My thoughts on the future of HAM RADIO | OFCOM proposed changes
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2023
- Thanks for taking an interest into the proposed changes to ham radio in the UK. These potential changes could go a long way to keeping the hobby alive. It’ll be interesting to see how the hobby progresses into the future.
www.ofcom.org.uk/consultation...
I'm a licensed amateur radio operator from the United Kingdom. My RUclips channel features videos focusing on operating portable radio from various locations plus how to videos, tutorials, insights and conversations in the hobby.
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I think foundation level should be given 50 watts to attract and retain operators.
That's right 10 watts is disappointing & 20 watts isnt far off that ...
50 watts on foundation would certainly attract lots more operators., & There's not many rigs that are 20 maximum on the market , so I think that's another option ofcom should consider & building isn't for everyone & errecting Ariel's on flats & house's so 10 watts isnt quite enough 20 won't be far off that
I own a uv5r at 4.0 watts max is kindheartedly disappointing.
If you were given 50W at Foundation, would you then want 100W ?
@@adamap2796 50 watts would be ample for my needs. I would gladly study to upgrade my license, if I wanted more wattage. However, I mostly listen to wires x, dmr hot spot, sdr, broadcast and other digital modes. I like experimenting with HF using G5RV junior, eflw, vertical and mag loop antennas, so 50 watts should be ample.
@@adamap2796 Oh, I forgot to mention, I love your videos and cooking. Learned a lot from you over the years.
@@tonypoloney8721 I find 50W more than adiquate for either VHF repeater access 40 miles away or HF DX 4,000+ miles away. I have no need to updrade to full.
I support the changes 100%
I hope these new proposals are put into being I for one will be glad to get rid of the 2E0 call that I hold and 100w will be nice, make it easier to run a HF station it's only 3db difference anyway but I totally agree with what you are saying as a whole to the hobby it needs to move with the times.73 John 2E0FQC.
I don't think 100W is enough for Intermediates (I am one). I feel 200W would be more fair.
I am in 100% agreement with the proposals. I’d encourage all licensees to respond to the feedback request.
All-in-all it's a pretty healthy refresh to the current license conditions. I would maybe have made more power available to Foundation license holders because, let's face it, a large number of them are running 100W radios already and some are much more accomplished operators than some of the old wrinkles that you hear on 80 and 40....
Yes good point, plenty of foundation level ops have decent CB experience and/or commercial/Mil experience
Utter nonsense. Which is also what I hear from a lot of foundation operators; I’ll informed ignorant nonsense. I shiver when I hear some of the things foundation operators just don’t know. But hey, that’s where we are now. A world where rewarding ignorance and lack of effort is encouraged.
@@kellypaws I hear just as much nonsense, if not more, from grey-beard old timers. Earlier today I heard a pair of full-licensed dinosaurs on the 40m band bemoaning how the hobby had become dumbed-down. One actually said to the other "They've got no interest in the technical side. They don't understand the V equals I over R or any of that....".
I rest my case.
@@kellypaws
Foundation-level licensees are just that, foundation-level. Some have far more advanced technical knowledge than others often because of their working/professional history. I came into the hobby from a non-technical background but fortunately, I was encouraged by others to learn and progress.
Sadly this hobby is being held back by short-sighted individuals only capable of criticism and petrified of change.
I shiver at the appalling standard of English nowadays (I’ll informed 'sic') but that is where we are now.
Carl, a very nice review on the changes and future of amateur radio in the U.K. I really enjoyed your in depth explanation of the proposed changes, thank you for sharing your views, and I do agree with your views on how our hobby should go in the future.
I am unlicensed but from what I have heard,I can't see anything bad at all. I particularly like the Idea of letting anybody operate under supervision. This is a good way of getting people in. My only negative is the internal country prefix. I simply like that tradition and that is all it is.
great stuff Carl. I am an older bloke BUT I think these are a great set of proposals. Some just cannot handle change. Not sure about changing calls or re-issuing lapsed ones (SK). Apart from that this looks like a good set of changes which should help us in the hobby. Really like the idea of being able to let people operate a station under supervision. That should draw them in! Keep up the good work.
I was thinking of you today mate. There was a program on Radio 4 about Wedgewood and the Potteries. The fellow in the museum sounded just like you Carl..!!
