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How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
The following are approximate numbers of US amateurs on the stated
dates, compared to the US population. 1930: US population 122 million, US hams 18,000, 1 ham per 6778 Americans 1940: US population 131 million, US hams 50,000, 1 ham per 2620 Americans 1950: US population 150 million, US hams 90,000, 1 ham per 1667 Americans 1960: US population 179 million, US hams 230,000, 1 ham per 779 Americans 1970: US population 223 million, US hams 270,000, 1 ham per 825 Americans 1980: US population 227 million, US hams 350,000, 1 ham per 649 Americans 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 Except for the 1960s, every decade from the 1930s to the 1990s saw US Amateur Radio growing faster than the US population. 73 de Jim, N2EY |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
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How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
"Dick Grady AC7EL" wrote ...
Some areas of the country have a higher density of hams. My town (Pahrump, NV) has about 35,000 population and 284 hams, for a ratio of 1 ham per 123 residents. Does any other town or city have a higher density? Dayton, OH? (at least at certain times of the year :-) Richard, KE7GKP |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On Sun, 6 May 2007 12:06:48 EDT,
) wrote: In article , Dick Grady AC7EL wrote: Some areas of the country have a higher density of hams. My town (Pahrump, NV) has about 35,000 population and 284 hams, for a ratio of 1 ham per 123 residents. Does any other town or city have a higher density? Some years ago, I realized that a lot of the people I ran across in my brief visit to Fairbanks were hams. If someone here has an easy way to get the number of licensees up there, we can compare it to the Census Bureau's 2003 estimate of 31,000 people. According to the license database at http://www.wm7d.net/fcc_uls/ there are 558 licenses with Fairbanks addresses, including 3 clubs. That leaves 555 individual hams. Dividing 555 into 31,000 computes to 1 ham per 56 residents. 73 de Dick, AC7EL |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
In article ,
Dick Grady AC7EL wrote: According to the license database at http://www.wm7d.net/fcc_uls/ there are 558 licenses with Fairbanks addresses, including 3 clubs. That leaves 555 individual hams. Dividing 555 into 31,000 computes to 1 ham per 56 residents. Thanks, Dick. So it still is a very high percentage. Patty |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
" wrote in message ... In article , Dick Grady AC7EL wrote: Some areas of the country have a higher density of hams. My town (Pahrump, NV) has about 35,000 population and 284 hams, for a ratio of 1 ham per 123 residents. Does any other town or city have a higher density? Some years ago, I realized that a lot of the people I ran across in my brief visit to Fairbanks were hams. If someone here has an easy way to get the number of licensees up there, we can compare it to the Census Bureau's 2003 estimate of 31,000 people. Patty N6BIS Use the FCC site -- it says 693 licenses in Fairbanks AK -- Includes Club Stations URL: http://www.arrl.org/fcc/fcclook.php3...a&listofst=680 |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 6, 4:06 pm,
) wrote: Some years ago, I realized that a lot of the people I ran across in my brief visit to Fairbanks were hams. If someone here has an easy way to get the number of licensees up there, we can compare it to the Census Bureau's 2003 estimate of 31,000 people. If you look at the numbers on a "by state" basis, Alaska has the largest per-capita density of hams, at about 4.8 hams per thousand. New York and Louisiana are least dense with about 1.4 hams per thousand. The Northwest seems for some reason to be popular for hams. My home state of Oregon has 3.6 hams per thousand, and all the other W7 states except Arizona have over 3 hams per thousand, while the national average is significanly lower at 2.1 hams per thousand. 73, RDW |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
I'm totally surprised. I was under the impression that ham radio had
declined in popularity over the decades! George K6GW wrote in message oups.com... The following are approximate numbers of US amateurs on the stated dates, compared to the US population. 1930: US population 122 million, US hams 18,000, 1 ham per 6778 Americans 1940: US population 131 million, US hams 50,000, 1 ham per 2620 Americans 1950: US population 150 million, US hams 90,000, 1 ham per 1667 Americans 1960: US population 179 million, US hams 230,000, 1 ham per 779 Americans 1970: US population 223 million, US hams 270,000, 1 ham per 825 Americans 1980: US population 227 million, US hams 350,000, 1 ham per 649 Americans 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 Except for the 1960s, every decade from the 1930s to the 1990s saw US Amateur Radio growing faster than the US population. 73 de Jim, N2EY |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
