KØHB wrote:

Then, one day, Joe called CQ on twenty meters and got no
reply. He tried again the next day with the same result. He
kept trying for a week, but no one ever came back to him.
Finally, he called one of his friends on the twisted pair, to set
up a contact. But, an elderly-sounding lady informed him
that his friend was no longer among the living.

Guess the same scenerio happened all over the world if poor old Joe
couldn't raise anyone on 20 meters.

Joe paged through his old, dog-eared Callbook. But he
couldn't find a single listing of anyone he had worked recently.
That's when he realized he was the only one left.

Joe had just started back toward the house when he suddenly
tired. He at down to rest on the grass. He felt a squeezing
pain in his chest, and his left arm ached. He lay back.

His antenna, and clouds drifting by above it, were the last
things he saw. But Joe and his like-minded friends had lived
long enough to accomplish their goal;

THEY HAD CLEANED UP THE AIRWAVES!


Has anyone looked outside lately to see if the sky is falling?

"John Smith" wrote

As I look at it, hams are all a bunch which want to destroy the hobby and
watch it die as freqs are stripped away and their numbers become too small to
be of interest to anyone, let alone the FCC... they would ONLY do this if they
wanted the hobby to die--but for some strange reason--wish to claim
otherwise!!! ... go figure...

-- THE LAST HAM --

It was a warm sunny day, with just a slight breeze. Joe
squinted at the top of his tower, admiring the five-element 20
meter monobander he had built the previous winter. It was an
imposing sight, yet had never been used. Joe was the last ham.

Joe never intended to be the last ham, but it worked out
that way. He thought back to how it had all started in the 80's
when the FCC created the no-code Tech license. Joe considered
that action the biggest blunder any government agency had ever
perpetrated on the citizens of the United States of America.

"Just think of it," Joe had remarked, "an amateur radio
license with no Morse code requirements! It will mean ruin for
us all!" Joe ignored the fact that the no-code license brought
new blood into the hobby after the amateur ranks had been
shrinking for many years. He refused to notice that after the
FCC created this new license category, the number of active hams
increased at a dizzying rate.

Joe hated no-code hams. He wouldn't accept the no-code
license as just another way of entering Amateur ranks, and
refused to acknowledge that many no-coders upgrade to higher-
class licenses. No explanation was good enough for Joe.

Joe and some like-minded cronies hung out on the local
repeater, where they expounded at length their belief that the
new hams are somehow less than human. They even suggested that
the way to clean up the ham bands was to get rid of all 2-by-3
calls. They joked that everyone ought to own a no-code Tech.
When new operators dared talk to Joe or his buddies, they found
themselves humbled, scolded, and scorned.

In his zeal to control "his" airwaves, Joe monitored the
local repeater with a stop-watch, to make sure interlopers
"ID'ed" on time. If they went a little over, he gave them a
tongue-lashing. He even harassed them when they operated
perfectly, just to make sure they knew they weren't welcome.

Of course, Joe never gave his callsign when he did this. He
regarded himself not as a jammer, but as a radio cop -- keeping
the ham bands pure. Soon others joined Joe's cause. After all,
"The new no-coders made two meters sound like CB!"

Slowly at first, then at a faster and faster rate, newcomers
dropped out of the local clubs, then off the air completely. Joe
was ecstatic. It was working; he was saving the airwaves.

The number of active hams dropped to far fewer than when he
started. He figured only the "real hams" were left, so he didn't
mind when the Callbook shrunk to the size of a comic book. But
with so few hams, the political power of Amateur Radio
diminished. Soon ham spectrum shrunk, too.

That didn't bother Joe; he cared only about 2 and 20 meters.
He thought it was funny when the FCC auctioned many VHF and UHF
bands, "those no-coder hangouts," to commercial interests.

Finally, citing "no further need for an Amateur
license category," the FCC stopped issuing new licenses. Before
long, Joe and his buddies were the only hams left. But that was
fine. After all, they all got their licenses back when hams took
tests at FCC offices, and not at one of those VEC jokes that
allowed an applicant to take a test here or there.

Joe and his cronies spent long hours ragchewing on 20,
bragging about how good things were. Occasionally they paused,
but only to note when one of their clan became a "silent key."

Then, one day, Joe called CQ on twenty meters and got no
reply. He tried again the next day with the same result. He
kept trying for a week, but no one ever came back to him.
Finally, he called one of his friends on the twisted pair, to set
up a contact. But, an elderly-sounding lady informed him
that his friend was no longer among the living.

