I think that's wildly optimistic. First, many, many licensed amateurs
aren't active and don't own a rig at all. Another very large fraction
buy only VHF/UHF gear. And, I don't know whether your figure of 700k
hams with U.S. licenses includes the large number who are residents of
other countries and also have licenses in those countries. Many of the
foreign hams I hear from give a U.S. callsign along with their native one.

I think the only reason we get the radios we do is that the
manufacturers can combine the design with equipment for other markets,
such as public safety for HTs. I've read that the lack of 220 MHz HTs is
because of the absence of a nearby public service band, so the
manufacturers can't use the same design for both services. I find that
believable. I don't know how important additional markets are to HF
equipment development, or what they would be these days. My guess is
that the manufacturers don't make an awful lot on their HF equipment lines.

In any case, the total market, particularly for HF gear, is surely much
less than this estimate.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Dee Flint wrote:

Nope the entire world wide population of hams is NOT enough. The US has
just under 700,000. Japan has somewhere around 1 million (there numbers are
hard to determine due to their licensing system). The remainder of the
world combined has right around the same total of the US. This gives a
worldwide ham population of under 2.5 million. So starting from that
rough estimate, let's look at some figures. Very, very few people buy a new
HF rig annually. Just using the people I know, it's more like every 5 to 10
years. So let's use an average of 7.5 years. That means a total of 333,000
new radios (rounding off the answer) sold in any given year. Now split that
between 3 makers, yielding 111,000 units per maker. That's pretty low
volume to undertake radical development. We're probably lucky that we get
any new features.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Roy,

You make a lot of good points. I would like to see the return of 220MHz HTs!
I am heartened to see that the stereotype of hams as tightwads has softened to
some degree... perhaps it is all the boomers retiring and finding that buying
a new rig every year or two really doesn't put too much of a dent in their
annual vacation plans.

How many of those 2.5 million hams possess a copy of EZNEC, I wonder? :-)

---Joel

Joel Kolstad wrote:
. . .
How many of those 2.5 million hams possess a copy of EZNEC, I wonder? :-)

A miniscule fraction.

I get many requests to contribute EZNEC for a door prize and gladly did
so, quite a few times. Not a single one of the stamped, self-addressed
post cards enclosed with the programs was ever returned, which I've
interpreted to mean that the recipients most likely never used the
program. I belive that the vast majority of amateurs not only don't have
EZNEC, but wouldn't have any use for it if given one. I no longer
contribute EZNEC, since there's no point in giving as a prize something
there's high probability that the recipient doesn't want. On the
positive side, there are enough EZNEC users to have allowed me to stay
out of the cube farm for ten years now. And they're a great bunch of folks.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...
I get many requests to contribute EZNEC for a door prize and gladly did
so, quite a few times. Not a single one of the stamped, self-addressed
post cards enclosed with the programs was ever returned, which I've
interpreted to mean that the recipients most likely never used the
program.

Hmm... I suppose that, instead of the way it's usually done where every one is
eligible for every prize, hamfests could perform raffles where people have
checked off what prize they really want (give them so many "raffle points"
that they can spend on various "priced" prizes they win if their ticket is
drawn).

You could ask at FDIM how many of the people there have actually used EZNEC or
a similar program. Besides L. B. Cebik, of course... :-)

---Joel

Roy:

I have pointed out your EZNEC to the Ghz "Wireless WAN/LAN
Raiders"--"Wireless Cam Raiders"-- here...

Trust me, there are young minds attempting to design new antennas for
routers and tapping into wireless cams here....

I have seen some thought provoking ideas they are building... now the big
thing is "passive repeaters".... antennas to bend signals around houses
and down blocks... around sound walls, etc. But some are of even active
design... they sqeeze miles out of wireless router signal!!!!

These young guys can put some strange designs to work out of threaded rods,
washers, coffee cans, sheet metal, stovepipe, old 18"--6 foot aluminum
dishes, coathangers and bbq grills, short bits of copper wire soldered along
yardlong+ copper tubing, etc... EZNEC is there!!!

Farthest guy stays tapped in to the garage net here from his home 2+ miles
away... on a router/switch meant for home use!!!

My first antenna was a 120 ft long wire for sw--theirs is usually of a 2100
Mhz design!!!

Only thing I caution them of is high rf levels at these freqs--they have
little fear of microwaves until the dangers are made clear... they
constantly search ebay for microwave mosfets... when they mention ideas of a
PA out of a microwave oven--one does do some worry...