We've had a ground-swell of interest in Ham radio here in Pahrump, NV. A lot of
people heard of ham radio due to the publicity it got during Hurricane Katrina. Last December, in conjunction with the local LDS church (Mormons), we held a one-day "ham cram" session: Study the Technician questions in the morning, followed by an exam session in the afternoon. We had 14 students/candidates, and 13 passed. Two weeks ago, one of them got his General. Several of them have joined our local ARES/RACES unit and repeater club. The LDS church preaches self-sufficiency and not depending on government to ride out a crisis. Each family must keep a couple of weeks worth of food and water stored in their house. Ham radio fits in with their self-help philosophy. Three weeks ago, I talked to a ham-to-be in Las Vegas. He said that his Bishop asked him to get a ham license. I asked, "Are you LDS?" and he replied "Yes." BTW, he passed the exam. Two weeks ago, at the license exam session which I run, we had 10 candidates, where we usually have one or two. Most of these were going for upgrades to General. Last year, we had several sessions with zero candidates. The publicity from Katrina, plus the dropping of the code requirement, has re-invigorated ham radio. Dick, AC7EL On Sun, 6 May 2007 20:07:42 EDT, "George" wrote: I'm totally surprised. I was under the impression that ham radio had declined in popularity over the decades! George K6GW wrote in message roups.com... The following are approximate numbers of US amateurs on the stated dates, compared to the US population. 1930: US population 122 million, US hams 18,000, 1 ham per 6778 Americans 1940: US population 131 million, US hams 50,000, 1 ham per 2620 Americans 1950: US population 150 million, US hams 90,000, 1 ham per 1667 Americans 1960: US population 179 million, US hams 230,000, 1 ham per 779 Americans 1970: US population 223 million, US hams 270,000, 1 ham per 825 Americans 1980: US population 227 million, US hams 350,000, 1 ham per 649 Americans 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 Except for the 1960s, every decade from the 1930s to the 1990s saw US Amateur Radio growing faster than the US population. 73 de Jim, N2EY |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
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. Note that the 1930s, which were dominated by the Great Depression, saw an enormous rise in the number of US hams and the popularity of amateur radio. Yet the 1960s, a time of prosperity, saw almost no growth and an actual decline in popularity. Some might blame the 1960s numbers on "incentive licensing", but those changes didn't go into effect until very late in that decade (November 1968). And the growth came back in the 1970s and 1980s, when those changes had their greatest effect. 73 de Jim, N2EY |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
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. ?? RDW |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
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How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
In article ,
Dick Grady AC7EL wrote: We've had a ground-swell of interest in Ham radio here in Pahrump, NV. A lot of people heard of ham radio due to the publicity it got during Hurricane Katrina. I imagine that having a nationally syndicated talkshow host who's also a ham doesn't hurt, either, right? I don't listen to Bell's show, but I used to have a neighbor who chatted with Bell and other hams after the show was over, and I got the impression that he mentioned amateur radio on his show quite often. So does he talk it up around town, too? Patty |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
RDWeaver wrote:
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. This is to be expected, the big intake of the 1950s is now dying off. -- g4jci |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 6, 11:44�pm, RDWeaver wrote:
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 h ad 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. ?? Not just 'my' numbers but any reliable numbers you look at. What has happened in the past 7 years is this: From 2000 to 2003, the number of US hams rose, but since 2003 the numbers have been slowly declining, as expirations exceeded new licenses.The recent rules changes seem to have stopped the decline in numbers but they are only a few months old. We can speculate on what's going on, but it's only speculation. So here are some speculations: 1) In 1984 the FCC doubled the license term from 5 to 10 years. Which meant that from 1989 to 1994 there were no US amateur license expirations at all. That period is long gone now. 2) There are three basic reasons to become a ham: First, to legally operate 2-way radios as an end in itself, second, to do technical things with 2-way radios that aren't allowed in other radio services, and third, to use low-cost electronic communication. The first two reasons are