"Bob Brock" wrote in message
.. .

"Dee Flint" wrote in message
. ..

"Bob Brock" wrote in message
news:_Eovh.2876$ch1.1567@bigfe9...

[snip]


It will be very tough to grow ham radio. We've "saturated the market" so
to speak. If you check around the internet (for example, Speroni's site
is one), you can find the statistics on a few of the other countries. We
have 2 hams per thousand people while Europe is running more like 1 ham
per thousand people. While we need to actively recruit, there just
aren't a lot of people out there that are inclined to amateur radio as a
part of their leisure pursuits. We will have to recruit hard just to
stay at the current level. It would not surprise me if our numbers
dropped in half over the next decade or so before leveling out.

You could be right. However, there wouldn't be anything wrong with
looking at the potential base of good people who could be interested in
ham radio and trying to figure out what aspects might motivate them in
joining in the hobby. Well, except that we are in the wrong ng to do that
right here and would need to start another thread in the appropriate ng
instead. I guess I'm questioning whether we should recruit hard or
recruit smart? Perhaps both wouldn't hurt anything.


What we need to do is recruit OUTSIDE the newsgroups and let people know
that it exists and what they can do with it. People in the amateur radio
newsgroups are either already licensed or know something about ham radio.
It's the people who know little to nothing about it that we need to get the
word to so that they can decide if this is an activity that they want to get
involved in.

However, to be honest with you and the others here, I've got a crisis
going on here right now. My wife had a brain tumor removed a little over
a week ago and we just found out tonight that the tumor was malignant.
She lost use of her left arm and leg during the operation and will require
radiation therapy after the physical therapy. I'll leave it up to those
who are already here to decide among yourselves if a discussion of the
potential base and what motivates them would be beneficial in the
appropriate ng or not.


Good luck and best wishes.

Hey, it's better than holding on to old vendettas and it could give
everyone a chance to provide some thoughtful input since it should be
pretty non controversial. Give it a thought and do what you will. I'll
post as time permits, but things are going to get really busy here for the
next few months. I was wanting to study and take the General exam, but
that too will take a back burner right now.


Yup, family comes first.

Dee, N8UZE