[amsat-bb] Re: Vanishing Hams

[John B. Stephensen]

Wanting to learn about things technical was considered anti-social in the 
1950's and 1960's so that hasn't changed.

73,

John
KD6OZH

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "kc6uqh" <kc6uqh at cox.net>
To: <bruninga at usna.edu>; <K5GNA at aol.com>; <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 05:06 UTC
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Vanishing Hams


> Amateur Radio Operators are more than operators, they have the skills to
> keep thier equipment working and find inovative ways to remain on the air 
> in
> times of emergency.
>
> Our youth of today have become operators of electronic toys for thier own
> self amusment. The wanting to learn about things technical is considered
> anti-social by today's youth.
>
> Either there will be a swing in attitude or we will be entering another 
> dark
> age. The efforts of some 60 e mails I received on this subject tonight 
> could
> have been better spent on construction of a new antenna or?
>
> Art, KC6UQH
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga at usna.edu>
> To: <K5GNA at aol.com>; <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 12:03 PM
> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Vanishing Hams
>
>
>>> Today, with CB, Cell Phones, cordless phones, FRS, etc. -- 
>>> everyone is a radio operator. Now, military communications
>>> is done with a keyboard or microphone -- pretty much
>>> universal  skills now.
>>
>> Do not overlook how kids use key-pad text-messaging as the
>> greatest revolution in communications of all time...  Even some
>> old-fud adults are learning how to use it..
>>
>> Then consider that APRS has had global text-messaging (and
>> email) via the keypad of the D7 and D700 radios for over 10
>> years now, yet how many old-fuds ever even considered using it
>> or introduced this exciting new capability to their kids?
>>
>> You can even send text-messages or emails from your HT or Radio
>> from anywhere on earth via any of the APRS satellites (ISS,
>> GO-32, PCSAT-1, etc)...  We even suggested that everyone should
>> learn how to do this and exercise it during
>> Satellite-Simulated-Emergency-Tests.  You can even use any old
>> TNC and any old radio to do this.  See:
>> http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/sset.html
>>
>>> Although the Amateur Radio Community shines when
>>> there is loss  of communications during a disaster,
>>> with newer technology, even that could  change.
>>
>> What is hard in ham radio is "change".  We basically have to
>> wait for some ops to die in order for some new things to be
>> tried and to take hold...
>>
>>> Maybe the ARRL needs to sponsor an award for bringing
>>> new Hams into the community. Otherwise, someday, no
>>> one will remember what those letters even  stood for.
>>
>> A good start might be to sponsor an award for old fuds that try
>> something new...
>> And then show it to a kid... <wink>
>>
>> P.S.  Only about 2% of ham radio operators use APRS, and
>> probably only 10% of them (0.2% of all hams) have tried this
>> global text messaging (or email) feature.  Yet, even 10 years
>> ago, and ahead of its time we had it in Ham Radio!
>>
>>>From an old fud..
>> Bob, WB4APR
>>
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>
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