The following are approximate numbers of US amateurs on the stated
dates, compared to the US population.

1930: US population 122 million, US hams 18,000, 1 ham per 6778
Americans

1940: US population 131 million, US hams 50,000, 1 ham per 2620
Americans

1950: US population 150 million, US hams 90,000, 1 ham per 1667
Americans

1960: US population 179 million, US hams 230,000, 1 ham per 779
Americans

1970: US population 223 million, US hams 270,000, 1 ham per 825
Americans

1980: US population 227 million, US hams 350,000, 1 ham per 649
Americans

1990: US population 249 million US hams 550,000, 1 ham per 453
Americans

2000: US population 281 million, US hams 683,000, 1 ham per 411
Americans

May 5 2007: US population (estimated) 301,773,107 US hams 655,219, 1
ham per 460 Americans

Except for the 1960s, every decade from the 1930s to the 1990s saw US
Amateur Radio growing faster than the US population.

73 de Jim, N2EY

On Sat, 5 May 2007 21:54:42 EDT, wrote:

The following are approximate numbers of US amateurs on the stated
dates, compared to the US population.

1930: US population 122 million, US hams 18,000, 1 ham per 6778
Americans

1940: US population 131 million, US hams 50,000, 1 ham per 2620
Americans

1950: US population 150 million, US hams 90,000, 1 ham per 1667
Americans

1960: US population 179 million, US hams 230,000, 1 ham per 779
Americans

1970: US population 223 million, US hams 270,000, 1 ham per 825
Americans

1980: US population 227 million, US hams 350,000, 1 ham per 649
Americans

1990: US population 249 million US hams 550,000, 1 ham per 453
Americans

2000: US population 281 million, US hams 683,000, 1 ham per 411
Americans

May 5 2007: US population (estimated) 301,773,107 US hams 655,219, 1
ham per 460 Americans

Except for the 1960s, every decade from the 1930s to the 1990s saw US
Amateur Radio growing faster than the US population.

73 de Jim, N2EY

Some areas of the country have a higher density of hams.
My town (Pahrump, NV) has about 35,000 population and 284 hams, for a ratio
of 1 ham per 123 residents.

Does any other town or city have a higher density?

73 de Dick, AC7EL

"Dick Grady AC7EL" wrote ...
Some areas of the country have a higher density of hams.
My town (Pahrump, NV) has about 35,000 population and 284 hams, for a
ratio
of 1 ham per 123 residents.

Does any other town or city have a higher density?

Dayton, OH?
(at least at certain times of the year :-)

Richard, KE7GKP

On Sun, 6 May 2007 12:06:48 EDT,
) wrote:

In article ,
Dick Grady AC7EL wrote:

Some areas of the country have a higher density of hams.
My town (Pahrump, NV) has about 35,000 population and 284 hams, for a ratio
of 1 ham per 123 residents.

Does any other town or city have a higher density?

Some years ago, I realized that a lot of the people I ran across
in my brief visit to Fairbanks were hams. If someone here has an
easy way to get the number of licensees up there, we can compare
it to the Census Bureau's 2003 estimate of 31,000 people.


According to the license database at http://www.wm7d.net/fcc_uls/ there are 558
licenses with Fairbanks addresses, including 3 clubs. That leaves 555
individual hams. Dividing 555 into 31,000 computes to 1 ham per 56 residents.
73 de Dick, AC7EL

In article ,
Dick Grady AC7EL wrote:

According to the license database at http://www.wm7d.net/fcc_uls/ there are 558
licenses with Fairbanks addresses, including 3 clubs. That leaves 555
individual hams. Dividing 555 into 31,000 computes to 1 ham per 56 residents.
Thanks, Dick. So it still is a very high percentage.


Patty

" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Dick Grady AC7EL wrote:

Some areas of the country have a higher density of hams.
My town (Pahrump, NV) has about 35,000 population and 284 hams, for a
ratio
of 1 ham per 123 residents.

Does any other town or city have a higher density?

Some years ago, I realized that a lot of the people I ran across
in my brief visit to Fairbanks were hams. If someone here has an
easy way to get the number of licensees up there, we can compare
it to the Census Bureau's 2003 estimate of 31,000 people.


Patty N6BIS

Use the FCC site -- it says 693 licenses in Fairbanks AK -- Includes Club
Stations
URL:
http://www.arrl.org/fcc/fcclook.php3...a&listofst=680

On May 6, 4:06 pm,
) wrote:


Some years ago, I realized that a lot of the people I ran across
in my brief visit to Fairbanks were hams. If someone here has an
easy way to get the number of licensees up there, we can compare
it to the Census Bureau's 2003 estimate of 31,000 people.


