On Feb 2, 10:10?am, Cecil Moore wrote:
wrote:
But what if it doesn't?

Ham radio still has a lot to offer but not
nearly as much as it once did.

What does amateur radio not offer now that it once did?

It seems to me that amateur radio today offers even more than it did
when I first got started 40 years ago.

For example, in 1967:

- Almost all HF/MF amateur operation was CW, SSB voice, or AM voice.
There was some SSTV and 45.45 baud Baudot RTTY, but those modes
required a considerable amount of additional equipment that was bulky,
complex, and expensive.

- Almost all VHF/UHF amateur operation was AM voice or CW. There was
some SSB voice, some FM voice, some RC, some RTTY and some ATV. RTTY
and ATV required a considerable amount of additional equipment that
was bulky, complex, and expensive. There were only a few repeaters on
the amateur bands, and amateur satellite communications was only a few
years old (OSCAR 1 was launched in 1961).

- 30, 17 and 12 meters weren't ham bands. 160 was full of LORAN, and
amateur use of 160 was severely restricted.

- Adjusted for inflation, most new ham gear was much more expensive
then than it is now. Look up the price of, say, a Swan 350 and power
supply, or a Drake 4 line, and then adjust the prices for inflation.

- Computers had almost no presence in amateur radio. A few people with
connections, usually at universities, did neat things like very early
forms of computer logging and circuit simulation, but that was the
exception.

- Most not-in-person communication between amateurs was by the ham
bands, the telephone, the US mail and publications. There were no
websites full of free-for-the-download information, no eBay or online
sellers, no email, etc. Elmering was limited to the hams in your area,
the ones you could find on the air, and possibly a few by-mail.

- The only permitted digital mode was 45.45 baud RTTY using the 5
level Baudot code. It would be a decade more before any other digital
modes were allowed for US hams.

The list goes on and on. Many of the things that are commonplace in
amateur radio today were far in the future back then. Many other
things in amateur radio were far more expensive and difficult in those
days than they are today.

It seems to me that a ham today can do almost everything that a ham
could do in 1967.

What can we
do to make it more attractive?

I think the major thing to do is to simply portray all the things
amateurs are doing - today, in 2007 - to as wide an audience as
possible. Then let people decide what they are interested in.

For example, don't assume that today's young people will only be
interested in how to use a computer with a radio, or that older folks
aren't going to be interested in new technology.

Just show the "Ham's Wide World" of 2007, and let the folks who are
interested decide what they like about it.

73 de Jim, N2EY

wrote:
What does amateur radio not offer now that it once did?

One example: First on the scene with emergency
mobile communications.

In the 1950's, I was the fifth person to arrive
upon the scene of a severe auto accident and the
first one with mobile communications with which
to call for help.

Nowadays, the first four people would have cell
phones. Even if I were the first on the scene,
I would use my cell phone, not my mobile ham rig.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

Cecil Moore wrote in news:z8Twh.51868$QU1.17938
@newssvr22.news.prodigy.net:

wrote:
What does amateur radio not offer now that it once did?

One example: First on the scene with emergency
mobile communications.

In the 1950's, I was the fifth person to arrive
upon the scene of a severe auto accident and the
first one with mobile communications with which
to call for help.

Nowadays, the first four people would have cell
phones. Even if I were the first on the scene,
I would use my cell phone, not my mobile ham rig.

I tried calling 911 once, but couldn't find the 11 key.

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -

On Feb 2, 7:24�pm, Mike Coslo wrote:
Cecil Moore wrote in news:z8Twh.51868$QU1.17938
@newssvr22.news.prodigy.net:

wrote:

I tried calling 911 once, but couldn't find the 11 key.

* * * * - 73 de Mike KB3EIA -

Heh heh heh heh...that's a "keeper!" :-)

LA

On Feb 2, 10:16?pm, Cecil Moore wrote:
wrote:
What does amateur radio not offer now that it once did?

One example: First on the scene with emergency
mobile communications.

In the 1950's, I was the fifth person to arrive
upon the scene of a severe auto accident and the
first one with mobile communications with which
to call for help.

Nowadays, the first four people would have cell
phones. Even if I were the first on the scene,
I would use my cell phone, not my mobile ham rig.

I've been in that situation too, Cecil, and a lot more recently than
the 1950s.

And yes, if it were to happen today, my first reaction would be 911 on
the cell phone. Only if that didn't work would I consider ham radio.

But consider this:

How many hams got their license so they could be the first on the
scene with mobile emergency communications, compared with those who
got their license because they thought "radio for its own sake" is
fun?

73 de Jim, N2EY

wrote:
How many hams got their license so they could be the first on the
scene with mobile emergency communications, compared with those who
got their license because they thought "radio for its own sake" is
fun?

As a member of Intel's iEARS, the majority of people
within Intel that I recruited to be new hams were
primarily interested in emergency communications.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

On Feb 3, 8:36?am, Cecil Moore wrote:
wrote:
How many hams got their license so they could be the first on the
scene with mobile emergency communications, compared with those who
got their license because they thought "radio for its own sake" is
fun?

