Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Ham is a hobby best shared...

The quote below taken from a member post on eHam.net

"...What EMCOM has done, though, is bring literally thousands of people into amateur radio who have absolutely zero interest in it. I know some personally. These are people like cops, medics, firefighters, EMTs, and even highway department personnel, who have been told that amateur radio is the new 'utility' backup for public safety communications. While these entrants do boost the numbers, which is the ARRL goal, they serve no other purpose in amateur radio, except for frequent misuse of it...."

I am not here to bash anyone. I agree with the author's premise that uninterested masses do not help advance the hobby; however, I do feel having more folks is much better than the alternative, and I believe it does help to preserve the amateur service if only by increasing the bottom line numbers the bureaucrats see. I'm sure the author is speaking from his experience and when looking at a group of any size one can find a way to make the sample fit the conclusion. I choose to look for the good. Find the one in ten in then newcomers that does have a desire to pursue the hobby. Befriend them and help them out. Pass along the wisdom you've gotten from those that helped you. Take the effort you have gleaned from others and invested in the hobby and share it. It's one of the best parts of ham radio. The more you learn about something, the more you appreciate it.