[HCARC] Keeping new hams interested

Thu Jun 19 10:44:32 EDT 2014

I'm gonna stick my oar in the water and piss some folks off now.  As a 
new guy, I have to thank Jeff Gerst who is the reason I have radios and 
an antenna, as well as Gale who has sold me some stuff at a great 
price.  I also have to thank Harvey, Don, Gale, Mort, Dr. Jim, and Pete 
and Barb Schuyler (Hope I spelled that right LOL.) for coming over or 
just taking extra time to give some one on one to a flat newbie.

Now here is some ideas.  I'd love to help with all of em, but my 
schedule is strapped too, but think about this.

Newby Antenna raising. -- A group of folks does a pot luck and get's 
together to help a newby raise an antenna.
         A dipole is dirt cheap, and easy to set up.  2 people can do 
it, but the extra people???  How about they sit and talk?  I can learn 
more from listening to Dr. Jim and Don arguing about propagation than I 
can in a meeting.

Newby radio class -- I have an old but nice JRC JST-245 here.  I've 
spent almost 2 years trying to learn to work this              dang 
thing.  Every time someone comes over and messes with this thing I learn 
more.  As they tell me about             their rigs, I learn as well.

Shack tours. -- My shack is nothing new or great, but I'll welcome any 
newby to come in and see how little you need           to get on the 
air.  Seeing other folks shacks just encourages others to think about 
their own.

If figure if you're gonna argue about something with the newbies, you 
oughta get something from one.

Have a great day, and 73.

Ray Owen
KF5VNC
830.998.0914
On 6/19/2014 12:21 AM, Gary J - N5BAA wrote:
> Problem is we don't offer much in the way of anything to the new Ham.  
> Most of the club members seem to be content with going off and doing 
> their own thing.  I don't particularly like contesting, but do 
> recognize that contests are good times where new hams can make 
> contacts and learn.  We recently did an inventory of club owned 
> equipment.  Other than the installed radios and antennas we have a 
> pretty good mish mash of stuff with no rhyme nor reason for it being 
> owned other than in many cases it being having been donated.  I have 
> proposed several ideas on what to do with this "stuff".  Would it not 
> make sense to sell some of the equipment and then purchase equipment 
> that could be lent to new members so they can discover the many facets 
> of Ham Radio?? NOPE, these ideas and others fall on deaf ears, 
> probably because doing something with the stuff requires an effort, 
> and as you will probably see come club election time again - few are 
> willing to make an effort.  As my experience with the number of people 
> Dale trains compared to those we keep interested in the club, we are 
> doing a miserable job.  It's just so much easier to let others do it.  
> Hopefully those who are willing to help the club run, advance, recruit 
> new members, etc won't soon become one of those who just have "other 
> things to do".
>
> At least Kerry you are willing to at least make comments on this 
> subject. Count using the just the two thumbs you have how many others 
> who have even voiced an opinion on the subject.  Sad isn't it??
>
> And to get back to the original start of this thread, we are indebted 
> to those who do spend their time providing the service of maintaining 
> the repeater.  I just wish we would spend a like amount of time 
> offering the Clubs resources to other than VHF/UHF.
>
> Gary J
> N5BAA
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Kerry Sandstrom
> Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 10:15 PM
> To: Gary J - N5BAA ; hcarc at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [HCARC] Keeping new hams interested
>
> Gary,
>
> First of all "doing" means doing the things that the individual is
> interested in, not necessarily the things you are interested in. The
> important thing is "doing" something related to ham radio and not just
> watching someone else "doing".  If you are interested in something I am
> doing and want to tag along, that's fine.  If, on the other hand, you
> expect me to do something you are interested in and I am not, you got
> the wrong guy.
>
> The club members have many diverse interests.  Not all of us are
> interested in contests in general or Field Day in particular.  To expect
> everyone to participate in Field Day with the club because you want them
> to is unrealistic.  I am not interested in contests and I usually have
> something else I'm doing field day weekend.  Same thing applies to the
> club station.  you have been fortunate that Gale has been interested in
> opening the club station and demonstrating various things.  For me the
> club station is too far away, I have better equipment and antenna at
> home and I'm not even remotely familiar with how to operate the
> equipment at the club station.  There is no reason I can imagine that I
> would go and operate the club station.  I am not the right choice to
> open up the club station and help anyone operate it.
>
> It takes all kind of people to run a club.  Everyone is different with
> different interests and capabilities.  There are some people who enjoy
> running a club and there are some who would never run anything. There
> are some who like to set up and maintain a repeater while there are
> others who could never do that.  There are some who like to build things
> and describe them to other club members and there are some who don't
> think they could ever build anything.  It would be a terrible world if
> we were all the same.   Fortunately we are all different.  You shouldn't
> expect every one in the club to have the same interests as you and want
> to participate in everything you want to participate in.  It just won't
> happen.
>
> Kerry
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 6/18/2014 4:45 PM, Gary J - N5BAA wrote:
>> "  We talk too much about the "things"
>> aspect of ham radio and not enough of the "doing" of ham radio"
>>
>> AN INCREDIBLY INTERESTING COMMENT - NEXT YEAR YOU SHOULD STAND UP IN 
>> FRONT OF THE CLUB AND DISCUSS FIELD DAY (or any other thing that 
>> requires some participation by club members - ask Terry Hipskind).  
>> IF WE CAN"T SUPPORT FIELD DAY THEN WHAT DOES THAT SAY FOR HELPING THE 
>> "DOING" VS THE "STUFF" PART OF HAM RADIO???  I HEARD MORE PEOPLE 
>> TELLING ME LAST MEETING THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO BE ATTENDING, THAN 
>> I HEARD WOULD BE ATTENDING. Heck, I even offered free brisket to 
>> bring some people and still have no idea how much brisket to bring.
>>
>> When was the last time that a club member opened up the club radio 
>> for Techs to operate - I know when it was and who opened the station 
>> - I was there and Gale Heise was the Control Operator - OVER TWO 
>> YEARS AGO!! Enough said.
>>
>> Gary J
>> N5BAA
>
>
>
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 2014.0.4592 / Virus Database: 3972/7702 - Release Date: 06/18/14
> ______________________________________________________________
> HCARC mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/hcarc
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:HCARC at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

-- 
Ray Owen
Owen Computer Solutions
http://www.owencomps.com
830.998.0914
KF5VNC