As a member of Intel's iEARS, the majority of people
within Intel that I recruited to be new hams were
primarily interested in emergency communications.
--
But were they primarily interested in being first on the scene with
mobile emergency communications, for things like auto accidents?

Or were they primarily interested in emergency communications between
fixed points, in situations where the normal communications
infrastucture was unavailable?

73 de Jim, N2EY

wrote:
But were they primarily interested in being first on the scene with
mobile emergency communications, for things like auto accidents?

Or were they primarily interested in emergency communications between
fixed points, in situations where the normal communications
infrastucture was unavailable?

The latter. The point is that Intel probably doesn't
rely on hams for emergency communications anymore.
I would guess they use commercial satellites now.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

On Feb 2, 8:09?pm, wrote:
On Feb 2, 10:16?pm, Cecil Moore wrote:

wrote:
What does amateur radio not offer now that it once did?

One example: First on the scene with emergency
mobile communications.

In the 1950's, I was the fifth person to arrive
upon the scene of a severe auto accident and the
first one with mobile communications with which
to call for help.

Nowadays, the first four people would have cell
phones. Even if I were the first on the scene,
I would use my cell phone, not my mobile ham rig.

I've been in that situation too, Cecil, and a lot more recently than
the 1950s.

Oh? Was that when you served the country in your
"other ways?"

Or was that when you shot bears for naval intellgence?
No, that couldn't be you...was another who also served
his country in "other ways."

Or maybe you were the military hero "in a country at
war?" No, that was your buddie wearing the little red
hat of a morse monkey, a former REMF who implies
all those things without being specific.

You couldn't have been a "resident of Hawaii" scarfing
up "club" calls for non-existant "radio clubs." No, that's
another poster entirely, the captain of the "Hornblower"
and the "Effluvia" motorboat (on that "three-hour tour").

And yes, if it were to happen today, my first reaction would be 911 on
the cell phone. Only if that didn't work would I consider ham radio.

But consider this:

How many hams got their license so they could be the first on the
scene with mobile emergency communications, compared with those who
got their license because they thought "radio for its own sake" is
fun?

So, how many DID get their hobby radio license "just for
being an 'emergency communicator?'"

Aren't you the one with their pulse on the numbers and
KNOWING what everyone's "intent and purpose" is?

Of course you are! C'mon out with the "real reasons."

Gotta love all those code-tested knowitalls. :-)

beep beep,
LA

wrote:
On Feb 2, 8:09?pm, wrote:
On Feb 2, 10:16?pm, Cecil Moore wrote:

wrote:
What does amateur radio not offer now that it once did?
One example: First on the scene with emergency
mobile communications.
In the 1950's, I was the fifth person to arrive
upon the scene of a severe auto accident and the
first one with mobile communications with which
to call for help.
Nowadays, the first four people would have cell
phones. Even if I were the first on the scene,
I would use my cell phone, not my mobile ham rig.
I've been in that situation too, Cecil, and a lot more recently than
the 1950s.

Oh? Was that when you served the country in your
"other ways?"

[This space reserved for "Leo's" comments about Len was unjustly set upon]

Or was that when you shot bears for naval intellgence?
No, that couldn't be you...was another who also served
his country in "other ways."

[This space reserved for the profile of Leonard Anderson actions]

Or maybe you were the military hero "in a country at
war?" No, that was your buddie wearing the little red
hat of a morse monkey, a former REMF who implies
all those things without being specific.

[This space reserved for the Len Anderson assertion that he would never
denigrate a fellow military veteran, despite his frequent denigration of
several military veterans right here in this newsgroup]

I've never been very specific with you about my Vietnam service because
I've seen the kind of things you have done to others. I've done no
boasting about my service in Southeast Asia and have not gotten into
specifics. I've never claimed any heroics nor have I described any
artillery barrages.

You are the individual who made the now famous sphincter post about what
it was like to undergo an artillery barrage, except that you were never
in an artillery barrage. That ties in nicely with your posts over a ten
year period here. You rant about getting into amateur radio but you've
never gotten into amateur radio or even tried to do so.

You couldn't have been a "resident of Hawaii" scarfing
up "club" calls for non-existant "radio clubs." No, that's
another poster entirely, the captain of the "Hornblower"
and the "Effluvia" motorboat (on that "three-hour tour").

Did someone get a callsign that you'd placed dibs on, Len?

And yes, if it were to happen today, my first reaction would be 911 on
the cell phone. Only if that didn't work would I consider ham radio.

But consider this:

How many hams got their license so they could be the first on the
scene with mobile emergency communications, compared with those who
got their license because they thought "radio for its own sake" is
fun?

So, how many DID get their hobby radio license "just for
being an 'emergency communicator?'"

Aren't you the one with their pulse on the numbers and
KNOWING what everyone's "intent and purpose" is?

Do you have your finger on the pulse of amateur radio, Leonard?

Of course you are! C'mon out with the "real reasons."

Gotta love all those code-tested knowitalls. :-)

One who has passed a Morse Code exam or an amateur radio written exam
has done one more thing than you've done. You're still sitting on the
sidelines, telling us which play the coach *should* have sent in.

beep beep,

Be-bop

LA

Dave K8MN