The Honest TRUTH About Ham Radio Clubs
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- čas přidán 17. 04. 2024
- Some ham radio clubs today struggle with recruiting new members into their ranks -we need to change. Here are some helpful hints that we have used in our own club to recruit and retain members - helping build a positive community that helps each other out.
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I am a licensed ham. It is a well known truth in the ham world that hams are killing off their own hobby with their elitist snobbery. The most unfriendly nerd-flexing people you'll ever meet are ham radio operators.
Ironic that a hobby about communication won't effectively communicate with new members to help them along and educate them.
The same types of things in the US. Our club only meets once a month on Tuesdays. 6pm - 7pm is the board meeting. 7pm - 9pm is the regular club meeting.We try to always have a program that teaches something. Last month was a Buddipole demonstration, this month was a Fusion/Wires X class and demonstration, next month will be a "best practice" class and an intro to Meshtastic. We have members in their teens all the way to the 80's. We do VE testing every month and, depending on the weather, have an informal "radio day in the park' where we set up portable in a public (although less populated) site and practice NVIS voice SSB & FM, FT8 on any band. We also have a retired lunch every Thursday that's very popular. The vast majority of our members are ready and willing to welcome and help new hams. We also encourage our younger members to train for and take leadership positions in the club as well as our ARES group. They are the future.
Our "club" is more of an interest group. No fees, a few good socials a year and everyone is happy to help each other. Sometimes the formality of a chairman, vice chairman, committees etc just kills a good vibe amongst those who share a common interest.
Clubs could answer their emails and PMs from prospective members.
This! We have two clubs here. When I first decided I wanted to be a ham I posted on one club's "open" Facebook page with some questions. Not only wasn't I answered but my post was deleted. I sent a message on the other club's Facebook page (neither one has websites) and the president patiently answered my questions and even scheduled an eyeball so we could meet up and talk in person over coffee and snacks. I now consider him to be a friend, and that's the club I joined.
@@jaym1301 It's great to hear you found a club home. A shame about the first attempt you made. Here in Christchurch (New Zealand) we have a very active club. Every Tuesday evening is a general social evening, with a supper. The Radio Shack Room and the fully equipped workshop room are available for member's use.
We have a bring and give away junk table. People can donate old radios and parts or other items of electronicky goodness and if you take something off the junk table, put a donation in the money box alongside.(So that is like all the crappier stuff of a car boot sale).
Plus "as required" (and with old members dying, unfortunately it's been every month, lately) we have an auction of items either donated to the club, or on behalf of SK estates. Yes the more expensive items will have reserves on them, but still good deals to be found. Great for new hams trying to set up a whole station from scratch, on a budget. (So the better quality stuff of what you may find for sale at a car boot sale or HamVention). Cheaper items that fail to garner even a one dollar bid, go onto the "Junk table" (see above).
Once a month we have the formal "monthly" meeting, starts with less than half an hour at most club business talk, followed by a guest speaker/demo and supper. Once a month we have a daytime meeting with afternoon tea. We are lucky to own our own clubrooms and we share use of them with several other clubs with an overlap of members and interests, a Vintage Radio club (valves/vacuum tubes and Germanium transistors), one evening meeting per month, and an experimental electronics club, one evening meeting per month.
About 4 times per year the club runs "HamCram" teaching classes all day Saturday and Sunday , with the Exam held Sunday late afternoon. We even provide the food ! As long as candidates have studied the text beforehand, we have over 90% pass first time. Club charges a minimum fee to cover the cost of the study guide textbook, plus government licence fee. Remember in NZ it is a one time fee for a lifetime Amateur licence. Only NZ (or Australian or other citizens who have a right to "Permanent Residence"), can be granted an NZ licence/callsign,
Alternatively with a few weeks advance notice, if people have studied the text themselves and/or missed attending the HamCram teaching weekend, the club can arrange to have the approved examiners there on a Tuesday social night. We'll lock the candidates in the kitchen for their exam under a watchful eye.
Since COVID they changed the way the licence exams are processed. Exams are marked on the spot by approved persons, and an examiner puts in into the computer system. Usually by later that night or the next day, a candidate will get an email with their callsign and they're legal to go on-air. A laminated certificate comes in the mail, some days later.
Visitors are always welcome to attend on Tuesday evenings and have a natter to folks, look at the radios and things we have or put their name down for the next HamCram teaching and exam weekend . (Next is due the 15th and 16th of June 2024)
We only have a small number of younger folks involved with our club but are actively encouraging more young'uns.
We have a website and promise to reply to emails !
Check us out sometime.
Catherine ZL3CATH
Christchurch Amateur Radio Club branch 05. Christchurch, New Zealand.
I've been with the same club here for 30 years and I'm an Examiner, I truly understand from the phone calls I've had from around NZ that there are Clubs that don't really get it when new people call them and get quite a rough response, that isn't good enough in a hobby like Amateur Radio.
These people are the future of this hobby, we NEED to encompass and encourage them.
If you want to bring your club into the modern era and be successful, as far as I can’t tell you need to do at least 2 things. #1, be a yes club that goes out and does things, be active and proactive. And #2, have a discord. If you try to accomplish these two things you’re well on your way. Glad to see your club making strides and setting a great example!
