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HAM Radio Is Dying — And It’s Our Fault?

steelhd said:
Depending on what you want to do because not everyone is a hobbyist and HAM will never be their way of life. Many just want reliable trail comms and if things go pear shaped be able to reach out and touch a repeater further for help. That is why we see the proliferation of Baofengs and unlocked HAM mobiles and that isn't going to stop. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a level of licensing and registration to bring them into the fold, get them educated, and actually prevent it from becoming like CB radio hell?
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Yeah, but...

There used to be at least 6 different ham licenses. The FCC was trying to have a couple of entry level licenses, on up through the advanced ones. But that many licenses was pretty unwieldy, so they reduced it to 3. Ham is, or at least can be, a huge field of very different types of operators and builders. Too many licenses is no good, to few is no good. No license at all gave us CB which deteriorated into a cesspool. I don't know what the answer is.
 
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I'm a pretty new HAM. I've had my Tech license for a year now. I think the primary reason the test should stick around is that we are not talking about going to Walmart and getting a set of FRS radios. We aren't even talking about GRMS which is just a more powerful FRS radio. We are talking about building and using high power set ups that can have adverse effects on the people around you. Know who they work can prevent serious headaches with your neighbors. Of course it is also the law. Sure you could try and talk to your senator or you congressman about changing the law but the government has regulated the radio spectrum for so long it is very unlikely you will get that to change. Every time i hear the argument about not having to take a test i just point out that you can go to Walmart and get a radio, or you can buy a GRMS license for $35 and not have to worry about anything else. What you want exists just utilize it.
 
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GMRS is an excellent radio service for trail communication . To me a $35 license to cover your family for 10 years is acceptable .

I agree that there are aspects of the Ham license that most users will never use or need to know . Basic radio operation , safety and regulations should be the main focus of the entry level test . Most of us really don't need to know how to build or repair our radios . We need to know how to safely set up and use them without causing interference to others . I normally use my HF radio daily and enjoy the hobby . It is used mostly to visit with a group of friends . It is nice to have the ability to have short and long range communication ability if the need where to arise due to phone and Internet grid down scenario .
 
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thehubster said:
I'm a pretty new HAM. I've had my Tech license for a year now. I think the primary reason the test should stick around is that we are not talking about going to Walmart and getting a set of FRS radios. We aren't even talking about GRMS which is just a more powerful FRS radio. We are talking about building and using high power set ups that can have adverse effects on the people around you. Know who they work can prevent serious headaches with your neighbors. Of course it is also the law. Sure you could try and talk to your senator or you congressman about changing the law but the government has regulated the radio spectrum for so long it is very unlikely you will get that to change. Every time i hear the argument about not having to take a test i just point out that you can go to Walmart and get a radio, or you can buy a GRMS license for $35 and not have to worry about anything else. What you want exists just utilize it.
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You just skipped over the very real fact that most people who are passing the test (tech) are arguably just memorizing the published answers and have no more clue than anyone else, and even then will have received little to no instruction on how to operate the ham units that you very much can simply order and have delivered from amazon. And the tech test is not a test to weed out those unable to build a ham radio setup, much less use it, far from it.

The tech test does nothing whatsoever to gauge the knowledge of those passing, only that they are good at memorizing answers.
 
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Hasselblad said:
You just skipped over the very real fact that most people who are passing the test (tech) are arguably just memorizing the published answers and have no more clue than anyone else, and even then will have received little to no instruction on how to operate the ham units that you very much can simply order and have delivered from amazon. And the tech test is not a test to weed out those unable to build a ham radio setup, much less use it, far from it.

The tech test does nothing whatsoever to gauge the knowledge of those passing, only that they are good at memorizing answers.
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Being able to pass the test shows that you have the tenacity and maturity to study and retain all of the material for a test with a pool of 400 questions. These are not toys and there is SO much more to HAM than talking phone style on a radio.
 
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Hasselblad said:
You just skipped over the very real fact that most people who are passing the test (tech) are arguably just memorizing the published answers and have no more clue than anyone else, and even then will have received little to no instruction on how to operate the ham units that you very much can simply order and have delivered from amazon. And the tech test is not a test to weed out those unable to build a ham radio setup, much less use it, far from it.