We’re all clones with different hair pieces.
You would both look good wearing a barristers wig.
Coooook and Booook
Thanks for the video Carl I agree totally with what you said. Changing hopefully for the better!
I am glad the majority of folk approve of the new proposals,it shows they have listened to what people want these days…Good little video👍
Good video. Agree with your comments
So, I'm 37, been involved with electronics for years and have taken a bit of interest in ham radio over the past few years but never got my licence, just listening on various bands with a scanner and SDR. Mostly because I'm nosey. Not just voice, data and SSTV too.
Whilst getting the licence is a bit of a hassle, the biggest off-putting thing is that the hobby feels like it's dominated by means rather than ends. To many they obsess over the technical aspects rather than genuinely intersting conversations & interactions. Radio is a tool to communicate after all. By that, I mean most of the conversations I've heard are either very dry transactional talk about each others equipment (ohh err missus) tx power etc, or rag chewing like a parody of "Barry from Watford" talking about buying minty biscuits using his wife's disabled badge. To any non-ham listening in, it's not exactly inviting.
The long term future of Ham radio is doomed in its current state. The younger generation are more interested in the ends rather than the means.Content is key. Social media is huge but almost no teen knows actually how their mobile phone actually works, and few care to learn. In addition the culture on the airwaves is completely foreign to most people. If it is to survive it needs to encourage less formality on the air for starters.
What it could also do with, is for Tiktok or RUclips stars to get involved. "I sent memes to the space station" etc sort of content as most people don't even realise the hobby even exists! As long as Barry is talking about minty biscuits or John is talking about his inverted v from a shed in the garden, it will always be an ever declining niche.
I agree with most of the Ofcom proposals by the way Just not sure we need 1kw.
Well said sir
Nicely explained Carl I agree with all the proposals
They need to allow to book and complete test completely online I am struggling to find anywhere that does them especially since covid.
You have been able to book and complete the test on line for over 3 years. 3000 new foundation licenses were gained during Covid via the online test route 🤷♀️
All change. I recall having to study the BR68 back in the day. Both Class A and B required passing a C&G exam. Jus tpassing the exam would gain class B which allowed full licenced power on all bands from 50 MHz upwards as I recall. For Class A require a morse test and allowance to HF. Back in the day is caused no end of issues with objectors saying that Class B should not be allowed on HF without morse test.
Daft thing was some of the best people who knew about RF and EMC were often class B operators who had professional jobs in communications engineering and were often too busy with jobs, wifes and children to be bothered learning morse just to go on HF. Thankfully all those arguments have passed and everything seems much more flexible today.
Anyway I'm 48 and have a G7R series callsign. Passed the exam back in 1993.
@johnclarke: Yes, John - that was always a silly argument put up by the “Class A” licenced operators, especially when the “Class B” operator has passed exactly the same C&G technical exam! The argument that the learning of Morse code makes one a better Ham operator just did not make sense.
Yes it all sounds good for the future of Ham radio, your video puts across some of the Ofcom proposed changes very well indeed. Sometimes I do tend to have an axe to grind over some issues in Ham radio, as I have already mentioned elsewhere, but I guess that's the way it is these days, it is as it is. You are certainly correct by saying we need to keep the hobby alive, and making it more interesting for young people is certainly the way to go. I have been in the hobby now for well over 45 years, way too long I guess, so for me it's certainly changed a lot over more recent years. Ham radio is a great hobby, let's hope it continues to attract newcomers, who will find it as interesting as I have done over the years. 👍
Would a novice balanced reprocipical agreement help the UK hams aswell as others visiting ? Tnx E.
A great vid as usual Carl. Reading the comments I do wonder how many will type in reponse to the OFCOM report. The hobby has changed so much over the years and so have the demogrpahics of those who are participating, or on the cusp. It is not all about running power, although it is good on that front. I feel that more emphasis needs to be in the risk assessments being completed, then showing that the station can work within the parameters of the increased power limits. Yes, there are some things that need to be understood a bit more, but overall, those that have sat down and worked through this have done a very good job in producing a hefty doc. Now all we need is for ALL to lift our heads and look at the direction we would like this hobby to go and comment.
