On Jun 25, 1:20 pm, Michael Coslo wrote:


I might caution you that reading that 75 percent figure that a person
can get a distorted perspective. Are all those Hams active? Are they
from the group of Hams who came in during the so called "honeydo era"
when repeaters functioned as a sort of public cell phone for a lot of
folks? They started dropping off a few years ago, and will likely
continue for several more years.


I have no idea what the "honeydo era" refers to, but the notion that
active hams are (or aren't) members of ARRL is not proven here.

I became licensed about 35 years ago as a teen, and joined ARRL the
same day I got their "welcome to ham radio" letter and membership
solicitation. There was some discount because I was a teenager. For
the rest of my teen years, through college, I was barely off-and-on
active as a ham, mostly as a visiting operator at contest stations.
Out of college I went completely QRT until just a few months ago, the
intervening years being spent in a career with frequent moves and
little free time for hobby activities. Recently a career change made
it possible for me to look at ham radio again. Over all that time,
out of habit, I kept the license current and my ARRL membership
intact. So much for "ARRL members are active hams".

On the inverse side of the coin, I don't think that non-membership in
ARRL correlates in any meaningful manner with "non-active ham". To
some, being a ham is an individual experience with no corresponding
"membership in a fraternal group" motivation or inclination. I drive
a Corvette, but don't belong to a Corvette club. I'm a military
veteran but I don't belong to any vets organizations. Couldn't I be a
very active ham without belonging to ARRL? Personally, I think that
is the case with many licensees, but that belief is just as unfounded
as your unfounded presumption that ARRL non-members are "dropping off
and will likely continue".

73,

RDW