Do You Still Find Amateur Radio Interesting? 205
Marcos Eliziario asks: "Soon, I'll be taking the exams for a Brazilian, Class-D, Ham Radio license (Equivalent to an American Technician License) and, as I was reading about the subject, I wondered what today's geek thinks about amateur radio. In the past, Ham Radio was very popular among nerds, however with the Internet boom it seems that interest on radio, among the younger generations, is becoming dimmer each day. A lot of cool things can be done with radio, like building your own equipment, digital modes (btw, few people know that Packet Radio was born on the amateur's rank), and long distance contacts. The gear is cool, there's a lot of things to be learned about propagation, and today's Hams even use satellites to talk. Do you think that we could see a renaissance of Ham Radio among 21st century techies?"
Yes. (Score:3, Interesting)
Amateur radio interesting (Score:5, Interesting)
daditdada di ditditdit (Score:2, Interesting)
Amateur Radio and satellites (Score:5, Interesting)
no (Score:5, Interesting)
Things are totally different now. Not only is the internet a free way to communicate (free as in zero dollars per minute), but you can actually communicate with people on the internet about -- get this -- anything you like! In other words, you're not just having these stilted, stylized conversations about what your rig is.
--KB6ZD
Probably not (Score:4, Interesting)
On the outskirts of geekdom, you have people like yourself who are interested in ham radios or model trains or paper airplanes. These will pretty much always be niche geek markets because they just don't have the glamour that and visibility that the mainstream geek lifestyle provides.
Which is not to say that there aren't merits to these peripheral geek lifestyles. Ham radios, in particular, are very useful in times of crisis and crises rely on people with a sense of responsibility and social acuity. Typical geeks, if that is who you are trying to interest, are the exact opposite type of people to bring into the ham radio flock.
But be sure that what you are interested in is non-mainstream geekery. Just because something requires technical ability, it does not follow that it requires a geek to manage it. Somethings are just technically difficult and not geeky at all.
Ham radio is definitely geeky, though.
My Story (Score:4, Interesting)
That said, I've been learning morse code since Christmas and I intend to take the code test next month (the next time my local club offers the test). I'm going to order an Elecraft K2 and I'm quite excited. CW is so much more interesting than FM Voice. It takes skill, it has a challenge, and you I can hear letters and words in the series of beeps. Plus you can use it to talk to people all over the world. I'm especially excited because the K2 is a big electronics kit. The fact is once you get past a few blinking LED kits and such there are just no electronic kits to build that take any skill.
I find it kind of interesting, but I can see why some people don't think it's terribly interesting. Many of the things that used to make ham radio so interesting (being able to talk to people across the country or the world for free) are no longer unique (thanks to the internet and basically free long-distance calling).
It's too bad eHam has been down for 2 days (at least). I've wanted to post on their message board but I can't (since... it's down). I don't suppose anyone knows why?
hams are more important now than ever before (Score:3, Interesting)
I've learned more in the last 6 months about RF theory than I did in my previous 33 years of life combined. And looking ahead I see I still have quite a lot to learn.
Once I've broken in my soldering iron learning to make a few different kinds of antennas for my radio, I'm looking forward to buidling a couple of APRS rigs. One for my car, the other for my All Terrain Vehicle. I might even put one in my backpack for when I'm out backpacking in the mountains and my family is worried about me being alone in the wilderness. They will be able to follow my progress.
I find out about severe weather conditions before the mass media can report it. Indeed, it is radio amateurs that provide the weather service with early warnings of approaching dangerous weather patterns. Living in the hurricane belt, and an area not unknown for springtime tornadoes, this is valuable to me.
Of course when the storms hit, and the public infrastructure goes down (including internet, cell phones, land lines) I can still communicate with people in and out of my immediate area.
As our world becomes more and more dependent on technological infrastructure, I think it is that much more important to preserve and grow the amateur radio service to be there as a fallback for when all of those other communications mediums fail (and they do, frighteningly often). During 9/11 attacks it was radio amateurs providing communications capabilities to the first responders in Manhatten. During the major power blackout in the northeastern US a few years back, it was radio amateurs that passed emergency communications reliably. During the rescue efforts following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it was radio amateurs coordinating emergency communications between all of the different rescue groups involved. Despite all of this newfangled technology we enjoy today, it only works when things are going well. When things aren't going well, we still need radio.
