I have to take exception with you on a few things, however I can see why you
would think the way you are, and it's a lot of our own doing and fault. I
still think Amateur Radio is very useful to the public and local
Governments. Today, many clubs, ARES, and RACES stations still assist State
Weather agencies with trained Weather spotters that during an alert respond
and set up weather nets on the VHF & UHF frequencies as well as driving
around to be a trained eye on what's going on. Amateur Radio operators
also, though much has broken down or been forgotten, are trained and many
participate in training at running an organized net. Several nets meet on
each frequency with State Level nets still assigned to 75 Meters although as
dormant as I have been I don't know that active status of them but I assume
them to be going as they are still a part of the National Traffic System.
Mostly useless, to most, they still give a Ham a structured net to observe
and that could be activated during disasters like Katrina where Hams can
transport repeaters into the area or work simplex from riding with police or
national guard. Health and Welfare traffic from hospital to hospital can
also take a load off FEMA or other agencies and attempt to locate relatives
that are at each hospital provided they get help from each hospital. During
Hurricane Season 20 meters is turned up for Tracking and Health and Welfare
messages.

Like you said though much has died off and people don't seem to care much
more but the underlying network is there and Unlike CB we are trained (you
had to study theory, rules, and operating procedures) operators that at
least know how things should run. I think it could improve but with the
internet, newsgroups, online chat as well as Cell Phones everywhere Ham
Radio has sure taken a substantial Hit. I do think though it can and will
regain much of what you accurately see that it's lost.


On 12/29/06 12:05 AM, in article
, "art"
wrote:

Ham radio has really lost out on its usefullness to the Country. There
are more CB radios in the country than radio sets and truck drivers are
sure a better resource than ham radio running around with walky
talkies.. We used to be on the cusp of radio but now we are in a throw
away economy and very few hams know how to use a soldering iron.
Wouldnt the frequencies be of better use to Home Security rather than
advertising to the World what americans will do to those who are
against us?
Listen to the radio now, nobody is using it and we are crying to the
FCC but for what ?
Ham radio died when the net was formed and hams moved to newsgroups
where they can argue better than they did on their own special
frequencies.. We sure as heck don't need a newsgroup for antennas until
the old guys die off and even then we have books with everything has
now been written down. Seems like we are going back to the old days
where the old timers couldn't accept
cbers as being upto par with respect to radio knoweledge. In ten years
all the old fogies will die off
and the World will move on without a mistep. Hams have over estimated
their abilitiues and worth
to the Country and it is time we let go

Art KB9MZ