Joe paged through his old, dog-eared Callbook. But he
couldn't find a single listing of anyone he had worked recently.
That's when he realized he was the only one left.

Joe had just started back toward the house when he suddenly
tired. He at down to rest on the grass. He felt a squeezing
pain in his chest, and his left arm ached. He lay back.

His antenna, and clouds drifting by above it, were the last
things he saw. But Joe and his like-minded friends had lived
long enough to accomplish their goal;

THEY HAD CLEANED UP THE AIRWAVES!

Yep... that is pretty much the mantra... you hear it around 60+ year old
guys who don't realize they already are at the end of the line when it
comes of being of importance to the hobby--so, being a vindictive lot,
and in denial, now attempt to block the younger innovative hams with a
current knowledge and education which they feel are a threat.... I all
ready know all that, although my words don't spell it out so a person
deep in the disease of Alzheimer's can understand, I have chalked the
wall...

.... somehow when you say "cleaned up the airwaves", I hear more "created
a good ole buddies club of senior citizens".... grin

John

"KØHB" wrote in message
. net...

"John Smith" wrote

As I look at it, hams are all a bunch which want to destroy the hobby
and watch it die as freqs are stripped away and their numbers become
too small to be of interest to anyone, let alone the FCC... they
would ONLY do this if they wanted the hobby to die--but for some
strange reason--wish to claim otherwise!!! ... go figure...

-- THE LAST HAM --

It was a warm sunny day, with just a slight breeze. Joe
squinted at the top of his tower, admiring the five-element 20
meter monobander he had built the previous winter. It was an
imposing sight, yet had never been used. Joe was the last ham.

Joe never intended to be the last ham, but it worked out
that way. He thought back to how it had all started in the 80's
when the FCC created the no-code Tech license. Joe considered
that action the biggest blunder any government agency had ever
perpetrated on the citizens of the United States of America.

"Just think of it," Joe had remarked, "an amateur radio
license with no Morse code requirements! It will mean ruin for
us all!" Joe ignored the fact that the no-code license brought
new blood into the hobby after the amateur ranks had been
shrinking for many years. He refused to notice that after the
FCC created this new license category, the number of active hams
increased at a dizzying rate.

Joe hated no-code hams. He wouldn't accept the no-code
license as just another way of entering Amateur ranks, and
refused to acknowledge that many no-coders upgrade to higher-
class licenses. No explanation was good enough for Joe.

Joe and some like-minded cronies hung out on the local
repeater, where they expounded at length their belief that the
new hams are somehow less than human. They even suggested that
the way to clean up the ham bands was to get rid of all 2-by-3
calls. They joked that everyone ought to own a no-code Tech.
When new operators dared talk to Joe or his buddies, they found
themselves humbled, scolded, and scorned.

In his zeal to control "his" airwaves, Joe monitored the
local repeater with a stop-watch, to make sure interlopers
"ID'ed" on time. If they went a little over, he gave them a
tongue-lashing. He even harassed them when they operated
perfectly, just to make sure they knew they weren't welcome.

Of course, Joe never gave his callsign when he did this. He
regarded himself not as a jammer, but as a radio cop -- keeping
the ham bands pure. Soon others joined Joe's cause. After all,
"The new no-coders made two meters sound like CB!"

Slowly at first, then at a faster and faster rate, newcomers
dropped out of the local clubs, then off the air completely. Joe
was ecstatic. It was working; he was saving the airwaves.

The number of active hams dropped to far fewer than when he
started. He figured only the "real hams" were left, so he didn't
mind when the Callbook shrunk to the size of a comic book. But
with so few hams, the political power of Amateur Radio
diminished. Soon ham spectrum shrunk, too.

That didn't bother Joe; he cared only about 2 and 20 meters.
He thought it was funny when the FCC auctioned many VHF and UHF
bands, "those no-coder hangouts," to commercial interests.

Finally, citing "no further need for an Amateur
license category," the FCC stopped issuing new licenses. Before
long, Joe and his buddies were the only hams left. But that was
fine. After all, they all got their licenses back when hams took
tests at FCC offices, and not at one of those VEC jokes that
allowed an applicant to take a test here or there.

Joe and his cronies spent long hours ragchewing on 20,
bragging about how good things were. Occasionally they paused,
but only to note when one of their clan became a "silent key."

Then, one day, Joe called CQ on twenty meters and got no
reply. He tried again the next day with the same result. He
kept trying for a week, but no one ever came back to him.
Finally, he called one of his friends on the twisted pair, to set
up a contact. But, an elderly-sounding lady informed him
that his friend was no longer among the living.