I’ve only been a ham for a little over two months (already U.S. General Class), but my local club has been amazing! I’ve never experienced anything other than friendliness and a willingness to help in any situation. The club is very active in the community and the individual members are incredibly welcoming. I’ve had people who barely know me, invite me into their homes, invite me into their vehicles, in order to acquaint me with their rigs and give me any advice I ask for. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
That's awesome to hear!
As someone who has been a computer technician for decades, surprisingly, I am new to Ham Radio. I appreciate the insight of this conversation. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Glad it was helpful and thanks!
we have guys taking tests every month. New members coming to the meetings. MOre and more people at our events. We are growing every month. We must be getting it right
I used to belong to a club (I moved away) but there were a couple of older guys who showed us how to make things every meeting. Antennas, switches, chokes, etc etc. These guys made it fun and CHEAP to accumulate our equipment. No one builds their own radios any more, but I really miss those Heath Kits. Those were fun to do. I really like the idea of your ham trailer.
That's awesome to hear!
Check out the video by Jason from Ham Radio 2.0 about how to ruin a HAM club. In my view, effectively managing a good HAM club can significantly shift the public perception of HAM radio from the stereotype of the "Sad Ham" to something more positive and respected. Central to this transformation is respecting others, which should be a fundamental principle of any club.
Agreed. Being 80 years old, and
licensed over 60 years, I have
belonged to many clubs over
the years, mostly bad, like 5
years ago with my wife in the
club where we lived in Florida,
and now in New Hampshire.
We are soon moving back to an
area of New York State where
we were charter members around
25 years ago, still feel welcome
there, been back there for Field
Day, The Holiday Dinner, and they
were active during Covid, and have
continued to grow and develop. 😊
What part of NY? I joined CVARC and the guys have been great! 73 de W5ADK
I was active in a club. But I was one of the 10% doing 90% of the work. Mentioned to the group about getting off your caboose and do something. I got burnt out and left
The hobby needs to be affordable if you are interested in getting young people involved. Some longtime hobbyists think a minimum of $1500-$2000 on equipment is necessary; don’t see too many kids with that kind of pocket change! ( mind you a lot of adults too!)
No, the approach should be to emphasize small simple to build kits or home brew designs that can be used to Elmer candidates to getting on the air.
Also the plethora of inexpensive Chinese HT’s available also helps with getting on the local networks and repeaters. An HT with a home brew 2, 70cm handheld antenna can be used to make satellite / space station contacts which are really impressive experiences.
This!!! 💯 The most popular hobbies have little to no cost or time investment. People can jump in and out easily. Make getting a license easy and have free to cheap equipment that very simple to use. Sounds like Ham radio, right? 😂 The fact is people complain that we want more people doing it, but honestly, we kind of like exclusivity. If we didn't, we would make the tech test 5 multiple choice questions on a postcard and hand them a Baofang as they left.
@@bassmanjr100 I'm intrigued now, what hobby do you not have to spend any time doing?
@@bassmanjr100 "Make getting a license easy and have free to cheap equipment that very simple to use. Sounds like Ham radio, right?"
Yes, indeed. The first level of licence is very easy in many countries, and you can get brand new radios for as little as £12 these days, and they are dual band at that! Incredible! I've jumped in and out of ham radio now for about 37 years...
You guys are spot on. I only just got my foundation license last weekend, I went to a club and they had there meeting and it was like watching paint dry. Though it might have been interesting like people getting on the air or building things. Look I am no young guy only 49, but things need to change we need to get young kids involved into this wonderful hobby. I want to be one of those people to make a change and make it this hobby grow. There are lots of the old timers that have a lot to give but they need to find the passion again and teach the next generation.
It would be great if you could list all the things you guys are doing and send me a copy so I can work out a way to start to change things up.
Young people have no cash or time to play with radios. I think the hobby is fine, and people have been predicting its death for 50 years. However, if you want more people in it, you would be better off finding people already inclined to jump in. Computer and electronics people, coders, 3D printing, musicians, RC people, GMRS people, CBers, pilots. If you think you can go talk to a bunch of 16-20 year olds and get them lining up to get a ticket, forget it. The girls have zero interest, and the guys have one main interest - girls.
@@bassmanjr100 I got my licence when I was 17. You don't target the normal people, you target the nerds and techies.
they need to do more advertising of themselves, with stalls at community fair, events, schools, colleges, universities, festival, public events and have some young people boys and girls / hams on the stalls, not just old grey haired men hams!
Being a ham isn't cheap. Tech license shack - $1000 could easily be spent. General license shack $2000-3000 more. Young people don't have money, and the few that do got it by working a lot and have no time to play with a radio. It is a hobby for 40 year olds plus geeks and is 90% men. There is no changing it.
@@bassmanjr100thats whats its like at the moment but needs to change.I dont agree as equipment could be either be borrowed from clubs or can be bought second hand cheaply. Need to target the younger people otherwise will only be older people involved. It has been changed in some european countries where there are a lot more younger people involved.
Club I was going to join , I went and then saw certain few had a clique ,so I didn't bother again
Your club sounds amazing. I won't say who my local club is, but from what I hear about them I won't waste my time and money joining. Sad but so many clubs suck.
