The Service

This is going to be a bit of a ramble, but I need to get some thoughts down about new hams, and maybe get some feedback on these ideas from both new hams and guys that have been around for a while.

On Thursday evening, I visited the All Hands Active (AHA) makerspace here in Ann Arbor. Many of them have recently gotten their ham licenses—most of them in one of my one-day Tech classes. I was down there trying to get them interested in attending Field Day, and in particular, in operating the GOTA station.

There were four of us sitting around, talking about amateur radio, the projects they were working on, Field Day, and other stuff. They have expressed an interest in doing something with WA2HOM, our station at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. While it was a great discussion, it was apparent to me that selling them on Field Day was going to be a stretch.

It dawned on me that these new radio amateurs were just not interested in the “old” amateur radio. Sitting in front of shortwave radios and exchanging fake signal reports with other guys sitting in front of shortwave radios is just not their idea of a good time. I think that if you take a step back and try to look at it through their eyes, you’ll see where they’re coming from.

What are they interested in? Well, one guy is having a blast playing around with RTL SDR dongles. He’s also trying to figure out a way to rig up wireless link to light a light at bus stops around his house when a bus is approaching.

Another is working on a Hinternet-type project. I helped him out a little bit last summer setting up a wireless node at his house.

This is perhaps one reason why there are so many more licensed radio amateurs these days, but yet there seems to be less activity on the HF bands these days. HF is just not where it’s at for these new guys.

One consequence of this is that the old amateur radio clubs don’t have much to offer the new guys. In fact, one of them told me that the one time that he attended the local club meeting, he got such a hostile response that he decided not to return.

I’m finding this all quite interesting. I do intend to pursue some kind of joint activities between AHA and WA2HOM and see where that goes. They may not be interested in working DX on 20m, but they did seem to be interested in the IRLP node that we’re in the process of installing there.

I’m not sure where this is all headed, but what I do know is that these folks have a lot of energy and creativity. If we can couple that with our knowledge and experience, then I think that we’ll be a good fit for one another. It’s going to take open minds all around, though.

This is a guest post by my friend Ovide, K8EV…

I was underwhelmed by an article on the future of ham radio in the April QST.  There was no mention of future technical developments driving and changing ham radio as a hobby!

I asked myself the question “what is the core activity that might bring and keep people in ham radio?”  The short answer is “the capability to communicate reliably with specified and unspecified people at close and distant locations.”  In addition, a critical feature that sets the amateur apart from ordinary mass-consumers is knowledge and interest in using radio devices that can be modified or constructed.

Here’s my entry for a future product/service that could build on ham radio’s existing platform:  Remote multiplex radio stations controllable from personal computers!  The stations would generate multiple radio frequency signals from the same transmitter–in contrast to single frequency stations that currently sell access to users one at a time.  Azimuth directionality could be handled using isoradiating antennas or multiple-user control versions of the directional loop antenna reviewed in April QST.  Software Defined Radio technology would allow frequencies in different bands or portion of bands to be selected from home computers.

The do-it-yourself component would be attractive to open-source code writers and radio equipment builders would find new challenges constructing multiplex receivers and transmitters for remote multiplex stations.  CC&R limitations would be obviated and the hobby would be opened up to lots of people who are currently unable to have stations in their home.

The only technological breakthrough required is the development of transmitters that can generate multiple signals without intermodulation products!

Ovide
K8EV

Bill, K0RGR, a HamRadioHelpGroup member would like to ask NEWER hams (newer meaning those that are newly licensed current to past few years or so) if they think that adding more HF privileges for entry-level licensees would encourage newcomers to stay in the hobby. While Bill is mostly interested in how new hams feel about this, there are also some responses for us old-timers.

These are the choices:

• Yes, I’m a newer Ham and I think adding more HF privileges would help keep more people active in the hobby.
• No, I’m a new Ham and what is setup currently works fine and I’m using the current  HF privileges (HF 10m SSB/Digital/CW and also CW portions of 15m,40m,80m).
• No, I’m a new Ham and only use VHF/UHF FM privileges (no HF rig or I’m I interested in CW).
• I have been a Ham for years and think what is in place now for new Techs is more than enough on HF to keep interest if they really are interested in Ham Radio…leaves something to look forward to when they pass their next test the General (then full HF privileges come).
• I have been a Ham for years and welcome any changes that would advance the hobby…maybe new ides like full HF but at QRP levels for tech/novice or license by elmers…new ideas might help our hobby.
• No, I’m a new Ham but only interested in VHF/UHF Emergency Communications  (ECOM,ARES,ETC).
• Yes, I’m a new Ham but there are no close Ham Clubs, no close Elmers, and no VHF/UHF activity and I don’t understand what privileges I have as a Tech on HF.
• I’m an old Ham, been around for years, I would not like so much more people in the hobby but people that would be active, our numbers for techs is large but my guess is the majority are inactive…I would rather have 10 very active new Hams adding to our hobby than 100 that add nothing because they are inactive.

I think that a little more thought could have been given to these answers, but it’s a great question. We need to do something to get more newly-licensed people on the air and involved.

The poll will end on 8/31/13. If you are a member of the HamRadioHelpGroup, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HamRadioHelpGroup/surveys?id=13187658 to vote. If you’re not a member, and don’t want to join the group, please comment here.