pretty much unchanged. But the third has changed radically in the past 10-20 years or so. Email, the internet, cell phones and many other options have made amateur radio just one of many ways that people can use low-cost electronic communication. For example, back in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, we experienced a steady stream of new hams who wanted to use the various repeater/ autopatch systems in this area for personal noncommercial communications, particularly while mobile. Whole families would show up at classes and VE sessions, and the repeaters were busy with their activities. The term 'honeydo hams' entered the jargon. Some of them became interested in other facets of amateur radio, some did not. Nothing wrong with that, either way. Then came inexpensive cell phones. They went from being a luxury to a near-necessity in a decade or so. Inexpensive, long distance mobile communications went from something unusual and exotic to ubiquitous - and we lost that source of new hams. Very few people get amateur radio licenses today in order to coordinate who is picking up the dry cleaning on the way home and who has soccer practice carpool. In the 1980s it was common. 3) The percentage of residences with antenna restrictions keeps rising. In many areas you have to look really hard to find an affordable newer home where you can put up something as innocuous as a G5RV or a vertical. 4) The nature of free time has changed for many Americans. It's not that people don't have free time, it's that their free time is less predictable and comes in odd chunks. Many American families are juggling two careers, child and elder care, and the expectation of being available most of the time. Activities that requires solid pieces of time, like amateur radio, aren't going to be as popular in such an environment. There are lots more, but I'm out of time! 73 de Jim, N2EY |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
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How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
"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 |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 7, 10:45 pm, "Dee Flint" wrote:
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. Dee, N8UZE According to the figures that the OP posted here and in other threads (no reason to doubt them) ham radio has had steady "ups" with no "downs" to a high in 2003. Then in just the past 4 years (2003-2007) the number of "hams/1000 population" has fallen to BELOW the ratio of 1990. In other words, after //many\\ UNBROKEN DECADES of rising popularity, in just //4 years since 2003\\ we have shed the gains of the previous 13 years and continue to head south. Calling that "ebb and flow" is, in my opinion, a bad case of 'whistling past the grave yard'. The fellow in another thread talking about the 'last generation' may be onto something. 73, RDW |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
wrote on Mon, 7 May 2007 08:12:02 EDT:
On May 6, 11:44?pm, RDWeaver wrote: For example, back in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, we experienced a steady stream of new hams who wanted to use the various repeater/ autopatch systems in this area for personal noncommercial communications, particularly while mobile. Whole families would show up at classes and VE sessions, and the repeaters were busy with their activities. The term 'honeydo hams' entered the jargon. I didn't know the term "honey-do ham" existed until seeing in these newsgroups. :-) In knowing many licensed radio amateurs in the southwestern USA, their spouses and/or offspring got licenses for the purpose of amateur radio participation, not for picking up dry cleaning or coordinating soccer practice carpools. While it has been common for some spouses to call the other spouse to pick up something on the way home, that has been routinely done by the POTS here from 1960 to the present time. shrug 3) The percentage of residences with antenna restrictions keeps rising. In many areas you have to look really hard to find an affordable newer home where you can put up something as innocuous as a G5RV or a vertical. I keep hearing about all that "trouble" and have yet to see it around here in existing neighborhoods of the eastern San Fernando Valley area of L.A. (SFV population about 1.5 million). The average home residence plot is 1/4 to 1/3 acre in the majority; in the majority of those with antennas other than K-band TV satellite service are the CB and scanner antennas. The off-center-fed dipole (G5RV type) is more noticeable than a CB or external scanner antenna or TV dish. A beam antenna, even one that can be lowered to near ground level will stick out like a sore thumb in a neighborhood which doesn't have anyone else with such a structure. Yes, I know such residential areas exist, but I say those are still in the minority among the millions of residence units in the USA. In the common residence without any restrictions on large, ungainly structures, hams