Aging Amateur Radio Ops was Re: Politics - free

[Patrick Walters]

My personal interest in HAM Radio pre-dated the internet and I was
fascinated by the idea of talking to people all over the world, well
then the internet happened.

Nowadays I am planning on sailing the world at some point and I'm
interested in HAM Radio (As opposed to just commercial SSB) as a filler
for when I don't have internet access (read at sea) and want to get
weather and email and do some blogging.

-p

-----Original Message-----
From: talk-bounces at seattlewireless.net
[mailto:talk-bounces at seattlewireless.net] On Behalf Of jeff at aerodata.net
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 17:59
To: SeattleWireless Talk List
Subject: Re: Aging Amateur Radio Ops was Re: Politics - free

Kevin wrote:
> That said a metropolitan area data network run in Part 15 that
> ordinary people could use I think could attract quite a lot of
> younger people. I'll have more to say on that in the main thread.

Yes, but "technically" that is not amateur radio, at least the part 97
variant. A small sub group within the ARRL, called the HSMM (High Speed
MultiMedia) tried to introduce wider acceptance in converting Part 15
gear
+ users to Part 97, including liberlizing the part 97 rules, but the
ARRL
board of directors response to this was to sack the group.

Just recently, amateurs lost a major portion of digital usage on one of
their HF bands (80 meters), converted to 1950's technology voice SSB
radio.

The big change I have noticed since the mid 70's, is amateur radio no
longer is a technical hobby, for the majority of users. Others might
call
it glorified CB, spearheaded by the ARRL. Having been a member of the
HSMM
myself, I saw how they constantly try to dumb down the hobby while
steadfastly trying to hold onto CW. Not that I have an opinion or
anything

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