[Fists] Demographics

[Daniel Metzger]

Follow me with some rough arithmetic, beepers:

About 10 000 FISTS numbers have been given out over the last ten years.

Let's say half of them are still active: 5000 beepers.

At any given time of the day / sunspot cycle there are about 5 HF bands 
where these beepers may be hanging out: 1000 beepers per band.

>From my QTH, because of skip / propagation limitations, I could hear / 
QSO about half of these at any given time: 500 possible QSOs.

Assuming each FIST spends one hour a week on the air, and there are 
about 100 hours per week when you might reasonably expect folks to be 
awake (eliminate 12 midnight - 7 AM) there should be about 5 FISTS on 
any given band at any given time - and perhaps another 5 CW ops who 
aren't FISTS.  

Now turn on your radio and listen to your favorite CW band.  Do you hear 
ten QSOs going on?  If you don't, then at least one of my assumptions 
must be wrong.  Any idea which one?

Keep on Beepin'

Dan K8JWR