"DJ" wrote in message
. ..
Back in 2001, Seattle had an earthquake (a small biggie- lots of damage)
and
guess what, the cell phone system went down (up to 4 to 5 hours) and
landline phone system was trashed since everyone was calling either 911 or
their relatives, or what not.

BUT

Ok this makes me laugh, cell phones were down 4 to 5 hours .....
so WHAT ? and regular land lines were trashed since people were
USING them ( I thought thats what they were for ... to be USED )


Ham radio was alive and well, and we at the Western Washington Medical
Services group were able to maintain contact with the regions hospitals,
and
blood banks, as well as other emergency services.

And WHAT EXACTLY were the emergencies that 'HAM' radio handled for
these hospitals and blood banks ( that the red cross radio services couldn't
have handled) ?


So, yes ham radio is maybe dying, but it is also a true and able way to
comminicate. Also note: when San Francisco had its earthquake, it was
again
ham radio that got the word out to the world, since their cell phone
systems
went down, and their landline system was in the same shape!

OK again laughable ..... 'hams' got the word out 'That San Fransisco
had
an earthquake' ? What CNN, ABC, NBC, etc weren't there ? sending
out live feeds via satellite ? ( Hams probably used slow scan TV to send
out images .... again to other hams ) And where was FEMA and the local
police
and fire ( probably using there radios 'to get the word out' ) And lets
not
forget local radio & TV stations .... I'm sure they sat and waited for the
HAM radio operators to do their work for them.

And WHO exactly did you get the word out to ? Other hams, who were
miles away and couldn't do anything to help anyway ? If the power was out
MOST people tune to an AM or FM radio station on a battery powered radio.
So I'm sure that was a BIG help.

I've heard this crap about 'in case of disaster HAM radio is there', what
exactly
can a HAM do that someone with a CB, cell phone, or smoke signals can't ?
If hams want to be helpful why don't they fill sand bags during a flood ? or
take
boats out looking for people ? No .... they want to sit at home or car and
press
the 'push to talk' button ( which I think the Red Cross, Fema, and numerous
other
agencies already have covered )



"labtech_one" wrote in message
...
I believe 'ham' radio is dying, because there is only so many times you
can
give
radio checks and tell others what kind of equipment you have. If I tune
to
a
ham
repeater on my scanner, I hear the same conversations I heard 10 years
ago,
one
guy telling another one what type of radio he has connected to what
kinda
antenna.
Every once in a while you'll hear someone announce the monthy meeting,
or
some one
telling his wife he's caught in traffic and will be late getting home (
which he could have
done on a cell phone at 1/100th the cost, and not everyone would know he
wasn't home)

Ham radio is dying because its outdated, yes you can 'call across the
counrty' to another
'ham' for mere pennies ( once you buy the expensive equipment, put up a
god
awful ugly
antenna, as big as your garage, and pass all the tests to allow you to
do
it ) I can do the same
thing using a cell phone with No Test, No Huge antenna, and can call
ANYONE
that happens
to have a phone and as a bonus... the whole world can't listen.

As far as being a hobby and 'fun', well maybe, but I hear more people
on
ham radio talking
about the time they have in doing antenna swaps and maintance, that I
just
can't even
imagine that being 'fun'.

Ham radio is much like the mail service, who actually sends a friend or
family a written letter
anymore ? you may get a birthday or christmas card with a 'note',
you'll
get 'bills' and junk mail,
but when is the last time you either got or sent a long letter to a
friend
or family? Newer technology
has rendered 'mail' obsolete, you have telephones, e-mail, instant
messangers, and FAX if you really
have to send a piece of paper, like a copy of a document.

Perhaps if they had dropped the 'code' requirements 30 years ago, they
would have picked up a lot
of new users, but as far as I can tell, most of the new HF class users
have
just upgraded from their
'tech' status with very few NEW members actually jumping on the band
wagon.


"deBaser" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
news On Sat, 22 Jul 2006 13:41:23 -0400, Al Klein
wrote:

That's evidently why the number of hams kept decreasing until code
was
eliminated, right?

Ham radio is an old hobby, with mostly older people using it. Older
people
slow down as they age. Trying to tap out ANY speed code with arthritis
or
carpal tunnel syndrome isn't going to work for that majority.
I re-considered renewing my license about 5 years ago. Today I know I
can't
tap out 5 wpm. Forcing this outmoded relic of communication on an
aging
generation is nonsense.
--
more pix @ http://members.toast.net/cbminfo/index.html

Well now you cant take a propper Morse test even if you wanted to in
the
UK.
Now the amateur radio licence is free to renew online. If you want to
play
with digital communication using very low bandwith how about PSK31?
Anyway
I thought this old troll would be best posted in uk.radio.amateur

Andy