Use It Or Lose It

A place to discuss all aspects of amateur radio operation.
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mof000
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by mof000 »

GeeFull wrote:
StormShadow wrote:I've aways believed in using it or lose it, I give a CQ call on 10 meters and 12 meters even when conditions ain't right I also give a CQ call on 70cms simplex and what bugs me is that other hams tell me "oh there ain't no point in calling CQ on those bands" because there dead, and I think to myself the reason that they are dead is because nobody bothers with them, its hams like me that keeps those bands alive even if its just the odd 3 people having a QSO Heck I'll even call out on 4 meters FM and I've had some very good contacts on most of those bands during those times, it just seems like the attitude of ham radio has gone to "oh don't bother if there is no contest on" Thats not the spirit of Ham radio? there ain't no two ways about it.
There was a time a QSO was a QSO, and welcomed by both participants, irrespective of distance or rarity, sadly these days anything less than DX has been demoted to pointless banter, and some won't lower themselves to simply chatting and keeping the spirit of what radio is really about alive!
If it carries no Kudos, or DXCC points to score, some simply see it as a waste of time and beneath them!
Its not just contests, the whole hobby seems to have turned into a contest of one form or another, and the fact it is a medium for communications on all levels, even local "chat", has become lost on some! ;)
I agree with you. The other week when the lift was on 2 meters that i posted about,it was very busy and took me by surprise as before that there wasn't much going on. Shame.
I'll pay whatever i think it's worth...:-)
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Auldgeek
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by Auldgeek »

When you have a group of licenced Amateurs arranging to talk to each other via Skype, we are doomed.
Don't get me wrong, IPT has its plus points but for radio enthusiasts to resort to this method for communicating, especially when they are all reachable via ground path, it's a sad and unfortunate sign of the times. I for one, just don't get it. {bnghd}

Quite depressing tbh :thumbdown:
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MW6ZAN
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by MW6ZAN »

{bnghd} i can tell you why the local repeaters are not getting any use any more its becouse nobody wants them any more majority of people have lives other than ham radio with technology advancing at the current rate i am afraid to say that ham Radio is in many peoples eyes an out dated form of communication i had a chap come up to me while i was parked up at my local Asdas last week you a cber he asked i said no im a licenced radio ham he pulled out his i phone and said why would you want to use antiquated radios when you can do everthing on this i really could'nt argue could i enough said.
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

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{bnghd} i can tell you why the local repeaters are not getting any use any more its becouse nobody wants them any more majority of people have lives other than ham radio with technology advancing at the current rate i am afraid to say that ham Radio is in many peoples eyes an out dated form of communication i had a chap come up to me while i was parked up at my local Asdas last week you a cber he asked i said no im a licenced radio ham he pulled out his i phone and said why would you want to use antiquated radios when you can do everthing on this i really could'nt argue could i enough said.
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Admiral
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by Admiral »

I doubt that conversation actually happened, but, did you ask him if he was an angler?

Why spend all day at the side of a river trying to catch a fish when you can go into a supermarket and buy one, or throw in a grenade and get 20 float up.

You can ring a random number on a mobile, but I don't think the conversation would last too long.

This random person was comparing apples with oranges.
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MW6ZAN
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by MW6ZAN »

Yes i can honestly say that did happen im always being asked if im using cb radio normally its 10.4 good buddy wot rig u running. I myself have not used ham radio for two months now every time i listen all i get is bloody digital and im not buying into that rip off.
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LeakyFeeder
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by LeakyFeeder »

I had summat similar while on the higher Dartmouth ferry this year... Guy in open top Merc asked if the antenna was a CB one....Told him it was a dual band jobbie an the radio a 706mk2g... His reply was he was G4H** but he dont use it now as its like 'flogging a dead horse'!!!!
Kinda took me by surprise tbh...but i guess its going that way...
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by Admiral »

Maybe you have a happy face, no one has ever approached me and entered into a discussion about CB or Ham stuff other than other people with large aerials on the roof of their car.

VoIP won't kill ham radio just yet, the problem is there is no next generation coming through, so when the Gs and Ms snuff it, I fear it will be confined to historys dustbin.
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BK
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by BK »

Admiral wrote:You can ring a random number on a mobile, but I don't think the conversation would last too long.
No, it'd be like 446
"hey, this is our private number, stop calling our private number!"
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StormShadow
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by StormShadow »

Sure enough you can do everything on a smart phone but thats not Ham radio, Ham radio and smart phones are two different things. There are other hobbies like for example some people like collecting train sets etc but yet you could just probably get an app for that on your smart phone... its not the same. Some people like buying books to read but yet there are Kindles for that and again its not the same. Ham radio is not just about talking with a few friends, you have telephones for that. Ham radio is a technical educational hobby, building repairing making antennas and experimenting and so much more other than just making a few contacts on a radio.
MW6ZAN wrote:{bnghd} i can tell you why the local repeaters are not getting any use any more its becouse nobody wants them any more majority of people have lives other than ham radio with technology advancing at the current rate i am afraid to say that ham Radio is in many peoples eyes an out dated form of communication i had a chap come up to me while i was parked up at my local Asdas last week you a cber he asked i said no im a licenced radio ham he pulled out his i phone and said why would you want to use antiquated radios when you can do everthing on this i really could'nt argue could i enough said.
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kr0ne
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by kr0ne »

Admiral wrote:Maybe you have a happy face
:lol:
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by MW6ZAN »

I agree with you stormshadow yes their is more to ham radio the tech side not only the radio contacts, but people these days dont want the messing around just to have a natter. Ok your gona say cb radio thats there for non ham licenced opps,but its not a smart phone or i pad majority of people only want coms with family and friends and dont want the messing around fitting big antennas power supplies and the big box radio. Also the messing around attempting to take the foundation in the first place, price also plays a part world wide coms on a 100 quid mobile phone or 1000 quid plus for hf world wide coms on a ham shack set up. Im using echolink on a samsung tab 4 i speak world wide getting contacts all over the place i would find it very difficult with my limited antenna space to get the results using rf only as to if echolink on a computer is really in the spirit of ham radio i cannot say but it works for me and works very well. In ref to the tec side yes you can build kit which will cost you more than ready built also try and repair a modern multimode hf rig these days its not possible with out a fully equipped workshop so im afraid to say the hobby is on its last legs and i dont think that any plans for the future ofcom or rsgb dream up ant gona do any thing to revive interest the glory days are over live with it enjoy what litlle time is remaining and move on to something else thats what im doing.
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kr0ne
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by kr0ne »

I can't help but feel the need to point out that amateur radio is not and never was intended as a medium for 'having a natter'. In fact, this is not even permitted under the terms of your licence!

The fact that so many of us use it for this purpose is incidental, the licence (and band allocations) are there to facilitate technical experimentation and self training.

To compare this with using a telephone to have a chat is like getting a driving licence to take the bus.
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andymuza
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by andymuza »

kr0ne wrote:I can't help but feel the need to point out that amateur radio is not and never was intended as a medium for 'having a natter'. In fact, this is not even permitted under the terms of your licence!
You are wrong. This was the case back in the day but not any more. Remember the hobby has been bumbed down and this includes the purpose in which it can be used for.

1. Purpose
1(1) The Licensee shall ensure that the Radio Equipment is only used:
(a) for the purpose of self-training in radio communications, including conducting
technical investigations; and
(b) as a leisure activity and not for commercial purposes of any kind.
I will not be commanded, I will not be controlled.
n+1 the formula for working out how many radios you need with n being the current amount.
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Admiral
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Re: Use It Or Lose It

Post by Admiral »

OMG, there are rules???
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