Joe paged through his old, dog-eared Callbook. But he
couldn't find a single listing of anyone he had worked recently.
That's when he realized he was the only one left.

Joe had just started back toward the house when he suddenly
tired. He at down to rest on the grass. He felt a squeezing
pain in his chest, and his left arm ached. He lay back.

His antenna, and clouds drifting by above it, were the last
things he saw. But Joe and his like-minded friends had lived
long enough to accomplish their goal;

THEY HAD CLEANED UP THE AIRWAVES!

LOL...

That sound isn't the sky falling, it is the old guys falling out and
leaving this world for a better place... this decade begins the big
drop in number of old hams... what is 15% to 25% loss before 2010
expected... depends on whose numbers you go by, and ARRL isn't
saying--I'd say that is one indication they are in denial and hiding
from the problem... and much must be guessed, as there is that all
burning question on people in the knows mind--after a ham passes how
long is the avg time before his license will be in expired status?
Figures are getting as bad as where you see dead people have been voting
at the polls!!!!

Warmest regards,
John

"Cmd Buzz Corey" wrote in message
...
KØHB wrote:

Then, one day, Joe called CQ on twenty meters and got no
reply. He tried again the next day with the same result. He
kept trying for a week, but no one ever came back to him.
Finally, he called one of his friends on the twisted pair, to set
up a contact. But, an elderly-sounding lady informed him
that his friend was no longer among the living.

Guess the same scenerio happened all over the world if poor old Joe
couldn't raise anyone on 20 meters.

Joe paged through his old, dog-eared Callbook. But he
couldn't find a single listing of anyone he had worked recently.
That's when he realized he was the only one left.

Joe had just started back toward the house when he suddenly
tired. He at down to rest on the grass. He felt a squeezing
pain in his chest, and his left arm ached. He lay back.

His antenna, and clouds drifting by above it, were the last
things he saw. But Joe and his like-minded friends had lived
long enough to accomplish their goal;

THEY HAD CLEANED UP THE AIRWAVES!


Has anyone looked outside lately to see if the sky is falling?

K=D8HB wrote:
"John Smith" wrote

As I look at it, hams are all a bunch which want to destroy the hobby a=
nd
watch it die as freqs are stripped away and their numbers become too sm=
all to
be of interest to anyone, let alone the FCC... they would ONLY do this =
if they
wanted the hobby to die--but for some strange reason--wish to claim
otherwise!!! ... go figure...

-- THE LAST HAM --

Snippppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp ! ! !

Hans, why don't you just go out to the barn, put a rope over the
rafters, tie it off so one end is about 7 feet in the air.

Then loop one end around your neck while standing on a ladder.

Then rock the ladder until it falls away, leaving you and your
cynicism to swing in the cool Minnesota breeze.

Sheeesh. Why get up and shave tomorrow...?!?! Why not just go
ahead and cut your throat if the future is so bleak to you...?!?!

Steve, K4YZ

wrote:
From: "K4YZ" on Wed 1 Jun 2005 23:00
wrote:
wrote:
From: on Tues 31 May 2005 15:55

It's not. But when you lecture the newsgroup on "young'uns
in ham
radio", your lack of experience is relevant, don't you think?

Lennie's not a parent, if we follow his own logic.

Not exactly correct. He's never mentioned being a parent, that's all.
Given his tendency to tell us all about himself in extreme detail, it's
unlikely he is a parent, but not impossible.

The United States military used NON-morse HF communications
for the major tactical/strategic radio communications since
1948.

What does that have to do with "young'uns in ham radio", Len?
btw, the US military *did* use Morse Code for a variety of
communications purposes long after 1948.

Therefore, that being the case, and Lennie having failed to
discuss his successful procreation and subsequent rearing of
offspring, we can conclude that it never happened.

We can *presume* that.

Stebie, in his RAGE and ANGER, has lost his bearings on what
this newsgroup is about. Hint: It is about radio amateur
policy matters. Pediatrics is NOT the subject.

Actually it's about "young'uns in ham radio". The experiences
of parents do have a direct bearing on that subject.

You are very wrought-up on this subject of "parenting."
Why? Why for discussion of amateur radio policy?

Look at the subject line.

Lennie claims to be an engineer, but can't seem to make
notes of the "details"...

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Both "Quitefine"

??

and Stebie (Assistant NCOIC
of Rage and Anger among the PCTA) don't understand that
"young ones" are not necessarily just their "own" offspring.