Re:My Story (Score:5, Interesting)
If you look up last Sunday's Fox Trot comic strip, you'll see Jason tap dancing. In the last panel he is telling his friend Marcus that he didn't get into the talent show because one of the judges knew morse code. It was so cool for me to be able to figure out what the message was ("Some day I will rule you all") without having to go to a translator program on the internet.
Lots of people know Spanish, or French, or other such things. Morse code is a true geek language.
gnuradio (Score:5, Interesting)
Once things move along it would be nice to have a portable gnuradio hardware that could interface to a PDA for HT uses.
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
I'd say "yes," conditionally... (Score:5, Interesting)
That's a shame, because there is still some really-interesting stuff happening on the fringes. For the technically inclined, eBay has made it possible to obtain equipment and components for Amateur "homebrewing" that major military/commercial labs were damned lucky to have in the 70s and 80s. It is hard to overemphasize how cool that is. Even most hams don't realize that they can own better RF equipment and components than NASA had when they launched Voyager and Pioneer.
Ham radio gives you a great framework for engagement with every technology from software-defined radio to microwave communications to precision timekeeping. Build that DC-to-daylight receiver you've always wanted... the one the Feds won't let you buy off the shelf. Run your own "Amateur Deep Space Network" receiver site [free-online.co.uk], or communicate with other people all over the world by bouncing your signal off the Moon. There is still more cool stuff to learn and do in Amateur Radio than you will ever have time to tackle... if you don't fall into the trap of thinking it's all a bunch of old farts carrying walkie-talkies around for no good reason. Like lawyers, 98% of hams give the rest a bad name.
There are a few links on my site (in the comment header) to various homebrew/experimental projects, but most of them are broken at the moment due to a hosting move that's taking way longer than it was supposed to. Anyone interested in the technical side of things is welcome to email me for advice and indoctrination.
In short: some parts of ham radio have benefitted tremendously from the advent of the Internet; but yeah, it's also true that many of the other aspects are less relevant than ever. You get out of the hobby what you're willing to put into it.
Maybe a new amateur mode is needed? (Score:3, Interesting)
IP over radio. I mean, sure, we have wi-fi repeaters, etc., but there are so many other cool things to do with IP over radio. And considering the fun (and interest) people have in hacking wi-fi, it reminds me of the fun ham operators had. Maybe it's time to create a pure digital license? Create a low-cost digital packet radio that some one could build at home for a $100 worth of parts or less.
When the corporations start locking down the Internet, IP-Ham could become the next big thing for geeks. Heh, makes the idea of getting SPAM over an IP-Ham connection sound even funnier.
Packet got me going! (Score:3, Interesting)
I got really interested in KA9Q TCP/IP packet operation, including variants like JNOS, and it's what probably launched me in understanding TCP/IP networking--obviously very useful today. I always waited and waited for native Windows TCP/IP packet drivers. You know, install a driver, hook up a serial-connected TNC, configure the settings, and voila, packet-based networking. Problem is that it never happened--(at least I don't think it did. Does anyone know of native Windows drivers (XP, preferably) that would facilitate TCP/IP packet connectivity?)
Though TCP/IP was considered the "icing" on the preverbial cake, interestingly, setting up simple digipeaters, local nodes, and packet BBS's were so simple and very fun. It was just amazing to be able to wirelessly connect to other computers in the area.
Probably the most exciting event was actually hearing a packet station in space! I honestly can't remember if it was MIR or a shuttle mission, but I do remember getting an copying the ID text. Very exciting!
I always hoped that someone would market a multi-band handheld HT that incorporated a TNC with a keyboard that would let me have a truely portable packet radio system. I think Kenwood still has a model or two with an integrated TNC, but it's quite pricy, and I don't know how input works....
