Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
Buzzygirl wrote:

Whose fault is this? And more importantly, how it is best remedied?

I'm not sure it's as necessary as people think. The whole purpose of
the "Amateur Radio Serivce" in the U.S. was to provide a pool of already
trained, ready to use radio operators in a war or emergency.

That is a bygone era, and I'm not sure that hams really ever provided a
significant contribution to emergency communications.


Events of the last few years have shown that inside a disaster area or
war zone, a radio operator needs to now how to use short range VHF
equipment, and communicate well in a panic situation by voice.

Actually hams need to be recognized as being able to make a significant
contribution to emergency communications by the professional emergency
responders. My sense is that they are pretty much an afterthought.
Additionally hams need to have the equipment to communicate whth the
professionals.



Outside of a disaster area, the internet has become the method of choice
for health and welfare traffic. Obviously, people who can man the
communitcations centers who are both computer and radio savvy are needed
there.

CW operation has no place in either. Convincing the heads of FEMA, the
Salvation Army, the Red Cross, or the local police or national guard
that it is necessary simply won't happen.

My generation was the crossover. In the mid '60s, children were exposed
to computer programing and started to move away from ham radio. There
was a short "burp" in the '70s when people still built their own
computers, but by 1980 it was gone and forgotten.

Ham radio was difficult to get into, morse code is difficult to learn and
for many of the people who are the computer geniuses of today, impossible
by traditional methods. Computers are welcoming. They are a lot cheaper
than radios, no morse code, no technical exam, just buy one at x-Mart,
and you're on.

This has caused many problems because people just don't build anything
anymore. It is almost impossible to find an engineer who is familure
with a soldering iron. Try to make a prototype device without a lot of
funding and you will understand what I mean.

Ham radio, IMHO, in order to survive needs to be a more hands on, people
oriented hobby. Elmering and outreach are the way to continue it.

Forcing people to learn morse code is not going to get more or better hams.
Education and experience is.

If you want to have people learn morse code offer to teach it. If you
want to get people to build things teach them. If you want people
who passed the test copying 5wpm and don't even own a key, help
them get one and build a cpo.

If you want people who are just on hf to stay with cw, go down to
the low speed (novice bands) area of the HF band and work them.
Be kind and patient. Help them to enjoy the hobby.

73,

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 IL Fax: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838
The trouble with being a futurist is that when people get around to believing
you, it's too late. We lost. Google 2,000,000:Hams 0.