10. The Death of Ham Radio?

(not exactly) Tech-Talk
Part 9

Welcome to Part 9 of our discussion.

This month I'm taking a break from the Technical discussion.  I have some thoughts to share that I hope you will find interesting and useful... or at least, thought-provoking.

I think most of us have heard some old-timer whining about the death of Hamfests, and Ham Radio in general.

Don't you believe it, my friends!  Here's why....



Ham Radio is alive and well, thank you.  According to the latest data (June, 2011) active FCC Amateur licenses are at an all-time high.  That's right -- there are just about 700,000 licensed Hams.  That's an increase of over 40,000 in the past 5 years!  ARRL membership shows a similar increase.  This, at the prolonged bottom of the sunspot cycle.

Granted, that does not mean that there are 700,000 active hams.  Far from it.  Many of those licensees are Silent Keys, and many more are inactive.  But as a rough estimate, there are approximately 250,000 active Ham Radio Operators in the US alone.

My friends at the ARRL indicate that last year -- 2010 -- saw a record number of Field Day entries, and that they expect this year to meet or even exceed last year's numbers.  Sources at CQ magazine indicate similar increased participation in the contests that they sponsor.  Again, with sunspots barely budging from their minimums.  I know, there's a lot more to Ham Radio than contests, but I think the trend is clear.

The Death of Ham radio?  I don't think so.

And Hamfests?  You probably know that I exhibit at 40-50 Hamfests per year, ranging from the Dayton Hamvention down to the local "high school gym" shows.  And yes, some of them are smaller than they were 10 or 15 years ago.  There's a simple reason for that.  It's called the Internet.  Back in 1996 or so, not many of us had Internet access.  If we did, it was probably on a 2400 baud dial-up modem that could reach a very few Web Sites.

If you were looking for a new -- or new to you -- piece of gear, you had very few choices.  Remember the "Yellow Sheets"?  They were the Ham Radio equivalent of the newspaper's classified section (remember THAT?).  A seller would list an item for sale.  About 2 weeks later, you'd get your copy of all the latest listings.  You'd see one you were interested in.  Call the seller (with long distance charges on your phone).  Probably play telephone tag for a day or two.  Get a picture of the equipment?   Probably not, unless he had copies available that you could pay for.  Check the seller's reputation?  Not easily done, unless he was a local.  No wonder most buyers -- and sellers -- preferred to conduct business face to face at a Hamfest!

Today, of course, we have e-bay, amazon, and several ham-specific sale sites.  You can buy that (allegedly) mint condition BandBlaster Mark XIV while sitting in your jammies at 3AM.  Or even sitting on the "throne" with a smartphone in your hand.  It's not too surprising, then, that you don't go to as many hamfests as you might have in the past, whether to buy or sell.  But wait -- why are you buying that BandBlaster in the first place?  Because you want to get on the air with it and make contacts, eh?  So maybe in this case the ease of Internet shopping leads to more, not less, Ham Radio activity.

Yes, it's true.  That can mean less attendance at your local Hamfest.  But what the Internet taketh away, it also giveth back.  With a few clicks, you can look at my Hamfest Schedule and see when I'll be at a show near you.  A quick e-mail and I can have your order packed and ready for you to pick up at the 'fest.  Go to the sponsoring club's Web Site and get all the information you need -- times, directions, forum schedules, VE tests, etc.

And there's still no substitute for stumbling on that "treasure" that you didn't even know you needed.  Or being able to hold the item in your hand, testing it to see if it works, and maybe even getting a few bucks knocked off the asking price.  Or getting advice from a knowledgeable vendor on selecting a product.  Or just having an eyeball QSO with friends you've only met on the air, or have not seen for a while.  And don't forget the forums offered at many Hamfests.  Experts can tell you what you need to know about many facets of Ham Radio, and answer your questions in person.

Shows that are well organized, well run, and well promoted will continue to attract quality vendors and a good crowd.  They will be profitable for the sponsoring clubs and the vendors, and enjoyable for the attendees.  Everyone benefits from these.  And the small minority of those that are not?  Both you and I will vote with our feet and wallets, and they will -- deservedly -- fade away and be replaced with better ones.

Just about every weekend, I see between a few hundred and many thousands of enthusiastic Amateur Radio Operators attending and enjoying a Hamfest.  And I know that most are enjoying Ham Radio all year long, as well.

Paraphrasing Mark Twain:

Reports of Ham Radio's death are greatly exaggerated!

I'll get off my soapbox with one final thought.  Putting on a Hamfest is a lot of work.  Take a minute to thank the unpaid volunteer folks who put in long and thankless hours doing their best to put on a quality event for you.  And when YOUR club says "we need help at our Hamfest", raise your hand and give them an hour of your time.

Attend a Hamfest near you, and see for yourself how much fun they are.  I hope I'll see you at one soon.

That's it for this month.  Next time we'll continue looking at coax.  Until then,

73 for now
John Bee, N1GNV
Quicksilver Radio Products

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