On Thu, 31 May 2007 13:16:27 -0700, "DJ" wrote:

A friend of mine a Tech class worked Ground Zero after 9/11 and worked
alongside rescue personnel and doctors. All the cell sites came down
with the Towers but ham radio operators was there to assist in any way
necessary.



:Back in 2001, Seattle had an earthquake (a small biggie- lots of damage) and
:guess what, the cell phone system went down (up to 4 to 5 hours) and
:landline phone system was trashed since everyone was calling either 911 or
:their relatives, or what not.
:
:BUT
:
:Ham radio was alive and well, and we at the Western Washington Medical
:Services group were able to maintain contact with the regions hospitals, and
:blood banks, as well as other emergency services.
:
:So, yes ham radio is maybe dying, but it is also a true and able way to
:comminicate. Also note: when San Francisco had its earthquake, it was again
:ham radio that got the word out to the world, since their cell phone systems
:went down, and their landline system was in the same shape!
:"labtech_one" wrote in message
...
: I believe 'ham' radio is dying, because there is only so many times you
:can
: give
: radio checks and tell others what kind of equipment you have. If I tune to
:a
: ham
: repeater on my scanner, I hear the same conversations I heard 10 years
:ago,
: one
: guy telling another one what type of radio he has connected to what kinda
: antenna.
: Every once in a while you'll hear someone announce the monthy meeting, or
: some one
: telling his wife he's caught in traffic and will be late getting home (
: which he could have
: done on a cell phone at 1/100th the cost, and not everyone would know he
: wasn't home)
:
: Ham radio is dying because its outdated, yes you can 'call across the
: counrty' to another
: 'ham' for mere pennies ( once you buy the expensive equipment, put up a
:god
: awful ugly
: antenna, as big as your garage, and pass all the tests to allow you to do
: it ) I can do the same
: thing using a cell phone with No Test, No Huge antenna, and can call
:ANYONE
: that happens
: to have a phone and as a bonus... the whole world can't listen.
:
: As far as being a hobby and 'fun', well maybe, but I hear more people on
: ham radio talking
: about the time they have in doing antenna swaps and maintance, that I just
: can't even
: imagine that being 'fun'.
:
: Ham radio is much like the mail service, who actually sends a friend or
: family a written letter
: anymore ? you may get a birthday or christmas card with a 'note', you'll
: get 'bills' and junk mail,
: but when is the last time you either got or sent a long letter to a friend
: or family? Newer technology
: has rendered 'mail' obsolete, you have telephones, e-mail, instant
: messangers, and FAX if you really
: have to send a piece of paper, like a copy of a document.
:
: Perhaps if they had dropped the 'code' requirements 30 years ago, they
: would have picked up a lot
: of new users, but as far as I can tell, most of the new HF class users
:have
: just upgraded from their
: 'tech' status with very few NEW members actually jumping on the band
:wagon.
:
:
: "deBaser" wrote in message
: ...
:
: wrote in message
: news : On Sat, 22 Jul 2006 13:41:23 -0400, Al Klein
:wrote:
:
: That's evidently why the number of hams kept decreasing until code was
: eliminated, right?
:
: Ham radio is an old hobby, with mostly older people using it. Older
:people
: slow down as they age. Trying to tap out ANY speed code with arthritis
:or
: carpal tunnel syndrome isn't going to work for that majority.
: I re-considered renewing my license about 5 years ago. Today I know I
: can't
: tap out 5 wpm. Forcing this outmoded relic of communication on an aging
: generation is nonsense.
: --
: more pix @ http://members.toast.net/cbminfo/index.html
:
: Well now you cant take a propper Morse test even if you wanted to in the
: UK.
: Now the amateur radio licence is free to renew online. If you want to
: play
: with digital communication using very low bandwith how about PSK31?
: Anyway
: I thought this old troll would be best posted in uk.radio.amateur
:
: Andy
:
:
:
:
: