It's been quite a while since I added a blog, and while I know it's not a rabidly read blog, most folks who do wander here, do so from the QRZ site. So here we go...
In recent months I've pondered just what FCC rules and regulations have fundamentally changed our hobby over the last few months and more importantly, how it affects us over the coming years.
Here's my list of potential changes we'll see for the future:
1. Infusion of cash for volunteer emergency services.
With President Bush's declaration that amateur radio is an important part of homeland security, such support always means monetary grants from Washington. Many amateur radio clubs realize they have an opportunity to step up and take an active role in assisting in providing amateur volunteers and communications during terrorist or natural disaster. As we all know, during the 9/11 attacks, amateur radio provided communications adjunct to other emergency services.
2. Required upgrades to equipment and support.
To better handle our realized role in homeland security, there's a perceived need to upgrade our equipment to better utilize mobile operations, data transfer and internet integration. While much of this is already in place with modem style communications, and 2-meter/70 cm operations, current communications methods are 20 years old - occupying bandwidth which could otherwise be used for other emergency services. It is no coincidence amateur radio occupies 2-meter privileges nestled between government and civic services. The whole intent was to allow governmental acquisition of those frequencies during emergencies. In short, if we don't provide active 21st century use of those frequencies we'll be swept away faster than "low tech" video tape, dial telephones, and analog TV (it goes away next year!).
3. New ways to entice young people to embrace our hobby.
Many of our brightest engineers, technical gurus, and political leaders got their start, exposed to amateur radio at an early age. Many of these youngsters would both meet, connect and be impassioned from the "amazing" technology. I personally thought it was magic someone could make a phone call from a radio carried on the hip of my ham radio operators who visited my store in Dearborn, Michigan back in 1976. It was amazing and while I didn't get my license back then, I was enticed and eventually was re bitten by the bug just a couple of years ago.
Today's kids can get virtually all the technology, dropping by that same Radio Shack today, everything from laptop computers, wireless internet, chat boards, virtual worlds - you name it - all that "Star Trek" technology is available to them as a consumer. And that's my point, as a consumer Our hobby's future comes from new, and innovative ways to bring technology to our next generation of hams which they consider too irresistible to not get involved with amateur radio.
Tomorrows jobs and tomorrows leaders need something to test their skills, imagination, and leadership skills - a task amateur radio aptly filled for the last 80 years.
Some areas where this idea might provide traction - D*Star radio - the integration, disbursement, load balancing, and various technical aspects will require individuals familiar with and fascinated with our leading edge technology. Connectivity and integration is what we are all about, and this "new way to play radio" attracts new people into the hobby.
Community service and interest still play a role in forming a social responsibility in young people's minds. My local club in Denton County has young, middle age, and older members - they come with a sense of community and the club's main theme is to provide services during emergency. In fact all their meetings are at the EOC (Emergency Office of Communications). The building - new in every respect - boasts a state of the art communications center where hams are a integral part of the entire plan. Their positioning near emergency civic operators and their official, and welcome presence in the center helps to accommodate the need for communications. Their presence on the mobile operations vehicle, Goliath, also shows a commitment on both sides towards making cohesive, operations. It's also an exciting "on the spot" opportunity for kids leaving a lasting impression on those kids. And why not!
4. New ways to promote amateur radio.
Some of this is going on today. Routine opportunities for schools - through an amateur ground station, allow students, and the public, to communicate with the International Space Station - with willing astronauts in Q and A's familiar with major news outlets. Such things the media can relate to and provides positive feedback for NASA, education, and community groups participating in the events.
Other interesting aspects could include "shack walk-through" showing the high tech look our expanding shacks could show to others. We are many times labeled as "nutcases" but usually "brilliant nutcases"; able to do amazing things with electronics. Agreeing and suggesting local media "meet up" with that ham and that ham offering a reasoned and interesting discussion for the watching audience could spark interest.
And this one from the ARRL - how about wearing your club ID during public events. Someone asks, tell them how amateur radio and your local club contribute to the community.
And lastly, clubs must be access able to the public at large. My biggest gripe about clubs is they quickly become "clicks" - where members, once they feel comfortable within the organization fail to reach out to new members, or actively solicit new members.
Ironically, one club I belong to since November of last year has yet to have a single member walk up and talk to me; even the president who "thinks" he's very publicly minded frequently walks by, looking the other way. Some think I'm a visitor - even though I've attended virtually every single one of their meetings. This is NOT how you keep active members. You make every effort to engage new people. But this club is typical of many amateur clubs and it's just unacceptable in promoting our hobby.
5. How licensing creates new opportunities.
While many lament the loss of Element 1 - the Morse Code requirement. Many know when Canada dropped that requirement from it's own "General class" license, it was only a matter of time before the U.S. followed suit.
One thing that's changed from years past is the average American works more hours, and is bombarded with "alternative" high tech hobbies; robbing us of a potential, new ham. The relaxed licensing can get our new members quickly into the hobby. In fact, had the Morse Code requirement not been in place back in the 1970's I probably would have been a ham much sooner and celebrating 30 years in the hobby, rather than just 2!
Easier entry has also brought new folks to HF considerably faster and as anyone can note the technician class community was growing while the general and extra class has been shrinking. That's not a healthy situation and something had to be done to solve the problem. Removing Element 1 will, in the long run, benefit the hobby.
As always, it'll be up to the community to police and mentor new people coming on board. Perhaps we won't have someone so astute at AM radio or able to DX 100 stations in an hour, but then it's better to have someone occupying the frequencies rather than seeing dead air across the spectrum. Some suggest we won't have the space to handle HF communications for all the new people once the bands return. As has been suggested by the ARRL , maybe we need to more efficiently use our spectrum space and allocate it with "the future" in mind. Or perhaps understand our entire band space can be used at different times. One of my extra friends spends his time doing data communications on 2-meter via balloons and satellite, using spectrum many of his similarly licensed hams abandoned long ago.
In any case, we must consider this hobby's potential, and take it someplace the general populace wants to go. We must acknowledge that technology isn't static and the radio and procedures today may change and change drastically over the coming years. While there's tradition and the love of older radios and procedures and, indeed, we can preserve these traditions we also must move forward whenever possible to preserve our value to our non-licensed fellow citizens.
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