have to face the very real problem of some neighbors simply not tolerating uncommon, highly-visible structures such as ham antennas. Amateur radio is simply not their thing and they consider their home as a home, not a small-scale radio station. To get along with neighbors, hams have to "sell" themselves to neighbors and completely damp any indignation that neighbors don't like the idea of (to them) ungly structures in the air next door. There's no way that one can legislate away bad feeling that neighbors may have about ugly (to them) ham antennas; it is their neighborhood also. 4) The nature of free time has changed for many Americans. It's not that people don't have free time, it's that their free time is less predictable and comes in odd chunks. Many American families are juggling two careers, child and elder care, and the expectation of being available most of the time. Activities that requires solid pieces of time, like amateur radio, aren't going to be as popular in such an environment. Being always older than the FCC, I just can't accept the above excuse for "times changing." Every year for the last 50 or so I've heard variations on that rationalization and every time it has appeared always applied the "current generation." :-) No generation owns that excuse nor has it "earned" it. In every year I've observed human society in this country for the last half century or so, those that wanted to do what they wanted made the time. The motion picture industry made its big business push during the Great Depression...when folks didn't have much income. They wanted to be entertained, didn't have TV, few had radios to listen to the a-borning broadcast networks. Elder-care homes were not close to as numerous as they are now and families were stuck with providing for their aging relatives with no extra financial help, no Medi-Care or (in CA) Medi-Cal. Wives kept up the homes and took care of the children (if there were any) while husbands worked (if they had jobs...28% didn't have steady work at the peak of the Great Depression). Somehow most survived that ordeal as they had for centuries past. Most of my high school class of 1951 managed to show up at our 2001 Reunion even though some had to travel 1 to 2 thousand miles to do so. Most of us looked like we could make it to our 60th Reunion in 2011. :-) Amateur radio is really a niche activity in American society when viewed in the entirety of all activities available. Of course, the downside of that same society is a divorce rate that has continually increased since the end of WWII...which is oddly (but not so much so) coincident with the fantastic rise in availability of mass media advertising plus the escapist fare of TV and motion picture entertainment. I won't bother to mention the increased new-home foreclosures or the rising debt from easy credit card spending. ["credit cards" didn't exist a half century ago] Like it or not, advertising space sales make it possible for amateur radio publications to exist even if just to break even for membership organizations. Those ads are bought by producers of goods and services for the amateur radio market, producers hoping to sell things even to those who already have radios and some services. Everyone needs to honestly ask themselves a number of questions: Do you really HAVE to trade up to a new, bigger home in order for more antenna space? Do you really HAVE to get a new transceiver to replace the one you've used for ten years? Do you HAVE to spend all that time on the hobby at the expense of time with family and friends? If you have a spouse, does she/he HAVE to work to help support your hobby? Do you HAVE to use ham radio to communicate with others or can you possibly use another form of communications? Those questions are all individual. Insert any hobby's name in those questions, same thing there. Amateur radio is a voluntary activity, not a basic necessity of life. The USA as a nation won't collapse if a ham misses a contest or can't make a Field Day "readiness exercise." Let's put it all into a proper perspective of viewing amateur radio as a whole, not just from an individual-experience viewpoint. 73, Len AF6AY |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 5, 5:54?pm, wrote:
The following are approximate numbers of US amateurs on the stated dates, compared to the US population. A yearly US ham census was posted on KB6NU's ham blog on 27 December 2006, from KB9UMT. It goes from 1925 to 1965 in 5-year increments, then 1-year increments from there to 2003. See: http://kb6nu.com/ham-census/ 73, Len AF6AY |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