We're certainly not perfect - but the club is made up of the members and their interests. No members = no club. We're happy with what we have achieved but have a long way still to go.
@@HamRadioDX sounds like a good club. Your club workings should be a standard fit all clubs of they want to expand..
@@HamRadioDX I just found out my local club has 20 members and 200 Facebook followers... says a lot about clubs.
After my experiences with my first club there is a very small chance that I will go to another one. First meeting I walked in and no one acknowledged my presence. No hi how are you, welcome to the club or anything. Looking around the room the only interest I could see in my being there was three extremely old massively over weight men glaring at me with an expression of WTF are you doing here. Over the course of several months I tried ARES. The equipment guy during a class on how to program your radio told me my Yaesu VX-6R was a POS and I needed to throw it away and get a BoaFeng. Same guy is vice president of above mentioned club, During a ARES event where we were inventorying gear for the team I was on. I asked the head of the team I was on if he could help me understand roofing filters. He asked your a General class right to which I replied yes. He then stated that I already should know what those are and walked away. This was 2019 and then COVID hit and I just quit going to meetings and turned in my I.D for ARES.
You went to the wrong club for your needs. Find another, or start your own. I think you only need 3 or 4 members to start a club.
As always it depends on the people coming together in the club. I only had positive experience in several different clubs - ham radio or other topics.
You just described 95% of all the ham clubs in America. LoL
@@richb.4374 and the UK
@@richb.4374*98%*
Clubs honestly kept me away for so long. The times I visited when I was younger it was a bunch of geriatric old guys thumping rule books at each other. Everything was treated like an overly serious military operation and not... having fun. I have gotten a bit more involved now that there are some people my middle age there now but it's still.. boring. For me I want to have some fun, build things, learn things, get the soldering iron out and who knows maybe even make some friends over the radio by talking and a lot of that is not ham radio anymore it seems much less most clubs. Despite all the bad on the band the 11 meter guys get more hands on, build their own stuff and get more into teaching the dark arts of RF and just having fun talking on the radio than hams are more down to earth about it in my experience. Ham now seems to be all about plugging boxes you bought in to boxes you bought and doing contests. The ham radios I have collect dust just there case I need them one day not really interested enough to do anything more with them or the hassle of a test that I have to find some stodgy ham guys to take so I can... do contests with more stodgy ham guys? Not worth it.
When I got my license it came with a year long free membership to the club running the test. I filled out this questionnaire and they seemed really glad to have me in their club. I gave them a ton of info about myself including different ways of contacting me and different things I'd be interested in helping out with.
I literally never heard another word from that club until a year later, when they sent me a notice that I owed them $25 to stay in the club. I just laughed and threw it away.
So you never went to any meetings to interact with them
@@stephenwade8093 I honestly couldn't remember which club it was and had hoped for at least a form letter or standard welcome email to let me know. I was a brand new ham and it's hard to attend meetings when you don't have any idea when or where the meetings are. Seems like a pretty small thing to have a standard welcome email of some sort if you're going to give new hams a complementary membership to your club.
Oops, I sure hope that wasn't OUR club ! A shame about the first attempt you made. Here in Christchurch (New Zealand) we have a very active club. Every Tuesday evening is a general social evening, with a supper. The Radio Shack Room and the fully equipped workshop room are available for member's use.
We have a bring and give away junk table. People can donate old radios and parts or other items of electronicky goodness and if you take something off the junk table, put a donation in the money box alongside.(So that is like all the crappier stuff of a car boot sale).
Plus "as required" (and with old members dying, unfortunately it's been every month, lately) we have an auction of items either donated to the club, or on behalf of SK estates. Yes the more expensive items will have reserves on them, but still good deals to be found. Great for new hams trying to set up a whole station from scratch, on a budget. (So the better quality stuff of what you may find for sale at a car boot sale or HamVention). Cheaper items that fail to garner even a one dollar bid, go onto the "Junk table" (see above).
Once a month we have the formal "monthly" meeting, starts with less than half an hour at most club business talk, followed by a guest speaker/demo and supper. Once a month we have a daytime meeting with afternoon tea. We are lucky to own our own clubrooms and we share use of them with several other clubs with an overlap of members and interests, a Vintage Radio club (valves/vacuum tubes and Germanium transistors), one evening meeting per month, and an experimental electronics club, one evening meeting per month.
About 4 times per year the club runs "HamCram" teaching classes all day Saturday and Sunday , with the Exam held Sunday late afternoon. We even provide the food ! As long as candidates have studied the text beforehand, we have over 90% pass first time. Club charges a minimum fee to cover the cost of the study guide textbook, plus government licence fee. Remember in NZ it is a one time fee for a lifetime Amateur licence. Only NZ (or Australian or other citizens who have a right to permanent residence), can be granted an NZ licence/callsign,
Alternatively with a few weeks advance notice, if people have studied the text themselves and/or missed attending the HamCram teaching weekend, the club can arrange to have the approved examiners there on a Tuesday social night. We'll lock the candidates in the kitchen for their exam under a watchful eye.
