What does the future hold?

[andymuza]

Please leave comments.

For some time now radio amateurs around the world have been raising concerns on the future of this great historic hobby. Like it or not, amateur radio is a minority hobby, as such not many youngsters are exposed to the hobby. Amateur radio is becoming more and more affordable. You can buy a radio now for not much more than the cost of the latest all singing and dancing game console and for a lot less than the latest high spec PC.

How can we guarantee the growth of amateur radio and also guarantee that people will continue to come in to the hobby in the distant future not just the near future?

Well the answer is easy; we need to capture the imagination of the young. Children have an enthusiasm that we old timers have long lost. Children are also our future. Amateur radio to a child has a long list of competitors.

For boy’s we have game consoles, football, fishing, train sets, scalextric, action figures and computers. For girls we also have computers, games consoles and more are starting to partake in football. We also have dolls and prams, dancing and horse riding to name but a few. All of which, they can partake in almost whenever they want to and all of which are promoted in many ways by the media. We must also not forget the good old mobile phone, which like it or not is a competitor of amateur radio; it is a way for the young to communicate.

Eugene Sully taking part in Big Brother has been a massive impact for the good of promoting the hobby to adults and older teenagers. Six months ago if I had mentioned amateur radio to any one who had never heard of it, their immediate and unenthusiastic reaction would, 95% of the time be, What’s that CB? Now, thankfully you get more enthusiasm and people tend to take a greater interest in what is involved.

So, the question that now needs to be asked and answered. How do we capture a child’s imagination and enthusiasm to get them interested in the hobby?

Well a start would be for the RSGB to get together with Ofcom and discuss the possibility of a children’s day or better still, days. 1 every 3 months, these could coincide with school holidays. Obviously the children would have to be directly supervised by the licensed radio ham. This would give all children the opportunity to taste amateur radio in a real shack and would also open the world of ham radio to all, not just the scouts, cubs, brownies, girl guides etc etc.

Rules could be changed slightly on these days so they are allowed to have a real conversation and not just a brief QSO as is the case with JOTA. Let them call CQ and have a real QSO, exchanging reports, location and working conditions etc. May be this idea could be put to the radio administrations throughout the world and we could have a Children’s World Amateur Radio Day, where children of the world call DX to each other. This would give them the opportunity to promote there own country through a child’s eye.

Other ways to promote the hobby would be for clubs or individuals to arrange visits to schools to talk about and demonstrate the hobby. GB4FUN is a great step in the right direction and must be congratulated, but we need more.

My son is 4 years old, he loves to sit in the shack, and he is fascinated by the equipment, the noise and the lights etc. He often sits with one of my spare microphones in his hand and calls CQ. He knows how to do his name in CW, I know many licensed radio hams who can’t do that.

So, may be this idea will come in for a lot of criticism from the people who don’t like change and the sarcastic comments of “I can just hear it now, GOO GOO GA GAH on the air.” Well obviously common sense will prevail and that won’t happen.

For me, most change is good and it keeps things fresh and invigorating. Move on and up, or move down and away.

Long live our fantastic hobby.

[andymuza]

Well looks like I am the only one with an opinion.


Thanks for looking any way

[M3WBS]

I agree with your ideas totaly Andy, Children are the future of radio. And we need to work hard to promote the hobby to them.
My Twin boys aged 7 love to sit in the shack and listen to whats happening, one even has a SWL set and often sits tuning around the bands and trying to match call sighns to map locations.

By the way cracking Web Site, spent a long time looking around...WELL DONE.
Regards
Steve/M3WBS