmail.com>
> > Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Effective ways to introduce amateur radio to
> > newcomers? (Wayne Burdick)
> > Message-ID:
> > <CAE8SmRXykbog2S6EmrxLFLziJ5O_PN+uttD+tBcqGG2R1r+-ig at mail.gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> >
> > I'd like to thank everyone who weighed in on this topic. Great ideas.
> Many
> > of us have tried to connect with interested parties in various ways, some
> > more successful than others.
> >
> > I learned Morse in Boy Scouts, and concurrently, was fortunate to have a
> > couple of middle school science teachers who were very enthusiastic about
> > radio. We had a club station with old gear that was cherished and used
> > every day. In fact my first QSO ever was Hawaii (from San Diego) using
> the
> > school's rig. I was so new to CW that when the station signed
> > WA3<something> "/" KH6, I couldn't copy the "/". I wrote "-..-." in the
> log
> > and looked it up later.
> >
> > 73,
> > Wayne
> > N6KR
> >
> >
> >> On Mon, Jul 28, 2025 at 5:58?AM Eric Fitzgerald via Elecraft <
> >> elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> I think this is a "leading the horse to water" conundrum. Instilling the
> >> spark of curiosity and kindling that into the flame of full-blown
> >> interest is a delicate thing. It is easily snuffed out with a grumpy
> >> word or two.
> >>
> >> Trying to force the horse to drink doesn't work. For me the key is to
> >> respond positively and enthusiastically whenever I am approached with a
> >> interested question, whenever I come across that delicate spark of
> >> interest.
> >>
> >> I'm a SOTA guy. My KX2 has seen well over a hundred summits so far. A
> >> lot of people approach me on popular mountaintops and express curiosity
> >> about what I am so cryptically and intently doing. I make it a point to
> >> stop calling CQ or whatever I am doing and engage with them, no matter
> >> what my mood. I try and express just how much fun I am having and how
> >> addicting the hobby is. It's not an original idea, but I have business
> >> cards printed up with my website and email printed on them that I hand
> >> out liberally. I also leave a little space to write down the answers to
> >> any specific questions they may have.
> >>
> >> I'm a graphic artist by trade and I've designed these cards carefully to
> >> be uncluttered and visually engaging. You can see what the front looks
> >> like on my QRZ page:
> >>
> >> https://www.qrz.com/db/KG6MZS
> >>
> >> If their eyes start to glaze over, I politely back off, change the
> >> subject or merely just wish them a good hike.
> >>
> >> I maintain a website with a lot of pretty pictures and videos:
> >>
> >> https://kg6mzs.com/
> >>
> >> I follow up. When people email me after visiting the website, I follow
> >> my first rule of getting on the air: LISTEN. I don't have any agenda
> >> about what they SHOULD do, I listen and try and figure out where their
> >> interests lie. As we all know their are myriad ways to pursue this
> >> hobby. Listen to what is piquing their interest.
> >>
> >> I know that as someone who doesn't come from a technical background, the
> >> level of expertise of the hams I came across can be intimidating. This
> >> formidable competence can kill any spark of interest. We are all proud
> >> of what we have accomplished in the hobby. Resist the temptation to
> >> show off. I was afraid of getting on the air and doing something
> >> wrong. Mic fright is real thing for a lot of beginners. This is why I
> >> wrote a little essay called SMOOTH OPERATOR: How to Feel Easy About
> >> Getting On The Air:
> >>
> >> https://papasys.com/papa-reference/smooth-operator/
> >>
> >> I think the best way to share an interest in the hobby is by example.
> >> Exhibit your interest, enthusiasm, kindness and all-around fun.
> >>
> >> Another country heard from.
> >>
> >> 73 Eric KG6MZS
> >>
> >>
> >>> 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
> >>>
> >>>
> >> ______________________________________________________________
> >> Elecraft mailing list
> >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> >> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> >>
> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> >> Message delivered to n6kr at elecraft.com
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Elecraft, Inc.
