I am not sure how many high powered, high gain antenna stations there are out there, but it does not seem to be an area of growth like it was at one time.
With 100 watts and a good beam, it should be easy to work a similar station from my QTH to the Twin Cities (~ 150 miles). You would think that since there are so many no code technician hams, who can not do long range HF, that they would want to do this on 6 and 2 meters at least. But I have come to the conclusion that by making the licenses easier to get (much, much easier to get), that many of the new entrants do not have that zeal or desire to put resources into such activities. Rather, they are mostly interested in working some simplex and some repeaters and more rarely now, some packet. And many of them eventually let their license expire. I do like the ARRL's proposal that we need to make HF available to new hams. In fact, the thought that hams would want to upgrade from Technician to General has not been as successful as they (and I) had thought it would with the no code entry license. Some people will never really care for HF I suppose and they will be happy with mostly FM on the higher bands, but for those who get to try out HF, even with a modest segment, they may find that they like this kind of operation and want to upgrade to get more priveleges. If you never really try out HF, you just won't know. Having said that, we also have made HF available to anyone for times like Field Day and almost never have any takers:( So maybe what is really the truth is that you have to have the right kind of person who for whatever reason likes this kind of stuff. And you just can not make them want to do it. It mostly has to come from within. All we can do is act as a catalyst to promote amateur radio and make them aware of not only CW and SSB, but also digital too. The problem with CW nets and for that matter any nets, is that it is very demanding of your time. I used to do NCS on the Slow Speed Net on Mondays for a year or two back in the early 1980's and it really does get a bit old. Some hams I knew really liked it and they would always try and check in or run the nets, but as they become SK, we are not seeing that many new replacements. Unlike other modes, digital can offer time shifting through such things as BBS store and forward capabilities that allow you to check in when it is convenient for you. The downside of this is that you lose the comaraderie that develops on CW and voice nets. 73, Rick, KV9U Jerry W wrote: >I think there are to many other activities for hams now, and hams >don't get on the air much as in the past. Maybe complacency? > >There are thirty six two meter repeaters listed in on the Repeater >Directory in the twin city area of Minnesota. Out of those, maybe >four are somewhat active. The others may have a net one night a week >and then the repeater pretty much is vacant of users the rest of the >week. Drive time use has fallen off for the same reason that cell >phone use is discouraged in the car. Traffic is very heavy and one >needs to concentrate on their driving. > >The clubs who have a weekly net on their repeater, do not get a lot of >stations checking into the net in respect to membership. Some have >ten meter and fifteen meter SSB and also CW net on fifteen meters >where Tech Plus can check in. Very few that check in. > >There are nets on Sunday night for SSB on Six, Two, 220 and 70 cm here >around the twin city area. Maybe lucky if they get ten stations to >check in on Six meters and then most of those stations will also check >into the two meter net. On 220, maybe three or four stations at most >check in, some weeks no one answers the call for check in. 70 cm >maybe four or five check in. Weekdays there is very little activity >on SSB. > >We have had a SSTV net for almost ten years on two meter FM simplex >145.500. At times there were ten stations checking in. Part of the >reason was testing Don's K0HEO WinPix Pro and WinPix 32 beta software >as he lived in the twin city area. Since Don passed on so have users. > The check in was down to maybe three stations on net night. Email was >sent out to local clubs informing them of the SSTV net. So far we >have had about four new stations check in, for how long, who knows? > >Try to get hams to help with bike marathons or running marathons to >help with relief stations along the way, you almost have to grab hams >by the collar and force them to volunteer. > >The Minnesota Senior Net (CW) is still looking for a permanent net >control, no one has volunteered. CW traffic handling a thing of the past? > >So what is the answer? You can beg plead with other hams until your >horse and won't do any good. > >My .02 cents, YMMV. > >Jerry - K0HZI > > > Need a Digital mode QSO? 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