I can say without a doubt of all technically oriented communities the HAM radio community is by far the most rude, hostile, and least educated in their field of any group.
The amount of just pure idiocy and lack of understanding of even the basics is astonishing considering this is a licensed trade.
@freemo In the early 90s when I was introduced to ham radio, my Elmer had a laminated copy of The Amateurs Code. He said it’s the first thing every prospective ham must learn. Not knowing any different, learn and try to live by it I did. It wasn’t until I had been licensed for almost 20 years I started to wonder what happened. Seems many hams don’t even know of its existence. Very apparently. Now just shy of 30 years in, I’m an elmer, and I start with what my Elmer told me.
I have seen many people post that code. I love it and wish people lived by it. Some, like you and me do, and I appreciate you for it. Sadly for whatever reason the vast majority of hams, at least off the air, certainly dont follow it. The toxicity, hate, and lack of basic human decency in the craft is absolutely off the rails.
Most people I have encountered in the ham radio hobby, so far are very polite and well educated.
There are these statistically normal exceptions you have in every hobby, yes. But this really isn't abnormally high. A clear minority. At least here in Europe.
And if I occasionally do encounter rude hams on the band's, it's most likely that they specifically have some very few origins, tbh...
@freemo I beg to differ. The CB peeps suck balls. Yeah yeah you've got your idiot jokers on the ham side, but what I've found only being a licensed ham for only 4 months is a lot of respectful PPL I've had QSO's with so far.
They do I agree (seems we dont differ after all). Notice I was explicit in “technically oriented” I would nto consider a CB’er technically oriented as they only buy the radios, they are not expected to understand them.
It would be like calling someone “technically oriented” for being able to make a phone call just because a phone is RF.
@freemo I see your point. I'm not tech oriented myself. I would in the future if and when I get my own house with a adecnt yard to learn how to build antennas.
@freemo Perhaps also on the other end of the scale some of the most technically aware too (so a bit of big gap but equally balanced looking at the extremes?)
I've seen some great HAM users and posts and often thought of you... and I guess I would see the bad ones as they wouldn't be here so yeah hard to say as I don't know but think even a few specialist could outweigh millions of users considering you can pick up and play with things like anything else at some level and then be super-technical on another level - bit like computers I suppose. And I hope I'm not comparing it too wildly or incorrectly but something 'like' that example...
Sticking my neck out further perhaps Truckers and Techies as as way of saying it in too short of a phrase...
While there are certainly some technically aware people they are a very very small minority (even among the educated). In terms of percentages the percentage of people who understand even the basics of their craft is probably far less than 1% in my expiernce even among people with degrees in the subject.
@freemo It seems a "less-essential(*)" means of communication or moved on by industry, so quite amazing it's still alive in some sense but point taken.
(*) = could be another way of phrasing it's longer existence and practical uses moved on by industry rather than inability perhaps to serve. Perhaps not as profitable too...
@freeschool You misunderstand its purpose. ITs purpose is not (and really never was) for communication. Its purpose is three fold 1) as a emergency service 2) To do R&D on new community radio systems (including stuff like wifi like systems) 3) to provide a space for people to learn the craft so during an emergency they will be proficient enough to be useful.
@freemo It's true I did misunderstand. And seems less useful now overall (maybe #2 even that but that might be moved on in it's own way once it's mostly 'done')
But I'll not claim I know anything... just seems less need by public, naturally evolved / obsolete or simply "replaced" more than anything else to make it popular. Again pinch of salt on the HAM topic for what I say...
Ham radio played vital roles in many modern day natural disasters.. Pretty much anytime an area gets hit by a devastating hurricane or earth quake ham radio plays a vital role in keeping people alive and safe.
@freemo Sounds good in it's specific use case. Most may have never experienced any of that.
Would it be true to say not much has changed with HAM radio in the sense that even the minimals can achieve the keeping people alive and safe in disaster situations? So maybe it didn't need so much more in evolution to provide same thing which also might help it not really needing much more to it... ?
@freeschool Ham radio has changed a heck of a lot. In recent years we have new modes of operation that are significantly more effective than older modes in poor conditions.
That said the older ways of operating are still accessible too.
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