Radio is dead.

A place to discuss all aspects of amateur radio operation.
stinkybob
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Radio is dead.

Post by stinkybob »

That's about all I can say on the matter. Actual ham radio, as in 70cm and 2m on analogue, is dead. There is literally nobody on the air apart from the occasional couple of vaccinated old farts that only haunt the airwaves once in a blue moon to moan and bitch to each other about things nobody cares about. I have not had an actual interesting conversation on ham radio for months and every day it's more dead than the day before. There is no point in getting a license if there is literally nobody else to speak with. What a waste of effort. Ham radio sucks and it looks like it will never get any better. Seems like the last few hammies that were left all went over to DMR or are playing with their computer dongles and other such toys and that's not radio. Radio was something APART from the internet and the telephone networks. It had a use "just in case" if everything else went down. Now it's just a graveyard like terrestrial TV and analogue phones. Pointless bloody expense.
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ch25
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by ch25 »

HF is very crowded.
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Otter
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by Otter »

If you're anywhere near Torbay, CB is good here.
"To this day the words Stirling bridge conjour pride in every Scotsman's heart, while to an Englishman those same words conjour literally no feelings at all." - Cunk on Britain S1 E1
Alan Pilot
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by Alan Pilot »

Time to sell up then is it ???.
What radio is it you have.
InTheClouds
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by InTheClouds »

Maybe sell VHF rig, try HF. 10W at home can be a struggle this is a fact. However we can advise, there will be plenty of people to talk to if you can put effort in. Give us your details... QRM at home ? Licence level? Space restrictions etc. ? What is your spare cash situation / budget ?

It is good the the old men were vaccinated.
The trick is time, effort and a bit of money.

Tell us what your radio needs are and your radio dream situation is, then we can help if you are willing to listen and be flexible. If not maybe it is not for you. Amateur radio is very easy if you can be bothered going the extra mile.

What do you want to achieve? With enough patience and effort you can do pretty much anything with 10W radiated.
26mb04
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by 26mb04 »

Pro Tip: stay away from VHF/UHF repeaters if you value your sanity.
Are you able to try mobile/portable HF, or have you already done so? I know small HF sets aren't cheap, but you only need one (despite what the addicts say). Also, what are your attitudes to DIY? You can make HF antennas/groundplanes, there's no need to spend loads of money on big name gear.
Sent from my GP300 using DTMF
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by Transwarp »

stinkybob wrote: 03 Jan 2022, 19:46 That's about all I can say on the matter. Actual ham radio, as in 70cm and 2m on analogue, is dead. There is literally nobody on the air apart from the occasional couple of vaccinated old farts that only haunt the airwaves once in a blue moon to moan and bitch to each other about things nobody cares about. I have not had an actual interesting conversation on ham radio for months and every day it's more dead than the day before. There is no point in getting a license if there is literally nobody else to speak with. What a waste of effort. Ham radio sucks and it looks like it will never get any better. Seems like the last few hammies that were left all went over to DMR or are playing with their computer dongles and other such toys and that's not radio. Radio was something APART from the internet and the telephone networks. It had a use "just in case" if everything else went down. Now it's just a graveyard like terrestrial TV and analogue phones. Pointless bloody expense.
How do you know the 'old farts' are jabbed? You an unvaccinated young buck then? Having a better attitude toward others as a starting point might help you in the hobby, if not then maybe you'd be better off with CB and freebanding.
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mastercare
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by mastercare »

AS SAID hf bands are alive and getting better and better as the new sunspot starts to show its arrival....regards vhf uhf its fairly quite down here in Somerset. our local repeater is busy off and on WR but thats the beauty of the hobby...give it a rest an come back when you ready...i have found especially useful during covid and lockdown...kept my sanity going...
thanks
all
paul
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by Ant »

Plenty of activity over here in the UK. I'm assuming that you're American, due to the American spelling 'license' and the American slang term 'sucks'.
Shack, noun, a small building, usually made of wood or metal, that has not been built well - Oxford Dictionary
A shack (or, less often, shanty) is a type of small, often primitive shelter or dwelling - Wikipedia

Licence - British spelling
License - American spelling
stinkybob
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by stinkybob »

Ham radio in Britain sucks, whether you say it in an American manner or not. The spell checker on my laptop is probably using an American dictionary and I don’t care. It doesn’t alter the fact that ham radio in the UK is wholeheartedly the bastion of grumpy vaccinated old fools the likes of which I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies.