Babysitting is not the same thing as being a parent, Len.
Good parents are responsible 100% of the time. They can't
give the kid back.

Stebie, the self-appointed "ethnic puritan" of this
newsgroup,
couldn't make it on his own as a Purchasing Agent of a small
electronics company, yet claims/postures/implies that he
"knows" all about radio-electronics engineering, what the
engineers know, what the engineers do, etc., etc., etc.
CLAIMS. Brags. Posturing. Stebie's forte' as a mighty
macho morseman.

I make no "claim" of engineering. I AM one and have been for
many years. My professional occupation.

Old Russian saying: "Trust, but verify" ;-)

Stebie is a NURSE.

Among other things.

(James Miccolis) will NOT
reveal what HE works on or for.

That's right.

Is there *any* job I could hold that would change your mind
about me and my opinions, Len?

..other than letting slip once
that he "works in vehicular technology" (in one of his
comments on one of the 18 Petitions for amateur radio
restructuring.

If that's what you got from those comments, you need to
work on your reading comprehension, Len. I doubt very much
that "works in vehicular technology" was in my comments.

"Quitefine" is NOT a member of the worldwide
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), a
professional association.

Neither am I, Len.

Membership in any professional organization has nothing to
do with the qualifications to be an amateur radio operator.
Nor does it have anything to do with "young'uns in ham radio".

So why go on about it?

That pretty much says it all - *you* have a problem
including young
people. The surreal part is that you're neither a
parent nor a radio amateur.

Lennie doesn't let little things like "no practical
experience"
keep him from expressing an "expert" opinion on a great many range of issues.

The "surreal" part of Miccolis and Robeson's diatribes is
that:

1. No pediatrician is required to be a "parent."

But *all* pediatricians are required to have extensive training
and practical experience with children. They are required to be
certified and licensed in a variety of ways to do their jobs.

Are you a pediatrician, Len? Are you trained, licensed, and/or
certified in *any* medical/pediatric specialty?

There is NO
such "requirement" in any academic organization to "be a
parent" in ANY degreed/titled work involving children OR
procreation of children.

But *all* in those jobs are required to have extensive training
and practical experience with children. They are required to be
certified and licensed in a variety of ways to do their jobs.

Are you a teacher, Len? Are you trained, licensed, and/or
certified in *any* educational/academic specialty?

2. (Miccolis) seems to disregard laws of physics
in that ALL radios work by the SAME physical laws,
regardless of human designations as to their application.

That's just plain wrong, Len.

[inconceivable that a claimed double-degree individual
would insist that ONLY licensed radio amateurs (who have
obtained a federal merit badge only in amateurism) can
express any opinion at all.

It's inconceivable because it's not true, Len. I've never said
that you or anyone else can not or should not give their
opinion.

What I have done is to point out your lack of qualification
and experience in certain areas.

You, on the other hand, have actually told people to shut up.

Big difference.

3. In the United States of America, ANY citizen has the
RIGHT
to comment to their government on ANY law or regulation
REGARDLESS of whether or not they have any "license" or
other "authorization" to "operate" under some rules or
regulations.

Who has tried to deny you that right, Len? Not me.

4. Neither Miccolis nor Robeson have ANY
"authority" to RULE on U.S. amateur radio regulations,

Nor do you, Len.

yet the seek to bar, to subjugate, to eliminate ANYONE
BUT licensed radio amateurs from even talking about it.

Len, that's complete and utter bull****. There's just no
other word for it.

I challenge you to show *any* evidence or example where I have
tried "to bar, to subjugate, to eliminate ANYONE BUT licensed radio
amateurs from even talking" about *anything*.

C'mon, Len. You've made that bull**** claim over and over again.
Now show us where I ever did anything of the sort.

I don't think you can.

Apparently those two control freaks do not understand
that NO FCC Commissioner or staff member is "required"
to possess an amateur radio license in order to offcially
regulate U.S. amateur radio.

SHow us your evidence, Len.

5. Miccolis- has NOT YET stated how many offspring
HE has parented.

Why should I? Would it make any difference to you?


He implies he has

Where?

but the number, gender,
are all big unknowns.

What difference would it make?

Your answer indicates what many have long suspected: that you
expect to be instantly recognized as an expert without having
to meet the requirements for a license.

It was suggested to Lennie that he take some of this
energy and
submit a proposal to the FCC to allow "engineers" either a free pass
or some sort of a "bridge" exam to get licensure.

Never did it.

Good thing, too. It's a terrible idea.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. A NON-applicable "request" NOT required.

That so-called "request" was simply a MISDIRECTION to try to
stop any further talk on ELIMINATION OF THE MORSE CODE TEST
for an amateur radio license.

As is quite obvious under any U.S. citizens' RIGHTS under the
Constitution (of the United States, NOT the
ARRL), "licensure"
in amateur radio is NOT REQUIRED to talk about GETTING INTO
amateur radio. To reiterate, NO FCC Commissioner or Staffer
is required to possess any amateur radio license in order to
lawfully regulate U.S. amateur radio.

You're not the FCC, Len.

Both of these control freaks have been invited to take their
"authority" and "shove it up their I/O ports."

Gee, Len, you've really made your point.

Seems to me, Len, that you can't take *any* opposition to your
views. If someone points out your lack of qualification or
experience, you think they are telling you to shut up, even
though they're not.

They never did it. However, they might have...and enjoyed
it.

Is that your idea of a good time, Len? ;-)

Tsk, tsk. A radio does NOT operate by different laws of
physics because some government agency designates it as
"amateur."

So what? "Physics" isn't the only consideration.

And Lennie's been asked to please show where ANYone, other than
him, has made said issue of it...

No answers.

TSK, TSK, TSK. MANY ANSWERS.

Where?

Apparently these two control
freaks do not have sufficient reading comprehension...or have
a psychological inability to separate their fantasies from
reality.

No, you just don't write well, Len.

Your writing is simply unclear, Len.

It's also assinine.

Stebie, the Avenging Angle of Dearth, the newsgroup's
counterpart to Elfren Saldivar, can only "reply" with a
series
of Personal Insults...which is little more than his RAGE and
ANGER and personal frustration showing clearly.

Sounds like you two have a lot in common, Len....

Jimmie boy,

There you go again. Why do you call names like that, Len?
Is there a reason you can't just call me "Jim", the way I
call you "Len"?

Why not just call me "Jim" or "N2EY", Len?

That might make you his "peer", Jim...

Can't have that!

PCTA Extra Double Standard. "Quitefine" and Stebie both
"allow" name-calling such as "PUTZ" and "gutless coward"
to others, yet object to their aliases or diminutive forms
of their given names.

Well, you can't be talking about me, then. All I call you is "Len" or
"Mr. Anderson". Or maybe some combination of those names.

Miccolis is NOT my "peer."

Why not, Len?

He has not identified his actual
place of employment, has not identified his own "parenthood"
(which he REQUIRES of others)

No, I don't.

, and has claimed to be a "radio manufacturer."

Yep. I'm with Southgate Radio. Not my day job, of course.

Here's a hint, Len: "Manufacture" means to make something. So anyone
who makes a radio set is a radio manufacturer.


Tsk, he is not even a member of any
professional association.

How do you know?

If I join IEEE, will I become your peer?

And you said there must have been fraud involved.
You accused ARRL and
the VEs involved of dishonesty. Right here. That's a fact.
Shall I
repost those claims?

Tsk, tsk. I wrote, some time ago, that the ARRL "sins by omission."

No, that's not what I'm referring to. It's about the licensing
of six-year-olds.


They do so often, especially in their publications
on the history of radio.

Such as? Tell us where it's actually done.


Our local club recently added two new licensees...both
9....No
record, but yet more evidence that there ARE "young 'uns"
entering
Amateur Radio.

Irrelevant, relatively isolated case.

Why is it irrelevant? It's right on target.

So, all you mental nine-year-olds, feel good about your sub-
teen intellectual prowess on passing the TEST. Continue to
scamper about your "private clubhouse" and generally behave
emotionally like kiddies about your "superiorities." Sooner
or later your kinder-kind MIGHT grow up. [I'm losing my
optimism on that]

The rest of us IN the radio-electronics industry will
continue
doing our adult things. We will pat you on the head when you
are nice and spank you when you misbehave.

Sounds like a threat of violence, Len.

I'd like to see you try!

Go to your room.

No, you just face reality, always put real facts, figures on the table,
change what you can, attempt to stay relevant, fix what you can
immediately, have an outlook that you are in it for the long run and
have the patience to wait until the future opens up so other things can
be set right later on. Crawling in to a hole, hiding from reality or
taking the easy way out with a barn rafter seems to be the method too
many are already doing...

John
"K4YZ" wrote in message
oups.com...


KØHB wrote:
"John Smith" wrote

As I look at it, hams are all a bunch which want to destroy the
hobby and
watch it die as freqs are stripped away and their numbers become too
small to
be of interest to anyone, let alone the FCC... they would ONLY do
this if they
wanted the hobby to die--but for some strange reason--wish to claim
otherwise!!! ... go figure...

-- THE LAST HAM --

Snippppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp ! ! !

Hans, why don't you just go out to the barn, put a rope over the
rafters, tie it off so one end is about 7 feet in the air.

Then loop one end around your neck while standing on a ladder.

Then rock the ladder until it falls away, leaving you and your
cynicism to swing in the cool Minnesota breeze.

Sheeesh. Why get up and shave tomorrow...?!?! Why not just go
ahead and cut your throat if the future is so bleak to you...?!?!

Steve, K4YZ

wrote in message
oups.com...
wrote:
From: "K4YZ" on Wed 1 Jun 2005 23:00
wrote:
wrote:
From: on Tues 31 May 2005 15:55

[snip]


The rest of us IN the radio-electronics industry will
continue
doing our adult things. We will pat you on the head when you
are nice and spank you when you misbehave.

Sounds like a threat of violence, Len.

I'd like to see you try!

Go to your room.


Most humorous when you remember that he has frequently attempted to deride
me by referring to me as "Mama Dee" when I use family examples to illustrate
talking points. I only use them as examples where the above paragraph shows
that he thinks he should be able to actually exercise parental type control
over other people.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

wrote:
wrote:
wrote:
wrote:
3) The ARS has the image of an "old white guy's hobby" in some
circles.

In a *lot* of circles and they're basically right.
This phenomenon is a
result of evolutionary forces at work within
the hobby. There are two
choices he Go with the obvious flow and
accept where Mother Nature
is leading us and take advantage of it -OR- fight
Mother which is
always a losing battle and try to keep applying the
mores, values and
expectations of the yesteryears when we came into
the hobby 50, 30 even
20 years ago.

Actually I we should go back to those "mores, values and
expectations of the yesteryears" - in a way.

Look at the old ham mags and other publications (ARRL
and non-ARRL, doesn't matter as long as it was a ham-
oriented publication) of the
so-called golden years of, say, the '50s. Back when we had
annual growth of about 8% year after year. They *weren't*
specifically aimed at "young'uns". The license requirements
*weren't* reduced (as NCVEC and others want to do) to make
the tests easier for kids to pass. The "Beginner And Novice"
columns weren't aimed at teenagers or any other age group.
And that may be a big part of what made them so attractive
to kids!

If it's a numbers game why not shift gears and
recruit retirees instead of chasing kids?

That's been going on for a couple decades now.

Don't agree. Point out one example of a formal effort to
consciously
recruit older folk. Which is like all the widely publicized (and
generally failed) programs which have been targeting kids over
the years.

See above - I'm thinking the trick is to *not* target *any* age
group.

73 de Jim, N2EY

Dig up people out of the cemetery and hand 'em ham licenses?

Warmest regards,
John

wrote in message
oups.com...
wrote:
wrote:
wrote:
wrote:
3) The ARS has the image of an "old white guy's hobby" in some
circles.

In a *lot* of circles and they're basically right.
This phenomenon is a
result of evolutionary forces at work within
the hobby. There are two
choices he Go with the obvious flow and
accept where Mother Nature
is leading us and take advantage of it -OR- fight
Mother which is
always a losing battle and try to keep applying the
mores, values and
expectations of the yesteryears when we came into
the hobby 50, 30 even
20 years ago.

Actually I we should go back to those "mores, values and
expectations of the yesteryears" - in a way.

Look at the old ham mags and other publications (ARRL
and non-ARRL, doesn't matter as long as it was a ham-
oriented publication) of the
so-called golden years of, say, the '50s. Back when we had
annual growth of about 8% year after year. They *weren't*
specifically aimed at "young'uns". The license requirements
*weren't* reduced (as NCVEC and others want to do) to make
the tests easier for kids to pass. The "Beginner And Novice"
columns weren't aimed at teenagers or any other age group.
And that may be a big part of what made them so attractive
to kids!

If it's a numbers game why not shift gears and
recruit retirees instead of chasing kids?

That's been going on for a couple decades now.

Don't agree. Point out one example of a formal effort to
consciously
recruit older folk. Which is like all the widely publicized (and
generally failed) programs which have been targeting kids over
the years.

See above - I'm thinking the trick is to *not* target *any* age
group.

73 de Jim, N2EY