Walt Davidson wrote:
On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 10:59:07 +0100, Bob wrote:

While I agree with some of what you say about slipping standards,
nevertheless numbers are shrinking and new blood must be encouraged into
the hobby/pastime/service/pursuit, etc, else we will be gradually
whittled away like the dodo until the bands are so empty that
governments will gleefully sell off our slices of the RF spectrum.

What rubbish. The bands have never been more crowded. I have been
active on the HF bands for 47 years and I have never known such a high
level of activity as there is now. You have been taken in by the
alarmist propaganda of the RSCB, the CB lobby, and their apologists.

Hear hear, Walt! (pun intended too)

I occasionally read notes from some Hams writing about the "empty
bands". I suspect that they mustn't have much in the way of an antenna. ;^)

Perhaps that is okay though, as there appears to be some kind of
correlation between those Hams who can't put up a good antenna, and a
poisonous attitude.



The fact that the amateur radio population is ageing has actually
*increased* band occupancy, because many radio amateurs nowadays are
retired and are now able to spend many more hours on the air,
especially on weekdays. Also, much of the "new blood" of which you
speak actually consists of people aged in their 50s, 60s and 70s ...
not youngsters in the first flush of youth. These people have a high
disposable income and plenty of time on their hands.


The demographics have changed. The idea of the Ham who has been
licensed since they were 7 years old and has been in the hobby for 50
years is gone - and there weren't that many of them to begin with.

What we have now is the Ham who waited till their children were out of
the house, or the Ham who decided to get their license after retirement.
I got my license at 45. Big deal. What is needed is enthusiastic NEW
Hams. And you can be any age for that.

And yeah, I love Homebrewing. Our club is holding classes in basic
homebrewing to see how many of the newbies we can infect with SSA
(solder smoke addiction) ;^)

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -