How do your family/friends etc. feel about your hobby?

[ladn]

...so I started using a Ear mic and keeping the radio on a inside pocket.

So now, you're Secret Service?

 

[rf_patriot200]

So now, you're Secret Service?

No, but it's a common sense way to listen, without drawing attention to yourself !

 

[K9KLC]

Since I am a ham also I'm used to it but my kids call or text me all the time to see if I heard about "such and such" on the radio, and had to get my wife her own G5 to use when she's out and I'm at work with mine.

 

[mjdewey]

My wife thinks I am sick for listening to other people's misfortunes and an invasion of privacy. My first two wives had similar thoughts. I was a first responder for more than 35 years it us second nature to me.

I have several thousand dollars worth of scanners and amateur radio equipment in my shack. At least nobody bothers me when I go there to listen and talk.

 

[78k10]

My wife thinks I am sick for listening to other people's misfortunes and an invasion of privacy. My first two wives had similar thoughts. I was a first responder for more than 35 years it us second nature to me.

I have several thousand dollars worth of scanners and amateur radio equipment in my shack. At least nobody bothers me when I go there to listen and talk.

You mean, you tried for a third after the first two didn’t work out? I’m on my first marriage. If this one goes south, there won’t be any more lol.

 

[Brales60]

I get annoyed because sometimes if people see me with my scanner they ask if I'm a cop, firefighter, of do you work for the airport type questions. I politely say that this is a scanner and no I can't talk on it.

I get the same questions when we have little parties around the holidays with neighbors and newer people we've meet. I get the "is that a TV antenna outside" all the time. All that said, my wife actually got me into this stuff. She loved to listen to the police/fire apps on my phone, and was we got frustrated only hearing on thing at a time. I do remember having (my dads) a Radio Shack crystal radio when I was young. I used to love going into that store.

 

[krokus]

My ex wife was reasonably understanding. Especially when things were heard on a radio, that something to be avoided was ahead.

My girlfriend has been licensed most of her life, along with most of her family. She wants to learn more, and is willing to help with me doing 10m mobile, and setting up SWL stuff. Her dad is the only one of her family with a mobile installed, but we'll be working on expanding the fleet.

 

[Quickcall]

Keeps them intrigued for the most part.

 

[VA3ADP]

This is very good question to ask because for many, it does incorporate multiple viewpoints.

For my family personally, my late mother though the scanners were a wealth of information and a fantastic hobby and all around very fascinating and interesting. She always enjoyed listening with me as a kid and then into my teenage years. My father was always on the fence about the hobby and still seems to be pretty neutral on the issue to this day. My sister on the other hand, though scanning (and still thinks) in general scanning/scanners should be "illegal" and everything should be encrypted (well she may have foreshadowed what we are seeing now unfortunately). My friends are generally very supportive and very interested.

 

[Falcon9h]

It's all fun and humor, til a neighbor gets you Swatted by a 3 letter agency .

You got a good point! I usually just say that radio is a hobby and don't get detailed.