Since COVID they changed the way the licence exams are processed. Exams are marked on the spot by approved persons, and an examiner puts in into the computer system. Usually by later that night or the next day, a candidate will get an email with their callsign and they're legal to go on-air. A laminated certificate comes in the mail, some days later.
Visitors are always welcome to attend on Tuesday evenings and have a natter to folks, look at the radios and things we have or put their name down for the next HamCram. (Next is due June 15th and 16th 2024)
We only have a small number of younger folks involved with our club but are actively encouraging more young'uns.
We have a website and promise to reply to emails !
Check us out sometime.
Catherine ZL3CATH
Christchurch Amateur Radio Club, branch 05, New Zealand
You guys are very active and now famous on local radio. ;)
When I started in Ham I was in a club and it was all business. Not interested in a club now, but would love to be a part of your club if I was in Australia. Great work.
Thanks! The business side still needs taking care of - by those responsible for it at another time - otherwise clubs become stale and boring.
Enjoyed this a lot thaks for bringing up so many things we've been talking about here at our club of 45 persons!
The Jefferson County Amateur Radio Club, Missouri, is growing rapidly. No advertising or undo activity. The ham hobby is simply growing. Yes, the usual mix of preppers, novices, and metal. A lot were started with cheap HTs. Formal and informal Elmers abound. Training and club radio sessions... There is a biweekly examination group, I am a VE, in the area.
Appreciate your video, if your club is open and welcoming, people will join. 73, KF0NNQ.
Forget the clubs, try getting the paperwork to do your license. The adv study is the easy part of getting a license. The 2 clubs I'm in are great, both do a lot to help and mingle.
Our local club is mainly a group of older gentlemen that don’t get along and bicker behind one another’s back. I am thankful to have made 1 friend out of the bunch and even got him into POTA. We have done some activations together as well which is great but, sadly, overall the club is slowly trickling away to extinction.
If the club that is local ain’t a good fit…. Meet like minded hams and group up with them. Gotta say, when I returned to the hobby after 30 yrs away I had a woeful experience regarding EchoLink and being locked out of the repeater…I guess another route to a good club is join and make it better. Great video as always Hayden. 73 de VK2AOE
Great to see what one club does to increase interest in the hobby. Maybe provide guidance to other clubs that want to step up and help keep this hobby great and viable for the future. 73 Mate Cheers!
Thanks Jeff!
Here in the US it's like hams get a bonus or pat on the back for recruiting new hams, but the thing that turned me off was the constant nagging to join the radio cult. I'll get my license when i feel like it, hams in America don't need to entice me with promises of kool aid and more channels. No offense to anyone who is a ham, that's a great hobby however i have CB ( don't use it much anymore) Vhf Murs, GMRS/FRS Uhf and digital is allowed on vhf/uhf in a limited capacity. So i am practically a ham now lol Great info as always.
Spot on gents! Nobody wakes up one morning and decides to become a Radio Amateur, especially if they have never even heard of the hobby.
We Amateurs are, collectively, our own worst enemy ("nobody these days is interested", "if people are interested, they'll make the effort to find us", "we haven't updated our web site for ten years, because we don't us it as a recruiting tool", the excuses go on and on...).
Many Amateurs are old guys who are willing to talk only to other old guys who are already Amateurs. And then bellyache to each other that "the hobby is dying."
On social media, Amateurs are keen to engage in "bike shedding" technical trivia, reminiscing about he old days of the hobby etc. Try to get some discussion going about being seen, keeping the hobby alive and helping it thrive: crickets...
Incidentally, Jason KM4ACK did a video on a somewhat similar theme: czcams.com/video/7ky3aD8IUzw/video.html.
This is so 100% spot on..!
We have a "Radio" club - NOT a "Amateur Radio" club. The club includes Ham, CB, GMRS, FRS, and whatnot. Of course they encourage members to become Amateur radio operators. This way people interested in GMRS (or whatnot) can enjoy the club and this expands participation.
Our club is similar. It's called a Radio and Electronics club. All are welcome.
I joined my local club almost one year ago at Field Day. About two months after I joined, I got a call from the club president explaining that while they do have a club station, the transceivers were both out of commission when I joined... they were still that way several months later. They don't do get-togethers or club meetings. I have heard nothing from anyone in the club since then. I guess I should've looked around for a different club because there are quite a few around here, but this one was the closest one to me. Needless to say, I won't be re-upping my membership!
Hopefully you can find another club that provides for it's members
A shame about the first attempt you made to find a suitable club. Here in Christchurch (New Zealand) we have a very active club. Every Tuesday evening is a general social evening, with a supper. The Radio Shack Room and the fully equipped workshop room are available for member's use.
We have a bring and give away junk table. People can donate old radios and parts or other items of electronicky goodness and if you take something off the junk table, put a donation in the money box alongside.(So that is like all the crappier stuff of a car boot sale).
Plus "as required" (and with old members dying, unfortunately it's been every month, lately) we have an auction of items either donated to the club, or on behalf of SK estates. Yes the more expensive items will have reserves on them, but still good deals to be found. Great for new hams trying to set up a whole station from scratch, on a budget. (So the better quality stuff of what you may find for sale at a car boot sale or HamVention). Cheaper items that fail to garner even a one dollar bid, go onto the "Junk table" (see above).