My concern is about the 1kw limit, to get 1kw into the end of an antenna (as the licence says) one would need an amplifier to "push" more than that to get the 1kw into the antenna end (did that make sense) So if you managed to pump 1kw into a 9db yagi thats possibly 8kw popping out into the either, that could cause more "alligater" stations (big shouty mouth, tiny ears) to be on the air and swamp the 100w stations out there, (did you like the alligator and swamp thing i did there )
Yes I liked the swamp and alligator thing, it wasn’t a croc of shite 😊
That example does not totally pan out, antenna gain factors on receive too. The "full" power limit has only increased by 4dB, less than an a S-point.
From one old geezer to another. I am very much in agreement with your views on the proposals, in fact as I see it, ofcom/RSGB are playing catchup 10 or more years too late. I see it more as a fight for survival of the hobby as much as a genuine desire to simplify matters.
Please ! he is only 29 last BD - 73s
They should have brought back the requirment for practical and theory training unless you have knowkedge from a career background you have to learn and pass an increasingly difficult exam on on your own. I have spoken to a new ham who did not even know what a pl259 was let along how to put it on a length of coax, all the simple basic skills used to be taught on a short course by volunteers from local clubs. These changes on the whole are needed.
Changing callsigns must be supported for anything international. In the US you can change as often as you like. So long as you can confirm the date of the change it should be fine.
The overall changes are good. Good job RSGB for the work they must have been doing behind the scenes.
I passed my intermediate a few weeks ago and I thought it automatically cancelled the foundation licence. I do like the proposed changes.
Fully support these changes, if it helps Ofcom manage the spectrum better then great. I would love to have the real estate to run 1000w, i can’t even run 100w on some bands.
I don’t know how well this is being advertised, I only found out about because i sign up to Ofcom emails, i’ve had nothing from the rsgb.
I agree with this, and as someone who is newly interested in HAM radio I like the idea of integrating RPI projects and building repeaters and such. I agree with some of the comments about practical, but you can learn a lot on the internet, and for me I have previous electronics knowledge and programming knowledge so i find i can pick it up fairly well.
I will be taking an online course and taking my exam online without the help of a club (well not a in person club). But if your interested in in the subject matter you continue to learn before you go on air and during.
Bring it on.
👍👍
Interesting stuff Carl. As far as facebook forums go i find that they have loads of members but activity is very limited and not very deep as far as technically goes. Deffo not as good as the old yahoo groups..
How can you pass the the M6 2E ect to new ops when the callsigns are registered on say POTA WWFF SOTA ect ?
I'm sure most software devs can run a database query and alter the existing callsign or clear it. If callsigns are going to be recycled quicker then thats a good point about databases like POTA etc
Dear Carl,
Is that a fake rubber laptop you have on the desk in this video, or has it had a close encounter with a large Breville toaster regarding its edge?
Yours,
TheVicar
It’s the surface pro that I use when camping/doing portable radio so it’s battered.
I am a lapsed license holder and for sometime been thinking about reapplying and getting back in to it. The problem is that I am from the old school where it was just class A and class B. So have no idea what the new foundation, intermediate and full license means. Looked on RUclips and can find no information of what I need to apply for. Any suggestions from anyone which one need to apply for? Any RUclips videos you can suggest? To get a full license do you still have to take a Morse test?
No, you have been given A class rights, and your new license will have full on it, de G 1 EGZ full license holder,m
Foundation 50W intermediate 200W full 1.2KW
Have read the proposed changes and have no problems with any of them. What is important is to respond to OFCOM (whether you agreee or not or just with some of them). It's a well considered piece of work (unusual for a government organisation) and I think they have carefully drafted their proposals - kudos to them. Interestingly, I haven't used M6CTX since 2013 but very occasionally, I still get QSO confirmations for that callsign. Presumably, someone has uploaded their logs to QRZ or LoTW after 10 years! Will it cause me concern? No. But, like you I have a sentimental feeling to my first C/S. I wonder if I give it up, will the new potential holder after 2 more years get my 2014 confirmations? Overall, am in total favour of the new changes. I like the power changes, I like the way this aligns us with the majority of the EU and US. As a full callsign holder I will not routinely run 1000W, but you can bet I will relish the chance to do so if required.