I have never in my life known of any endeavour where simply asking a question instantly gets you belittled, scolded and shunned by old farts with a fanaticism about sun spots, who would rather beep at each other across the void in Morse code from dank, darkened basements than actually go outside in the sunlight and say “Hello” to somebody, and anyway if you don’t have a QRZ page with your entire life’s history and photos of your vast “shack” equipment in full view then you aren’t human to them and they’ll refuse to talk to you on the radio.

I have never heard such a moaning, wheezing, complaining lot of vaccinated old turds all in one place as when I happen to run across one of those ghastly “nets” where they hog a repeater for an hour or so and everybody worldwide can listen to five old sods being insular and angry. And no, you are NOT allowed to join in either because you don’t belong to the club!

Here’s all I ever expected out of ham radio: **** civility. But that ain’t ever going to happen, so no wonder the whole things is dead and nobody of a reasonable mental ability is in the least bit interested in such a lacklustre, boring, angry, outdated and pointless hobby as ham radio. In short, it sucks and it’s the boring, grumpy vaccinated old bastards with ancient licenses who have killed it for everybody.
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by DX-Digger »

Well if you dont like the Nets then start your own net!
I have never heard such a moaning, wheezing, complaining lot of vaccinated old turds all in one place as when I happen to run across one of those ghastly “nets” where they hog a repeater for an hour or so and everybody worldwide can listen to five old sods being insular and angry. And no, you are NOT allowed to join in either because you don’t belong to the club!
I've never read such a moaning, Wheezing, complaining post as yours! It looks like the ham radio status is catching and you are now inflicting your moans on us on this forum.
If you dont like what you hear turn the dial. do what other radio hams do go simplex (repeaters aren't the b-all and end-all of ham radio),
call CQ put some effort into your station instead of expecting everyone else to hear your weak handheld signal.
Infact nahh dont bother cus all you will do then is Moan about something else in this brilliant Ham radio hobby.
I guess its time to sell up and move on to Model making or Radio control or watching washng machines turning your laundry.
Good bye dont forget to close the door on the way out!
{bnghd} {bnghd} :wave: :wave: :wave:
ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ
InTheClouds
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by InTheClouds »

Ham radio in Britain is incredible. When I turn my radio I never fail to make a contact outside of the continent. I surprise people over and again with my big signal from a piece of wire and bare foot radio power and it makes me feel very satisfied. I really enjoy it and cannot wait to have another DX session to get that wonderful DX buzz. I also manage to make contacts in exotic and very difficult places to reach in the world through conditions, technical competence and patience, in that order. It is incredible what you can manage if you divert the bitter, wasted energy of failure and blame of others (for your own ineptitude) ....into positive, informed, high performance radio abilities.

I also hold countless contacts with other UK hams and European stations and they all seem cordial and friendly with rare exception.

We held out an olive branch and you decided to rip it to shreds. Our sympathy has now worn thin.
Last edited by InTheClouds on 25 Jan 2022, 15:04, edited 2 times in total.
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ch25
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by ch25 »

Every day I hear many UK hams on 20m with huge signals 20dB and over, talking to VK, ZL and all over the world.
WE ARE MOTÖRHEAD, AND WE PLAY ROCK N' ROLL
You can't have too many antennas...
Ant
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by Ant »

stinkybob wrote: 24 Jan 2022, 23:18 Ham radio in Britain sucks, whether you say it in an American manner or not. The spell checker on my laptop is probably using an American dictionary and I don’t care. It doesn’t alter the fact that ham radio in the UK is wholeheartedly the bastion of grumpy vaccinated old fools the likes of which I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies.