Once a month we have the formal "monthly" meeting, starts with less than half an hour at most club business talk, followed by a guest speaker/demo and supper. Once a month we have a daytime meeting with afternoon tea. We are lucky to own our own clubrooms and we share use of them with several other clubs with an overlap of members and interests, a Vintage Radio club (valves/vacuum tubes and Germanium transistors), one evening meeting per month, and an experimental electronics club, one evening meeting per month.
About 4 times per year the club runs "HamCram" teaching classes all day Saturday and Sunday , with the Exam held Sunday late afternoon. We even provide the food ! As long as candidates have studied the text beforehand, we have over 90% pass first time. Club charges a minimum fee to cover the cost of the study guide textbook, plus government licence fee. Remember in NZ it is a one time fee for a lifetime Amateur licence. Only NZ (or Australian or other citizens who have a right to permanent residence), can be granted an NZ licence/callsign,
Alternatively with a few weeks advance notice, if people have studied the text themselves and/or missed attending the HamCram teaching weekend, the club can arrange to have the approved examiners there on a Tuesday social night. We'll lock the candidates in the kitchen for their exam under a watchful eye.
Since COVID they changed the way the licence exams are processed. Exams are marked on the spot by approved persons, and an examiner puts in into the computer system. Usually by later that night or the next day, a candidate will get an email with their callsign and they're legal to go on-air. A laminated certificate comes in the mail, some days later.
Visitors are always welcome to attend on Tuesday evenings and have a natter to folks, look at the radios and things we have or put their name down for the next HamCram. (Next is due June 15th and 16th 2024)
We only have a small number of younger folks involved with our club but are actively encouraging more young'uns.
We have a website and promise to reply to emails !
Check us out sometime.
Catherine ZL3CATH
Christchurch Amateur Radio Club branch 05
New Zealand
Clubs are a hard nut to crack. My first club was all friendly until after I was licenced, then nobody wanted to know me as I was a foundation call. Ten years later, I tried again. Second club much better. I did, however, force myself to be social as a lot of old guys are hard nuts to crack, and attend every meeting. After a year now I can have friendly conversations with members and discuss radio.
The pathways should be easier for newcomers.. Hopefully in time this changes, but glad to hear you had success with the 2nd club.
I appreciate this video so much. It has the gears in my skull ruminating on all manner of things.
Great to hear!
I wish that the local club where I live, they call them branches here, would watch this and implement some of your ideas. I have to say to that simply because they run the 'club' as if it is a business really puts me off going to their meetings. I have been licenced since 1987 and I was president of a local club back in Scotland, where we did all sorts of activities, yeah including the proverbial in a brewery. If only the clubs over this side of the ditch from you would consider some of the things you have done to promote ham radio the hobby here would thrive.
I escaped during my club's mid-meeting break, such was the nausea. It was all about doughnuts and military jingoism and other politics to the right of Genghis Khan, and whining about that damned FT8. Forty members show up and maybe 3 had a lick of sense despite an average age of 65, average IQ well under 90. *Not a single member acknowledged my presence.* Even their website is an endless, unreadable link-pile mashup right out of 1997, with no links newer than a year old, mostly news about events 4+ years ago. This for a city of 1,000,000 people. I'm forgetting about ham clubs forever.
Most of the times clubs are more of social club than anything to do with radio. Also a struggle due to massive age gaps. I don’t have much interest in clubs personally.
Perception management. Promote the ham clubs as a club to learn electronics & communications, computer programming, friendships & adventures, etc. The problem I see is most examples of ham radio enthusiasts is reviewing new radios, maybe some antenna work, and getting radio-checks. There's little promotion of using radios for voice conversations, especially how CB's were used in localities. Others words radios should bringing community together via connecting, conversing, and eye-balling. Learning technologies the extra bonus. Having internet somewhat kills the use case though.
This is why the Quansheng UV K5 is so important to HAM. It's an opportunity to get horde of people on the air and talking. Every HAM Club should be selling K5's for near cost, and getting new users.
I’m not so big on ham communications but I’ve owned scanners since the first ancient 10 channel Realistic models were available. My uncle had one he used as a pager for EMS. I saved up and got the same one.
I now own 4 state of the art scanners all programmed to receive various things. I’m definitely a listener but as far as ham goes I’d really only use a two way radio in an emergency. Some radio people I’ve heard over the years are purists and apparently scanning is lazy radio. Thoughts?
No,i feel the same way as you when i turn the cb radio or vhf on. I tend to just sit there and listen to a lot more bad operators than good ones........38 lsb is loaded with all kinds of multiple personalities!!!! And i can always tell which ones are ham operators,lol. I don't have a lot of spare time to waste on hrs of radio talk but some would be nice.
Great video and you are exactly right about clubs especially in the us.
Great video and some good ideas!
Thanks Mike 👍
I would have been licenced 10 years before I actually got licenced, I went to the local club and never wanted to go back. It was only the ability to do it online over COVID that got me into the hobby
The best idea I've heard out of this video is to have a discord. Due to the very nature of what radio is, the information isn't stored. A discord is an excellent idea. So many people have tried to use Facebook as a platform for clubs and groups but it just doesn't work. There are so many people who even refuse to use Facebook. I'm about to form an interest group at my church and I'm going to start it with a discord in place. Thanks very much for that idea.
