thinking about hang up ham radio for good..

[ModelTrainGeek]

Warning, this is a long frustrated rant..

I got my ham license almost 4 years ago, got the Canadian Basic+ so I had HF privileges from the start, a year later went to Advanced, more for bragging rites so to speak and thinking I'd be more accepted by the locals, which I never really have felt like part of the group.

I first decided to to go after my ham license after posting on here 4 years ago (http://forums.radioreference.com/cb-radio-forum/170581-getting-cb-again-maybe.html ) asking if CB's were still used much, because I had seen a show on TV about using CB in a disaster ("Apocalypse Man" on History channel) and it was suggested that I skip CB and go ham, which I did.
I wanted to get involved with emergency comms and the like. But was stoned walled by the local ARES head for 2 years til I just stopped even trying to join ARES at all. For some reason he just did want to be bothered with me. I once seen him in the grocery store and head just turned and walked off on me. Which never made sense to me since I had a long standing history in security work and experience and training in handling emergencies, even put a guy on fire out once.

Even after giving up joining ARES I keep checking in to most of the repeater nets and even simplex nets. But noticed I was never getting invited to o places with the others. Like when a bunch would go to a ham fests together and so on.

Now in my late 40s, I haven't worked for 3 years due to stress/depression/etc problems my doc put me on the disabled list permanently. I have talked about it on the air a few times, and noticed after that less people seemed to want to talk to me. No, I don't act strange or talk weird on the air. Never said anything out of way, no worse then anybody else talking about a health problem.

And at this point, I don't see it being any good for me listen to some wind bags bragging about all the expensive things the are buying and doing. As I type this I have on a net and one guy was talking about getting a generator for his house, that it was "inexpensive".. "only about $6000"... That's more then I paid for my last 2 cars combined.
And I know I just don't fit in with these people being on assistance, and basically broke.

Ok, this is a rant, I could go on.. and on.. I like the tech of the radios, but I don't fit in with them.. I haven't been on the air for a month+ now, and have listened to some of the nets and never once heard anybody notice I'm gone for nets I was on constantly before.

Part of me wants to keep at it, but it's frustrating, depressing trying to fit where I don't. So do I just pack it in and ebay everything.. or what.. Maybe just get a new scanner and go back to just listen to trains and fire calls on it.. I just don't know what to think about it. Right now I've programed my Yaesu VHF radio to trains and a few old police frequencies and using it as a scanner more then for ham. Only a few have been outright give me the brush off rude to me, some are "polite" but I just don't feel accepted as being part of the group..

I have HF as well, but being in an apartment have a very limited antenna and pretty much only do JT65 digital mode on HF now since it doesn't need big power. But it's not that exciting except when I pick of a DX contact, and I have worked most US states and about 60 counties using a piece of speaker wire stretched across my balcony for 20 meters.

ok, I'll wrap this rant for now.. I don't mean to offend anybody, just had to babble out loud about it..

 

[cellblock776]

MTG,
Sorry that you are in this bad place with regards to the hobby and your life. Being on disability sucks. Certainly not having the funds that many around you seem to have also sucks. I understand how frustrating it can be to find your way into a group. Some people just seem to get the short end of things. I work security myself and am on a short budget myself. I know the feeling of not being able to go to a hamfest or buy the latest toys that most of the other guys are talking about. Don't give up. Tune around, find your nitch in your area and do it. Look on the positive and don't let things get you down. Things will work out. My thoughts are with you. Good luck, sir with whatever you decide to do. Steve

 

[SpectreOZ]

I'm sorry you've experienced the ugly side of Amateur radio, snobbery and elitism exist in most hobbies to varying degrees however your focus shouldn't be on other's perception/acceptance of you but the joy of the hobby itself.

People living in the real world are all experiencing a cash flow crisis, I also would love the latest and greatest gear but instead purchase and restore older equipment (which in itself is a great past time), in all honesty I derive the same level of satisfaction using this gear as I would the high end equipment.

