Question about ARRL membership

[pete424]

I took my Technician Class test last Saturday and received my paper license today. It seems like I read somewhere that new licensees could have a free 3 month membership to ARRL. Did I dream that or has anyone else seen anything about this. My new call is KD0JBC. Don't be looking for me, I don't have a radio yet.

[KC9NCF]

I'm letting my ARRL Membership go because there is no benefit beyond getting a QST magazine every month. You don't get voting rights nor any other say in the organization. It's all a bunch of hype and benefits the ARRL solely! I wouldn't look to the ARRL for anything at all!

[aharry]

Download Echolink and you can be "on the air" all over the world without a radio. I just joined ARRL and did not get any free time...

[KJ6CFU]

Originally Posted by pete424

I took my Technician Class test last Saturday and received my paper license today. It seems like I read somewhere that new licensees could have a free 3 month membership to ARRL. Did I dream that or has anyone else seen anything about this. My new call is KD0JBC. Don't be looking for me, I don't have a radio yet.

About a week or so after I received the paper license in the mail, I received a packet from ARRL which included a free book offer as an incentive to join. They free books include the ARRL Emergency Comm manual and the ARRL Q&A book designed to help you study for the General exam.

I signed up but haven't done much with my membership. I did, however, notice that you can search for articles from past magazines, which might be helpful.

[elk2370bruce]

Auntie ARRL has its supporters and its detractors and both are correct. They do some things real well and bite the big wet pecker for others. They are the only national amateur radio organization that Congressional leaders (when they are sober or not in the sack with an aide) may listen to because of its large voter member base. Take what we say here (pro and con) about Auntie with a grain of salt big enough that you will need a truck to haul it. ARRL opinions and diatribes are like rectal openings. Everyone has one and they all smell bad. Sometimes the more vociferous protagonists seem to have more than one.

[zz0468]

Originally Posted by KC9NCF

I'm letting my ARRL Membership go because there is no benefit beyond getting a QST magazine every month. You don't get voting rights nor any other say in the organization. It's all a bunch of hype and benefits the ARRL solely! I wouldn't look to the ARRL for anything at all!

You don't ever get ballots for electing Section Managers and other positions? I do. Vote early and vote often! =)

I'm not a rabid fan of the ARRL myself, but for every criticism of the ARRL I've ever seen, a dose of reality blows it out of the water. The worst I could ever honestly say about them is, they don't always do things the way I think they should, and they don't always listen to the majority of their members. Oh well... In spite of all that, I'm glad they're there.

But they have some great publications (QEX!), and they actually do a pretty damned decent job insuring the survival of the hobby. In 35 years, I haven't lost any privileges or spectrum for anything the ARRL has done or failed to do.

I have to wonder why you even bother being a ham. Based on other posts here and elsewhere, you don't get along with others, you get banned from web sites, and have repeaters turnd off from under you, and you won't support the only organization that's even remotely qualified to help the hobby survive.

Have you considered stamp collecting? I hear that's pretty safe.

[KC9NCF]

Originally Posted by zz0468

I have to wonder why you even bother being a ham. Based on other posts here and elsewhere, you don't get along with others, you get banned from web sites, and have repeaters turnd off from under you, and you won't support the only organization that's even remotely qualified to help the hobby survive.

Have you considered stamp collecting? I hear that's pretty safe.

I get along with people all the time! I treat people with the same courtesy, respect, and dignity that every person deserves. The problem does not exist on my end, but on the end of those who think that "strangers" shouldn't be allowed to operate nor should they be spoken to. Again, who do amateur operators think you were gonna meet on the AR bands, your mother? Your old buddy from 7th grade? Your grandfather's father? The forums are alive with rumors about numerous radio amateurs and being banned from a website or three doesn't indicate any lick of a problem except that one simply isn't popular. But, then, reading the amateur's code and reading part 97 of the FCC rules, being popular isn't required or even implied.

I got into this hobby because I enjoy it and will enjoy it for 50 more years. I'm just using the 'net to speak out against things that aren't right, and the character bashing of amateurs and the amateur service itself that is akin to CB behavior on the net forums. My voice, my station will remain on the air until I become a SK. I'm well liked by a few radio clubs around my area and the reality is that you can't please everyone and there will always be a group that doesn't like someone...like you said in another reply to me...no one has to accept anyone in this hobby. It goes against the amateur's code and the spirit of what we do and what the amateur service is about, but that's just a forgotten fact which has become more of a guideline rather than the norm.

And it isn't that I WON'T support the league, it's that I cannot afford to anymore. The ARRL does a good job and you named a few good points. I only had that one beef with them that I named, and you seemed to partially agree with.

[cfr301]

Originally Posted by KC9NCF

I get along with people all the time! I treat people with the same courtesy, respect, and dignity that every person deserves. The problem does not exist on my end,

I think you might want to rehab yourself read this statement closely, because on numerous threads on this site your being called on your comments and DIS-INFORMATION...Its very plain where the problem is!

[KC9NCF]

Originally Posted by cfr301

I think you might want to rehab yourself read this statement closely, because on numerous threads on this site your being called on your comments and DIS-INFORMATION...Its very plain where the problem is!

Those are all statements for statement's sake to get people all riled up and are not supported by evidence. Anyone who has had any time with me in person and has gotten to know me will say that my conduct in the real world is beyond reproach.I've never been asked to leave a club meeting or event, and have never been approached even in private about anyone having a problem with me.

[n4yek]

Originally Posted by zz0468

In 35 years, I haven't lost any privileges or spectrum for anything the ARRL has done or failed to do.

They failed to fight the FCC to allows us to keep 220 MHz to 222MHz, we lost that.

