The ham radio hobby really needs to rethink the way that it controls
access to the hobby. Continuing to require seriously outdated tests
like morse code is a turnoff to many potential amateur radio buffs.
Why not try something revolutionary such as live testing for safe and
courteous operation using voice and digital modes.

When I listen to the guys on HF my sense is that their average age
continues to increase. I also detect that overall participation is way
off from a decade ago - lots of open space in what were once crowded
chunks of spectrum. I hear very few young and virtually no female
voices of any age. Ham radio needs to think of changes to become a
worthwhile alternative to the many other modes of communicating that
do not require a license. If it continues doing business as it has
then it's future will indeed be short - possibly much less than 2050 as
mentioned in the earlier thread. The remaining members can look
forward to the FCC continuing to divert more amateur radio spectrum to
commercial interests that want to use it.

By way of background I come from a family of radio amateurs. My son
(an electrical engineer) considered the hobby, but thought the
licensing requirement silly and the morse code requirement laughable in
todays world. He can talk around the world several ways via the
internet. He has a cell phone that does much the same thing a handheld
tribander does - allows him to talk with other people. It looks a lot
like a handheld, but it costs less and doesn't require a license.

Time for the hobby and it's gatekeeper to wake up before it is too
late.


Ric Trexell wrote:
I was reading a few of the posts about how there will not be a need
for ham
radio in the future due to all the new ways of communicating. That
has a
lot to do with it but I think the biggest problem with ham radio is
the hams
themselves. CB'ers killed CB'ing with bad language and hams are
doing it
with those stupid contests. I remember as a kid getting my first SW
radio
and listening to hams talk about their lives and the area that they
lived in
and stuff like that. Now when I turn it on I get guys talking only
about
their radio or calling CQ CQ contest. Then another will come back
and say
they are 5 and 9 out here in Kansas and soon the guy is calling CQ CQ
contest again. Does any one think that people are going to invest in
a
radio and all the learning to do what are nothing more than fancy
radio
checks? If that is what the ham bands are going to be used for, then
I say
turn them over to business and telephone radio freqs. Ric.