Top 25 things vanishing from America: #16 -- Ham radio
Tom Barlow
Jul 17th 2008 at 11:00AM
Filed under: Technology

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2008/07/17/top-25-things-vanishing-from-america-16
-ham-radio/2

"Many think of a ham radio operator as a tubes-and-wires geek, and
there is a certain truth to that stereotype, although today's ham is
more likely to be computer-savvy and involved in cutting-edge
technologies. However, from my personal experience, I know them to be
among our nation's best trained and most capable respondents to
disasters. In the hands of the amateur radio volunteers, disaster
communications become orderly and prioritized, as they employ the
protocols and training received in gaining their licenses. As director
of one of the nation's largest ...

snip

There were sixty knee jerk responses screaming at Tom Barlow, N8NLO.
They want him to fry in hell for suggesting such a thing as the demise
of ham radio in our generation.

But I agree with this one..

Pete, WA7JTM said...

I think Amateur Radio's biggest problem is that the government may
decide to auction off the ham bands to commercial interests. We aren't
a money generator, so why should they keep us? The computer and cell
phones have made us a curiosity more than an asset, even for
emergencies.

The biggest problem I see in the short term is how Amateur Radio is
being degraded by the type of people we are bringing into the hobby.
In the zest to increase our numbers we may be giving away the farm.

Many of the new hams I am seeing (especially on the on the VHF bands)
are apparently right off of CB are completely ignorant of any sort of
radio, and apparently personal, ethics. They tend to hang out
together, generally avoiding real hams operators, and listening to
them sounds like I am listening to channel 27. The language, and their
operating skills, are deplorable. I am not sure they can be
"retrained" out of their bad CB ways. When I listen to them operate I
am ashamed to be associated with them...we are simply not the same
type of people.

I think a massive wave of CB immigrants is a big problem if they
choose not to learn the operating skills, etiquette, and fraternity of
real Amateur Radio Operators. Time will tell if they conform to
Amateur Radio or simply conform Amateur Radio to a glorified CB.

Let's stop with the cross posting bullshit, again, shall we.