Selling ham radio.....

[N4JKD]

Ok moderators, I'm not selling a ham radio, lol, no what this is about is, if you find someone who asks you why be a ham operator or you want to recommend it to someone, how would you "sell ham radio" to someone to encourage them to get their license?

 

[w4wxp]

Ok moderators, I'm not selling a ham radio, lol, no what this is about is, if you find someone who asks you why be a ham operator or you want to recommend it to someone, how would you "sell ham radio" to someone to encourage them to get their license?

That's an easy one.... ask them if they know what they would do for communication if there was a disaster, and the internet, cellphones, police radios, etc all were inoperative.

Then pull out your HT and say 'I know what I'd do'! ;-)

 

[N4JKD]

That's an easy one.... ask them if they know what they would do for communication if there was a disaster, and the internet, cellphones, police radios, etc all were inoperative.

Then pull out your HT and say 'I know what I'd do'! ;-)

Lol I have done that before!

One main thing I say too is POWER....why plunk down money on cb equipment and illegal amps to jam up the cb band, when you can get your ham license and get more power legally. Like my HT, take it out and tell em on high power, I got more legal power in my hands than the legal cb radio they have in their car. Plus mobiles put out 50-75 watts high power and can talk further using simplex and even further with repeaters.

Also cover costs...with $300, and a week of study time, you can get your license, radio and antenna, which is less than the money people put in illegal cb rigs. Plus, the sense of pride you have with you're license. You are proud of the time invested in studying and getting the license. Sure, you can go to walmart or a truck stop and buy a cb, install it, throw the antenna on and talk, but with your license, you learn more about how to properly install, and match the antenna & coax with radio.

Modes, power, reliability, these are all reasons ham is the grand daddy of them all and still rules to this day!

 

[CalebATC]

Lol I have done that before!

One main thing I say too is POWER....why plunk down money on cb equipment and illegal amps to jam up the cb band, when you can get your ham license and get more power legally. Like my HT, take it out and tell em on high power, I got more legal power in my hands than the legal cb radio they have in their car. Plus mobiles put out 50-75 watts high power and can talk further using simplex and even further with repeaters.

Also cover costs...with $300, and a week of study time, you can get your license, radio and antenna, which is less than the money people put in illegal cb rigs. Plus, the sense of pride you have with you're license. You are proud of the time invested in studying and getting the license. Sure, you can go to walmart or a truck stop and buy a cb, install it, throw the antenna on and talk, but with your license, you learn more about how to properly install, and match the antenna & coax with radio.

Modes, power, reliability, these are all reasons ham is the grand daddy of them all and still rules to this day!

And (if applicable) mod that CB for ten meter use for your vehicle, or a QRP rig! And at the same time, remind them that you can build your own equipment on amateur radio!!

After taking your HT out, key up a local repeater and call any station (CQ) and start talking to another ham. Then, they will see how easy, and fun it is.

 

[jmp883]

Amateur radio is an easy sell for me.

Not only can we be a communications asset during emergencies, but we can build our own equipment, and talk on repeaters. We also have the distinct ability to communicate world-wide! What other hobby can you do that with? Whether you're using 1500W or 5W you can talk to anyone, anywhere in the world. Or if you don't feel like talking there is always Morse Code, or PSK. If you are so inclined there are countless awards that you can earn.

The possibilities are endless for what we can do in amateur radio. For me it's an easy sell to get others into the hobby.

 

[lbfd09]

Another thing that tends to impress people is the ability to talk on an HT to the other side of the world. This is easily done via an EchoLink repeater, D-Star, or IRLP. Looking a your prospect will determine the best approach, techy people tend to fancy the techy part of the hobby. Others go for the more basic and simpler forms of communication.

A local volunteer CERT group to the north of here added close to a dozen new hams from their CERT class. So, yes those into disaster response and communications will find the hobby a big bonus to their emergency operations. But then don't stop there, as you know, practice and regular use makes for smoother operations when the time of need is upon "us."

"Yes that really is someone in Scotland I am talking to from here in California."

 

[zz0468]

I sell it as the ultimate form of hardware hacking, and the fact that the radios can just be neat toys.

 

[canav844]

It's fun, it's keeps my brain engaged, and it's a hobby that I can commit as much or little time as I want to it. I can talk around the world, across the street or into space.

And then I've got a few videos that I show them, and then I turn on the radio and then I show them the APRS and some of the stuff I've home brewed and explain it's more than just turning on the radio. And then if they've got time I share an hours long audio clip about how HAMs in Shri Lanka responded after the Tsunami's hit, how they put communications where runners on foot were the only alternative, and when the appliance operators said it couldn't be done, the knowledge of how the radios work made it happen. But if I get that far they're already hooked.

Video's mentioned are here
YouTube - Amateur radio today - hosted by Walter Cronkite, SK.

YouTube - Space Station Crew Uses HAM Radio to Call Earth

I like to take the tone that it only serves to open doors for people with only minimal effort to study and $15 to take the test.

 

[GrumpyGuard]

As a CPR instructor for my Department I tend go over emergency preparedness in my class. Not only do I show Ham Radio but go into disaster preparedness. Living in the Great State of California you never know when the "big one" will hit. I have had several staff come up to me after class and ask more questions about amateur radio. It is all in how you sell the product. It is amazing how many people just don't understand that most forms of communication will fail. During the Loma Prieta earthquake the phone system could not handle the demand. During Katrina all forms of communication were knocked out, but amateur radio operators were able to communicate using both VHF/UHF and HF. For an "old" technology that most people feel is past it's need it's number one in my book.

 

[elk2370bruce]

When I'm doing demonstrations, I usually have a couple of contacts scheduled with some friends that I've made on the air that are in different nations or, when propagation is doggy, in various states or in Canada. Getting to speak with some great friendly people is a selling point. When using an H/T, I can do the same with IRLP or Asterisk nodes.

 

[KC0KM]

Invite them to a ARRL Field Day, and show them what we can do. As a matter of fact that is how I first got started (although I did get discouraged, and later took a class). Field Day (depending on the operation) shows a lot waht can be done. Our Club is one the top rated 2A in the US (5th out of 474 last year), we have a rocken Field Day operation.