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 5
> > Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:27:16 -0700
> > From: Fred Jensen <k6dgwnv at gmail.com>
> > To: David Gilbert <ab7echo at gmail.com>
> > Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Effective ways to introduce amateur radio to
> > newcomers?
> > Message-ID: <1b06c8ba-84dd-f5c2-bddd-81a26845b8bd at gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
> >
> > There are about 800K active license grants in the US.? Unfortunately,
> > it's impossible to determine how many of those are still alive, still
> > active, and if active how much and in what ways. I've been at this for
> > 70 years.? Hugely HF active as a 50's teenager, much less so in college,
> > QRT for 4 years while in the USAF in SE Asia, increasingly active after
> > I returned home but that declined again after several kids, during grad
> > school, and several jobs.? Big spike after I retired.? Now, as the
> > birthdays accumulate, I'm generally on the air daily, but only in the
> > on-air activities I still enjoy [mainly conversational CW and some low
> > key "contesting" such as QSO parties, NAQP's, events, etc].
> >
> > Generalizing is virtually impossible nor is there a single magic
> > bullet.? I did SOTA until I no longer could physically and found a few
> > curious people on summits, on the trails, and at the trailheads.? POTA
> > likewise although it's common for visitors to my picnic table to wonder
> > if I'm a CIA spook. ?? CWops with their CW Academy has worked well
> > fostering CW proficiency and thus sparking interest into contests,
> > on-air events, DX, etc.
> >
> > The one observation I've been able to make that seems to have at least
> > some measure of fact in it is that of those who sit for the exam and
> > then remain "active" in the hobby are, for the most part, doing so on
> > VHF/UHF on club repeaters.? ARRL [or its replacement organization] might
> > make some retention headway with these folk if they cleaned up their
> > website and made an active, focused place for them to learn about the
> > parts of ham radio that they are interested in ... and maybe
> > accidentally, a few they didn't know they were interested in.
> >
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
> > Sparks NV DM09dn
> > Washoe County
> > "K3 to an HOA-friendly antenna"
> >> David Gilbert via Elecraft <mailto:elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> >> Saturday, July 26, 2025 3:57 PM
> >>
> >> 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
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ______________________________________________________________
> >> Elecraft mailing list
> >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> >> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> >>
> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> >> Message delivered to k6dgwnv at gmail.com
> >> 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
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
> > www.avg.com
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 6
> > Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 23:28:51 +0000 (UTC)
> > From: Al Lorona <alorona at sbcglobal.net>
> > To: "elecraft at mailman.qth.net" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>, David
> > Gilbert <ab7echo at gmail.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Introduction to ham radio
> > Message-ID: <185713874.1316515.1753745331445 at mail.yahoo.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
> >
> > I hear the frustration in Dave AB7E's voice and resonate with what he
> has been saying; I really do. Years ago I wrote an op-ed piece very similar
> to Dave's comments that QST never printed... probably because it hit too
> close to home.?
> >
> > We all know that most new licensees never get on the air. Many of them
> see amateur radio as a kind of 'disaster readiness'. They think that a
> Baofeng gives them a reliable back up plan in case of a communications
> outage. In my case, when I told my guys that they'd have to pass a test,
> most of them made a face as if to say, "I just wanted a SHTF radio in my
> house. You're telling me I have to take a test?" So, there's that. They
> made another face when I told them that a Baofeng will get them about as
> far as the last house on the cul-de-sac.
> >
> > Beyond that, given the current ability of even a five year old to
> communicate instantly with everyone everywhere, we probably have all the
> active hams we're ever going to get. We shouldn't believe that *anybody*
> should get into ham radio, any more than we believe they should get into
> quilting, or flute playing, or ballooning. It's a hobby, and it's not for
> everybody. To be a true ham, you kind of have to be an experimenter, and
> you kind of have to have some technical training.
> >
> > Still, where you see a little bit of interest, you have to nurture it.