When it comes to changes some people are not going to like it. I still hear old timers who think everyone should have to take a morse code test and that requirement was dropped 35 years ago. Change is good.
Change is good!
change for the sake of change is NEVER good, but this is change for a valid reason, and is very good and not before time.
Agree, but the morse requirement was actually dropped in July 2003 when it was dropped by the ITU, one year after I took it, not 35 years ago 👍
@@adamap2796 in the US it was February 14, 1991. 32 years (close enough to 35).
@@problemwithauthority 5 words per minute if you were technician yes, it was not formally dropped for other classes until the ITU authorised it July 5 2003.
Read the document and agree with the proposal overall. I've certainly no outright objections.
My only thought is that there's a few 2m/70cm radios out there with a medium power setting of 25w. Would it make more sense for foundation holders to get 25w rather than 20?
I thought the same as many chinese dual band radio are upto 25w but I guess a lenght of lossy coax will attenuate that.
There only proposal I am against is releasing a silent keys callsign only two years after death. A grandchild might like to take it up in ten years.
UK power limits are generally at the antenna feedpoint, you'll be fine with a few feet of cable.
@@Superfandangoo there is nothing new about reissuing old callsigns.
Foundation licence is ideal still for the CB types now with higher power for non technical operators. Then straight to the top with one technical exam..I agree with that.
As a Canadian ham radio enthusiast, I 10,000% support these changes. If our licensing authority over here hasn't implemented some of these changes (and I think little has changed since COVID started), operators here would greatly benefit.
I wonder if you are also a mathematics enthusiast
@@hamandshortwaveradioirelan4773 Mathematics is an Achilles heel of mine, lol! I appreciate it - but I historically have had the tendency to not do very well until recently (right when I started secondary school in 2019).
@@dukeofrodtown1705 - percentages can be up to 100% confusing
Blimey, everyone's jumping out of the woodwork regarding these changes!!?? , As a fellow m0, of 18 years and foundation etc prior to that from 2003, it's the biggest change since 20 + years ago!
Hello Carl , thank you for sharing this topic .
I've hared that unfortunately the future of ham radio is likely to be doomed very soon & that there are thousands of commercial companies that want to purchase the ham radio frequency bands on a global scale , if this should happen there will be thousands of jobs lost within the ham radio industry.
Sadly as the older generations pass on there's far less numbers joining the hobby , that being said as I understand for various reasons there's CB operators that are taking the entry level exam , I would imagine that these are the highest numbers that are currently applying for the entry level licence ?.
I think that the ham radio industry should introduce a whole new perspective on the hobby , for example general advertising & somehow making the hobby look attractive advertising to the younger generation male & female ,something like a young couple on camping holiday contacting another young couple across the other side of the world with nice background settings & all that , it's difficult to describe , if the young advertisers can pull it off by making the hobby look attractive & different it may just set the trend ?, the hobby needs more colour & it needs to be more user friendly without all the rocket science ,however health & safety & allocated user frequencies with correct radio etiquette is absolutely paramount with strict rules as it can't be like CB radio !...
The entry level exam needs to be broken down to even more basic steps if Ham radio is to survive ,.
If the above is true regarding the commercial purchase of ham frequencies radio operators licences will soon become invalid & that would be a nightmare , so the more that enrol the better it will be for everyone .
I myself have been on the airwaves for sometime , sadly there's very little in terms of any sort of social or desirable interest in radio communication at the moment , it just seems all white older male orientated not that there's anything wrong with that , it would just be a breath of fresh air to see new alternatives .
Personally I don't think this will happen due to mobile phones & internet , I hope that I'm wrong ?.
As for digital ham radio & so forth , it's essentially more or less like just sending an email , it's just the radio rather then a computer , but each to their own & I can understand the technical challenge & I guess that's what makes the hobby interesting , as in the art of radio .
From my observations, there seems to be a lot of apathy. This is a great opportunity to shape the future of UK licensing and operating. One not to be missed.