Anyway, Ham radio filled a technological niche for me at a time when I was ripe for wireless data communication. Unfortunatly, the Internet reared it's head, and my packet radio days eventually faded. I still have my 2m HT, TNC, and software. I've been thinking lately of setting it up again to see what it'll do.
Re:I'd say "yes," conditionally... (Score:2, Interesting)
Ham radio is dead. It is not cutting-edge. It is not exciting. It is not a viable or useful communications medium except in a state of emergency, where despite everyone's best efforts, government communication falls on its face during a disaster.
And the ONLY reason that the government systems still fall on their face is that, even with expensive plug-boards like the JPS ACU-1000, they're STILL reliant on a commercial vendor (whom they can't reach, because Things Are Fucked) to program the bloody Motorola radios and make sense of the frequencies, PL tones, and integration issues between sites and formats.
So, government employees don't know how to program a radio. What a loser of a reason for hams to exist.
Most of the times, I see hams talking on their radios more about being hams than about anything useful. Such-and-such repeater is acting up, So-and-so's ratty homebuilt antenna took damage in yesterday's wind, would you please show up early and make the coffee for the weekly radio club meeting this Thursday, I'm standing in the park in $towntwentymilesaway talking into an HT HOW DO I SOUND?
These conversations are point-to-point in subject, and also pointedly boring. But they are (unfortunately) shared with everyone.
IM, or even SMS would be better for this sort of banter, but of course, since the IM systems typically Actually Work, then there'd not be so much to talk about, much less any need for a club (often with real property, even) to exist to talk about just how cool Jabber is to use.
See, these days, I don't need to build a high-power low-frequency Yagi to talk to Europe from Ohio. I just pick up my Vonage phone and dial. It's free, as in I don't pay anything extra to do so, so why not? Give it a year or two, and the same thing will happen for cell phones, making the whole game completely wireless, and far lighter than a 5-Watt portable.
Satellite? I just sent a file to Germany that was over 100 megabytes, and it only took a few minutes on my residential broadband. Isn't "satellite" just another term for "fickle, expensive, and slow"?
And Pioneer? Voyager? Dude: I carry more technology than that in my fucking wristwatch. I should -hope- that amateur radio has advanced similarly...but that doesn't make it fun, or exciting. It just makes it more advanced than it used to be. (Duh.)
Ham radio was, I thought, supposed to be about communicating in ways which otherwise weren't possible with people who otherwise were unreachable. It used to be high-tech. It used to be cutting-edge.
That time is past.
Re:Radio? (Score:5, Interesting)
Still find it interesting (Score:2, Interesting)
There are lots of sub groups to the hobby, specializing in areas like contesting, VHF/UHF/SHF weak signal work, public service events like bike rides, walks, digital (computer) modes, software radios, and lots more.
There will always be naysayers who say the hobby is dying, to me it just seems like it is evolving.
If you are interested in it, go for it, if you don't like it, move on to something else!
Exactly! (Score:3, Interesting)
Want to start with some small radios and learn more about electronics at the same time? There are many [qrpkits.com] interesting [fix.net] kits [elecraft.com] around [ac6v.com] if you look [qrpradio.com]. You certainly don't have to spend huge amounts on radios to get started. I paid ~$120US for my VX-2R [yaesu.com] when they were first introduced. It makes a great general purpose scanner too.
Newer modes like PSK31 [bi.ehu.es] are incredibly efficient. A couple of watts of power and 31Hz of radio spectrum and you have error free world wide digital communication at 50wpm. It is difficult to audibly detect the signal while listening, even when you know it is there.
Why don't you ask this about Sailing, etc? (Score:3, Interesting)
are a bit like folks who sail.
They're doing something that has roots way back in time.
Eg, using Morse Code (radiotelegraphy = CW mode) on radio
is akin to sailing without an engine...
both "modes" depend on technologies developed years ago.
Now, who ever asks folks who sail
whether Sailing is "still" interesting?
(It must be; otherwise, sailboat, etc. would never sell...)
Why should this article's question be asked ONLY of Radio Hams' hobby?
