by Martin Brossman KI4CFS

With contributions from Kevin Egelston K4KDE, Howard A. Goodman N4KYW, and many other Hams. Special thanks to Mary Alice Askew for editing.

What can we do as Amateur radio Operators do to help grow the Amateur Radio hobby?

I became a Ham Radio Operator in 2004 and I just love the hobby.  I earned my General license and set up a “Ham Shack” with an ICOM 706MKIIG (multi-band transceiver), Carolina Windom 80 Special (HF long-range antenna) Dipole in the trees above my house, 2-meter / 440 antenna on the roof, a 6-meter yagi with a Radio Shack rotor on the chimney and ICOM 2720 dual-band (two-band transceiver) in the car.  You get the idea?  

When my parents became ill, my hobby was sidelined for a number of years. A few years ago after they both passed peacefully in their home in DC, I was on my way to a Brossman family reunion in PA with my friend and fellow Ham Paul Apollonia, Call Sign N3GCA.  We stopped at Ham Radio Outlet in VA and I fell in love with the ICOM 51A handheld that is dual-band and offers D-Star.  

As I got back into the hobby, I realized I had forgotten a lot and that a lot had changed.  I took the opportunity to act as a beginner again, to experience the excitement of learning it like it was the first time.  For some reason, I felt a greater appreciation for the quality of people participating, for the volunteers that help keep the repeaters working and for the folks who assist in emergencies. 

Around that time a visitor saw my ICOM 51A (see photo) and asked if it was a Walky-Talky.  I said no, it’s a Ham Radio. They wondered, is that still around? Their wondering got me thinking about what distinguishes Ham Radio from all the other means of communication we have available today. 

I have a more powerful knowledge of marketing today than I did when I earned my Technician Ham Radio license in 2004.  From my work as a speaker, business coach & educator, I have an understanding of multi-generational and multicultural issues.  I decided since I’m getting back into the hobby I would explore how I can give back to the community.  

I believe any person can make a profound difference in the world once they let go of their limiting beliefs.  I have seen it happen with my clients and in my own life (Google my name), so I began a quest to find out what it would take to grow the hobby.  

I started by asking the question of a number of Hams of different ages.  Below is a summary of the insights I received from others and insights of my own that surfaced in the process.  My thanks to all the Hams who have contributed.  

What can WE do (as individuals, not some organization or association) to grow the number of constructive active members of the Ham Radio community?

Stop being a lurker!

• One way to grow Ham Radio is to USE IT! 
• One of my favorite comments from others is, just use it!  Stop checking to see if anyone is online. If you don’t hear anyone online that is because YOU are not talking  Talk and come out of the shadows! For those of you who say, “I just listen, I don’t talk much,” I say that by staying silent you are contributing to the demise of your own hobby because relationships need conversations to stay alive.  Without talking, relationships die. When you listen alone or talk alone on Ham Radio, it is not like sitting face-to-face where the other person can tell if you are listening. On Ham Radio, no one knows you’re listening if you don’t open your mouth & speak.  When you listen silently, you contribute zero to the collective conversation. To quote Johnny Cash, I say “where are your guts?”
• Respond to people you hear on the airways.  If you hear “This is KI4CFS monitoring,” RESPOND if you can.  Say Hi or chat, even for just a moment. A simple “I hear you” response is more valuable than you may realize.  When all the people who do have the courage to actually talk then people who can only listen because their hands are busy with work will hear something happening. 
• If you don’t hear someone on the band, be persistent!  Don’t give up after just one–call out several times. For example, “This KI4CFS on 64 monitoring, Kilo India 4 Charlie Foxtrot Sierra.  It’s a beautiful day here. Is anyone out there? This is KI4CFS mobile and monitoring, anyone listening? One more time, this is Kilo India 4 Charlie Foxtrot Sierra, KI4CFS monitoring.  KI4CFS clear.”
  
  

Show your love of Ham Radio! 

• Get a vanity Call Sign license plate, take a handheld with you in public and get ready for people to approach you about Ham Radio.  Be open if they ask a question, even if they have a smart ass attitude. Maintain your generosity and give a kind, honest answer.  
• If you are volunteering or recently participated on Ham Radio, share it on social media.  I understand for safety reasons you may want to limit your posts when you are away from home but make it a point to post once you’re back home.  
• When you hear how someone was helped on Ham Radio share that on social media. 
• Share what you love about Ham Radio and take the time to learn from people who are different from you what they love about it online and in-person.
• Look for ways to let the media and local politicians understand the value of Ham Radio.  It is OUR responsibility to communicate the value of Ham Radio. It is NOT their responsibility to discover it! 