If you look at the numbers on a "by state" basis, Alaska has the
largest per-capita density of hams, at about 4.8 hams per thousand.
New York and Louisiana are least dense with about 1.4 hams per
thousand.

The Northwest seems for some reason to be popular for hams. My home
state of Oregon has 3.6 hams per thousand, and all the other W7 states
except Arizona have over 3 hams per thousand, while the national
average is significanly lower at 2.1 hams per thousand.

73, RDW

I'm totally surprised. I was under the impression that ham radio had
declined in popularity over the decades!

George K6GW


wrote in message
oups.com...
The following are approximate numbers of US amateurs on the stated
dates, compared to the US population.

1930: US population 122 million, US hams 18,000, 1 ham per 6778
Americans

1940: US population 131 million, US hams 50,000, 1 ham per 2620
Americans

1950: US population 150 million, US hams 90,000, 1 ham per 1667
Americans

1960: US population 179 million, US hams 230,000, 1 ham per 779
Americans

1970: US population 223 million, US hams 270,000, 1 ham per 825
Americans

1980: US population 227 million, US hams 350,000, 1 ham per 649
Americans

1990: US population 249 million US hams 550,000, 1 ham per 453
Americans

2000: US population 281 million, US hams 683,000, 1 ham per 411
Americans

May 5 2007: US population (estimated) 301,773,107 US hams 655,219, 1
ham per 460 Americans

Except for the 1960s, every decade from the 1930s to the 1990s saw US
Amateur Radio growing faster than the US population.

73 de Jim, N2EY

We've had a ground-swell of interest in Ham radio here in Pahrump, NV. A lot of
people heard of ham radio due to the publicity it got during Hurricane Katrina.
Last December, in conjunction with the local LDS church (Mormons), we held a
one-day "ham cram" session: Study the Technician questions in the morning,
followed by an exam session in the afternoon. We had 14 students/candidates,
and 13 passed. Two weeks ago, one of them got his General. Several of them
have joined our local ARES/RACES unit and repeater club.

The LDS church preaches self-sufficiency and not depending on government to ride
out a crisis. Each family must keep a couple of weeks worth of food and water
stored in their house. Ham radio fits in with their self-help philosophy.

Three weeks ago, I talked to a ham-to-be in Las Vegas. He said that his Bishop
asked him to get a ham license. I asked, "Are you LDS?" and he replied "Yes."
BTW, he passed the exam.

Two weeks ago, at the license exam session which I run, we had 10 candidates,
where we usually have one or two. Most of these were going for upgrades to
General. Last year, we had several sessions with zero candidates. The
publicity from Katrina, plus the dropping of the code requirement, has
re-invigorated ham radio.

Dick, AC7EL



On Sun, 6 May 2007 20:07:42 EDT, "George" wrote:

I'm totally surprised. I was under the impression that ham radio had
declined in popularity over the decades!

George K6GW


wrote in message
roups.com...
The following are approximate numbers of US amateurs on the stated
dates, compared to the US population.

1930: US population 122 million, US hams 18,000, 1 ham per 6778
Americans

1940: US population 131 million, US hams 50,000, 1 ham per 2620
Americans

1950: US population 150 million, US hams 90,000, 1 ham per 1667
Americans

1960: US population 179 million, US hams 230,000, 1 ham per 779
Americans

1970: US population 223 million, US hams 270,000, 1 ham per 825
Americans

1980: US population 227 million, US hams 350,000, 1 ham per 649
Americans

1990: US population 249 million US hams 550,000, 1 ham per 453
Americans

2000: US population 281 million, US hams 683,000, 1 ham per 411
Americans

May 5 2007: US population (estimated) 301,773,107 US hams 655,219, 1
ham per 460 Americans

Except for the 1960s, every decade from the 1930s to the 1990s saw US
Amateur Radio growing faster than the US population.

73 de Jim, N2EY

On May 6, 8:07�pm, "George" wrote:
I'm totally surprised. I was under the impression that ham radio had
declined in popularity over the decades!

The numbers say otherwise. And they have for many years.

Note that the 1930s, which were dominated by the Great Depression,
saw an enormous rise in the number of US hams and the popularity of
amateur radio. Yet the 1960s, a time of prosperity, saw almost no
growth and an actual decline in popularity.

Some might blame the 1960s numbers on "incentive licensing", but those
changes didn't go into effect until very late in that decade (November
1968). And the growth came back in the 1970s and 1980s, when those
changes had their greatest effect.

73 de Jim, N2EY