Perhaps telecoms or other [would-be] big spectrum users
would like to push Hams from their allocated frequencies.
ham radio limitations (Score:3, Interesting)
Even if you had the license and radio to make a call throught the "phone patch", you couldn't order a pizza, it would be technically illegal, along with anything that could be considered "commerce". And "no encryption" meant not being able to use "packet radio" for something as simple as personal email without literally broadcasting it publicly. No thanks.
If a few channels of Amateur bandwidth were liberated from these two regulatory relics, I think we would see see the same interest we see in WI-FI excite Amateur radio as well. A few small slivers of "long range wi-fi" bandwidth could spark an Amateur radio renaissance, and amazing tech advances, as in the past.
I'm not holding my breath, though. Giving Americans more freedom, especially for private long-distance communication, would probably not be too fashionable in Washington these days. Pray for peace, and better days to come.
Re:Yes. (Score:3, Interesting)
Just looking at the pictures in the ham radio books demonstrates that this hobby's high point passed back in the 70s. Read some QST magazines: yawn. So until I stumble upon someone local who's roughly my age (30s), I'm unlikely to actively participate. Back in the day the geeks were into radios, but now they're into the internet, so I predict ham radio will continue it's slow decline.
Re:Yes. (Score:3, Interesting)
Just looking at the pictures in the ham radio books demonstrates that this hobby's high point passed back in the 70s. Read some QST magazines: yawn. So until I stumble upon someone local who's roughly my age (30s), I'm unlikely to actively participate. Back in the day the geeks were into radios, but now they're into the internet, so I predict ham radio will continue it's slow decline.
Well, I'm in my mid-30s and I don't let the age difference get in my way. There are at least two hams under 20 that I know of and talk with from time to time (one of them actually seeks me out at every hamfest.... he lives about 100 miles from me and so we don't get to eyball much), and several in my area who are mid-to-late 30s.
The trick is to find a club that has not calcified. I am the treasurer of the Schenectady Museum Amateur Radio Association [smara.com], a club with about 50 members (52, actually, last I checked the records), and yes, we do have some geezers in the club, but all of the club officers are currently in our 30s, except for our VP, who is in his late 20s. The active core of the club ranges from age 25 to 40, averaging probably in the high 30s. We operate two repeaters, one of which participates in a New York State-wide network, and an eQSO link (W2IR/L, usually on room 101-English). We have a permanent station in the basement of the Schenectady Museum featuring an Icom 746Pro HF transceiver and several 6m/2m/440 transceivers, all of which are available to any club member in good standing (competence test required) during Museum hours.
Our club is also open to other types of radio hobbyists, such as scannists and SWLs. We try to nurture and cross-pollinate these different radio hobbies.
On the other hand, there is a rival club also in our fair city, which club has indeed calcified. Last year, their field day operation was out of commision for all but about 8 hours due to a lack of participants. Ours went on the air at the start and stayed on the full 24 hours.
Another local ham activity is the Capital District Commuter Net, every morning on the 146.94 repeater. It's kind of an informal net, and is used to exchange traffic conditions throughout the Albany/Schenectady/Troy area. It puts ham radio to a specific purpose, and often puts traffic conditions in front of you before the broadcast radio does.
Headed elsewhere... (Score:3, Interesting)
Actually, limiting the question to "Ham Radio" is too specific. The HF frequency has been historically the most interesting, because of it's unique propogation. These days, that worldwide propogation simply isn't as desirable as it used-to be.
OTOH, communications in other frequencies have skyrocketed. Digital Satellite TV/Radio/Internet cover most of the planet. Cell towers are going up everywhere. Wireless communications with 802.11 is incredibly popular, and some cities are being fully covered. Digital terrestrial TV/Radio promise to seriously increase the number of people recieving transmissions via the airwaves. et al.
So, while voice communications over HF seem to be declining, I expect you'll see most people refocusing their efforts in higher frequency digital communications. 802.11 certainly has the potential to bring the same kind of community aspect (and do-it-yourself improvents) as Ham has, except it will be digital content of every kind, including music and high-def videos, not just voice communications.