"AF6AY" wrote in message ups.com... wrote on Mon, 7 May 2007 08:12:02 EDT: On May 6, 11:44?pm, RDWeaver wrote: For example, back in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, we experienced a steady stream of new hams who wanted to use the various repeater/ autopatch systems in this area for personal noncommercial communications, particularly while mobile. Whole families would show up at classes and VE sessions, and the repeaters were busy with their activities. The term 'honeydo hams' entered the jargon. I didn't know the term "honey-do ham" existed until seeing in these newsgroups. :-) In knowing many licensed radio amateurs in the southwestern USA, their spouses and/or offspring got licenses for the purpose of amateur radio participation, not for picking up dry cleaning or coordinating soccer practice carpools. While it has been common for some spouses to call the other spouse to pick up something on the way home, that has been routinely done by the POTS here from 1960 to the present time. shrug When I licensed back in 1992, the majority of the people in the class and at the various test sessions as I went up the ladder were these "honey-do" hams and the family group communications types. This type of use was heavily promoted to non-hams by hams of the day. I heard a lot of chit chat on the repeaters, including discussions on errands etc, between family members as they traveled around town. While there is no issue with this, the downside was that many became inactive as they got cell phones. Only a few seemed to carry forward into other areas of ham radio activity. Dee, N8UZE |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 8, 3:36�am, "Dee Flint" wrote:
"AF6AY" wrote in message When I licensed back in 1992, the majority of the people in the class and at the various test sessions as I went up the ladder were these "honey-do" h ams and the family group communications types. This type of use was heavily promoted to non-hams by hams of the day. I heard a lot of chit chat o n the repeaters, including discussions on errands etc, between family members as they traveled around town. While there is no issue with this, the down side was that many became inactive as they got cell phones. Only a few seem ed to carry forward into other areas of ham radio activity. Well, I was curious about that, wondering if it was some kind of local or regional thing. Here in the populous southwestern corner of the USA there didn't seem to be too much of that. In the Greater Los Angeles area (population roughly 8 million and spread out over a large area), the LOS repeaters were carrying lots of club activities with those clubs involved in amateur radio doings rather than the "honey-do" kind of thing. 73, Len AF6AY |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On Mon, 07 May 2007 22:38:07 -0400, AF6AY wrote:
I didn't know the term "honey-do ham" existed until seeing in these newsgroups. :-) In 44 years and a half dozen call signs I have to say I've never heard the term either. I'm wondering if it is something that was invented on the Internet, sort of like the current popular practice of capitalizing HAM as though it were some kind of an acronym. |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 7, 9:39�pm, RDWeaver wrote:
On May 7, 10:45 pm, "Dee Flint" wrote: 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. Dee, N8UZE According to the figures that the OP posted here and in other threads (no reason to doubt them) ham radio has had steady "ups" with no "downs" to a high in 2003. Not exactly. In the mid 1960s the growth stalled while the US population grew rapidly. The percentage of the population that were hams went *down* during the decade of the 1960s. Compare 1960 to 1970 in terms of hams-per-1000 and see. If you look at the annual numbers from 1965 to 1975 the total went down some years and up others. Then in just the past 4 years (2003-2007) the number of "hams/1000 population" has fallen to BELOW the ratio of 1990. Yup. Think about *why* that would happen, even though the license requirements were reduced in 2000 and again in 2007. In other words, after //many\\ UNBROKEN DECADES of rising popularity, in just //4 years since 2003\\ we have shed the gains of the previous 13 years and continue to head south. Not really. The 1960s were a down decade. That means 3 decades of rising popularity (1970s/1980s/1990s) Calling that "ebb and flow" is, in my opinion, a bad case of 'whistling past the grave yard'. Well, what do you think is really happening? The fellow in another thread talking about the 'last generation' may be onto something. One thing that has changed greatly in my 40 years as a ham is the age of a typical newcomer. I'm not saying that's good or bad, just that it happened. In the 1960s, when I became a ham, and well into the 1970s, most of the newcomers I encountered were teenagers or twentysomethings. But as the 70s went on, more and more new amateurs were in their 30s, 40s, and older. In particular, during those decades I saw more and more people taking up amateur radio as a retirement or empty-nest activity. There were still plenty of teenagers and even preteens becoming hams then - and still are. But the percentages shifted. When I was a new ham in 1967, it was a safe bet that if I met an amateur who was 10 or more years older, that amateur had been a ham longer than me. But by 1980 I often