Radio Days Are Back

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

"The newest trend in American communication isn't another smartphone from Apple or Google but one of the elder statesmen of communication: Ham radio licenses are at an all time high, with over 700,000 licenses in the United States, according to the Federal Communications Commission."


Radio Days Are Back: Ham Radio Licenses At An All-Time High | Fox News

 

[W2IBC]

how many of that 700k is actually active?

many "papers" out there and many only got the ticket with the "orange vest save the day" thoughts

 

[reedeb]

how many of that 700k is actually active?

many "papers" out there and many only got the ticket with the "orange vest save the day" thoughts

OR it could just be that many are getting the word about the FUN with HAM. I've noticed an influx of new hams learning their way around the radio world.

 

[K2KOH]

Traveling around as of late, I have noticed an increase in repeater activity. This is a good thing!

 

[N4JKD]

Awesome! I posted this on my facebook page. This is great news and the numbers I bellieve will grow as the word of it grows and its use in emergencies.

 

[Rt169Radio]

I wonder why ham radio is expanding? Has there been more coverage of it lately?

 

[Zagadka]

I wonder why ham radio is expanding? Has there been more coverage of it lately?

At the risk of being thought a whack job, I think it's analagous to the rise in gun sales. Increasing numbers of folks are becoming uneasy with the outlook for the economic and political future of the country and should things turn pear-shaped, those folks will want to hear what's going on and talk to those around them. When a licence is $15 and $100 gets you on the air, it's comparatively easy to be prepared for that possibility. See here and here to see what I mean.

 

[K9WG]

how many of that 700k is actually active?

many "papers" out there and many only got the ticket with the "orange vest save the day" thoughts

Or how many are getting it just to have a scanner in their car? :twisted:

 

[k5phw]

Scanners are legal here. Not much to listen to. Most is encrypted.

 

[W2IBC]

Or how many are getting it just to have a scanner in their car? :twisted:

who knows. since your in the next county south of me. this is my estimates for my county (madison)

Here are the "ham" in my and surounding zip codes

46012 - 65
46011 - 61
46013 - 51
46014 - 1
46015 - 1
46016 - 37
46017 - 26
46018 - 2
46001 - 50
46044 - 20
46036 - 28
46070 - 19
46063 - 2
46064 - 39
46056 - 8
46051 - 4
46048 - 2

Total Hams in Madison County Indiana - 416
and Id say 10% or less actually key a radio up at least once a year
about 5% may be active at least once a week or more.
90% never heard any of them on the air anywhere.

even if 10% of that 90 is dead (licence not expired) your still looking 80% just paper hams. or about 334 tickets are not used.

147.435 is the most active 2 meter freq in this county. So if these 80% actually had a radio chances are they would show up on 435. Hell we have had more out of county hams show up on 435 then in county.

So when I say most are just paper hams. there is what im talkin about.

Put this on a national level. lets say 60% are paper thats 420,188 paper hams.

 

[K9WG]

I know awhile back some of the local high schools were using Ham Radio as part of their curriculum. You would see 30 - 40 new hams with sequential calls showing up. Most would expire and not be renewed.

 

[W2IBC]

sad really when you think about it.

even the Jammers here are so bored with activity around here, they just sit on 435 and wait for us to start talking.