I just saw an article about how Amateur Radio is growing....
There might be some attraction to the digital portions of amateur radio - but when you consider that 65% of all the license holders only has a Technician Class License, speaks volumes about its stability.
Back in the day, a person started out with a Novice Class License and had to keep a log and had to prove that they operated - in order to justify moving up the ladder. If they didn't operate - then their license was not renewed. They had to learn CW as part of their initiation - CW is the original form of digital communications. All dee's and dah's - 1's and 0's...
When they dropped the code and allowed everyone in that could pass a 35 question, multiple guess test, and they gave you access to all of the questions and answers possible on the test - a dummified version of what had been, many people applied for the license and tried to be amateur radio operators.
However 6-meters is under-utilized in part because of lack of inexpensive (as compared to 2-meter) equipment. Unfortunately 2-meters is following the same trend with the availability of 440 equipment.
In my opinion, what is happening is that as we lower the standards to let more amateur radio people into the hobby, we loose the more experienced people.
The lack of Elmers to the unwillingness to accept the help of a Elmer, the lack of qualified radio people to teach these people the admittance of the CB'rs and their mentality - is killing the hobby.
Yes you can find a couple of people in each town that will check into the weekly net on the local repeater for the local amateur radio club - if it is still around. But when all the people does is check in with their call sign and say NO TRAFFIC - because they aren't hams, they aren't using the ham radio equipment they own and they are not willing to sell anything to others - unless it is broke, and they are not willing to buy anything, amateur radio has become pretty much stagnant in my part of the world - PENNSYLVANIA.
Older radio equipment - usually found at ham radio swaps, tends not to have 6 meters on board.
The older HF equipment only went from 10 meters to 160 if you were lucky.
Because Amateur radio operators - back in the day, made a lot of their own equipment, if they wanted to use 6 meters - they would either buy a transverter which would receive the 6 meters and then convert it to something their transceivers could receive. Or they would find some old used public service equipment and convert it for use on the magic band.
That was then, this is now.
The trend I see taking place, is a reluctance to buy anything, due to the cost.
If you give the new hams old equipment, they do not utilize it and it usually just sits there doing nothing.
A new ham has a budget - money they are willing to spend.
Most are willing to purchase a inexpensive walkie talkie - because it might get them into the local repeater
They might also have someone build them a J Pole antenna - because it was free or cheap and they don't want to spend any money.
This isn't amateur radio, or the mentality of real radio operators.
As they find out that without professional equipment and larger antenna's - due to the fact that there is no activity in the local community except the weekly net or a couple of old people who might talk early in the morning or late at night - after work - there is nothing for them to listen to - to learn how to properly talk on the amateur radio and there is no one for them to talk to.
If you look at the QRZ page for licenses about to expire, You will see a trend.
Complete strings of people who held a call sign 10 or 20 years ago that are dropping out of amateur radio.
D
KB3HNM 2012-02-04 ROBERT L KENNEDY, SCOTTDALE, PA
KB3HNQ 2012-02-04 Harold K Liller, Waldorf, MD
KB3HNR 2012-02-04 Dana M Boley, La Plata, MD
KB3HNS 2012-02-04 Andrew J Buettner, Connellsville, PA
KB3HNW 2012-02-05 Kevin W Cannady, Philadephia, PA
KB3HOJ 2012-02-12 Lisa N Charlson, Riva, MD
KB3HOK 2012-02-12 John L Pacovich, III, Wind Gap, PA
KB3HOU 2012-02-12 William E Merkle, Philadelphia, PA
KB3HOV 2012-02-12 Thomas E Paparella, Harleysville, PA
KB3HPA 2012-02-15 Nicholas V Vozza, Pittsburgh, PA