encountered hams who were older than me but hadn't been licensed nearly as long. One of the great things about amateur radio is that it's about as close to a life-long activity as you can get, and people of almost all ages can become hams. But as more and more people are first-licensed later in life, their time as amateurs grows shorter, and the turnover increases. That's just one factor of many. The change in license term, changes in the typical American family, changes in where people live and work, and many other factors all combine to change the numbers. In a previous post I wrote of the "honeydew hams" (which may be an East Coast term) who got licenses for personal-communications purposes in the days before cell phones were inexpensive and ubiquitous. Whatever you call them, there were lots of 'em entering ham radio 30, 20, even 15 years ago. Today there are almost none - cell phones do the job 99% of the time. Plenty of other examples. None of that means amateur radio is dying or that we are the last generation. Rather it means amateur radio is changing - as it always has. Most of the reason to become a ham today is because someone is interested in 'radio for its own sake' - an end in itself, not a means to another end. 73 de Jim, N2EY |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
"Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T)" wrote in message .. . On Mon, 07 May 2007 22:38:07 -0400, AF6AY wrote: I didn't know the term "honey-do ham" existed until seeing in these newsgroups. :-) In 44 years and a half dozen call signs I have to say I've never heard the term either. I'm wondering if it is something that was invented on the Internet, sort of like the current popular practice of capitalizing HAM as though it were some kind of an acronym. I heard it first in 1992. The internet was not a significant factor then. Dee, N8UZE |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 8, 2:38 am, AF6AY wrote:
I didn't know the term "honey-do ham" existed until seeing in these newsgroups. It was a term usually used in a pejorative manner to imply that the licensees (often married couples) didn't get their licenses for the 'right' reasons and weren't 'real' Amateurs. My spouse got her license in that era (early 90's) and even though she is a General and we collaborate in many 'real' amateur activies like contesting (see our two Divisional multi-op Championships in SS CW Iin 03 and 06 at K0RT), one of our local 'influential' hams recently commented that she got into Amateur Radio 'as one of those honey-do hams'. 73, de Hans, K0HB |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 9, 10:30�pm, K�HB wrote:
It was a term usually used in a pejorative manner to imply that the licensees (often married couples) didn't get their licenses for the 'right' reasons and weren't 'real' Amateurs. Then it's a regional thing, because here in EPA, and in other areas where I've heard the term used, I never heard it used in a pejorative manner. It was simply a descriptive, similar to "DX'er" or "contester" or "ragchewer". My spouse got her license in that era (early 90's) and even though she is a General and we collaborate in many 'real' amateur activies like contesting (see our two Divisional multi-op Championships in SS CW Iin 03 and 06 at K0RT), one of our local 'influential' hams recently commented that she got into Amateur Radio 'as one of those honey-do hams'. Well, people say all sorts of things, true or not..... Besides, it's common for amateurs to get their license for one reason or set of reasons but then branch out into other areas. Word meanings sometimes change over time. Like the word "handle".... 73 de Jim, N2EY |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
Interesting. I've been wondering about the same things!
I was licensed around the same time as you ('63, I think it was) and I also had never heard of the "honey-do" term before seeing it here. Same thing with capitalizing HAM. My excuse is that I've been inactive for years so I haven't kept up. 73, George K6GW "Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T)" wrote in message .. . On Mon, 07 May 2007 22:38:07 -0400, AF6AY wrote: I didn't know the term "honey-do ham" existed until seeing in these newsgroups. :-) In 44 years and a half dozen call signs I have to say I've never heard the term either. I'm wondering if it is something that was invented on the Internet, sort of like the current popular practice of capitalizing HAM as though it were some kind of an acronym. |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
wrote in message
ps.com [snip] Word meanings sometimes change over time. Like the word "handle".... Now that one really *does* irritate me. A handle is for opening a door. I have a *name*, ok..?! 73 Ivor G6URP |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 10, 12:26 pm, "Ivor Jones" wrote:
