On Jun 27, 5:33?pm, RDWeaver wrote:
On Jun 27, 10:02 pm, AF6AY wrote:

The ARRL is the *ONLY* national organization of radio amateurs.

The model of a single dominant national radio club isn't unique to the
US --- in fact it seems to be the worldwide model. Britain has RSGB,
Germany has DARC, Japan has JARL, Australia has WIA, China has CSRA,
France has REF-Union, Russia has SSR, and so on. These are all large
countries with healthy populations of licensees, but each with only
one "substantial" national radio club.

That was not my point. My point was about Who controls the
dissemination of news and information and, most importantly,
the subtle influence of a very very few on the vaster majority of
amateur radio licensees. The major income of the ARRL is from
publishing. RSGB does that to some extent and may someday
pose a real competition for League publications. With the virtual
monopoly on influence comes the clear and present danger of
youknowwhat of a certain fictional year.

The only example of a country with two "large" radio clubs was Canada

The population of the state of California is approximately that
of all Canada. Have you counted the number of licensees just
in California lately? Note that the ARRL's daily tally of licensees
doesn't lump California with Hawaii or other places of the USA
even though all must be in "six land."

It would be an interesting study to determine why this worldwide model
of a single dominant national radio club has so consistently evolved.

73, de Hans, K0HB

Well, "RDW," it is a matter of convenience for a SMALL group
of hobbyists. You stated not too long ago that amateur radio
in the USA was merely a fractional percentage of the population.

The Radio Club of America was incorporated five years before
the ARRL. They are still in existance. While some members
of the RCA are licensed radio amateurs, their prime interest
focus is no longer on amateurism. Neither is RCA in the
publishing business simultaneous with membership doings.

If you have read Thomas H. White's remarkable history of
early radio in the USA, you will find out more about how the
ARRL got their first steps up the ladder.

AF6AY