 

[zz0468]

It seems to me you've made a similar rant sometime ago. Pretty sure it was you...

Let me put a few things out there, some of it constructive criticism, some of it ideas. Hear me out... please.

You say you're stressed and depressed etc. I understand this isn't a choice one makes, but what one does with it can be. If you're depressed enough to get a full time disability, chances are good that it's coming across in your interactions with other people. Part of your problem with other hams could be that they're avoiding someone that they perceive to be a downer and just no fun.

There are two main aspects of ham radio... one is the technical side, and the other is people. It's possible to be totally into the technical side, designing and building your own gear, experimenting with new modes, and so on, with minimal interaction with people on the air. I know a LOT of guys the spend more time at the bench than on the air. Hell, I'm one of those myself.

But the other side of the hobby, the people side, requires the ability to be engaging in conversation. Some people are good at it, some not so good. The ones who are interesting and fun to be around tend to get included in various activities, clubs, and nets. Those who are perceived to be dreary, depressing, or just all around not interesting aren't going to find themselves on the invite list, nor are they going to be missed when they don't check into the net.

You can call it elitist, or snobbery, or whatever the hell else you want to call it... I call it basic human nature. Hams aren't any different than anyone else, and just because you're a voice coming out of their speaker doesn't automatically require that they add you to their buddy list. You have to earn that, and to earn it, you have to be interesting and engaging.

I strongly suspect that your on-air persona is less than appealing.

Ok, so much for the critique. I'm clearly winging it, because all I have to go on is your posts here. But I've been in the hobby long enough to see people like you come and go. No one but you can fix this.

My first suggestion is to do some soul searching. Are you TRULY interested in the art and science of radio for a hobby? I mean REALLY. If so, start learning more about the technical side. There's a ton of stuff on the web. Start with the basics and learn everything you can about electronics and radio. Start collecting stuff. There's tons of throw away electronics that can be had for the asking. Collect parts. Hit the garage sales for tools. Build up the ability to take things apart and tinker. As you learn, you capabilities expand, and you can start looking for inexpensive equipment that's affordable because it doesn't work. Or maybe it's just old. But if you can fix it, you can end up with a quite capable set of gear for amazingly cheap if you apply yourself.

In an apartment with limited antennas? Ok, so QRP is the order of the day. Maybe mobile or portable. As you expand your skills, you'll find you have more in common with other guys. Search out people like the Makers, or hackerspace, or similar groups to share resources. If you can't afford to buy stuff, then make stuff, fix stuff, find stuff, and modify stuff. The people who apply themselves to that side of the hobby end up becoming fascinating personalities with lots to share with everyone else.

So, the point of all this is, what you get out of the hobby is based on what you put into it. Expecting people to come flocking to you when you aren't presenting anything interesting for them to engage with is an unreasonable expectation. The lack of funds can be easily made up with skills that can be self learned. I realize depression and stress can create a lot of barriers to self motivation, but you've got to realize all those barriers are self induced. Only YOU can knock them down and move on.

Good luck!

 

[pinballwiz86]

If the local radio group are a bunch of jerks, build yourself a yagi for 2 meters and talk to some hams further away from you.

I hope you enjoyed thanksgiving, and I look forward to working you on JT65.

73 my friend.

 

[vindictive42]

same here

I can relate to you as my local hams here have ostersize me and I sold all my equipment and went and bought a digital scanner. Now interested in radio controlled cars but they are just too expensive. I just blame these hams as old boys club or OBC for short. Just a bunch of old boys spending money and see who can spend the most and who has the biggest one. Only one ham operator really talks to me when he sees me. The rest can go......well lets not say that here. I too am disabled and I work as security guard. So I lend my expertise to my work and repairing their radios and making recommendations for new equipment. All you can do to piss them off is smile at them and wave......really pisses them off. or get on the air and get a few younger hams to meet for coffee. That really gets them mad too. trust me I did this and would not go on their club repeater except to call a few friends up and go for coffee. anyway thats my story.