Now that one really *does* irritate me. A handle is for opening a door. I have a *name*, ok..?! Must be an individual preference thing. I've been licensed almost 50 years, and have been saying "The handle here is Hans" all that time. Learned it from my elders way-back-when and old habits are hard to break I guess. 73, de Hans, K0HB |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
"KØHB" wrote in message ups.com On May 10, 12:26 pm, "Ivor Jones" wrote: Now that one really *does* irritate me. A handle is for opening a door. I have a *name*, ok..?! Must be an individual preference thing. I've been licensed almost 50 years, and have been saying "The handle here is Hans" all that time. Learned it from my elders way-back-when and old habits are hard to break I guess. 73, de Hans, K0HB Ok Hans, I can understand that, but just out of curiosity, *why* do you say "handle" instead of "name" - it's not at all obvious to me. Perhaps you don't know, tell me..! For my part, I don't know why it irritates me, it just does..! But then I don't know why for a lot of things..! Someone once asked me why I always put two dots before an exclamation or a question mark, I don't know why, I just do ;-) 73 Ivor G6URP |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 10, 9:46 am, wrote:
Word meanings sometimes change over time. Like the word "handle".... The meaning of that word hasn't changed. In amateur radio usage it is still generally accepted to mean "name". In popular CB usage it is used to denote a pseudonym or aptronym, but even that usage is commonly found in amateur radio. For example, an MD might use the aptronym "Doc", or my old friend W3UBM (sk) who used the aptronym "Sparky" --- he was a radio officer in the merchant marine. A rose by any other handle would smell as sweet. 73, de Hans, K0HB |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 10, 3:37 pm, "Ivor Jones" wrote:
Ok Hans, I can understand that, but just out of curiosity, *why* do you say "handle" instead of "name" - it's not at all obvious to me. Probably mostly from ingrained habit. When I got into amateur radio as a teen it was what "the oldtimers" did, and newcomers wanting nothing more than to be perceived as "insiders", adopt the mannerisms of those they heard on the air. Many vocations and avocations have a "lingo" which, while it may strike outsiders as "quaint" or "affected", identifies you to your peers as "one of them". 73, de Hans (For another example, why do we say "73" on phone, when it was originally meant as Morse shorthand for some long flowery phrase like "All the very best wishes, fair winds, following seas, and I hope you get lucky with the fair maid who is the object of your humble but earnest desire.") |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 10, 7:37�am, "Ivor Jones" wrote:
"KØHB" wrote in message ups.com On May 10, 12:26 pm, "Ivor Jones" wrote: Now that one really *does* irritate me. A handle is for opening a door. I have a *name*, ok..?! Must be an individual preference thing. I've been licensed almost 50 years, and have been saying "The handle here is Hans" all that time. Learned it from my elders way-back-when and old habits are hard to break I guess. 73, de Hans, K0HB Ok Hans, I can understand that, but just out of curiosity, *why* do you say "handle" instead of "name" - it's not at all obvious to me. Handle: Some etymologists trace that back to the Old West of the USA prior to 1900 as "cowboy talk" or "rancher talk." Some of you easterners just don't appreciate the old west. :-) Perhaps you don't know, tell me..! For my part, I don't know why it irritates me, it just does..! But then I don't know why for a lot of things..! Someone once asked me why I always put two dots before an exclamation or a question mark, I don't know why, I just do ;-) I once had a wonderful sports car, a 1953 Austin-Healey. Naturally the trunk (as we say it) was called a "boot." The hood (as we say it, particularly the hinged cover over the engine) was called a "bonnet" in the owner's manual. In old motor cars the engine compartment did indeed resemble a pre-1900 woman's bonnet. By the end of WWII cars were a lot more streamlined and the "bonnet" didn't even look like a woman's hat. :-) BTW, that Healey's aluminum body made a great mobile ground plane for my CB. [just to keep this on radio subjects] 73, Len AF6AY 73 Ivor G6URP- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 10, 9:41�am, K�HB wrote:
On May 10, 3:37 pm, "Ivor Jones" wrote: Ok Hans, I can understand that, but just out of curiosity, *why* do you say "handle" instead of "name" - it's not at all obvious to me. Probably mostly from ingrained habit. When I got into amateur radio as a teen it was what "the oldtimers" did, and newcomers wanting nothing more than to be perceived as "insiders", adopt the mannerisms of those they heard on the air. Many vocations and avocations have a "lingo" which, while it may strike outsiders as "quaint" or "affected", identifies you to your peers as "one of them". (For another example, why do we say "73" on phone, when it was originally meant as Morse shorthand for some long flowery phrase like "All the very best wishes, fair winds, following seas, and I hope you get lucky with the fair maid who is the object of your humble but earnest desire.") Why is the (supposed) laugh on voice expressed as "HI HI." And in a flat voice at that? :-) I've heard that all over HF along with flat, emotionless voice expressions. Do radio waves blank out emotions? :-) Why do some "sign" messages with the "de" before a call sign? The message originator on newsgroups is already identified in the message header as to whom it is from. Questions, questions. :-) 73, Len AF6AY |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
