Ham Radio in the UK - all sorts of Government Changes

[securityguy]

You're not a superior operator because you like and or use CW.

[DX-Digger]

You're not a superior operator because you like and or use CW.

Exactly youre only superior if you use FT8

Just kidding of course, always willing to talk to anybody on CB or Ham Bands on any mode at any power level.

[securityguy]

You're not a superior operator because you like and or use CW.

Exactly youre only superior if you use FT8

Just kidding of course, always willing to talk to anybody on CB or Ham Bands on any mode at any power level.

lol, I don't know why people get so worked up about how others enjoy the hobby. Despite the curmudgeonly old so and sos * that try to drag down amateur radio, I still love the hobby and am proud to be licensed.

* because they really are mostly elderly.

Every time I see it or hear it on air, I will challenge the snobbery every single time. It's what we all should be doing to hammer these miserable sods out of existence.

[Otter]

As for changing your call sign now and again I don't know what the benefit of doing that would be, seems pointless and unnecessary to me.

I have a tongue twister of a callsign, so I'm up for changing it. Mind you, I haven't used ham radio for a couple of decades, so maybe not.

[paulears]

When i passed my test in 1980, it cut little slack with the old guys who hated what i was doing with the hobby,
Like sending video. Very unfriendly because it took up nearly all the 10mhz wide 430-440mhz. Now I'm one of the old people who get slagged off. The bad blood is nothing to do with radio, its just change. I read newcomer stuff and cringe, but have to accept every hobby changes. Read ANY hobby forum, this is normal. Fishing, model railways, scrabble even chess groups. Our ageist and changeist problems are not unique. Besides, i know I'm better than everyone younger that me. My free bus pass and age induced grumpiness prove it!

[securityguy]

When i passed my test in 1980, it cut little slack with the old guys who hated what i was doing with the hobby,
Like sending video. Very unfriendly because it took up nearly all the 10mhz wide 430-440mhz. Now I'm one of the old people who get slagged off. The bad blood is nothing to do with radio, its just change. I read newcomer stuff and cringe, but have to accept every hobby changes. Read ANY hobby forum, this is normal. Fishing, model railways, scrabble even chess groups. Our ageist and changeist problems are not unique. Besides, i know I'm better than everyone younger that me. My free bus pass and age induced grumpiness prove it!

And yet there are some elderly operators who are charming, friendly and welcoming.

[dc260]

The license should be made easier to obtain, this will attract newcomers to the hobby. The only pushback against the new changes have been from bitter old-timers who seem to want to keep amateur radio as an elite club rather than open to all.
The demographics of amateur radio in the UK are Shocking.

[Whisky1]

The license should be made easier to obtain, this will attract newcomers to the hobby. The only pushback against the new changes have been from bitter old-timers who seem to want to keep amateur radio as an elite club rather than open to all.
The demographics of amateur radio in the UK are Shocking.

Civil question, how easy would you like it?

[dc260]

The license should be made easier to obtain, this will attract newcomers to the hobby. The only pushback against the new changes have been from bitter old-timers who seem to want to keep amateur radio as an elite club rather than open to all.
The demographics of amateur radio in the UK are Shocking.

Civil question, how easy would you like it?

It should be akin to obtaining a UK General License, where you pay a fee and you receive a license alongside a small guide on how to minimize interference, no test at all.
The liability of potential interference should be put upon the license holder.

[Mitch]

The license should be made easier to obtain, this will attract newcomers to the hobby. The only pushback against the new changes have been from bitter old-timers who seem to want to keep amateur radio as an elite club rather than open to all.
The demographics of amateur radio in the UK are Shocking.

Civil question, how easy would you like it?

It should be akin to obtaining a UK General License, where you pay a fee and you receive a license alongside a small guide on how to minimize interference, no test at all.
The liability of potential interference should be put upon the license holder.

When I first passed my foundation licence I used to speak to a young lad on the local repeater, he was 10 years old. The rsgb site posted about an 8 year old girl passing her foundation licence recently. How easy does it need to be?

There needs to be an interest in it for anyone that wants to have a go at ham radio, CB got a lot of folks hooked on radios in the eighties and a corresponding jump in amateur licences was the result. We've got a couple of lads that do our lawn every few weeks and they've got the 446 walkie talkies but their main comms are their phones, radios are a novelty to them, kids toys, if ham radio 'did more' maybe there'd be more uptake. I know it can do a lot more than just talking to others but no one ever sees it doing anything else so it's perceived as boring to most people, something for the old folks to do.

[Whisky1]

The license should be made easier to obtain, this will attract newcomers to the hobby. The only pushback against the new changes have been from bitter old-timers who seem to want to keep amateur radio as an elite club rather than open to all.
The demographics of amateur radio in the UK are Shocking.

Civil question, how easy would you like it?

It should be akin to obtaining a UK General License, where you pay a fee and you receive a license alongside a small guide on how to minimize interference, no test at all.
The liability of potential interference should be put upon the license holder.

Ok keep dreaming I guess