Comments on: Why Can’t Dayton Be More Like the Maker Faire? http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/ My personal adventures in amateur radio Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:50:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Dan KB6NU http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-301374 Dan KB6NU Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:23:00 +0000 http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-301374 If I'm elected to the ARRL Board of Directors, and even if I'm not, I'll see if we can't get a ham radio presence there. It really is a shame that no one was there touting ham radio. These are exactly the kind of folks we need to get excited about ham radio. If I’m elected to the ARRL Board of Directors, and even if I’m not, I’ll see if we can’t get a ham radio presence there. It really is a shame that no one was there touting ham radio. These are exactly the kind of folks we need to get excited about ham radio.

]]> By: Louis Katz http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-301335 Louis Katz Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:44:15 +0000 http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-301335 How come there is virtually no ham presence at makers fair might be a better question. I was struck by the location of the fair yesterday (Austin) and the lack of radio. There may have been some, somewhere, but all I saw was a vectronics kit and two books. This is a place where a pile of altoids tins full of radio gear would have had lots of lookers and a homebrew amplifier would have had people drooling. Even a wired telegraph would have had participants. They had places where you could go and get help building kits (30 solder stations about). I am going again next year. Louis w0it How come there is virtually no ham presence at makers fair might be a better question. I was struck by the location of the fair yesterday (Austin) and the lack of radio. There may have been some, somewhere, but all I saw was a vectronics kit and two books. This is a place where a pile of altoids tins full of radio gear would have had lots of lookers and a homebrew amplifier would have had people drooling. Even a wired telegraph would have had participants. They had places where you could go and get help building kits (30 solder stations about).
I am going again next year.
Louis
w0it

]]> By: Dan KB6NU http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-298682 Dan KB6NU Sun, 25 May 2008 16:53:57 +0000 http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-298682 The PR campaign is just getting started. I'm not sure what their plans are for publicizing the website. I think you're spot on about young, creative people not wanting to hang around with cranky, old hams. We're not all cranky, though! That's the image we have to change somehow. The PR campaign is just getting started. I’m not sure what their plans are for publicizing the website.

I think you’re spot on about young, creative people not wanting to hang around with cranky, old hams. We’re not all cranky, though! That’s the image we have to change somehow.

]]> By: Ben Sinclair http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-298678 Ben Sinclair Fri, 23 May 2008 19:44:07 +0000 http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-298678 That "we do that" site is nice... Much better than the "hello radio" site. So where are they promoting that site? How do non-hams find it? There are a ton of electronics hobbyists out there these days, thanks to easy microcontrollers and cheap parts, plus things like Make magazine. These are the people who would get a kick out of ham radio, and be able to use it to expand their existing hobby. I think the problem is that the young, creative people that are building amazing and artistic things with Arduinos do not want to hang around and talk to old cranky hams. That “we do that” site is nice… Much better than the “hello radio” site. So where are they promoting that site? How do non-hams find it?

There are a ton of electronics hobbyists out there these days, thanks to easy microcontrollers and cheap parts, plus things like Make magazine. These are the people who would get a kick out of ham radio, and be able to use it to expand their existing hobby.

I think the problem is that the young, creative people that are building amazing and artistic things with Arduinos do not want to hang around and talk to old cranky hams.

]]> By: Dan KB6NU http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-298676 Dan KB6NU Fri, 23 May 2008 13:58:38 +0000 http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-298676 I do think we have to overcome the stodgy image that ham radio has. I've even suggested in the past that we change the name of the hobby to something that more resembles what we do, including TV, Internet communication, etc. I never was able to come up with something that didn't sound contrived, though. The latest ARRL PR campaign is trying to show that we're about much more than just 75m phone. The new campaign slogan is "We Do That," and there is a website that shows all the cool techie things that amateur radio operators are doing. The URL is http://www.wedothat-radio.org/wedothat/. I do think we have to overcome the stodgy image that ham radio has. I’ve even suggested in the past that we change the name of the hobby to something that more resembles what we do, including TV, Internet communication, etc. I never was able to come up with something that didn’t sound contrived, though.

The latest ARRL PR campaign is trying to show that we’re about much more than just 75m phone. The new campaign slogan is “We Do That,” and there is a website that shows all the cool techie things that amateur radio operators are doing. The URL is http://www.wedothat-radio.org/wedothat/.

]]> By: hamster http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-298675 hamster Fri, 23 May 2008 07:57:13 +0000 http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-298675 @ Ben: I don't think it is that people are not interested in ham radio it is that people are less exposed to them. With so many communication mediums available now adays (internet anyone!) people are less exposed to the technology than they were years past. Many younger people that you ask may not even know what ham radio is. Exposure is key, as I think the more people that are exposed to it the more that will adopt it... @ Ben: I don’t think it is that people are not interested in ham radio it is that people are less exposed to them. With so many communication mediums available now adays (internet anyone!) people are less exposed to the technology than they were years past. Many younger people that you ask may not even know what ham radio is. Exposure is key, as I think the more people that are exposed to it the more that will adopt it…

]]> By: Ben Sinclair http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-298673 Ben Sinclair Thu, 22 May 2008 18:27:55 +0000 http://kb6nu.com/why-cant-dayton-be-more-like-the-maker-faire/#comment-298673 It's because nobody is interested in ham radio these days. I'm a fairly new ham, and really enjoy it, mostly because it gives me something to apply my electronics experience to. You can only build so many PIC-based flashy light boxes before you want to build something useful! As a a software developer, I also enjoy writing interfaces for digital modes, APRS parsers, etc. I think I like working on the equipment more than I like communicating. We need to recruit new hams and overpower the legions of old, cranky, "remember the good old days" dinosaurs. There is a lot of fun to be had in ham radio, and it's going to take new people with new ideas to make it popular again. It’s because nobody is interested in ham radio these days.

I’m a fairly new ham, and really enjoy it, mostly because it gives me something to apply my electronics experience to. You can only build so many PIC-based flashy light boxes before you want to build something useful! As a a software developer, I also enjoy writing interfaces for digital modes, APRS parsers, etc. I think I like working on the equipment more than I like communicating.

We need to recruit new hams and overpower the legions of old, cranky, “remember the good old days” dinosaurs. There is a lot of fun to be had in ham radio, and it’s going to take new people with new ideas to make it popular again.

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