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

[Rick Bates, nk7i]

Don't ignore the shut in or (very) tiny budget crowds.  And that (while 
most of us here in this group use HF, a LOT) there are other bands 
besides HF which serve many purposes.

A simple (used) HT is enough to chat with locals on a repeater, 
participate in rescues, nets (yuck, even if to show continued proof of 
life) which may be intertied to other repeaters or networks.  Contact 
with outside the home when unable to leave (weather, medical condition 
or aging) keeps the mind alive too, perhaps life saving.  For someone in 
a hospice or nursing home; it's a pleasant distraction of the daily routine.

Then if you add in a local IRLP or DMR system; worldwide conversations 
are possible too. From a simple HT.

That simply depends on what is in the chosen physical area and what the 
noob wants to be active in doing.  No HOA (cuss word) will be annoyed, 
no outside antennas required; simple and easy.

The beauty of ham radio is that there are SO MANY rabbit trails to fall 
into; there is no reason to be bored.  DXing, contesting, ragchewing, 
computers (digital comms), antennas, propagation, waveforms, the list is 
endless.

Up here in N Idaho, there are a LOT of licenses issued, but very few 
(proportionally) use them.  Some preppers, doomsdayers and no one seems 
interested in expanding knowledge or do much of anything.  I've tried to 
generate interest with the local 'club'; but 18 months hitting the wall 
just gave a huge headache so I walked away.

I no longer even monitor the local repeater, just focus on DXing (though 
I've done MANY other things over the last 50 years).

73,
Rick nk7i


On 9/3/2025 11:10 AM, David Gilbert via Elecraft wrote:
>
> Here's why that, which has been done countless times already, has been 
> so minimally effective:
>
>