Discord has been working well for us. We have over 35 sub channels and 100 members discussing all sorts of stuff. Keeps the conversations going
Some clubs are so clicky if you don’t fit it they barely acknowledge you.
It's also rather telling that the current issue of Silicon Chip magazine has 14 pages devoted to becoming a Radio Amateur, but Amateurs (apart from the author) seem to be trying to keep it a secret: almost nobody has been willing to talk about it on air, in social media, etc. Twenty years ago everyone would be all over this.
Like this? czcams.com/video/AQMn7lb04p0/video.html
I have been thinking about a video for my channel for a while now. I moved to my community a year ago and joined the local club to meet people. I also proposed ideas about setting up an IRLP gateway and Echolink gateway. Basically, I got the cold shoulder. They also have two or three guys who seem to be in the club, and everything revolves around them. I wish I had a club like what you guys do. Ours is full of old people who think CW is modern technology. Not for me....I won't be renewing my membership. - Stuart , VE9CF
Back in the day clubs acted like only they could renew your license and were pretty gatekeepy. So much so I took the test and passed and never got a license so I guess I wasn't cool enough. 😂
In my experience you have club presidents who are just wanting to be the centre of attention and surround themselves with like minded people and a clique develops. They often cannot plan to catch a cold and every other meeting is a 'members show and tell' which is code for we could not be bothered planning something. Added to this is the inability to manage an incorporated association in accordance with the constitution and relevant legislation. Then there is the human aspect of on boarding new members...
Some clubs are very welcoming. Some are far from it. Some clubs are so active it’s almost intimidating trying to be active and supportive. Others are almost introverted as a club. In my last couple places I’ve live I have been to several events and meetings over the last 10 years of being back into it. I have yet have anyone ask me my name or call. Nobody has introduced themselves to me or even asked if I was interested in the service. When I was first licensed in 1992 this wasn’t normal. It is now. It starts with club leadership.
It’s great when you do for amateur radio. Great job fellas
TREC in far north QLD with the support of Tablelands regional council trained and licensed 35people at foundation level a couple of years ago, this was to facilitate a way to improve community self reliance in communication during disasters. Out of the 35 around 15 took up the offer of further than basic amateur radio training after being licensed. This has now dwindled down to 5 that have " embraced " amateur radio as a hobby. Out of the original 35 only 10 have retained their license. It appears the old adage " you can lead a horse to water" is appropriate in Amateur radio. If you don't have the amateur radio gene it not for you. Was it worth the effort and time, not really sure!🤔
I think it was worth the time and effort, TREC are doing great things up there 👍
Membership induction is a good idea.
After my contact with a certain club.(no names) I will never join one. I reached out to try to get help with a vertical antenna and course upgrade and was given a pile of Bs and was told in the end they couldn't help.And they were not interested in any new members.. They were a little cliquey club that were full of themselves..My apologies for negativity.
We need some more Richard demoing his EME trailer 🙂
Some clubs in UK are very progressive but many are just a sociable get together with hardly any radio chat. COVID did not help and so far, hardly any progress since. Members never returned. Still early days. Years ago we had visiting speakers from many groups. Repeater groups, digital radio, GQRP club Bartg group and even a CW talk. . That's all gone now. Our club use to do the foundation course. But we still have experts to write dmr code plugs as many hams have no computer programming knowledge. We manage.
The best part of ham radio is not turning up to a club 😅
So many good communities online to choose from, that you can interact with on your terms.
Plus you don't have to be treated as a second class citizen by someone with a triple bypass and cleanliness issues.
some of your examples of a BAD club makes me think about my experience with PAPA systems in Southern California. I joined, paid over $100 to join. I have a home in AZ and Southern Calif and after joining I would get on members nets, because I was in AZ they were so rude, just down right bad. I never got any emails from the club on the events but I did get a TON of emails asking for money. Money Money RUDE nasty controllers. When I spent time in Calif, I would get on the repeater network and was Jumped on every single time about members only. I was a member but they just wanted money. I had a very very bad experience with these people and will never do it again. Now I just stay on HF where 99.9% of the people you meet are FANTASTIC.
Thank you.
I used to contest with a club and got a talking to when I left the mike to have some food , yeah not a fun time
With the price of everything, including gas, makes going to meetings too expensive in terms of rime, tallent and treasure.
Meetings need to be on Zoom/Teams. That would help get more people in the loop.
And as people get older, transportation is an issue.
One thing I dont care for, about my local club in my county is they meet one day a month when it inconveniences people in the evening instead of a weekend at a hospital conference room, here in central Alabama. I went once before and it was a zoo house of people taking exams, and it's more then 30 mins away from me and the membership fees are ridiculous. I've had more luck getting advice from Elmer's not in my area online.
Most people would rather meet in the evening on a weekday than on a busy weekend. Especially if you want younger people involved forget weekend meetings. Weekends are for kids' ballgames, recitals, marching band, movies with the wife, etc. Not to mention cutting lawns, and home improvement. Ham radio takes a back seat to all of those. Spending a few hours at a ham club on a weekend for most men 30-60 years old is completely impossible.
