We're missing the point here somehow. Siri's answer should have been
"The best way to contact Helen is to pick up your phone and call her."
Anything else is pretty much a waste of time and resources just to talk
to Helen. Seriously, there's a sizable investment in specialized
equipment to make contact via AMSAT or whatever. The contact is set up
for them. Then Jon and Helen wait to be told when the link is ready. If
that's worth doing and will attract young people, then just shoot me. It
sounds terminally boring.
Making that investment in specialized equipment can't be justified as
utilitarian communication because it's expensive and inefficient. If the
point is to contact your friends any time you want to, they are already
doing that with a half a dozen reliable instant technologies all
accessible from the same smartphone. I don't get where ham radio comes
in to solve a problem they have already solved. Certainly not with a
system that requires waiting 15 minutes for a satellite to get in
position, and a Cupertino Robot to set up the call.
I don't have the answer to attracting young people to a rapidly changing
hobby in an even more rapidly changing world. The aspects of the hobby
that attracted many of us was the sheer magic of radio itself. We
weren't attracted to it because it let us contact our friends. Even then
we had the telephone for that. We were attracted to the magic. Nine
times out of ten, the communication part was "599 OM PSE QSL".
I always heard how DX contacts would allow me to learn about other
cultures. Actually, it did. After exchanging signal reports, I'd look up
their city with an atlas or encyclopedia. But I learned zip on the air.
A few California Kilowatts could hog a DX station, and chit chat for a
few minutes, and did because they could. But the rest of us never got
beyond the basic exchange and fought like hell for that. But it was
magic so it didn't matter that it wasn't all that practical.
The magic that attracted us is gone. Maybe there's new magic to be
found, but it's different magic that most of us with 30-70 years in the
hobby won't understand...and probably won't like. We are the wrong
people to even be considering answers but anyone expecting to make a
living from the hobby will have to find that new magic. It ain't instant
communication and it ain't the ham radio equivalent of retro turntables.
Eric KE6US
ex-K1DCK, WA6YCF, WB2PVW
On 12/14/2019 5:35 PM, [email protected] wrote:
Question: Can amateur radio reach across the digital divide ?
My answer: It could
Follow up Question: Do you think it will ?
My answer: No, not with current products and modes of use
Why do I say this ?
My 20 year old wants a turntable for Christmas. Why on earth does he want
one when he can download any song he wants from his apple music account ?
Answer: People of his generation are moving beyond mere utility (listening
to any song anywhere anytime), they now want a musical experience, playing a
vinyl record - could be one of mine - with all the "atmosphere" (hiss and
scratches) to experience the music as it was "made".
Could this experiential notion morph to a communications form?
Communications utility is being able to contact your friends at anytime from
anywhere, instantly, AKA the ubiquitous smartphone. A communications
experience could be one where the path / mode is dynamic and not guaranteed
to succeed (applies to VHF linked repeater systems and HF).
So why won't this happen ? We (amateur radio hobbyists and industry) don't
follow the usage paradigms they are used to and frankly expect, built around
their smartphones.
The turn tables I'm looking at have RCA jacks to connect to an amplifier but
they also have Bluetooth to connect to your phone and speakers, and of
course "there's an App for that" on the smartphone.
People of this generation are not going to configure virtual COM ports so
their apps can access a radio. Neither will they work through windows
"wizard" configuration screens. Apple and the other developers have made
set up effortlessly work and offer digital assistants to help you on your
way. For example, below is a conversation from a possible radio future.
Jon, Ham Radio Operator: "Hey Siri what repeaters are near me and can I link
to Helen in Scotland ?"
Siri: " Yes Jon there are several repeaters nearby but the best way to
contact Helen is via Amsat, one will be over horizon in 15 minutes, shall I
let Helen know you want to contact her ? conditions are favorable"
Jon: " Yes Siri, let her know, I'll get the antenna ready"
Sounds like science fiction ?- no this is technically feasible today -
question is will some entity make the investments to make it happen ?
Best Regards
Andy
K3CAQ
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On
Behalf Of Wayne Burdick
Sent: Friday, December 13, 2019 6:24 PM
To: Elecraft Reflector <[email protected]>
Subject: [Elecraft] Reaching across the chronological divide
Hams of a certain age, including yours truly (first licensed in 1971) recall
their excitement on joining the hobby: there was the promise of contact with
faraway places, collection of vivid QSL cards, mastery of esoteric
equipment, synchrony with the rhythms of Morse code, and the crafting of
antennas to harness action at a distance.
Most of us still feel that spark, occasionally--some on a daily
basis--experiencing the wonder all over again.
While the accoutrements and equipage of youth have evolved over the decades,
their DNA has not. Somewhere, nestled between the genetic codes for
half-pipe snowboarding, Instagram, Juul, and ambient house, there's a
dormant sequence for the Radio Art waiting to be stirred.
Is there a Battle Royale for ham radio? A tactical RPG?
What is our sorcerer's stone? Our rap?
Will Gen-Z or Gen-Alpha tickle the ionosphere, and if so...why?
To hand our batons across the chronological divide, we'll need empathetic,
open-ended inquiry.
73,
Wayne
N6KR
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