I have never in my life known of any endeavour where simply asking a question instantly gets you belittled, scolded and shunned by old farts with a fanaticism about sun spots, who would rather beep at each other across the void in Morse code from dank, darkened basements than actually go outside in the sunlight and say “Hello” to somebody, and anyway if you don’t have a QRZ page with your entire life’s history and photos of your vast “shack” equipment in full view then you aren’t human to them and they’ll refuse to talk to you on the radio.

I have never heard such a moaning, wheezing, complaining lot of vaccinated old turds all in one place as when I happen to run across one of those ghastly “nets” where they hog a repeater for an hour or so and everybody worldwide can listen to five old sods being insular and angry. And no, you are NOT allowed to join in either because you don’t belong to the club!

Here’s all I ever expected out of ham radio: **** civility. But that ain’t ever going to happen, so no wonder the whole things is dead and nobody of a reasonable mental ability is in the least bit interested in such a lacklustre, boring, angry, outdated and pointless hobby as ham radio. In short, it sucks and it’s the boring, grumpy vaccinated old bastards with ancient licenses who have killed it for everybody.
You either have a rubbish antenna, or there's something else you're doing wrong, as the bands certainly aren't dead. Plenty of activity right now on 2m and 70cm and then there's the HF bands.

I understand that as you're new, you're not getting the results you've been expecting, so this is causing you to exhibit some regressive, bitter, resentful and hate filled views towards others, but give it time and perhaps use something other than a hand held and you'll see a whole different world.

Don't worry too much about a QRZ page willy waving contest, which yes is usually full of photos of a crappy ply bench full of utter tat and a radio which costs more than their car. Even I lose interest in a QSO if all they have to talk about is their equipment in their "shack" (building which is about to fall apart). Yes, some do like to brag about how much they've spent on radio, they probably become aroused whilst thinking that I'm remotely interested in talking about how much they've spent on radio equipment, they're on the brink of climax as they slap their knobs all over that ply bench, thinking that I'm going to enter into a debate about what equipment I'm running.
Shack, noun, a small building, usually made of wood or metal, that has not been built well - Oxford Dictionary
A shack (or, less often, shanty) is a type of small, often primitive shelter or dwelling - Wikipedia

Licence - British spelling
License - American spelling
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Base Jumper
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Re: Radio is dead.

Post by Base Jumper »

stinkybob wrote: 24 Jan 2022, 23:18 Ham radio in Britain sucks, whether you say it in an American manner or not. The spell checker on my laptop is probably using an American dictionary and I don’t care. It doesn’t alter the fact that ham radio in the UK is wholeheartedly the bastion of grumpy vaccinated old fools the likes of which I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies.

I have never in my life known of any endeavour where simply asking a question instantly gets you belittled, scolded and shunned by old farts with a fanaticism about sun spots, who would rather beep at each other across the void in Morse code from dank, darkened basements than actually go outside in the sunlight and say “Hello” to somebody, and anyway if you don’t have a QRZ page with your entire life’s history and photos of your vast “shack” equipment in full view then you aren’t human to them and they’ll refuse to talk to you on the radio.

I have never heard such a moaning, wheezing, complaining lot of vaccinated old turds all in one place as when I happen to run across one of those ghastly “nets” where they hog a repeater for an hour or so and everybody worldwide can listen to five old sods being insular and angry. And no, you are NOT allowed to join in either because you don’t belong to the club!

Here’s all I ever expected out of ham radio: **** civility. But that ain’t ever going to happen, so no wonder the whole things is dead and nobody of a reasonable mental ability is in the least bit interested in such a lacklustre, boring, angry, outdated and pointless hobby as ham radio. In short, it sucks and it’s the boring, grumpy vaccinated old bastards with ancient licenses who have killed it for everybody.

Best give all your gear away to a local scouts group then crawl back under your rock and do us all a favour 🤣
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