It’s funny how your Ofcom and our FCC have such opposite ways of thinking. Here in the USA we can run 1500 watts with a Technician license ( I guess that would be equivalent to your foundation license) but has NO HF privileges except on 10 meters and CW only on 80,40 and 15 meters. Now I ask you, how many newcomers to Amateur radio know CW? So 80, 40, and 15 are useless to them. And over by you, you guys have HF privilege but no power to go anywhere with it.
Now if Ofcom and the FCC got together, we would have a really good entry level into Amateur radio..
QRP and 10 meters is not going to be to inspirational to the new Ham, especially if the band conditions and solar cycle are down... Now I’m not saying let’s make amateur radio like CB! But a bit more power and a few more choices in bands will keep the newcomers more interested.
@@_NeuroTech_ You missed the point...
I’ve been running QRP for years, and still do. But making contacts with a bit more power especially in a pileup is a bit easier. Especially for the new ham who might get discouraged when he can hear a CQ but not might be able to make contact with said CQ.
Nothing wrong with low power. I just say a 100 w is a benefit to the newer hams.
ofcom also need to clamp down on m7's and 2e0 using 60m, and also the good old g0 & m0 tx out of band on 60m ft8, most days you can find operators txing too high up on the waterfall & being out of band, there is also a few m3's that are definately using 10w into a linear one in particular has the linears switched on in his page picture on qrz !!, yes i have a full license a paid for short call which cost me £20 after i passed my advanced as my first full call it is doable but has to be done over the phone as opposed to online
60m is a complex beast of an allocation as it nestles amongst other restrictions. When I tried to learn the band the FB 60m group was not a very welcoming place for newcomers, it may have improved now 3 years later.
60m FT8 makes it far too easy to operate just above the band, I know I have done it a few times accidentally. It is a "messy" allocation in that respect.
Where is the best place for me to train, apply for a license? (38yro)
Use the RSGB club finder and contact your nearest club rsgb.org/main/clubs/club-finder/ also checkout EssexHam via Google search
I’m based in Cornwall and looking to start my journey with ham, can anyone recommend a club please. I’ve googled it now.
As a ex g4 and a very old geezer, now a zl, iam always glad to see new proposals to future proof what many old geezers gave their time for.
I am happy to say, as far as I know, in zl men, women and youngsters make up the large club memberships around the country, but as iam a old geezer, iam just happy if someone answers my cw cq hi. Cw qrp rules hi. Oh no, I will get hate mail again saying that.
Cheers Carl, you are a gentleman. 73.
@brianfields4479: Hi Brian - a nice light-hearted fun-posting from you! No - you won’t (and shouldn’t) get any hate mail, as it’s you old-timers that kept Ham Radio going all these years. Even though cw qrp floats your boat! Some would say that life is too short for qrp (especially using phone/voice), but I do know many 5W & 10W qrp operators using phone very successfully, some of them Foundation (currently 10W max) who are quite happy to remain at that licence level. It makes me smile at times when I hear Hams using 200-400 Watts when talking to those qrp stations!
It's all academic when you can't hear anything below -60dBm between 1MHz and 150MHz due to non-wireless noise makers. Ofcom will not act on interference to the amateur service if the source is not from wireless telegraphy equipment. Unless the interference is from WT equipment it is not considered harmful. This was the response I got from Ofcom when I reported severe VDSL2 and Solar Inverter interference. So I couldn't care less what changes they make to the license.
M8 and M9 going to be used for intermediate license
Oh that’s even more confusing
A long overdue rewrite of the licence for the 21st century. I've answered yes to everything with only an odd comment here and there. I think RSLs should still be encouraged but understand they aren't essential to Ofcom or the radio regulations and ditto the /suffixes. I can still remember the arguments over the amateur with a handheld at a different location (/A. /P or /M) ;=)
Proposal from abroad: Only Cept- Class-1 Licences, equivalent to the UK Full, may operate in the UK - lower licence levels are not recognised by Ofcom. It would be very welcome if that would be changed. Intermediate or entry level license tests in the european countries are very similar. Or even harder education- wise. So more Ham Radio enthusiasts may visit UK. Go on vacation, go to restaurants, go shopping. It would be a benefit for the country.
3 levels of licensing are nonsense. Adopt CEPT Novice + CEPT HAREC and yes, accept foreign Novices.
By the way in my country novices have all bands all modes + 100 W limit. Of course when there's no lower limit due to secondary allocation.
