[HCARC] Keeping new hams interested
Gary J - N5BAA
qltfnish at omniglobal.net
Thu Jun 19 12:50:47 EDT 2014
Back when I was first licensed I happened to read about a group of Hams in
Mesa, AZ who got together once or twice a month at a public park and raised
"Rube Goldberg" antennas to try them out. One guy had two aluminum lawn
chairs mounted on a T frame and he could tune it and they made contacts
using it. I suggested doing something like it to members of the club, even
offered to supply the coffee and donuts and all I got was the typical HCARC
Blank Stare. I have suggested the club sell it's stock of unused radio
stuff we inventoried recently and use the funds to purchase a stock of
common connectors, coax, etc for sale to club members. No interest in doing
so from the "Powers That Be". The club could easily sell Amphenol PL-249's
at $2.25 -2.50 each and make a profit since the only ones available in
Kerrville are at Radio Shack for about $6.50 each. In a group of 50 I can
get them including shipping for about $1.85 cents each. New Hams trying to
put a station together are snowed under by the sheer cost of it - not
including the radio. Just buying the connectors and coax, a tuner, a power
supply, wire for antennas, a mast to hang the antenna from if they don't
have trees, is a daunting task. Then if they make one mistake the cost
doubles or worse.
Thankfully there are a few people like Gale Heise, and Dale Gaudier who give
greatly of themselves both in providing training to new(er) Hams, teaching
about antennas and in locating used ham radio gear for them to use. I am
blessed many times over with having a few dollars left at the end of the
month that I can use to purchase some of these items from Gale at below Ebay
costs that I can then pass along to new Hams at the cost I paid for them.
This HELPS solve the problem of equipment being available when new Hams
might need it, vs them finding it from scratch. If the club had loaner
equipment then the newbies could be taken care of and I could change my
emphasis into having a stock of common parts / coax/ etc that the club seems
to not want to be involved with. Kerrville is a virtual desert when it
comes to Ham radio related items. Recently a couple of us were looking for
14 gauge zip cord type wire for winding baluns. Not one store including all
the auto parts stores in our fine town had any for sale - ended up buying
enough through Ebay. The options of "ordering a few via the internet" or
attending a Hamfest works, but they seldom happen when you (especially a
newbie) need the parts and if you just order a few from some internet vendor
you get killed with the shipping costs - adding to the already high cost of
putting your first station on the air. I truly don't think most older Hams
realize the difficulty and costs involved in putting a first time station on
the air in todays world. With EBAY as an outlet, used rigs maintain their
value way beyond what they used to. As for "good deals" at Hamfests - why
would someone sell an item at a Hamfest for less than he could realize over
Ebay?? Ebay gives the seller almost instant worldwide exposure - someone
will pay what you are asking for an item.
There is so much more that we can do. One of my personal goals on Field Day
is to become proficient at running the club station safely and in a way to
protect the gear. I then will make myself available, especially on contest
weekends for acting as Control Operator for as many Techs as desire to come
and operate the station. I haven't upgraded to Extra (yet), so they will be
restricted to General Class band width, but it is way better than just
operating on 200 mhz of 10 meters and the mic time they can get is extremely
valuable. I will be doing this instead of serving as a club officer next
year. FOR Bob Ritchie - don't ask me to run for a club officer again next
year - I'll be happy to serve on the Executive Board, but it's time for
others to step up and take over as club officers.
Gary J
N5BAA
-----Original Message-----
From: Ray Owen
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2014 9:44 AM
To: hcarc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [HCARC] Keeping new hams interested
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
>
>
>
> -----
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--
Ray Owen
Owen Computer Solutions
http://www.owencomps.com
830.998.0914
KF5VNC
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