[Milsurplus] Death of Hobby?

[Robert Flory]

Hello Military Radio Enthusiasts,	

I was at a hamfest yesterday, working on refining my collection.  A fellow
glumly commented to me, "I guess radio is a dying hobby".  This morning I
was thinking about the project I sent him home with, and his comment. 
Despite any demographic or statistical evidence in front of me, I refuse to
accept that for several reasons.

First, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy.  

Second, if you accept the premise that there will always be a military, and
that a certain fraction of those members of the military  will develop a
nostalgia or curiosity for the ways of their predecessors, then there is a
pool of future enthusiasts.  When I operated from USS Massachusetts in the
Museum Ships Radio Weekend, I had some very interested visitors who had
been Navy Radiomen in more recent times.

Folks, if we hide in our shops tinkering and mutter glumly about the death
of our hobby, it probably will come to pass.

BUT

There are guys like Breck and Maurice, who  take stuff to hamfests just to
show it off.

There are groups like the Battleship New Jersey Amateur Radio Station, who
not only operate a ham station from the ship, but who zealously devote
themselves towards restoration and repair of original ships electronics. 
These guys and gals are great!!

There is Bob Doherty, whose video camera seems to always be at work
documenting our hobby.

There is the New Jersey Antique Radio Club, who have several public
displays a year, and host repair sessions for people to bring radios they
want fixed.

There are "on-the-air" events like the Museum Ships Radio Weekend, the
Classic Exchange, and the Old Military Radio Net, where radios and vessels
of the past can be heard on the air.

There is the Military Radio Collector's Association, who opens the displays
at their annual meet to the public.

I think these are fine examples of people and groups who share their
enthusiasm and keep our hobby alive.

Rob Flory