[QCWA] A Challenge

Tue Dec 19 11:58:01 EST 2006

Hi Ken......grreat stuff, and the article in TCR was good proof of 151's 
dedication.  Maybe we can get the QCWA, on a national basis to take up 
these ideas and make them active promotions with Chapters ?  Well thanks 
for the comments, hope to hear from you soon, any more SAILS on the 
horizon?  73 Matt

At 09:18 AM 12/19/2006 -0700, you wrote:
>Good morning Matt & Mike,
>
>You both have made some very good "though provoking" comments. I don't 
>believe
>there is a single answer to keeping amateur radio well and alive. It is a
>combination of all. Each person has their own expertise in promoting amateur
>radio. Where one is lacking the expertise in one area - another can pick 
>it up,
>and so on.
>
>The short and long of QCWA Wild Rose Chapter 151 - we ARE involved with youth
>in schools. This is one of our mandates. We have helped to complete 2 ISS
>contacts (Dec. 2, 2005 and March 21, 2006). We have exposed the kids to our
>hobby. Not everyone wants to be a Ham...but, exposure to ham radio is a sure
>way of letting them know what is out there, if they are so inclined to 
>seek out
>this kind of fun in technology.
>
>Matt - in answer to your remark "Maybe QCWA chapters should set a goal of
>having at least one (1) Amateur Radio training class a year, or an open house
>at a Chapter members station to show interested people what Amateur Radio 
>is all
>about." ...this coming January 7th would be a good time to start, with "Kid's
>Day". I try to invite as many young kids to my place for this 'twice a year'
>event. The other day of the year for "Kid's Day" is the Father's day 
>weekend in
>June.
>
>73,
>
>Ken Oelke - VE6AFO
>
>
>
>
>
>Quoting Matt Tinker <matt.tinker at enduroscope.com>:
>
> > Good Morning Mike,
> > I agree with you, and at the same time I disagree with you in some
> > respects.  You are correct in your statement that we should be looking at
> > the big picture, the survival of Amateur Radio.  Amateur Radio is a HOBBY,
> > not a job.  The key here is the word survival.  It is up to all of us to
> > become more proactive with our hobby.  If that means going to schools to
> > show kids what Amateur Radio is, or becoming a VE and recruiting new
> > members to Amateur Radio classes, organizing and making Radio Clubs more
> > active in their communities, or QCWA Chapters becoming part of the
> > community, or just being proud and showing that pride to people you
> > know.  Let me give an example :  In the spring and summer I coach baseball
> > (ages 13-15), I have an ARRL sticker on my back window.  A 14 year old that
> >
> > plays on our team asked me what the ARRL was ?  I told him what we were,
> > and if he would like, he could come over and see my station.
> > He and his father came over the following Tuesday morning.  We walked
> > through the station, and I flipped on the switches, and tuned to a favorite
> >
> > rag chew net.  It was amazing to see his eyes as people from Florida, New
> > York, New Jersey, Iowa, Colorado etc checked in and just chatted.  I was
> > funny that during this his cell phone rang, and his Mom wanted to have him
> > get something on his way home.  That phone was not nearly as neat to him or
> >
> > his father as the radios sitting in front of them.
> >
> > They were amazed at the fun and technology that they could have in their
> > own home.  He has been back to the shack, and experienced some DX, and had
> > a chance to talk on the air.  He and his father are planning to take an
> > upcoming class to get their licences.  Now, some will say that was a rare
> > instance, but I say if you are not proud of your Hobby, and tell someone
> > about it, there would never even be a chance for someone to learn about
> > Amateur Radio.  All from a sticker on the back window of your car.  Being
> > proactive is what we need to become, not static.  The ARRL needs to be
> > people freindly, the QCWA needs to become known outside of the Amateur
> > Radio fraternity.
> >
> > To say I wasn't disappointed by the FCC droping the code requirement would
> > be a lie.  I hoped that they would retain the 5wpm for the Extra
> > Class.  However, we need to move forward, and bringing new people into
> > Amateur Radio, trained, and ready to operate correctly should be our main
> > goal.  CW does have its' place, and forgetting it would be a
> > disaster.  Again, we need to show people that CW can be fun, beneficial,
> > and its something they want to do in Amateur Radio.  But, we have to get
> > them into the Hobby.  Maybe QCWA chapters should set a goal of having at
> > least one (1) Amateur Radio training class a year, or an open house at a
> > Chapter members station to show interested people what Amateur Radio is all
> >
> > about.  Maybe, with an effective media campaign, advertising both on a
> > national and local level, and proactive Hams we can grow our ranks, and
> > become more of a force to survive the battles yet to be fought.  A new era
> > is here, and we need to quit worrying about cell phones, and start letting
> > people know what the Amateur Radio Hobby has to offer; FUN, LEARNING,
> > FRIENDSHIPS, SOCIAL EVENTS, CLUBS, AND A LIFETIME HOBBY THAT WILL BE THERE
> > ALL THE TIME.  We have let people know who we are !!
> >
> > Well, I thank you for your insightful comments, and hope we will move
> > forward and make some changes to our approach to making Amateur Radio known
> >
> > to our communities. Our national leadership needs to take pause, and
> > develop a clear program for the future of our Hobby.
> >
> > Best 73
> > Matt Tinker AA8P
> >
> >
> >