[dwh367]

Originally Posted by KC9NCF

Those are all statements for statement's sake to get people all riled up and are not supported by evidence. Anyone who has had any time with me in person and has gotten to know me will say that my conduct in the real world is beyond reproach.I've never been asked to leave a club meeting or event, and have never been approached even in private about anyone having a problem with me.

Then why did you request a new sequential call and then ask QRZ not to list it?

[KC9NCF]

Originally Posted by dwh367

Then why did you request a new sequential call and then ask QRZ not to list it?

Because 1. I upgraded from Tech to General
2. It's my right to ask a private website not to list my information when they are profitting from such amateur license database. I signed the right to the FCC to list me in the ULS databse as a condition of holding a license, not to Fred and his bunch of minions.

[zz0468]

Originally Posted by n4yek

They failed to fight the FCC to allows us to keep 220 MHz to 222MHz, we lost that.

Point noted, but they didn't fail to fight it. They just failed to win. Can the ARRL be faulted for that? I don't know where to draw the line... Do you?

[zz0468]

Originally Posted by KC9NCF

Because 1. I upgraded from Tech to General

That's it? What would be the point?

Originally Posted by KC9NCF

2. It's my right to ask a private website not to list my information when they are profitting from such amateur license database. I signed the right to the FCC to list me in the ULS databse as a condition of holding a license, not to Fred and his bunch of minions.

This reinforces my earlier remark that you don't play well with others. KOW really made a name for himself on QRZ. Some of those posts are hilarious to go back and read.

[KC9NCF]

I play quite well with others. My remark about Frederika and his minions has nothing to do with my ability to play well with others, it has to do with my right to not be listed in a place that never asked my permission to list my information to begin with. Yeah, Fred has no sense of humor. My posts get so many people mad, and yet they don't remember that it's all simply just entertainment on an internet message board, which reinforces my thoughts on people in amateur radio getting the internet mixed up with REAL radio!

[dwh367]

Originally Posted by zz0468

That's it? What would be the point?

Exactly. Why exchange a 2X3 for another 2X3 just because one upgraded when the calls are the same format for both

This reinforces my earlier remark that you don't play well with others. KOW really made a name for himself on QRZ. Some of those posts are hilarious to go back and read.

Nice catch!

[N1BHH]

Everybody is getting way off base here in reference to the initial question. Yes the ARRL does some good and some bad, because this is just like any other hobby. In this hobby we have the CB versus Ham mentality which seems to permeate this thread. I hope it will stop one day, because this is the type of activity that the majority of amateur radio operators don't like in the hobby and there are those who don't care about it or want to just sweep it under the rug. Which brings me to my point. It's no good for anybody to name call and bicker.

Let's get back on the subject.

The original poster asked some interesting questions and I find it funny how some people may pull the wool over ones eyes over a perceived free 3 month membership to the ARRL. If it happened, it wouldn't be that way at all, it may be that they would give you that 3 free months if you joined up. The ARRL is not doing as well for amateurs as I think they should because they don't have the billions in dollars needed to defend our little slice of the spectrum as compared to broadcasters and other big business interests. The loss of 2 Megahertz of bandwidth is minor in my eyes because we don't control the spectrum, money does, we could be wiped out tomorrow if the right voice goes to Washington and talks the FCC into giving them the spectrum.

Maybe we need to stop the bickering and the FCC will take notice. There is just too much spectrum and we are just tiny compared to all the other users out there. We could be the ant crushed by the elephant if we don't stop, because that is one possibility.

Don't be gung ho and let your license expire, or should you be involved in your community? I say be involved in some club or clubs and enjoy the brotherhood of hams as there is safety in numbers. Try to have some fun and let the crude comments slide. Get on with enjoying this hobby.

My advice, join if you may, weigh the costs and vote for the elected officials you wish, it's just like voting for a President or your local dog catcher, it is supposed to be democratic and you get who you vote for, simple as that. I dropped my membership years ago because I didn't think they did anything constructive. Join if you wish, just weigh all the pros and cons, I hope you come to the right decision for you.

[bezking]

Folks, quit bickering and get back on topic - full infractions will be issued otherwise.

[k8tmk]

In addition to getting QST magazine, you need to be an ARRL member to be eligible for most (maybe all) ARRL-sponcered awards.

I obtained a life membership in 1970 for $125, and it was well spent. They base the life membership fee at 20 times the current membership rate. I am way past 20 years, and everytime they raise the membership fee, its like money in my pocket.

I hold WAS, WAZ, WAC, WPX, DXCC (348), and Code Profiency (25 wpm) awards.

Randy, K8TMK

[n2nov]

Originally Posted by k8tmk

In addition to getting QST magazine, you need to be an ARRL member to be eligible for most (maybe all) ARRL-sponcered awards.

I obtained a life membership in 1970 for $125, and it was well spent. They base the life membership fee at 20 times the current membership rate. I am way past 20 years, and everytime they raise the membership fee, its like money in my pocket.

Actually, it is 25 times the current annual price for lifetime membership. When I did it in 2002 it cost me $850.00 ($34 x 25). Considereing my experience with the nasty local section and division politics in 2003/2004 (it still lingers from time-to-time), I sometimes regret it. Most elections for section manager and division director are one-sided (non or weakly challenged) affairs. It's the proverbial "good old boys" network. Most of the NLI section people are members of LIMARC and/or live in Nassau/Suffolk counties (yes, I know, some recent politicos come from Brooklyn - but that proves the point of their connections).

If you want to pay good $$ for a magazine, go right ahead. When only 15% of the licensed USA hams belong to it, well numbers don't lie and tell quite an interesting story!