Don’t be a curmudgeon!

• I have met curmudgeons of all ages.  A curmudgeon is someone who first finds what is wrong, why something can’t be done or reasons to give up without trying.  Curmudgeons may eventually notice the good, what is valuable or what is currently working well, but they tend to focus on the negative.  For example, “‘Echolink’ is not real Ham Radio,” or “those (name) radios are junk.” 
• If someone asks a “dumb” question online don’t be a jerk by saying things like “it’s in the manual;” maybe give a short answer and then say “you can find more in the full manual under ‘X.’” 
• Unfortunately, no one cares how hard you worked to earn something.  People care about what you say AFTER they know you care about what they have to say. 

For new & younger Hams:  Don’t be stopped by curmudgeons

• Smile, be nice and enjoy the hobby your way.  Ignore any curmudgeon-like comments or bullying attempts.  Don’t let someone else put a damper on your enjoyment of the hobby. 
• Keep in mind that many Ham Operators are engineers at heart, which may make relationships with them a challenge.  They, like curmudgeons, look for what is wrong 1st because sorting for differences is the first step in engineering.  This skill is a great asset in trouble-shooting but can be a train wreck in relationship building. No one ever said, “I want to stay with my partner for life because they have such a keen understanding of my shortcomings.”   What does this have to do with being a new Ham? If you ask the opinion of a Ham who is engineer-oriented they will tell you what you did wrong 1st, which you may take as harsh criticism. Even though it may be uncomfortable to hear, you may, in fact appreciate their insights.  I assure you their honest feedback is worth feeling a little uncomfortable. If you want a compliment then ask them what they liked about something you did or what they see you did right.  

For experienced Hams:  Go to where the new Hams are

• Embrace the new digital world AND share your enjoyment of the analog one. 
• Remember that a good teacher (“Elmer”) does not demand the student enter the teacher’s world but enters the student’s world first, then invites the student to participate in a journey to new opportunities for both. 

Don’t try to compete with cell phones or social media–amplify what is unique about Ham Radio

• Anyone with a pulse or even no pulse (fake people) can be on social media but Ham Radio has a barrier to entry called the FCC Ham Radio license.  We also have to identify ourselves on a regular basis by our license. People who can be anonymous tend to misbehave more as they do on Twitter. 
• Watch this video http://bit.ly/1stsocialmedia.

There are two types of people in the world:  those who make a difference and those who collect evidence proving that you can not make a difference.  What if you were to choose the former as I do? Live as if you do make a difference. When you live as though you make a difference, you are open-minded and eager to hear from others.  When your attitude is “why bother trying,” your close-mindedness is killing any possibility of growth. Even though you’ve convinced yourself that you’re right, and you may be, you’re missing most of what makes life worth living.  Which type of person do you think has a more meaningful life? 

I invite you to share what you think and share what you are doing to help grow our hobby.  You can post as a comment here or on this Youtube video I created to help grow the discussion:  http://bit.ly/hamradiorocks. 

See my Ham Radio Youtube channel and if you find this article useful contribution your ideas and/or share it with other Hams.

Here are some contributions from other Ham operators:

Kevin Egelston K4KDE:  

• One area of interest that may attract younger radio operators is packet operation.  I don’t mean the old means of packet communication where everyone shares a single frequency and has to wait or retry transmissions leading to long delays and unreliable operation.  There is another way to use packet radio on individual frequencies between endpoints. Even though it increases the cost and maintenance a little bit it does prevent the “old days” packet communication problems by providing an always-on, reliable connection between nodes.  
• Tadd Torborg, KA2DEW targets younger radio operators in a community and educational project with a network referred to as TARPN which is an off-the-grid chat, bbs, and email system.  One of the few rules is no integration with commercial networking such as the internet. Here is the webpage: http://tarpn.net/t/packet_radio_networking.html

Howard A. Goodman N4KYW:

• Despite its mediocre name, amateur radio is a radio service and hobby designed to encourage you to expand your knowledge of radio electronics.  In contrast, ‘convenience’ communication devices, such as cell phones, Family Radio walkie-talkies, even the Citizen’s Band, do not teach you anything about how electronics work. 
• Amateur radio is the ONLY category within the FCC’s defined radio services that allows its licensees to ‘tinker,’ to design and construct receivers and transmitters that do not have to be type-certified.  Ham radio was and still is truly an experimenter’s haven.

