RadioBanter - View Single Post - Let's debate: Should Amateur Radio be made a free for all?

May 8th 04, 05:21 PM

(Steve Robeson K4CAP) wrote in
:

Subject: Let's debate: Should Amateur Radio be made a free for all?
From: Alun
Date: 5/8/2004 10:29 AM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

(Steve Robeson K4CAP) wrote in
:

If one reflects back on the history and demograpics of the
Amateur Radio
Service, there have been those who obtained licensure for a myriad of
reasons, but those who really get in it and stick with it have
recurring central interests...Two types come to mind. First are
those who are facinated by radio for radio's sake...Gadgets.

I don't think I've ever got over my facination with how radio waves
bridge huge distances. It still seems like magic even though I have
studied how it works.

Ditto! And altho I can "work" somone in Australia on the pooter,
I liken
it to fishing with hand grenades!...

It takes skill to drop that line in and coax "the big one" onto
the hook!

I am the same way with aircraft. I used to live at the junction
of two
low-level military training routes in Sequatchie County, Tennessee, and
was routinely treated to impromptu "airshows" courtesy of the United
States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. I could hear the "whistling"
of the engines coming up the valley and would run out to catch a
glimpse.

When the U.S. was gearing up for Kosovo, B-1B Lancers and F15
Eagles were
regulars along the route.

Most of the "active" folks are the gadget operators and ES
types, so let's
go to where they are rather than wait for them to find us..."Popular
Science" and "Popular Mechanics" magazine..."Journal of Emergency
Medical Services", "Emergency Medical Services", etc etc etc.

Agreed. Mind you, ads in Popular Mecanics are incredibly expensive

I agree, but what price would we pay if we lost Amateur Radio
altogether
due to low census? With the dollar-figures the ARRL posts every year
they can afford to put at least one full page ad in those mags per
quarter, at least!

Element 1 only adds access to about 2.5% of all Amateur
allocations.
Those that really wanted HF priviledges only saw the Code test as a
hurdle...Not a brick wall.

My recollection of hurdles in school sports is mostly of falling over
the bl**dy things, HI!

Jump higher, Alun! =)

73

Steve, K4YZ

I have short legs