[amsat-bb] Re: D STAR is here to stay

[R Oler]

in large manner chat rooms and the like have taken the place for some of the CQ...Robert WB5MZO/S2

Sent from my iPad

> On Nov 13, 2013, at 9:51 PM, "B J" <va6bmj at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> On 11/13/13, Joe <nss at mwt.net> wrote:
>> I agree on that also.
>> 
>> Now I'm not picking on them here. But I am a member of Four local
>> Amateur Radio Clubs. And have been an Amateur since 1975 and have seen
>> this "Hobby" change a lot through the years. And in all four clubs 90%
>> of the newly licensed get into this Hobby now, through the Public
>> service aspect of the hobby. IE: Skywarn, communications during
>> disasters,  support like in parades etc. While there is nothing wrong
>> with this. But these newcomers do not seem to get the thrill of just
>> getting on the air, and throw out a CQ just to see who comes back. Just
>> for the thrill of the unknown. And that is sad.
>> 
>> I feel that Amateur Radio is more to them as the Service part of the
>> Amateur Radio Service. Not the experimenting and exploring part.
> 
> I often get a similar reaction when I talk about amateur radio,
> particularly from younger people.  They can't quite grasp why I'd want
> to put together a station and, perhaps, talk with someone when there
> are easier ways of doing that.  Even if I don't have any contacts, I
> like to find out just what the hardware can do and how far my signal
> can go.  It's fun to know that I can reach a satellite that's, say,
> somewhere over the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia putting only 5 W into
> my Arrow yagi.
> 
> Many peope, I suppose, have become accustomed to the plug-and-play
> aspect of electronic devices and expect to have clear 2-way
> conversations every time.  Tinkering with something in order to hear
> or be heard is likely something they wouldn't like or would be too
> bothersome to them.
> 
> Then again, my interest in radio began as an SWL while I was still in
> high school over 40 years ago and I listened to broadcasts from, as
> the song says, "far away places with strange-sounding names".  It was
> fun bragging to my classmates that I listened to, say, Radio
> Australia, not that any of them paid much attention to it.
> 
> 73s
> 
> Bernhard VA6BMJ@ DO33FL
> 
> <snip>
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