Twitchy1

You are assuming everyone lives within a mile of a bus stop and has a safe road with sidewalks or bike lanes to get to that bus stop.

This may not sound like much for someone that doesn't know how involved a fire alarm can be but ...Lightning had struck a large chain hotel and blown up the fire alarm at 5pm or so. By 11pm I had a temporary fire panel installed, temporarily wired, bare minimally programmed and communicating with a central station enough that the guests were safe for almost a week until the actual manufacturer representative could do a full repair. Parts used were a different manufacturer that shouldn't be able to "talk" with the intelligent field devices. Most parts were used spares I had in my truck. Customer was thrilled. Most guys would have just thrown up their hands, said it's dead, notified the fire department and went to sleep.

The fire alarm industry has provided me many days with a sense of accomplishment. It's the best part of the job.

Those inexpensive, although less traditional means is the answer to the question that started this thread.

They need to be promoted and advertised above all else. Once someone is interested then you can add in the expensive things.

Example, I race RCs. Just the chassis of some of the cars is well above $500(I use $100 3racing Chinese knock offs and extremely very competitive with them btw). These cars are raced on perfectly flat and prepared asphalt so it's very niche. The club wants members to race... We don't tell people that come to watch that they should buy the $1500 car&radio, nobody will join. We have several classes that are "starters". The cost of the cars is $100-200 ready to race. It's not fast at all but it's cheap enough to see if you want it. It's also cheap and easy to maintain. Most people enjoy the inexpensive racing that fills the majority of the day.

The hobby needs to adapt to the complaints/requests of people not actively involved but willing to give it a try.

It's a great hobby, I got into it after having to learn a lot of antenna theory for work. I rolled it into a hobby. Just as any hobby though .. the high number of elitists just put a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not going to spend that kind of money to listen to guys to spout politics on local channels, fight with massive amplified signals for satellite bounces, be shamed/ignored at local meets for not buying the latest and greatest.

$500+ to get an HF radio is not enticing for a young person. You can get a gaming laptop for that, unless there is an uncommon passion for radio in that new person the hobby can't compete. (I don't own a PC it's just an example)

The question was how to get people involved... I'm just adding my 2 cents on why I walked away after putting time into getting started.

So I'm not just complaining, sorry if it comes off that way. Getting away from voice is the only way to inspire and interest new people. SSTV from ISS was interesting, several guys would setup image transfer and emails(?) on the local repeater which was an interesting idea. A decentralized email system would be interesting to me but not to many that aren't in natural disasters prone areas. Like passing traffic on 2m/70cm but instead it be data until it reaches someone with internet. Think BitTorrent type data transmission. Promote CW via software to allow for minimal power communications rather than make it a frowned upon activity. I never got a chance to really attempt packet radio but I imagine it would be similar to CW via software. One step further... Software for things like raspberry pi. Small affordable development computers that can expand the hobby, maybe that's common now? I dunno. If it is already a thing then that's the sort of thing that needs to be promoted. If the hobby remains the overpowered walkie-talkies/CB then it's just going to continue to decline as the older generations pass away. Computers for communication aren't going anywhere but are highly dependent on the ISP infrastructure. This being Lemmy I think we should all understand the potential and possibilities of decentralized uses.

Make it affordable isn't a reasonable request...

How about don't trash talk inexpensive equipment. "This $4k radio is what you need, not that Chinese junk." Watch the majority of people will just walk away.

My unused general license is a perfect example. The multiple free HF antennas and free LMR400 run to my free 30' antenna mast I was given didn't even put a dent in offsetting the cost of a radio to use the equipment I have rotting away.

I'll keep my dual band tyt and my 2m Kenwood. If there's an emergency where it is useful, I'll use it.

From what I've seen there is no casting to the TV though? Must use an external app to watch it on something other than phone/laptop. I plan on trying it for a month, it looks good... Except it's only meant to be watched on my phone/laptop. I can't really try any of the workarounds until I pay for it.

An improvement over having to sail the seas for a race because ESPN decided it's a great idea to use literally half the screen to show baseball stats/scores the entire race.

The guys yard was 4 lots so fairly nice sized (1 acre?)... Underground tunnels that lead to "satellite" cages for the prairie dogs to keep an eye on the yard. Venomous snake shed(cobras and rattlesnakes) and to top it off a pair of breeding crocodile monitors. A true Florida man.

I agree with Katrisia, it's a never ending cycle. It's also an exercise in futility though, Too many uncontrollable variables.

As a son... I see it as my parents probably tried to improve what their parents did and it may not have turned out how they would have wanted the intention was good. I hope my kids will also see that even though it wasn't perfect I tried to improve what my parents had done. The last line I hope some people take seriously. Enjoy your life without kids, parenting is difficult and will bring a life of hardships... But it's worth it if you put in the effort as long as you know you can't make the perfect person. No changing your mind once you start. If you do go out for milk and never come back then the poem was true.

They fuck you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn By fools in old-style hats and coats, Who half the time were soppy-stern And half at one another’s throats.

Man hands on misery to man. It deepens like a coastal shelf. Get out as early as you can, And don’t have any kids yourself.

-Philip Larkin

"Hey Rufio... Why don't you go suck on a dead dog's nose."

A line I quote often.

I didn't take it as one better than the other. I have my general license but could never afford the equipment...I've only messed with them during field days on other people's equipment.