How about modernising the club shack with the latest gear, especially if the club is well flush with funds, instead of stuff from the turn of the century. Make your club shack relevant to 2024. Make your club rooms / shack inviting... that'd be a great start....
Theres a few of clubs here in my area 1 has high school politics. The other one has miss guided speculation. And The other has constant radio checks. And one has a repeater nazi saying this repeater is reserved for emergencies and its not a arres or races repeater. The one club promote education and competition for HF. Which i really enjoy.
Most clubs are great. Some really suck and that is real. It's like anything in life. A club by it's very nature can be a little intimidating for some people. Thinking you are being judged and given the cold shoulder just because someone doesn't love bomb you when you walk through the door doesn't mean it's a bad club. Also, I've found over the years that amateur radio operators in general are a bit socially awkward people. Some of them are a little weird and uncomfortable in social situations or around new people, especially in person. Which is strange to say because what we do is talk to people and strange people all the time on the air. It's not church, it's a radio club of nerds and geeks and sometimes grumpy old fat conservative white men. But if the club has been around a while, and has a decent membership, it's probably a decent enough club to be a part of. Sometimes you just have to wiggle your way in and prove yourself. Just like you do in life in many different situations and scenarios. As much responsibility is on the new member to be a part of the club as it is on long time members. Volunteer, offer to help, talk to people, approach people at the meeting to find out about things. But, as I say, most people who get a ham license are a bit socially awkward to begin with so your millage may vary lol. I have observed maybe 1 or 2 hams out of hundreds that treated a new ham poorly. The vast majority are more than willing to show you their vehicle, help you program a radio, make suggestions and recommendations about things, invite you to social gatherings and all that stuff. Don't go to a club if your not ready to offer something in return though. That's what people don't like. I've seen that a lot. It's not church and it's not work. It's a club which means everyone has to pitch in and make it function.
Clubs are for a close knit group of people. I've belonged to several of them. Never got anything done at the meetings and always had excuses of why we can't do something. Waist of time....
Why is hanging with a close group and doing nothing a waste of time? Why is that any different than hanging at the bar or the golf course or sitting in a boat? Is chilling with some friends watching a ballgame a waste of time? Why is it that hams always think the clubs should be planning for climbing Mt. Everest? If you have a specific activity you want to do, find someone at the club or elsewhere and go do it? Why does the whole club have to participate with your project. Some of them just want to chill. 😂
Using layman's language is so important. Things like "Two conductors is really three conductors" may not fly well. Ever.
All types of clubs from the VFW to a knitting circle have these same issues.
FM broadcast radio is more fun, as you can use any fm radio to listen in, and it is stereo and 30hz -15Khz audio bandwidth, play you're favorite music to the city. Use Circular polarization up high with about erp of 10+Watts is perfect. and keep the signal clean. lol Its hard to find a gap as most spots are taken..there is an unused gap between 76Mhz to 87.5Mhz this part of the band is used in Japan, This band should be free for Armature Broadcast radio up to 10Watts, no adds! play u music
My problem with ham clubs is that there is always a few people that have large egos. They know it all and despise experimenting with antennas and the like because they know it won’t work. I’ll never join another club and it has ruined the hobby for me. I’m just the silent lurker now.
I'll give another view. A 'good' club is a club that serves its current members' needs. It is their club! If they want to grow it, bring in young people, and do 'missionary' work, that is fine. If they want to be a group of 10 old, fat dudes getting out of the house for a couple hours once a month, that is perfectly fine as well. That kind of club works for me. Not every club needs to be climbing Mt. Everest. For many people like myself, radio is a side hobby, and that's it. If l had a club pulling me into someone's pet project for a couple hours every week I'd be out. My time is too limited.
What kills me is some of the people in these clubs are lifers and it's their way or the highway. You can tell these types because that club is their religion - it's their church. Instead of it being a fun hobby on the side, they become the pastor of their ham radio church and believe everyone should follow them. They are know-it-alls and ascribe importance to that club over and above the norm. This is why I avoid clubs - any and all types. I'm rogue and enjoy not putting up with any b.s. except my own. If I don't like what someone is doing on the air, I can tune away or turn off the radio and come back another time.
And here is me thinking it was only my club that sucked
Ham radio clubs usually consist of 2 or 3 people fighting for control of the club and the rest are just there to hang out and not participate in anything other than the coffee & donuts at the meetings. One thing about ham radio I never could figure out is, ham radio is a hobby that involves communication...yet off the air many hams barely will talk to anyone they haven't known for 40 years. Some of the most anti social people I ever met were fellow hams. New hams always feel like outcasts at these clubs, nobody wants to talk to the newbies or welcome them to the club. If you're not part of a "clique" you just won't fit in. It's the same way on the airwaves. Some groups refuse to welcome newcomers in. This behavior will kill the hobby eventually.
its dead in the UK little activity on uhf/vhf some on Hf mostly digital so not real radio
@@londo776 I hear plenty of UK hams on the HF bands. I enjoy working them because they love to chat. Many DX stations just exchange info and bid you farewell...boring. The Aussie's and UK hams love to rag chew and that makes DXing a lot more fun to me.