KB3HPD 2012-02-15 Michael T Egler, Pittsburgh, PA
KB3HPE 2012-02-15 Andrew L Goodyear, Pittsburgh, PA
KB3HPF 2012-02-15 Chris D May, Pittsburgh, PA
KB3HPH 2012-02-19 Anthony Q Masiello, Silver Spring, MD
KB3HPI 2012-02-19 Michel L Clark, Baltimore, MD
KB3HPL 2012-02-19 Paul E Maietti, Easton, PA
KB3HPP 2012-02-19 Christopher S Cavna, Upper Darby, PA
KB3HPQ 2012-02-19 Chin Fung So, Philadelphia, PA
KB3HPT 2012-02-20 William E Davis, York, PA
KB3HPX 2012-02-25 BERND MICHTNER, COLLEGEVILLE, PA
KB3HQC 2012-02-27 Jonathan R Brandon, Reading, PA
KB3HQD 2012-02-27 Kevin M Slifer, Boyertown, PA
KB3HQE 2012-02-27 Bradley B Parola, Grove City, PA
KB3HQF 2012-02-27 Brian L Heilman, Annville, PA
KB3HQG 2012-02-27 Brent A Beauseigneur, Bellefonte, PA
KB3HQI 2012-02-27 Matthew C Richter, Frederick, MD
KB3HQJ 2012-02-27 Matthew D McGuire, Mars, PA
KB3HQK 2012-02-27 Joseph W Argabright, III, Morrisville, PA
KB3HQL 2012-02-27 Ross E Bellinger, Wellsboro, PA
KB3HQO 2012-02-27 Zikri Bayraktar, State College, PA
KB3HQP 2012-02-27 Joel T Shibata, University Park, PA
KB3HQQ 2012-02-27 Srimath S Subasinghe, University Park, PA
KD3YQ 2012-02-06 ROBERT R GOLD, Mars, PA
N3BWG 2012-02-21 RICHARD L WAGNER, ERIE, PA
N3DUP 2012-02-04 WILLARD J DEMO, JR, PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL
N3EYQ 2012-02-11 PAUL J HINTZ, Kingston, NY
N3HMJ 2012-02-11 LOVELL STALLARD, Jr., Soddy Daisy, TN
N3HOL 2012-02-11 BETTY J STALLARD, Soddy Daisy, TN
N3LPH 2012-02-04 MATTHEW A MOORE, DOYLESTOWN, PA
N3LPM 2012-02-04 EYAN W HAGERTY, BRISTOL, PA
N3LPN 2012-02-04 DONALD L EMERICK, JR, CARLISLE, PA
N3LPT 2012-02-04 JAMES W BOYLE, Columbia, MD
N3LQK 2012-02-11 TIMOTHY J DURKIN, Philadelphia, PA
N3LQZ 2012-02-11 TRACEY A HOWELL, ROSETO, PA
N3LRE 2012-02-18 ROBERT J HARRINGTON, DUQUESNE, PA
N3LRG 2012-02-18 CHRISTINE H RIAL, Oakdale, PA
N3LRH 2012-02-18 LARRY S ROGERS, II, Ocala, FL
N3LRJ 2012-02-18 James T Scharf, Hanover, PA
N3LRM 2012-02-18 JEFFREY N BLUNT, BALTIMORE, MD
N3LRO 2012-02-18 GEORGE O WITHERS, GREENBELT, MD
N3LRQ 2012-02-18 AMY M ALLEN CHABOT, BOWIE, MD
N3LRS 2012-02-26 DAVID R GILBERT, BETHESDA, MD
N3LRT 2012-02-18 NICHOLAS A WILKIN, NARBERTH, PA
N3LRY 2012-02-18 Deborah B Shankman, Silver Spring, MD
N3LSA 2012-02-18 JAMES E MATTHEWS, COLUMBIA, MD
N3LSB 2012-02-26 DAVID P DRAKE, TANEYTOWN, MD
KB2OGJ 2012-02-18 WILLIAM F COWLES, WAVERLY, NY
KB2OGM 2012-02-18 JAIME P RIBEIRO, HILLSIDE, NJ
KB2OGN 2012-02-18 CARLOS R BARROS, ELIZABETH, NJ
KB2OGY 2012-02-18 JOHN G LAURENO, STATEN ISLAND, NY
KC2JCD 2012-02-04 Edward J Koster, Grantville, PA
KC2JCG 2012-02-04 Christopher J Cavaliere, Patchogue, NY
KC2JCM 2012-02-04 RYAN P CHRISTIE, PORT WASHINGTON, NY
KC2JCT 2012-02-06 Jamie C Mitchell, Brooklyn, NY
KC2JCU 2012-02-06 Alexander Asnes, Brooklyn, NY
KC2JCV 2012-02-06 Nicholas Aiese, Brooklyn, NY
KC2JCX 2012-02-06 Anne M Rascon, Brooklyn, NY
KC2JCY 2012-02-06 Seren Laibovitz, Brooklyn, NY
KC2JDA 2012-02-08 Matthew B Bell, Potsdam, NY
KC2JDE 2012-02-08 JOFFREY M MASON, WATERTOWN, NY
KC2JDF 2012-02-08 DAVID N WILLIAMS, NORTH SYRACUSE, NY
KC2JDJ 2012-02-12 Sammy D Ordonez, New York, NY
KC2JDM 2012-02-12 JAMES C LONG, GENEVA, NY
KC2JDR 2012-02-13 William Horowitz, Brooklyn, NY
KC2JEA 2012-02-16 JAMES J MUCCIO, Binghamton, NY
KC2JED 2012-02-19 James W Lawson, JOHNSON CITY, NY
KC2JEG 2012-02-20 Andrew M Vovou, Sr, Suffern, NY
KC2JEM 2012-02-25 J Bradley Williams, Avenel, NJ
KC2JER 2012-02-26 MAGELA DIAZ, PERTH AMBOY, NJ
KC2JEU 2012-02-27 Sagor E Hoque, Randolph, NJ
KC2JEV 2012-02-27 Tom M Pilholski, Sparta, NJ
KC2JEX 2012-02-27 Leslie R Gatechair, Treasure Island, FL
KC2JEY 2012-02-28 Daniel L Lopez, Elizabeth, NJ
KC2JEZ 2012-02-28 David L Huntington, Ithaca`, NY
KC2JFB 2012-02-28 Luis Segura, Paterson, NJ
This is just a small example of the number of people who got their license at the same time who are no longer licensed amateur radio operators. This happens every month.
Why does it happen?
Because without a proper Elmer and without someone in the neighborhood to talk to and without a proper club to hold these people in the hobby, without affordable used radio equipment that worked, they lost interest and went elsewhere.