> > At 02:33 AM 12/19/2006 +0000, you wrote:
> > >I was very heartened by the measured response by all those who commented
> > >on the code issue.  Frankly, I expected a more traditional response and
> > >I'm thrilled to be disappointed.
> > >
> > >Thirty years in Information Technology has made it easy for me to accept
> > >major changes in technology.  In 1980 I was an expert COBOL programmer but
> >
> > >that skill is about as useful to the world now as the 20 WPM CW test I
> > >took for my extra ticket in '75.
> > >
> > >OK, OK  I do feel a bit superior to anybody that got an extra recently
> > >with a 5 WPM test, but that feeling is somewhat deflated by the fact that
> > >my 20 WPM test was in the multiple choice format which much easier than
> > >the 13 WPM test I took in '72 which required perfect copy for one minute.
> > >
> > >CW aside, I really wish the QCWA would tackle the larger issue  the
> > >survival of Amateur Radio itself.  Let me illustrate this with something
> > >that happened yesterday.
> > >
> > >I’m a private pilot and yesterday I flew a few circles around a friend’s
> > >house for photos.  Before arriving on station, I flipped my cell phone and
> >
> > >called to tell everybody to "look up".  After the photo-mission, I called
> > >again to say I was heading back to home base and no, I couldn't see them
> > >at the altitude I was at.  Then I shot a picture of myself in the cockpit
> > >on the cell phone camera and sent it to folks below.
> > >
> > >Ten years ago, sending real-time voice and images from a private aircraft
> > >required a sophisticated Amateur or Commercial communications set-up 
> > >today it is routine with a cell phone half the size of the battery on many
> >
> > >of our old 2M HT’s and more important, available to anybody without having
> >
> > >to pass any kind of test.  Of what practical value is a multiband HF rig,
> > >tower and a ton of antenna when international Internet communications are
> > >instant, available for free in nearly every library or in every private
> > >home for nothing more than the price of an entry-level PC and an
> > >insignificant monthly ISP charge?
> > >
> > >Some will argue the emergency capabilities of the Amateur Service justify
> > >it.  To this I say that these capabilities, like HF communications, are
> > >just plain unneeded in the 21st century.  Sure we read, as recently as the
> >
> > >Katrina disaster, heroic stories of Amateur Operators helping out -
> > >largely written by and consumed by our own community.  In reality the
> > >carriers are getting better and better at rapid restoration of wireless
> > >service and could improve even further if pushed by a more public-spirited
> >
> > >FCC (I can hope, can’t I?).
> > >
> > >In the mid 90’s I trained soldiers going to Somalia to use a huge, clunky
> > >INMARSAT terminal for wireless voice and data communications  today every
> >
> > >emergency service has “satphones” that fit in a briefcase.  World War II
> > >required the mobilization of Hams to serve the country with their unique
> > >skills.  Any future mobilization of such a scale (Heaven forbid) would
> > >have a huge pool of talent to choose from, given that nearly every
> > >teenager has basic computer skills.
> > >
> > >Thus I maintain that justifying the existence of Amateur Radio by
> > >declaring the Amateur Radio Operator essential to emergency communications
> >
> > >- even with the latest technologies like WINLINK - is delusional.  Please
> > >remember that systems are currently being marketed to the Government to
> > >block all radio communications for a wide radius around a potential
> > >"ground zero" for security reasons.
> > >
> > >However, Amateur Radio can have a future.  The desire to operate radios as
> >
> > >a hobby will not die for the same reason that horses are still ridden,
> > >small boats still sail and private airplanes still fly - because people
> > >still love amateur radio communications or riding or boating or flying and
> >
> > >will continue to do so indefinitely.  THAT is the reason that Amateur
> > >Radio should be saved. Ham Radio gave me my career in IT, it was the
> > >crucible from which numerous technologies were born and can maintain its
> > >place in the radio spectrum if organizations like QCWA and ARRL begin now
> > >to take steps to actively preserve it.  This can only be done by a
> > >realistic reassessment of what we are, what we can offer and why this
> > >should be preserved.
> > >
> > >Hasn’t FCC’s less-than-supportive response to our serious BPL concerns
> > >proven our vulnerability? I implore the QCWA and all Amateur Radio
> > >organizations to abandon the old paradigms and embark on a realistic and
> > >forward-thinking campaign to preserve our Amateur Radio allocations for
> > >the future.  The Amateur "Service" must be redefined as a hobby that has a
> >
> > >right to its portion radio spectrum in the same way that bridle paths have
> >
> > >a right to exist, small boats have a right to public waterways and private
> >
> > >aircraft have a right to public airspace.  General aviation is currently
> > >fighting this same fight for survival.  I deeply fear that failure by
> > >Organized Amateur Radio to respond to this challenge soon will cause all
> > >of Amateur Radio to go the way of the CW test.
> > >
> > >--
> > >Mike Sturm KA2E
> > >http://www.mikesturm.com
> > >
> > >
> > >______________________________________________________________
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> >
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>
>
>
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