Steve, loved this week's issue. Particularly the evangelism and the peace with the internet. It should never have been viewed as a competitor but rather as something that pairs with amateur radio and can be used to enrich it. Thanks for all the time that you and your contributors put in to this project as a whole.
I agree with John, this was a great issue. A few years ago I had the privilege of being slightly involved in a nascent high school club that was struggling to get off the ground during COVID. Your activities list matches the club advisor's nicely. In addition I would suggest that satellite contacts and Neil's night as additional ideas.
Regarding techies being the future of amateur radio, I don't disagree with that at all, but I still think there is room for growth for those who wish to stay in contact with family members during local emergencies. In the upper Mississippi region where I am, that means floods, tornadoes, and trucks hitting utility poles. Our local club has seen growth lately from families like this. A father and son both recently upgraded from Tech to General after using the 2 meter repeaters for a bit. Another family in the area who is big on self-reliance actually made the cover of NCJ a couple of years ago after starting out just as a way to keep in contact without relying on cellular networks.
I think if clubs would embrace GMRS and treat it as a pre-tech license this could help encourage this type of growth. Use GMRS repeaters for things like Skywarn and public service to lower the barrier to entry to these sorts of events. This gets the radios in peoples hands, and club meetings show the cool techie stuff you can do with an amateur license. The clubs can provide the motivation and even the exam.
Also, if you are taking I-90 through MN and WI on the way to Xenia, instead of turning south in the Dakotas, let me know. You will be passing within a couple of miles of me and I'd be happy to buy you and Tina whatever the appropriate meal is for the time.
I have a very similar experience with technical discussions and presentations at our local ham club. My talking about technical stuff has very curtailed. The 'doe in the headlights' look from them just is too prevalent. I await your further comments about this subject.
There are so many ways that the Internet can be an enhancement to Amateur Radio. What will always remain for me, though, is a huge distinction between any Amateur Radio communication that is point-to-point RF and anything that relies on an Internet link to make the contact. I'm in no way opposed to Internet linking, but making contacts that way, for me, will never have the same magical thrill as antenna-to-antenna exchange of electromagnetic radiation. It's all Amateur Radio, but it's not all the same. Meanwhile, the Internet as a way to learn, keep tabs on what's happening on the air, share our ideas and experiences, link things together (provided we don't delude ourselves that the radio part somehow makes it reliable), and so much more, is a whole lot of welcome enhancement.
Steve, loved this week's issue. Particularly the evangelism and the peace with the internet. It should never have been viewed as a competitor but rather as something that pairs with amateur radio and can be used to enrich it. Thanks for all the time that you and your contributors put in to this project as a whole.
I agree with John, this was a great issue. A few years ago I had the privilege of being slightly involved in a nascent high school club that was struggling to get off the ground during COVID. Your activities list matches the club advisor's nicely. In addition I would suggest that satellite contacts and Neil's night as additional ideas.
Regarding techies being the future of amateur radio, I don't disagree with that at all, but I still think there is room for growth for those who wish to stay in contact with family members during local emergencies. In the upper Mississippi region where I am, that means floods, tornadoes, and trucks hitting utility poles. Our local club has seen growth lately from families like this. A father and son both recently upgraded from Tech to General after using the 2 meter repeaters for a bit. Another family in the area who is big on self-reliance actually made the cover of NCJ a couple of years ago after starting out just as a way to keep in contact without relying on cellular networks.
I think if clubs would embrace GMRS and treat it as a pre-tech license this could help encourage this type of growth. Use GMRS repeaters for things like Skywarn and public service to lower the barrier to entry to these sorts of events. This gets the radios in peoples hands, and club meetings show the cool techie stuff you can do with an amateur license. The clubs can provide the motivation and even the exam.
Also, if you are taking I-90 through MN and WI on the way to Xenia, instead of turning south in the Dakotas, let me know. You will be passing within a couple of miles of me and I'd be happy to buy you and Tina whatever the appropriate meal is for the time.
I have a very similar experience with technical discussions and presentations at our local ham club. My talking about technical stuff has very curtailed. The 'doe in the headlights' look from them just is too prevalent. I await your further comments about this subject.
There are so many ways that the Internet can be an enhancement to Amateur Radio. What will always remain for me, though, is a huge distinction between any Amateur Radio communication that is point-to-point RF and anything that relies on an Internet link to make the contact. I'm in no way opposed to Internet linking, but making contacts that way, for me, will never have the same magical thrill as antenna-to-antenna exchange of electromagnetic radiation. It's all Amateur Radio, but it's not all the same. Meanwhile, the Internet as a way to learn, keep tabs on what's happening on the air, share our ideas and experiences, link things together (provided we don't delude ourselves that the radio part somehow makes it reliable), and so much more, is a whole lot of welcome enhancement.