On Mon, 22 Jul 2002, Jeffrey Clarke wrote:
> How about weak signal VHF/UHF ???? Well it's seems most of the time
> there isn't much activity in most parts of the country unless there
> is a contest going on ???
That's pretty much the case around here. There are a few people who get
on and ragchew on 144 MHz SSB but the higher bands are pretty empty except
for contests.
>
> How about digital modes ??? Well most of the guys I know that do this
> are either contesting or DXing. Sure there are guys probably handling
> traffic but the whole thing is so automated now it's like me just
> sending an email on my computer.... What's so fun about that ???
>
We just got a group going in this area to experiment with PSK31, MFSK16
etc on 144 MHz. We're using 144.150 right now. The digital modes CAN be
fun and real-time communication bewteen two people is communication
regardless of whether it's done on CW, SSB or digital modes. The digital
modes seem to be a matter of taste, though; some people don't like them.
I do. That's one thing that always intrigued me about this hobby; there
are so many different things to do.
>
> That leaves all those "ragchewers" out there. There must be tons of
> them because during the weekday the bands have have no activity. It
> picks up during the weekend but the bands are by no means crowded if it
> is a non-contest weekend.
>
>From my observation, there seems to be more ragchewing going on as a rule
on SSB than on CW. The bands are not crowded on either mode, though.
>
> I really feel bad for the future of ham radio. To do most of all the so
> called "hot" activities is many times too expensive for the newcomer.
> Maybe I shouldn't complain because when all those 50 something
> contesters are all gone in 20-30 years from now I can have 14.001 all
> to myself !!!!
>
When I got started in ham radio we had a Novice license (probably true for
most of you, too.) There was cheap Novice gear to be had. You could get
on the air for less than $100 in the late 60's and even work some DX. I
remember CO2BB used to come into the Novice band on 40 once in a while and
thrill us all. I worked a lot of Europe, Japan and Okinawa on 15 meters
as a Novice. BTW, I still have my old Novice transmitter and I measured
the power out a couple years ago just for fun, to see what I was working
all that DX with. 30 watts!
I'm not sure of the future of ham radio, either. As Yogi Berra once said,
"The future just ain't what it used to be!"
73, Zack W9SZ
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