> That's about all we're obligated to do. It's pretty much like leading a
> horse to water, and not much beyond that.
> >
> > Al? W6LX/4
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 7
> > Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:29:48 -0500
> > From: Dave W8OV <dave.w8ov at gmail.com>
> > To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Effective ways to introduce amateur radio to
> > newcomers?
> > Message-ID: <c6721ba0-d9d2-4187-808f-c3456b782da9 at gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
> >
> > After reading various posts on this topic, and re-reading the Subject,
> > it does say "...ways to introduce amateur radio...", without "and
> > persist in". I've had a half dozen hobbies in my 80+ years, but I have
> > persisted in only amateur radio to this day. I dabble in one or two
> > others, but no comparison to amateur radio in time, expense, and
> > enjoyment. So I have failed to persist in, say, 5 out of 6 hobbies.
> >
> > One activity I did as a high school physics teacher, during a unit on
> > electricity and magnetism, was bring in an HF radio, put a simple
> > antenna on the school lawn, and feed it through an open window. A
> > demonstration and discussion of amateur radio was a lesson for only one
> > day each class each year, although I sponsored a radio club after school.
> >
> > The students in the radio club made a 5-element loop antenna and a
> > wooden tripod support for it. We used it to make a brief contact with
> > the second Space Shuttle amateur radio operation. While that was
> > thrilling, the contact during class I treasure was one in which, by
> > chance, a station we heard caught the attention of one boy who said
> > "That's my dad!" We gave him a call and had a short QSO, and the boy got
> > to contact his dad. To appreciate that, you need to know that the boy
> > had left his family and joined a cult (yes, as a teenager) and had no
> > contact with his family. This QSO led to his reuniting with his family.
> > I don't know if the boy ever got a radio license, or persisted in
> > amateur radio, but for him and his family amateur radio was priceless.
> >
> > One year, after I announced the radio demonstration would be held in a
> > few days, two of my students who, unknown to me, had amateur radio
> > licenses, approached me and asked if they could demonstrate their 2m
> > handheld radios with a repeater contact. They had a radio in hand and
> > showed me how the repeater worked and I made a phone-patch call to my
> > wife. That was my first introduction to repeaters and the VHF/UHF
> > frequencies. So the radio instruction worked both ways that year.
> >
> > Sorry for the off-topic parts, but the point is that one's introduction
> > efforts can have benefits of importance, whether or not staying active
> > in the hobby is achieved.
> >
> > 73, Dave W8OV
> >
> >> On 2025-07-23 21:52, Wayne Burdick via Elecraft wrote:
> >> 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
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 8
> > Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 20:42:38 -0400
> > From: Julia Tuttle <julia at juliatuttle.net>
> > To: Dave W8OV <dave.w8ov at gmail.com>
> > Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Effective ways to introduce amateur radio to
> > newcomers?
> > Message-ID:
> > <CAEVEBrNjs=Jor3rAavsGtOs9Q8BXrSF+yFDjm_ao_JBgsDTiig at mail.gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> >
> > No need to apologize, Dave -- the personal connections we make with ham
> > radio *are* one of the reasons we stick with it.
> >
> > It's not relevant to the art, science, or hobby of ham radio that the
> > unexplored potential of my new ham license kept me going through the
> > absolute mental health *disaster* that was seventh grade, but it's
> > important to me, and it's part of why *I've* stuck around the hobby (and
> at
> > all).
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Julie
> >
> > On Mon, Jul 28, 2025 at 7:32?PM Dave W8OV via Elecraft <
> > elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> >
> >> After reading various posts on this topic, and re-reading the Subject,
> >> it does say "...ways to introduce amateur radio...", without "and
> >> persist in". I've had a half dozen hobbies in my 80+ years, but I have
> >> persisted in only amateur radio to this day. I dabble in one or two
> >> others, but no comparison to amateur radio in time, expense, and
> >> enjoyment. So I have failed to persist in, say, 5 out of 6 hobbies.
