actually, I would suggest that ham radio is the MOST visible technical
hobby, esp. lately, at least here in the USA. The recent spate of
hurricanes in florida has highlighted the role of amateur radio during
such communications down events. The Sept. 11th (9/11) terrorist attack
video programs are playing now on PBS, and the crucial role of amateur
radio during the loss of communications seems to get cited a lot too. The
recent video on the web (cited in radionews latest issue IIRC) is another
example drawing amateur radio to the attention of millions.

Amateur radio's profile on our campus took a big jump after 9/11 too, as
we are now increasingly an integral part of our new campus emergency
communications program, with a new emergency powered UHF repeater project
underway as I write this for this semester.

Now astronomy, for that we head out to dark skies as far away from other
people and lights as possible - now that's a nearly invisible technical
hobby ;-) Only a relative handful of people build their own planes, vs.
650,000 hams in the USA alone. About the closest group to beating us in
public visibility is probably those guys and gals with the battling robots
with buzz saws on PBS robot wars, right? ;-) ;-)

grins bobm
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* Robert Monaghan POB 752182 Southern Methodist Univ. Dallas Tx 75275 *
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