 

[ModelTrainGeek]

I can relate to you as my local hams here have ostersize me and I sold all my equipment and went and bought a digital scanner. Now interested in radio controlled cars but they are just too expensive.

I know just how expensive RC cars can be. I use to be in to them in the late 80/90s.. In fact I had a couple articles published in RC magazines back in the day. But to be honest, I wasn't that great of driver and got tired of getting my cars wrecked by people ramming their ways to win at any cost.. I sold all but one car in 2001. The car I kept (Tamiya Striker) is the one featured in the articles I wrote of course. Some day I should tune it up again and take it out for a run.

I too want to get a digital scanner, I have an old Realistic scanner now.. works fine, but just don't get as much with it these days.

 

[ModelTrainGeek]

It seems to me you've made a similar rant sometime ago. Pretty sure it was you...

Let me put a few things out there, some of it constructive criticism, some of it ideas. Hear me out... please.

You say you're stressed and depressed etc. I understand this isn't a choice one makes, but what one does with it can be. If you're depressed enough to get a full time disability, chances are good that it's coming across in your interactions with other people. Part of your problem with other hams could be that they're avoiding someone that they perceive to be a downer and just no fun.

But the other side of the hobby, the people side, requires the ability to be engaging in conversation. Some people are good at it, some not so good. The ones who are interesting and fun to be around tend to get included in various activities, clubs, and nets. Those who are perceived to be dreary, depressing, or just all around not interesting aren't going to find themselves on the invite list, nor are they going to be missed when they don't check into the net.

I strongly suspect that your on-air persona is less than appealing.

Ok, so much for the critique. I'm clearly winging it, because all I have to go on is your posts here. But I've been in the hobby long enough to see people like you come and go. No one but you can fix this.

My first suggestion is to do some soul searching. Are you TRULY interested in the art and science of radio for a hobby?

Good luck!

Actually, the only thing that keeps me from having sold the gear already is the tech side of it, which is why I like running JT65. I run an old Kenwood TS-440S with a cat control and sound interfaces I built myself. and it connects just fine to the same air waves the most expensive rigs of today use, I briefly operated a ft-5000 a couple years ago at somebody else's home, and it's fancy, and lots of toys and in the end uses the same air waves as any other radio.. but I won't mind having a ft450 or ft950

On air, as in voice.. I have my moments either way, it changes day to day., but on bad days I always stayed off the air because I just don't feel like talking on bad days, nor listening for that matter on bad days..

I tend to see just doing HF digital modes and leave the local 2 meter band, and just play with the tech gizmo side of things, I do after all have an Advanced class license, same as a Extra in the US.
I started playing around with radios as a kid on CBs back before the band when bad. I even did a few, ummm, 'mods' to the rigs I had back then, bust always was a clean operator. Couldn't get a ham license way back then because I can't do code...

 

[Heterodyne]

You're only discovering what many of us have already known.

The majority of those involved in amateur radio are old men who aren't interested in meeting new people or getting to know new hams. They aren't interested in new technology, new innovations or new ideas. They ignore voices or callsigns they don't recognize, and they're not interested in you or your problems.

The hobby attracts lots of new hams with new ideas and a fresh perspective on the hobby that are being alienated by these xenophobic old farts. I know lots of new hams who have given up in frustration.. they've gotten nowhere in the hobby when faced with these people. And until Father Time does his thing and they finally die, Amateur Radio will continue to circle the drain of history.

Innovation is squashed under the cry of "that's not my hobby!" or "that's against the rules!" or "back in my day you needed to know code to even use a flush toilet at the ham shack"

So, other than to have conversations with local friends who are hams, I'm like many younger radio amateurs who just wrote off the hobby. It's just a matter of time before the bandwidth is reabsorbed by IC/FCC and auctioned off to industry anyway.

