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   Stormgren (stormgren@obsidianmoon.com)'s status on Friday, 28-Jul-2023 01:17:55 JST Stormgren

   in reply to

   • Dan KB6NU
   • AI6YR Ben
   • KC8JC 📻
   • Joe KC1SRI
   • Matt W1CDN

   @KC8JC @Geojoek @W1CDN @kb6nu @ai6yr In my experience, the POTA/SOTA crowd seems to be a lot more accepting than the rest of ham radio. From what I've seen, it's a lot more about having fun and figuring out how to operate in strange places than it is anything else.

   • James Morris likes this.
   • Embed this notice
     KC8JC 📻 (kc8jc@mastodon.radio)'s status on Friday, 28-Jul-2023 01:17:56 JST KC8JC 📻

     in reply to

     • Dan KB6NU
     • AI6YR Ben
     • Joe KC1SRI
     • Matt W1CDN

     @Geojoek @W1CDN @kb6nu @ai6yr

     And YES! The outdoors crowd is a great place to start!

     That might mean a little less emphasis on contesting...cuz man...contesting is expensive and exclusive in a lot of cases. Ya know?

     But POTA? Gimme a 1 $100 rig and some wire and I'll make a day of it!

   • Embed this notice
     Joe KC1SRI (geojoek@mastodon.hams.social)'s status on Friday, 28-Jul-2023 01:18:02 JST Joe KC1SRI

     in reply to

     • Dan KB6NU
     • AI6YR Ben
     • KC8JC 📻
     • Matt W1CDN

     @W1CDN @KC8JC @kb6nu @ai6yr

     Yes. I don't have actual data to back this up, but it was the outdoorsy 30somethings who got into CW and SOTA during the start of the pandemic that lured my 40something self into the hobby... and that seems to be where clubs should be trying to focus their growth given that that's where the growth seems to be already be happening.

   • Embed this notice
     Matt W1CDN (w1cdn@mastodon.radio)'s status on Friday, 28-Jul-2023 01:18:12 JST Matt W1CDN

     in reply to

     • Dan KB6NU
     • AI6YR Ben
     • KC8JC 📻

     @KC8JC I'm 39 and pretty young for the local clubs and way too old for the local uni club.

     Thing is, I got licensed at 17 and had no mentors to get me excited, and no money to buy stuff. So the hobby sat until I had a job and some time.

     That might be the way it goes. It might never attract lots of 20-somethings, and recruitment might be wasted there. *IF* membership would at least stay stable (to accomplish our shared goals), recruiting 30-somethings would be fine.
     @kb6nu @ai6yr

   • Embed this notice
     KC8JC 📻 (kc8jc@mastodon.radio)'s status on Friday, 28-Jul-2023 01:18:13 JST KC8JC 📻

     in reply to

     • Dan KB6NU
     • AI6YR Ben

     @kb6nu @ai6yr

     I went to Hamvention this year. I know EXACTLY why membership is going down. Mortality rates are gonna take the org out at the knees if it doesn't sit up and get relevant to younger (and hey, I'm 50 here and YOUNG in that room!) operators and those who have a more than passing interest in the hobby.

   • Embed this notice
     Dan KB6NU (kb6nu@mastodon.radio)'s status on Friday, 28-Jul-2023 01:18:14 JST Dan KB6NU

     in reply to

     • AI6YR Ben

     @ai6yr Here's my take on the dues increase: https://www.kb6nu.com/no-surprise-arrl-to-raise-dues/

   • Embed this notice
     AI6YR Ben (ai6yr@mastodon.radio)'s status on Friday, 28-Jul-2023 01:18:15 JST AI6YR Ben

     It appears the #ARRL is busy stirring up a hornet's nest, they apparently are going to start charging their Life Members for paper copies of #QST... $48/year. Lots of those Life Members specifically subscribed assuming they would get the magazine for free. #hamradio