On 6/22/05, peter markavage <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: <snip> > Glowing tubes and dancing meters may have worked 30, 40, and 50 years ago > as an enticement, but that's past generation, It has little use as a > carrot in today's world.
Pete - Apparently you missed the part I said about today's gear being too much like what they already have and use without need for a license: like a cellphone, the internet, or whatever else. I've been working in the public service side of ham radio at least since 1984, and I've been doing public demonstrations of vintage gear almost as long, on my own as well as with folks like W1RC, K1MVP and others. I can say with certainty, from firsthand experience - kids LOVE old radios. Besides radio clubs, I've worked at, organized, or put on displays at schools, government meetings, and public shopping malls for community awareness days and such. I don't think it's a case of my needing to get out more, Pete - I think more likely it's a case of you needing to remove those rose-colored glasses that have 'A.R.R.L' stenciled across the lenses. It's not just my opinion that the 'League' has been more focused on selling books and subscriptions for the last 30 or more years. If 'saving amateur radio' means dumbing it down until absolutely no one wants to be part of it (think 'CB'), then your approach works just fine. My experience in recent years has been that people, including kids, relate FAR more to 'glowing tubes and dancing meters' with respect to radio than they do with a plug and play piece of plastic. No different than the general public still relating the dits and dahs of CW with radio, which is why so many examples in film and TV still use this and other 'outdated' clips to get the point across. I'd be curious to know what *your* experiences have been in the way of public service, demonstrations, and whatever else to support your approach. It's easy to post links to what others have done or are doing, it's a whole lot different to be out there doing it. In the meantime, you can check just a couple of links: http://www.dps.state.vt.us/vem/races/index.html http://www.ranv.org/news/ranvapr1.html Couldn't find the report from the Milton hamfest a couple years back (we didn't present one this year) when the old radio forum put on by Mike, Rene, and I drew more attendees than the 'big' ARRL state convention held at the same time. Yes, there were several high school students present. I'm willing to accept that the ARRL does serve a purpose, Pete. I just don't think it does anywhere near the job it is capable of, or likes to portray itself as doing. I've been a member twice, I won't be again until the biased and arrogant mentality of much of the leadership has changed. For some of them, it's just like a political position: it becomes more of a career and less a case of 'serving the constituents'. ARRL is supposed to represent all hams equally, not simply the group that sells the most new Yaecomwood radios for their advertisers. ~ Todd, KA1KAQ
