We only have 12 years left; why worry? :)
John K7FD > On Dec 14, 2019, at 6:46 PM, EricJ <[email protected]> wrote: > > 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 >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[email protected] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message >> delivered to [email protected] >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[email protected] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered to [email protected] >> > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [email protected] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