> >>
> >> One activity I did as a high school physics teacher, during a unit on
> >> electricity and magnetism, was bring in an HF radio, put a simple
> >> antenna on the school lawn, and feed it through an open window. A
> >> demonstration and discussion of amateur radio was a lesson for only one
> >> day each class each year, although I sponsored a radio club after
> school.
> >>
> >> The students in the radio club made a 5-element loop antenna and a
> >> wooden tripod support for it. We used it to make a brief contact with
> >> the second Space Shuttle amateur radio operation. While that was
> >> thrilling, the contact during class I treasure was one in which, by
> >> chance, a station we heard caught the attention of one boy who said
> >> "That's my dad!" We gave him a call and had a short QSO, and the boy got
> >> to contact his dad. To appreciate that, you need to know that the boy
> >> had left his family and joined a cult (yes, as a teenager) and had no
> >> contact with his family. This QSO led to his reuniting with his family.
> >> I don't know if the boy ever got a radio license, or persisted in
> >> amateur radio, but for him and his family amateur radio was priceless.
> >>
> >> One year, after I announced the radio demonstration would be held in a
> >> few days, two of my students who, unknown to me, had amateur radio
> >> licenses, approached me and asked if they could demonstrate their 2m
> >> handheld radios with a repeater contact. They had a radio in hand and
> >> showed me how the repeater worked and I made a phone-patch call to my
> >> wife. That was my first introduction to repeaters and the VHF/UHF
> >> frequencies. So the radio instruction worked both ways that year.
> >>
> >> Sorry for the off-topic parts, but the point is that one's introduction
> >> efforts can have benefits of importance, whether or not staying active
> >> in the hobby is achieved.
> >>
> >> 73, Dave W8OV
> >>
> >>> On 2025-07-23 21:52, Wayne Burdick via Elecraft wrote:
> >>> 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
> >>>
> >>>
> >> ______________________________________________________________
> >> Elecraft mailing list
> >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 9
> > Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:50:14 -0700
> > From: David Gilbert <ab7echo at gmail.com>
> > To: Al Lorona <alorona at sbcglobal.net>, "elecraft at mailman.qth.net"
> > <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Introduction to ham radio
> > Message-ID: <1196d629-b15f-4726-bd13-1b6d79ca4d6e at gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
> >
> >
> > Well said.
> >
> > Dave? ?AB7E
> >
> >
> >> On 7/28/2025 4:28 PM, Al Lorona wrote:
> >> I hear the frustration in Dave AB7E's voice and resonate with what he
> has been saying; I really do. Years ago I wrote an op-ed piece very similar
> to Dave's comments that QST never printed... probably because it hit too
> close to home.
> >>
> >> We all know that most new licensees never get on the air. Many of them
> see amateur radio as a kind of 'disaster readiness'. They think that a
> Baofeng gives them a reliable back up plan in case of a communications
> outage. In my case, when I told my guys that they'd have to pass a test,
> most of them made a face as if to say, "I just wanted a SHTF radio in my
> house. You're telling me I have to take a test?" So, there's that. They
> made another face when I told them that a Baofeng will get them about as
> far as the last house on the cul-de-sac.
> >>
> >> Beyond that, given the current ability of even a five year old to
> communicate instantly with everyone everywhere, we probably have all the
> active hams we're ever going to get. We shouldn't believe that *anybody*
> should get into ham radio, any more than we believe they should get into
> quilting, or flute playing, or ballooning. It's a hobby, and it's not for
> everybody. To be a true ham, you kind of have to be an experimenter, and
> you kind of have to have some technical training.
> >>
> >> Still, where you see a little bit of interest, you have to nurture it.
> That's about all we're obligated to do. It's pretty much like leading a
> horse to water, and not much beyond that.
> >>
> >> Al? W6LX/4
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
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> > End of Elecraft Digest, Vol 255, Issue 32
> > *****************************************
>
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