KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

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Does amateur radio lack eye candy?

Posted: 13 Jan 2016 12:17 PM PST
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kb6nu...m_medium=email

What can amateur radio offer in terms of eye candy thats similar to this
model railroad setup?

A couple of months ago, I blogged yet again about getting kids into amateur
radio. One reader e-mailed me a comment directly:

I would add that the problem is that the hobby has noÂ*eye candy. Go see a
model train setup or go see a quilting show. I think you get the idea.
Amateur radio really has nothing for the public to see, except people
sitting in front of a radio talking. Someone operating Morse Code is a
little better, but not much. Cell phones are more imaginative than that.
Lets face it, if you cant grab someones interest very quickly, then you are
not going toÂ*grab it at all.Â*Â* Funny how early in life we are curious and
will touch that dont touch, but later in life we will just pass it by,
mostly.

He has a point. If youre going to set up a public demonstration of amateur
radio, youre going to have to do better than stringing up a dipole and
calling CQ. When our club sets up at the local Maker Faire, we do several
things. One guy brings out his K3 set up including panadapter. That
generates a lot of interest. I have my Morse Code setup Â*and encourage kids
to learn how to send their name in Morse Code. Ive also brought an
interesting selection of QSL cards that show the international aspect of
our hobby.
Im always looking for more ideas. What kind of eye candy do you use?

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