"RDWeaver" wrote in message
oups.com...
On May 7, 2:08 am, wrote:
On May 6, 8:07?pm, "George" wrote:

I'm totally surprised. I was under the impression that ham radio had
declined in popularity over the decades!

The numbers say otherwise. And they have for many years.


1990: US population 249 million US hams 550,000, 1 ham per 453
Americans

2000: US population 281 million, US hams 683,000, 1 ham per 411
Americans

May 5 2007: US population (estimated) 301,773,107 US hams 655,219, 1
ham per 460 Americans


But something apparently has gone horribly wrong. Your numbers
indicate that in the past 7 years we have lost all the gains of the
90's and are apparently sliding backwards into the 1980's hams-per-
Americans ratios.


Does it really mean something has gone horribly wrong? An activity like ham
radio is going to have its ups and downs. It will ebb and flow. These
variations can last several years so are hard to evaluate.

Ham radio can't expect to forever increase as a percentage of the population
as there is only going to be a certain percentage interested no matter how
diligently one "sells" it.


Dee, N8UZE