I built a crystal radio as my first project, didn't everyone back then? I
stand in awe....

Warmest regards,
John
--
Sit down the six-pack!!! STEP AWAY!!! ...and go do something...

"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...
| Joel Kolstad wrote:
| . . .
| How many of those 2.5 million hams possess a copy of EZNEC, I wonder?
:-)
|
| A miniscule fraction.
|
| I get many requests to contribute EZNEC for a door prize and gladly did
| so, quite a few times. Not a single one of the stamped, self-addressed
| post cards enclosed with the programs was ever returned, which I've
| interpreted to mean that the recipients most likely never used the
| program. I belive that the vast majority of amateurs not only don't have
| EZNEC, but wouldn't have any use for it if given one. I no longer
| contribute EZNEC, since there's no point in giving as a prize something
| there's high probability that the recipient doesn't want. On the
| positive side, there are enough EZNEC users to have allowed me to stay
| out of the cube farm for ten years now. And they're a great bunch of
folks.
|
| Roy Lewallen, W7EL

"John Smith" wrote in message
...
Only thing I caution them of is high rf levels at these freqs--they have
little fear of microwaves until the dangers are made clear... they
constantly search ebay for microwave mosfets... when they mention ideas of a
PA out of a microwave oven--one does do some worry...

I'd worry aout someone who starts suggesting disassembling a microwave oven
too...

On the other hand, if they get themselves a bunch of microwave 'FETs from
eBay, by the time they actually manage to make a working power amplifier
they'll have had to absorb so much knowledge that they'll undoubtedly already
appreciate how much power they're playing around with!

Joel:

Do a search of the net, you will see some of the designs, circuits, boards
there...
These kids are a real network of hobbyists... takes 'em about a week to pick
it up (well, that might be exaggerating)...

.... and while they mention the microwave oven--I don't think anyone is
attempting it!!! Think of the poor birds landing on that antenna and trying
to keep warm in the winter!!! frown

Warmest regards,
John
--
Sit down the six-pack!!! STEP AWAY!!! ...and go do something...

"Joel Kolstad" wrote in message
...
| "John Smith" wrote in message
| ...
| Only thing I caution them of is high rf levels at these freqs--they have
| little fear of microwaves until the dangers are made clear... they
| constantly search ebay for microwave mosfets... when they mention ideas
of a
| PA out of a microwave oven--one does do some worry...
|
| I'd worry aout someone who starts suggesting disassembling a microwave
oven
| too...
|
| On the other hand, if they get themselves a bunch of microwave 'FETs from
| eBay, by the time they actually manage to make a working power amplifier
| they'll have had to absorb so much knowledge that they'll undoubtedly
already
| appreciate how much power they're playing around with!
|
|

Hi John,

"John Smith" wrote in message
...
Do a search of the net, you will see some of the designs, circuits, boards
there...

Any pointers to 802.11b/g amplifiers? Most of the results I get Googling are
for the more "traditional" designs (from RF component vendors, booksellers,
etc.) -- I didn't see any homebrew 2.4GHz amp schematics aimed at the casusal
WiFi enthusiast.

... and while they mention the microwave oven--I don't think anyone is
attempting it!!!

Someone claiming they can take a magnetron from a $59 Wal*Mart microwave oven
and turn it into a reasonably linear power amplifier has a pretty poor
understanding just what it is that (1) amplifiers and (2) magnetrons from
cheap microwave ovens are meant to do. :-)

"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...
I think that's wildly optimistic. First, many, many licensed amateurs
aren't active and don't own a rig at all. Another very large fraction buy
only VHF/UHF gear. And, I don't know whether your figure of 700k hams with
U.S. licenses includes the large number who are residents of other
countries and also have licenses in those countries. Many of the foreign
hams I hear from give a U.S. callsign along with their native one.

I think the only reason we get the radios we do is that the manufacturers
can combine the design with equipment for other markets, such as public
safety for HTs. I've read that the lack of 220 MHz HTs is because of the
absence of a nearby public service band, so the manufacturers can't use
the same design for both services. I find that believable. I don't know
how important additional markets are to HF equipment development, or what
they would be these days. My guess is that the manufacturers don't make an
awful lot on their HF equipment lines.

In any case, the total market, particularly for HF gear, is surely much
less than this estimate.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL



Actually I agree. I was thinking of cutting that in half due to inactive
hams and got in a rush and forgot to do that.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE