Musings on how Amateur Radio Lost its Way.

[Yorkie]

I don't think it lost its way - the world has just changed and its lost some of its relevance...

The essense is that RF used to be the be-all and end-all if you were interested in electronics - now its just part of the equation as technology has made huge strides and is vastly more accessible...

That's true, there are more than forty modes, but I think its a fact that most amateurs - even though some may use non-RF modes - do for the most part use RF (FM or SSB, with a bit of CW), either on HF or VHF/UHF. It's just that they mostly buy the gear these days - they don't make it any more. And such innovations as there have been in amateur radio, have for decades largely (thouh not exclusively) been driven by commercial interests rather than devloped by amateurs. (EG: D-STAR, Software Defined Radio etc).

You don't of course even need a transmitter to engage in amateur radio. I've got Echolink on my PC and can contact amateurs all over the world by using a microphone and my computer keyboard and speaker, not that I want to. I've just checked and presently, despite time zone differences, at this moment there are 160 amateurs on Echolink in Oceania, 290 in South America, 260 in North America, and 5,450 in Europe. I could call up any one of them, who might also be sat at a keyboard, but might well for example, be some guy using a hand-held VHF/UHF transceiver, walking down a street in Tokyo, in contact with Echolink via an RF repeater station, at some point linked to internet. All clever stuff: 'Is raining not in Tokyo?' Although I don't want to do that, many thousands do, and derive much enjoyment from so doing.

You can even use a 'virtual amateur radio station' on line, and if of a masochistic bent, can make life harder for yourself by introducing the sort of interference you have to put up with on air!

Well 'ard.

http://www.hamsphere.com/

Here are a couple of people who enjoy using RF to the full - OE5E and OZ1ADL- keen contesters - a four minute video of Andrew, who really is at the top of their 100 foot tower singing a country and western style song, "Come and Join us on the Airwaves", and Lissa, who really is up at 66 feet singing the harmony vocal! He's in top hat and tails, nonchalantly clinging on with one hand, swinging in the breeze. Both as mad as hatters - barking, the pair of 'em, but enjoying life.

Note to Rob ('Bushbaby') or anyone with a nervous disposition:

The following should be viewed from behind the sofa!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTUnYHwU_S8