N2EY:

Gee, and we wonder why kids raised with computers and state-of-the-art
communications are not turned on...

John

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 16:47:49 -0700, N2EY wrote:

Dee Flint wrote:
wrote in message
ps.com...

Dee Flint wrote:

How about the best way to "elmer" the flood of upgraders?
We're apt to get
a bunch all at once before it levels out once again.

There's no one best way for everyone, but here's one idea:

Demos. Show folks how it's done, rather than talking. This
can be
a display/talk/station setup at a hamfest, a club meeting
talk, a
website, or a magazine article, just for starters. Then
there's Field Day, a whole weekend of demos.

The demo/display/talk at a hamfest is a good idea as this
has a chance of
getting those hams who don't belong to clubs.

One thing that generates interest is to see stuff
actually in use. The AM folks in these parts have
gotten into the idea of setting up a demo station
at big hamfests like Gaithersburg. They use classic
hollow-state gear, and show what both the gear and
the mode are like. Usually it's a group effort, so
the station is always on the air and nobody has
to bring a complete setup.

Another venue is specialized events like air shows.
Some military-radio collectors set up a demo and
display (with permission of course) and show the
radio gear in action.

As far as
websites go, there
are already so many (some are very good) that I think
additional websites
may get lost in the crowd so to speak.

I think there's always room for more *good* online info.
The big challenge is making it easy to find.

Our club already has a presentation
at almost every meeting so at least our club is already covered here.

I'm really thinking in terms of the many hams who are not
involved with any
groups. That could be a large percentage. "Elmering" them over the air
could be miscontrued yet they too will need help to succeed in a smooth transition.

That's a classic problem. But if the advice is offered the right
way, most folks will take it.

73 de Jim, N2EY