The tech test does nothing whatsoever to gauge the knowledge of those passing, only that they are good at memorizing answers.
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Even if that is the case and they do no more studying then just memorizing the answers they will still have more knowledge about how radio works then someone who pays for a GRMS license and just uses their radios to talk on the farm. They will also have some kind of base for learning more if they want to. I guess I don't understand what you hang up is? What you want already exists, if you think that people should have an option to just use basic radios they have that option, GRMS. Or do you think that because the tech license basically only gets you to the same level as GRMS that it shouldn't exist because people with a tech license "don't actually know anything anyway".
 
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thehubster said:
Even if that is the case and they do no more studying then just memorizing the answers they will still have more knowledge about how radio works then someone who pays for a GRMS license and just uses their radios to talk on the farm. They will also have some kind of base for learning more if they want to. I guess I don't understand what you hang up is? What you want already exists, if you think that people should have an option to just use basic radios they have that option, GRMS. Or do you think that because the tech license basically only gets you to the same level as GRMS that it shouldn't exist because people with a tech license "don't actually know anything anyway".
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I think his knowledge of radio is limited to duplex phone conversation. Simplex may be the extent of it and that's pushing it.
 
Hasselblad said:
You know what, just continue to enjoy less people getting into HAM while you pat yourselves on the back for accomplishing pointless gatekeeping.
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I don't even have my tech license yet. I think the best thing the FCC did was remove the requirements for morse. The numbers had been steadily dropping until that change and now they have been steadily rising ever since. As I said, I don't have a license yet and have no desire to be in a club.

The only "gatekeeping" I've seen on the air is during the weekly net that covers half the state on linked 2m repeaters. And I can understand why as that could devolve easily.

Licensing and learning the bands is vital to proper use. You don't want to be calling CQ on a frequency reserved for data or CW. I little bit of knowledge and you can build your own VHF/UHF antenna. One thing I learned from the test is how to calculate battery life based on draw.
 
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Ham Radio is not something everyone is interested in . I am a casual user . I don't look to make contacts just for the sake of adding to a number . I do enjoy visiting with folks , both friends and the occasional new contact. If someone finds it interesting enough , they will jump through the appropriate hoops and invest the time and money . I personally never thought that I would enjoy the HF radio as much as I do . With an antenna analyzer you can build the antennas , which can be fun . I originally just wanted the local VHF capability , but now I can talk to folks all over the country . I currently don't talk with people in other countries , but I do have the capability both at home and in the Jeep .

As for trail communication , Ham Radio is not necessary .
 
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Harold&Cat said:
Ham Radio is not something everyone is interested in . I am a casual user . I don't look to make contacts just for the sake of adding to a number . I do enjoy visiting with folks , both friends and the occasional new contact. If someone finds it interesting enough , they will jump through the appropriate hoops and invest the time and money . I personally never thought that I would enjoy the HF radio as much as I do . I originally just wanted the local VHF capability , but now I can talk to folks all over the country . I currently don't talk with people in other countries , but I do have the capability both at home and in the Jeep .

As for trail communication , Ham Radio is not necessary .
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That's actually the way I see myself becoming. I have no interest in contests or logging call signs. Just casual conversations and emergency preparedness on the 2m and 440.

Don't have a tech license yet but already looking at HF radios. 😁
 
2m is great for emergencies . We used to actively storm chase , 2m keeps you in contact with others as well as the local National Weather Service . 2m can be a lifeline in case of natural disasters . During natural disasters one of the first things to go down is the electric grid sometimes followed by the phone systems .
 
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2M/70cM is all but dead around here, except for a couple or three weekly nets that are always when I'm in a dance class. I'd love to get involved with HF, to me that's what Ham radio is all about. But its friggin' expensive!
 
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I am also a pretty casual HAM. I don't contest, i will hit a net every once in a while but i got into it for the emergency preparedness of it. I liked the idea of being connected when everything else has gone down. then I learned that Handhelds are pretty useless if you want to reach anything beyond like 5 miles. They are good for local communication and keeping in touch with your family if you have to leave the house for some reason during an emergency but they are not the movie and book portrayal of reliable long distance communications from one state to another. Maybe on HF if the weather in your area is pretty predictable but even HF can be hit or miss depending on anything from the Sun to the weather between stations. I enjoy it for the local connections and the fun of building radios.
 
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