KØHB wrote:
On May 10, 3:37 pm, "Ivor Jones" wrote: Ok Hans, I can understand that, but just out of curiosity, *why* do you say "handle" instead of "name" - it's not at all obvious to me. Probably mostly from ingrained habit. When I got into amateur radio as a teen it was what "the oldtimers" did, and newcomers wanting nothing more than to be perceived as "insiders", adopt the mannerisms of those they heard on the air. Many vocations and avocations have a "lingo" which, while it may strike outsiders as "quaint" or "affected", identifies you to your peers as "one of them". 73, de Hans (For another example, why do we say "73" on phone, when it was originally meant as Morse shorthand for some long flowery phrase like "All the very best wishes, fair winds, following seas, and I hope you get lucky with the fair maid who is the object of your humble but earnest desire.") If I might respectfully offer a little perspective for us all.... Not everyone speaks as we do. There are different customs in different areas. I for one cringe every time that I hear someone speaking "HI HI" on phone. To my way of thinking, if something is funny, I will laugh. However, I realize that my personal dislike of that particular phrase is MY problem, not the person who is saying the words that irritate me. So unless the other person's words are obscene or suggestive, I'll just avoid imposing my opinions on them. - 73 de Mike KB3EIA - |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
On May 10, 6:20 pm, AF6AY wrote:
Why is the (supposed) laugh on voice expressed as "HI HI." For the same reason that hams give "59" signal reports instead of saying "you're loud and clear", for the same reason that they say "73" instead of "best wishes", and for the same reason that they say "QSL" instead of "I got that". These, and "hi hi", are carryovers of CW "shorthand" and have survived as a natural sort of "insiders lingo". As a newer ham you may find them unnatural or awkward to use, and the good news is that everyone will still be happy to snag your prefix in WPX, even if you don't say TKS ES GL OM HI HI.. 73, de Hans, K0HB |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
"KØHB" wrote in message
ps.com On May 10, 6:20 pm, AF6AY wrote: Why is the (supposed) laugh on voice expressed as "HI HI." For the same reason that hams give "59" signal reports instead of saying "you're loud and clear", for the same reason that they say "73" instead of "best wishes", and for the same reason that they say "QSL" instead of "I got that". These, and "hi hi", are carryovers of CW "shorthand" and have survived as a natural sort of "insiders lingo". As a newer ham you may find them unnatural or awkward to use, and the good news is that everyone will still be happy to snag your prefix in WPX, even if you don't say TKS ES GL OM HI HI.. 73, de Hans, K0HB The CW shorthand I can understand, but why "handle"..?! 73 Ivor G6URP |
How Popular Is/Was Amateur Radio
"Ivor Jones" wrote in message ... The CW shorthand I can understand, but why "handle"..?! Handle means someone's name, has done since the early 1800. This is the quote usually cited: http://www.answers.com/topic/handle-to-one-s-name |
Origin of "Handle" for name
"Ivor Jones" wrote in message ... "KØHB" wrote in message ps.com On May 10, 6:20 pm, AF6AY wrote: Why is the (supposed) laugh on voice expressed as "HI HI." For the same reason that hams give "59" signal reports instead of saying "you're loud and clear", for the same reason that they say "73" instead of "best wishes", and for the same reason that they say "QSL" instead of "I got that". These, and "hi hi", are carryovers of CW "shorthand" and have survived as a natural sort of "insiders lingo". As a newer ham you may find them unnatural or awkward to use, and the good news is that everyone will still be happy to snag your prefix in WPX, even if you don't say TKS ES GL OM HI HI.. 73, de Hans, K0HB The CW shorthand I can understand, but why "handle"..?! 73 Ivor G6URP For what it worth - from URL: http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...at-HOBBIES.htm l "The term handle is an old slang term for name that goes back to the cowb oys of the Old West. Telegraphers picked it up and the ham radio operators go t it from them. CB operators copied the hams, and there you have it." I have heard several old time hams give this explanation Lamont |
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