 

[ModelTrainGeek]

You're only discovering what many of us have already known.

The majority of those involved in amateur radio are old men who aren't interested in meeting new people or getting to know new hams. They aren't interested in new technology, new innovations or new ideas. They ignore voices or callsigns they don't recognize, and they're not interested in you or your problems.

The hobby attracts lots of new hams with new ideas and a fresh perspective on the hobby that are being alienated by these xenophobic old farts. I know lots of new hams who have given up in frustration.. they've gotten nowhere in the hobby when faced with these people. And until Father Time does his thing and they finally die, Amateur Radio will continue to circle the drain of history.

Innovation is squashed under the cry of "that's not my hobby!" or "that's against the rules!" or "back in my day you needed to know code to even use a flush toilet at the ham shack"

So, other than to have conversations with local friends who are hams, I'm like many younger radio amateurs who just wrote off the hobby. It's just a matter of time before the bandwidth is reabsorbed by IC/FCC and auctioned off to industry anyway.

I've actually heard some of the old guys around hear say they don't talk to people they don't already know... One of them only talked to me once a few years ago to yell at me for having the roger beep enabled on my then new HT I had just got... So it sounds like you've experienced some of the same stuff I have. So I'm assuming you are on this forum for scanners and maybe SWL and not so much ham..

 

[zz0468]

The hobby attracts lots of new hams with new ideas and a fresh perspective on the hobby that are being alienated by these xenophobic old farts...

To those who are leaving the hobby because of "xenophobic old farts", all I can say is open your damned eyes and look around you. I've mentioned the Maker movement and hackerspace groups. There are some hams involved in these groups already, they're brimming with younger people with new ideas. These are active, creative, lively, interesting people really doing stuff. Ham radio is a PERFECT fit for those groups. It can give them the spectrum to do things they're normally doing under the Part 15.

There are clubs that specialize in experimenting and building and innovating. You guys need to quit whining about ham radio dying off, and discover the people who are already out there doing things to keep it relevant and alive. It's happening, you're just refusing to see it.

If it's not happening in your area, quit complaining and start a new club. Get the word out that you want to start an experimenters radio club. Advertise in Craigslist. Mention it on the local repeaters.

Quit whining and fix it.

 

[zz0468]

Actually, the only thing that keeps me from having sold the gear already is the tech side of it, which is why I like running JT65.

Well, the hobby can be whatever you make of it. Talking to the locals on 2 meters is the worst possible side of ham radio. Either concentrate your efforts elsewhere, or take up another hobby.

 

[AK9R]

It seems to me you've made a similar rant sometime ago. Pretty sure it was you...

http://forums.radioreference.com/amateur-radio-general-discussion/175369-not-fitting-locals.html

 

[rapidcharger]

Not everyone in the hobby is like that guy who's snubbing you.
I seemed to notice that trait being somewhat characteristic of the ARES bunch though.

I get that you are into emergency comms. Look into volunteering for special events that many other NON-ARES clubs and groups are participating in. That will give you a great sense of pride for serving in your community for special events (yeah yeah so it's not a disaster but at least you will be better prepared for operating when a disaster does come.) And it's also a lot more social and the groups tend to be very appreciative of your participation.

As for HF...... this is where my post will probably get pulled for being a troll.......
There's people who have been in this hobby for 30+ years who have never had any interest in HF whatsoever. I have zero interest in HF myself. But luckily HF isn't required anymore to talk around the world with crystal clear signals, without costly gear and enormous antennas that most of suburbia can't install due to restrictions. There's the many ROIP systems that require only a basic analog portable which can be had for under $50. There's also several digital voice modes that are growing in popularity that generally require an HT also provided you are in range of the repeater and you can get into those now for less than $200. If someone doesn't want to associate with you because your gear is under $200, then forget those snobs.

