Reality check...

[Andre' Kesteloot]

Steve Olney wrote:

> G'day All,
>
> With all the hand-wringing and lamentations about the abandonment of the
> good wife CW for the QRSSS jezebel on LF, it might be useful to reflect on
> the reality of the environment in which we, as Amateurs, seek to pursue our
> hobby.
>
> I don't know about the situation elsewhere but here in VK the AVERAGE age of
> an Amateur is over 60.   This indicates either there are a lot of us over 60
> or there are next to no young people coming through the ranks.
>
> Increasing pressures on spectrum space for all sorts of wireless devices,
> both long-range, satellite and short-range will see corresponding increasing
> pressure on our allocations.
>
> The young are not motivated by traditional Amateur pursuits in sufficient
> numbers to inject youth into our hobby so it is in danger of slowly becoming
> an old boys' club even more than now.
>
> The arguments for present and new privileges (notice that the word is
> privileges - not rights) have been based on experimentation, relevant
> training and forming a pool of skills applicable to the current technology
> environment.   For example, our VK LF submission to our governing authority
> makes large mention of experimentation (no mention of DXCC, QSL count, etc)
> as even the old salts here realise that this is the best approach for
> success in the present regulatory environment.    The submission does make a
> strong point for experimentation but specifically asks that operation be NOT
> restricted to CW "to allow experimentation in a wider variety of
> communication techniques..".
>
> I know in my case when applying for my Scientific Licence for operating on
> LF here, I had to submit a technical reason for wanting to operate on that
> band.   That submission included details of narrowband experiments.   If I
> had just submitted it with saying I just wanted to have a CW QSO then I
> would have had a snowball's hope in that hot place of succeeding.
>
> The world is changing and everything is increasingly being subjected to
> justification.   Frankly I cannot see how we have maintained our privileges
> as we have in the present climate.   We are up against strong commercial
> pressures for spectrum space and pushing the CW, QSL card, DXCC barrow to
> the detriment of more contemporary pursuits will not only not help us, it
> will hinder us.
>
> I sympathise with those feeling the pressure of the modern age as they grow
> older.   This is because I too feel this pressure (although in Amateur terms
> I am a spring chicken at 51), but in my case I have decided it is of no use
> longing for the "good ol' days".   It is a sad fact of life that CW is on
> life support as it is abandoned by authorities around the world.   Quoting
> single instances to the contrary will not change this.
>
> I respectfully submit the following code of practice for us who are
> interested in the Amateur hobby surviving in the new millennium.
>
> General:   Eliminate all negative aspects of the exchanges within the
> Amateur fraternity as much as possible.   Encourage new ideas, embrace
> technological change and generally show we are worthy of a place in the
> increasingly competitive environment in which we seek to operate our hobby.
>
> Non-CW Types:    Continue to push for new techniques, new ways, and let your
> imagination and the current regulations in your location be your limit, not
> some-one else's limited vision of the world.
>
> CW-Types:  Try a new tack of keeping your particular interest alive.   Try a
> friendly, supportive approach instead of the Neanderthal "hit them over the
> head with a club and drag them back to the cave" approach.   This aggressive
> approach is very effective in hiding the fun aspects of CW operation.   In
> fact I really believe that some of the loudest and more obnoxious CW
> advocates are in reality anti-CW for the damage they do to the CW case.
>
> As for the Trans-Atlantic challenge.   I am always for a challenge.   I
> guess that makes me a "young" 51-year old.  My 80-year old MIL has just
> started learning about computers and we have connected her to the internet.
> It is a struggle for her sometimes, but she persists and is loving it.  That
> makes her a "young" 80-year old.  Without a challenge to stimulate you, you
> are just marking time.    I echo a previous poster who remarked that he
> would not have gone for his Amateur ticket to just engage in QSOs or to be
> limited to one mode.
>
> There have been (and will be in the future) instances where some-one has
> inadvertently transgressed into the wrong part of the "gentleman's
> agreement" band space.   This has been apologised for and to suggest that it
> was deliberate or a sign of incompetence is, in itself, a sad sign of senile
> paranoia.    It is amusing that some of the least gentlemanly communicators
> are demanding the strictest adherence to a "gentleman's agreement".
>
> Here endeth the lesson...
>
> 73s Steve Olney (VK2ZTO/AXSO - QF56IK : Lat -33 34 07, Long +150 44 40)
> =============================================
> HomePage URLs:
> http://www.qsl.net/vk2zto
> http://www.zeta.org.au/~ollaneg
>
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> =============================================