I've not see anyone have any strong feelings against the proposals and I think they are overall very positive.
I'm mixed on releasing my other call signs, like you they're more for sentimentality but I don't assume there are not legitimate reasons why additional call signs might be a benefit.
Ince all the G and M calls from silent keys are free for re-use we'll have an abundance of call signs available creating less need to revoke them. The arguments seem to be more down to inefficiencies in OFCOM's systems that don't recognise there is one person behind multiple call signs so they may send out duplicate letters etc but surely that's just bad systems design and not something they can't fix with a bit of effort on their part.
On the whole I think they’re long overdue changes. I doubt many M7s and 2x0s actually stick to the rules regarding power anyway. I spoke to an ex-president on this and he agreed that most were probably running 100w. I would have liked to see some tighter control of band plans particularly regarding digital which often spreads into the CW area obliterating someone who is already established on a frequency. The idea of someone being able to send FT8 at 1kw ….perhaps there should have been a lower power limit for digital?
To be fair, the power limits for Intermediates particularly are a disgrace. Even 100W isn't enough. If Advanced are getting another 600W on top of their existing 400W, then Intermediates should get at least 200W.
@@johnratcliffe6438 I achieved my DXCC on 100w or less. I don’t see how it isn’t enough.
@@_NeuroTech_ Good to hear. I am by no means tarnishing all m6/m7/2 just making an observation. It’s annoying to hear an m7 break a pileup when I can’t get through with 200w.
Nothing too controversial in the new proposals, a bit more streamlined for internet connected stations. The power limits are the headline for many, until now my HF amplifier has had a very easy life, though it is rarely used...
Removal of lower licences is bad, if you want to surrender the lower licences you can do that as it is, don't force people to. I still use the M3 call on a few things like APRS/packet data and it is more traceable to me than my name. I wholeheartedly agree that power should be increased across the board, 20w/100/1kw would be a real advantage for a lot of people, as you say, most understand the risks involved and negate them.
THere is no Gender issue, yes there are more men in the hobby, but that's through the demographic reasoning of more men took up the hobby years ago, there are a lot of female licencees, especially in the east of England. What does need to change is the attitude of a lot of older men to the women and girls, I know a lot of girls that don't use their licences becasue the men were not nice to them. Things like "Foundation licence isn't a proper licence" and the like, Education is key to the hobby's survival.
Just for info, this is the first information I've had on changes, Offcom have an obligation to inform of changes or proposed changes, they have not done this for these changes.
It’s at public consultation stage so that is what they are doing. When it comes to changing licences they do not need to inform you individually. The licence allows them to do it by publishing a general notice on their website.
@overlandready: Hear hear, regarding your M3 Foundation call. As you, I have an M3 callsign in addition to my full callsign, which I use when qrp/P, /M and /MM, and particularly when in QSO with other qrp and Foundation stations. I can hear them, so they can certainly hear me on 10W!
The secondary schools have no interest in Amateur radio my daughter is a 2E0 and i have tried to get a club in her school without success the school is so scared to get into something out of there depth the club has tried to get the science teachers involved but got no where . My generation were around in the cb boom of the 70's & 80's so most of us had a little experience of radio the young now days have no experience at all to fall back on . Until the schools open the door we are fighting a losing battle .
The problem is that the Radio licences have not moved with technology, 5w, 20w, 400w, you do not need all this power? is all outdated, ie working out the difference between resistors in series and parallel, why do you need all this information unless you build a radio, yourself, which most people just buy the radio they need , the whole system of licensing needs to embrace the technolgy. and update, including the exams?
Max 100 watts for all licence holders would be my recommendation .
Interesting
But you already use 100W now John 🤔
You should have set it to music 😂
Scrap foundation level and just get stuck in to it. The rest is just BS
What are you going to do with the 70+ Carl , revoke their licences ??
Not sure how you get to that view?
@@M0SZT Carl, if you look at 8:51 and 9:09 minutes on your video. It could be construed that you wish only the younger generation to carry the torch for Amateur radio.
Some of us old geezers have a wealth of knowledge and experience. if young and old work together I am sure the hobby will prosper.
Enjoy the videos Carl watched them all. Not sure if this old geezer would still be in a tent on a mountain side though.