As for CB, there is nothing to be ashamed of with that radio service!
It's like I've been telling people now for a long time, the two radio services are not mutually exclusive. One of the friendliest places I've used personally is a FRS/PMR446 ROIP system that is popular in Europe and people come pop in from all over the world and want to talk. All it requires is a $9 FRS radio and some basic line in cables and free software. Either way, you can do that and ham both. It doesn't have to be one or the other. Likewise you can get on 27mhz.

The hobby should be a source of enjoyment, not stress and not of discouragement. Give it another try before throwing in the towel. Again, not everyone is like that guy and half the people I hear on the ham bands are on disability so don't let that stop you either.

 

[kj3n]

.... "back in my day you needed to know code to even use a flush toilet at the ham shack"

That right there is just plain funny!

As to the subject at hand, I've never had much of a desire to be part of any group, club, or what have you. I haven't belonged to a club in 15 years (if you call a repeater club much of a club in the first place), don't hang out on any repeaters (not since 1998), don't do HF nets (at this point I find most of them to be silly and boring), and don't have any desire to join into most ragchews I hear on the bands.

I go about doing what I want in ham radio and leave all the other crap behind. These days, that means dabbling in a contest here & there, or chasing down the latest DXpedition. Other than those 2 activities, I'm just not in front of a radio much. Suits me just fine.

 

[PrimeNumber]

As a new-ish ham, licensed for a year and on HF for six months, I have to say that I've always felt welcome on 40 & 80 meters. Maybe it's my antenna and location -- NVIS, so I'm operating only in a 400 mile radius, and being right outside of New Orleans attitudes are pretty laid back. Sometimes there are conversations where it's not right to butt in, like the one I heard last month between two old friends about one of them visiting his wife in a nursing home. I just listened in long enough to know that this wasn't casual banter and started turning the dial again. But with a little listening before chiming in, no, I've had nothing but welcome responses on HF.

But I'm putting up a 20 meter antenna this weekend, and I may find out differently!

 

[VE6E0]

I feel sorry of you, MTG.

The unfortunate thing is, some hams are cliquish. I have had the good fortune to have operated in almost every province and territory in the country, met a lot of good hams, some great and some not so great. As someone uplist said, it might be just the way you operate, which is turning these guys off. Have seen it up here, when a fairly new ham shows up, the older hams have all arrived at their destinations, even though only a few minutes earlier, they have just left their residences for a twenty mile drive to town. Now the guys operating procedure leaves a little to be desired, as he breaks into QSOs and does not add anything substantive to them. But it is rude, to either ignore him. Of course, maybe a meeting at Tim's and a polite conversation would help.

It is disturbing to see the ARES guy ignoring you. I would of talked with the provincial head of ARES and discussed with him the fact one of his co-ordinators seems not to want help.

Finally, which area are you in?

Don't give up.

Cheers

 

[PrimeNumber]

I feel sorry of you, MTG.
Don't give up.

What he said! (and I forgot to include) ModelTrainGeek, man hang in there. You'll find a friendly niche in this hobby soon.

 

[krokus]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (Android 2.3.4; Linux; Opera Mobi/ADR-1309251116) Presto/2.11.355 Version/12.10)

While I want to tell you to not give up, you are the only one that knows when you have had enough. I would hope you give other aspects of the hobby a try, or take a break from it, for a couple months.

The Makers or Hackerspace is a good idea, as these groups seem to be what the hams were, 30+ years ago.

 

[Thayne]

Just keep your ticket because it might come in handy for some reason; about the only time I talk to anyone is when I am zipping along going on a short trip to a neighboring state. Hams in rural areas have helped me immensely, one time I was talking to some guy in Nebraska on 2 meter simplex and we went to breakfast in Chadron and never met a nicer guy.

I have an extra Kenwood high power mobile so I leave it in my truck and loaded it up with over 400 channels in Colo & surrounding states and when I am driving I just open it up and scan everything I can.

Much better than listening to crop prices or mp3's that I have heard too many times---