There are more hams out there than ever. Go dial through 20 and 40m and at sometimes it is hard to find an open frequency. I don't understand the negativity, honestly. Digital modes are fun. Some people aren't chit-chaty. Ok... No law against that. What I don't get is why is there this effort to make people in your club do something. The club doesn't have to do anything. It can simply be some people chilling together that has a once a week net and maintains a repeater. They get together once a month for an hour and talk. That's it. For some reason hams think their club has to save their hobby or, worse, save the world. Nope. If you want to do something than go do it. Find a buddy that want to do stuff and have fun.
I would never want to belong to a club that would have me as a member... 😂
Yep..!
Why do people think the role of clubs is to be the publicity and recruitment arm of amateur radio?
Why is there such an obsession with getting people into amateur radio?
Our club has had interest from young people (usually via their parents) and we've spent a lot of time and effort explaining how it all works, that it's easy to join in and that we'll give them all the help they need ... but as soon as they realise there's an exam and regulations and that they actually need to make a slight effort, they lose interest.
The few who do actually take up amateur radio are the ones who are already aware of it, who already have an interest in technology and who seek us out. It's not the ones who are "recruited".
Yes, it's good to expose people to amateur radio but we're not as "hidden" as you might think. Many people are well aware of "ham radio".
Most times it's the old metaphor ... "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink".
Ham clubs are far too up themselves and hostile, I have been put off getting a foundation licence here in the UK, I contacted a local club who were initially friendly until I revealed I'm on CB and they suddenly changed and started talking down to me.
No thankyou, I will pass on people like that.
These are great ideas! I love it.
Thanks James, hopefully it helps inspire others to try them in their club and achieve success
The club visited was an groups of very old hungry people fighthing to proove was as the biggest so proud of her self without any interest for what happening around there person. Even a geek like me fan of électronic hacking rf just run away
👀Is that an "IBM" thinkpad?????
you said it right, "Ham Radio Clubs Suck!"
Are the YT ham channels clubs?
I will not join another club ever period
Ham for 36 years .. where I am, no thanks. Way too many agendas and egos.
Besides the Old-Guard being not interested in new people, the hobby ITSELF isn't interested in new people. It is so vested in 100 year old techniques and customs that no longer make sense, that people are not interested the moment they think they want to get into it when they try to learn some of these ancient things and ways.
If you want a new generation of people, get a new generation of process(es).
MOST clubs are entirely “staffed” by volunteers and, with an aging demographic, those volunteers are (generally) getting old. Many of the club’s constituency have been volunteering in all club activities,such as repeater installations/maintenance, education, public profiles etc etc for 40, 50 years and some even much longer.
Almost by definition their levels of enthusiasm are often lessening over time, and who can blame them? Still others have been doing the same things in the same way for a long time because their experience MAY be that it worked. Perhaps, now it doesn’t, but it IS very much a perspective thing anyway.
As I often say, if you want to “improve” something, get off your fat arse and involve yourself, but do so with a lot more tact and diplomacy than I possess. I know that you, Hayden, are very involved in numerous aspects of club activities, however many of those who bag clubs are better at throwing stones than they are at being C O N S T R U C T I V E. Often these same “baggers” jump on every other damned bandwagon of criticism rather than shut their mouths, get off their arses and productively presenting the hobby…… like those who blame the old folks for every damned ill they PERCEIVE about the hobby (sometimes with a modicum of accuracy), calling them “sad hams” et al, when the proportion of ACTUAL sad hams is very small.
There’s nothing like doing, rather than talking…..and these comments are NOT
directed at you, Hayden, but to some of the viewers.
Gotta go unload
Kindest
Indy
Ham radio clubs naturally devolve into business meetings and drama fests. It takes constant effort to have interesting programs.
It's possible!
I find clubs to be clickish. And the guys running the club project they are the boss. And the members that are just members are the grunts. No thank you.
I agree. There's usually a couple fighting for total control. One tries to outdo the other in ego trip contests to impress the other members. I never enjoyed being a "follower" of someone else's agenda, I prefer to do my own thing my own way.
What’s a Discord? Excuse my fossil ignorance - 4UH
Hey Kevin, more info on what Discord is here - discord.com/safety/360044149331-what-is-discord
i never trusted them
Modern clubs are Discord Servers yeah?
Mesh what now?
You know why they suck? I can tell ya why! All of them focus on one thing. Ham radio.
Ham radio is apart of so much more. Preparedness! Survival! Any types of communication. Don't focus just on radio. Offer the club much much more.
You know exactly what I mean.
That's why they're called amateurs
The problem with a lot of HAM clubs is that they're full of salty old farts. I went to one HAM meeting. Never again. Not a single person walked up to me to introduce themselves. Follow that up with "You can't use the repeater now because my buddy and I usually talk during this time". Great hobby you guys have here. No wonder HAM radio is dying.
Not all clubs are like that... but it's time to change the ones that are.
Yep, some clubs are more like cults. They can treat you like you have leprosy
You look much hitter without your specs!
Hitter?
@@HamRadioDX Sorry, my sloppy typing. Fitter of course! 😉