@@ronandrew878 Hi Ronan (I hope I have the name correct). I think you misconstrued Carl’s remarks. Carl was referring to the apparent situation where the current average age of Ham operators is around 70 years, so any attempt to reduce that average age by making Ham Radio accessible and more interesting to younger people would be in the interests of the hobby.
I can tell you, by simply watching Carl’s RUclips videos, he is most definitely “RF-infected”!
Radio hobby is diying, the radio exams are far too hard now for anyone to take up the hobby, most people dont want to build a radio just want to opperate a radio, ofcom and the rsgb are so far out of tought with the moden times, people can just comuinicate via a moble phone these days, they really need to get a grip
11:52 This is why we have the likes of the RSGB doing the majority of the leg work. Foundation licence holders are new to the hobby, might not know how it affects them fully, certainly not at inter/full levels, but also those long standing full licence holders, as you said are quite old and are used to things being how they are. It might not be that they don't want to change, but they have no need to change anything for themselves if it's "working' already for them.
As you've said there is a lot of younger folk being corralled as part of the education platform giving them access to the hobby going forward. Obviously there are full licence holders out there that are working with these younger folk and if it's the younger generation of 'woke' operators that the changes are trying to attract, we need to get more input from those who are becoming a licence holder (ie, the younger folk) and the people that are teaching them. Has anyone reached out to the schools to see what their needs are, the staff involved and what the students would like out of it. I know the changes are more technical, but giving feed back like that can help direct the course of changes for a lot of other parts of gaining the licence at some point as well.
It really does not matter how Ofcom jazz up licensing - ham radio is a dying hobby. There I've named the elephant in the room, and I'm no disillusioned newcomer but someone who passed the RAE in the 70's.
Ham radio is dying for very good reason. Newcomers to the hobby quickly realise that the returns on a £1000 investment do not justify continuing - hence the massive turnover in foundation operators and barely used equipment. What initially seems like a cool retro hobby soon reveals that most activity on 'pure radio' are pointless contest contacts or aerial/radio, and location -- just like CB radio was in the 60s' + 70s', but, back then, it felt like it was worth the effort - radio was cutting edge - there was no better thing available. Digital modes are even more pointless - users do not even need to be there for the equipment to rack up so called 'contacts'
The world has moved on, one can do nothing with a ham radio that cannot be done with a mobile telephone. Even commercial broadcasters are demonstrating the futility of pursuing radio by closing transmitters and moving to steaming.
And forget all that "when the internet breaks" prepper nonsense. When the internet breaks the last thing anyone will be interested in is getting a signal report from some random old man in a shed.
Spot on comment, it’s a hobby that’s had it’s day. What radio ,what power , antenna etc ,oh and what’s the weather like 🤣
What happens when it dies? Will they just let people use it like CB?
@hamandshortwaveradioirelan4773 How true all your comments. An Old-timer G4 offered the opinion to me that the Ham hobby will only survive as long as there are sufficient numbers of adherents who are “RF-infected”. When asked to elaborate, he explained that the true Ham hobbyist is interested in the technical aspects of RF - radio equipment, antennas, propagation, etc. (and of course making contact with other like-minded Hams).
In recent years there has been a move to more digital transmissions, a large proportion of which involves very little RF (sometimes none at all) owing to the proliferation of “internet radio”, hot spots etc., where newcomers (and even previously established RF Hams) have disappeared down the digital Internet rabbit hole, convincing themselves they are making so-called DX contacts through the Internet (in effect Ham Skype!). Mostly no RF whatsoever involved.
FT8 is little different - the automatic exchange of callsigns by an unattended computer/radio combination.
My experience as a Foundation tutor (but no longer active in that rôle) has been that newcomers came into the hobby seeing it as cool, but quickly dived into the digital rabbit hole, to be lost forever. The Internet generation does not see Ham Radio through the same eyes and parameters of the “RF-infected”.
Preppers? Merely playing at it. Unless RF-infected - no chance!
I also support the changes 📡 73 de 2E0RPS
Difference between 10 and 20 watts is approx half an S point.
which can of course make all the difference.
Yes you make a good point, lots of decisions can incrementally improve your chances of getting decent contacts