With particular regard to getting young people involved, I’ve said that there are basically two kinds of youth who are going to be assets to the community –

1. Those who already love ham radio, and just don’t know it yet. They’re already into DIY tech or communications or disaster response or have some other interest with which ham radio would be a great fit if someone showed them a path to learning the ropes and getting involved.
2. Those who love somebody who loves ham radio. An example: I like being active and outdoors, but I don’t just love cycling. My son does, though – he’s into competition mountain biking. And I love to ride a trail with him, because I love him and his passion is energizing to be around. With him, I’ll get on that bike, learn things, and genuinely enjoy it, where I probably wouldn’t otherwise. The same dynamic can work for ham radio.

https://www.reddit.com/user/Seliagoidal :

The best Elmers aren’t focused on teaching or “outreach,” they’re focused on doing cool radio stuff. They’re open to teaching and building relationships when the opportunities present.

1. Those who already love ham radio, and just don’t know it yet. They’re already into DIY tech or communications or disaster response or have some other interest with which ham radio would be a great fit if someone showed them a path to learning the ropes and getting involved.
2. Those who love somebody who loves ham radio. An example: I like being active and outdoors, but I don’t just love cycling. My son does, though – he’s into competition mountain biking. And I love to ride a trail with him, because I love him and his passion is energizing to be around. With him, I’ll get on that bike, learn things, and genuinely enjoy it, where I probably wouldn’t otherwise. The same dynamic can work for ham radio.

Mark Karagas K5MGK :  
I am not a young ham new to the hobby but new nevertheless. I won’t be a curmudgeon like some others on this Reddit forum. I like your talk about not to be a lurker. I am by nature a listener, but I must make a concerted effort to talk more, especially as I gain some experience. It helps that I can have a broader discussion with others about our hobby now that I have a little more experience.

Responses to this article that I thought was important to share:

John T Wright K6CPO:
It’s refreshing to see someone addressing the curmudgeon issue. In my opinion, that’s probably the single most important reason many new hams don’t stay in the hobby. That and lack of any concrete mentoring program for the new people.

Jeff – WE4B:

I’ve read the article and those interested in radio will find their way to radio. Trust me, they will. I went from a kid was a SWL in the 70s and early 80s and then graduated to a XTAL controlled scanner and, well, that led to a Tech license. Then a Tech+ license. Then a General license and now an Extra license. I had no Elmers. What I did have was a dad that brought home an old shortwave radio from a coworker that was selling it for $5 and gave it to me. Dad isn’t/wasn’t a ham but he did have a 23 channel CB in his Opel. I wish I could remember his FCC license call but alas, if people enjoy radio they will find it. This is what happened to me in the 70s-80s that led to me getting licensed.

Now it’s 2019 and I find myself the father of daughters that are 12 year-old and 8 years-old. The 12 year-old is well accomplished in ham radio and has worked hard to win many awards and continues to do so. The 8 year-old will soon have a Tech license. My 12 year-old got licensed because she was spending time with me and found herself operating radios with me as the control op. She got her ticket, and enjoyed radio for radios sake and has gone from there. She hasn’t been pushed or forced into anything. I’m very proud of what she has done. Her little sister is studying for her Tech. She, too, has been on the radio quite a bit with either me or her sister acting as a control op. She’s only 8 but she is emulating and following in her dad and sister’s footsteps. Hopefully, she will also love radio as much as we do. Once again, no pressure on her to do anything.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that people come to amateur radio from all different backgrounds and reasons. Some of us embrace it and use it daily. Some don’t. Some just want it for when the sky falls and for some of us, we want it for talking to things in the sky.

Amateur radio hasn’t really stopped growing. We can argue about the numbers. Yes, I know they are artificially inflated by those that get a Tech in a day kind of ticket but there are some of those that will progress further within the hobby. There are so many facets within the hobby that if someone is truly interested in radio they will be able to find their niche. I’m glad my 12 year-old daughter has followed me into satellites and QRP HF. I mean, after all, she was commanding satellites from the ground when she was only 10. I can’t wait to see what she gets to put on a college application in a few years.

We can’t force people to enjoy radio. Those that do, will. Those that don’t, won’t. Don’t try to answer rhetorical questions.

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I look forward to hearing from you on the airways.  If you find this useful or through proving please share with other Hams and add your contributions! – KI4CFS 73 – Martin Brossman –