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I can say without a doubt of all technically oriented communities the HAM radio community is by far the most rude, hostile, and least educated in their field of any group.
The amount of just pure idiocy and lack of understanding of even the basics is astonishing considering this is a licensed trade.
@freemo Perhaps also on the other end of the scale some of the most technically aware too (so a bit of big gap but equally balanced looking at the extremes?)
I've seen some great HAM users and posts and often thought of you... and I guess I would see the bad ones as they wouldn't be here so yeah hard to say as I don't know but think even a few specialist could outweigh millions of users considering you can pick up and play with things like anything else at some level and then be super-technical on another level - bit like computers I suppose. And I hope I'm not comparing it too wildly or incorrectly but something 'like' that example...
Sticking my neck out further perhaps Truckers and Techies as as way of saying it in too short of a phrase...
While there are certainly some technically aware people they are a very very small minority (even among the educated). In terms of percentages the percentage of people who understand even the basics of their craft is probably far less than 1% in my expiernce even among people with degrees in the subject.
@freemo It seems a "less-essential(*)" means of communication or moved on by industry, so quite amazing it's still alive in some sense but point taken.
(*) = could be another way of phrasing it's longer existence and practical uses moved on by industry rather than inability perhaps to serve. Perhaps not as profitable too...
@freeschool You misunderstand its purpose. ITs purpose is not (and really never was) for communication. Its purpose is three fold 1) as a emergency service 2) To do R&D on new community radio systems (including stuff like wifi like systems) 3) to provide a space for people to learn the craft so during an emergency they will be proficient enough to be useful.
Ham radio played vital roles in many modern day natural disasters.. Pretty much anytime an area gets hit by a devastating hurricane or earth quake ham radio plays a vital role in keeping people alive and safe.
@freemo Sounds good in it's specific use case. Most may have never experienced any of that.
Would it be true to say not much has changed with HAM radio in the sense that even the minimals can achieve the keeping people alive and safe in disaster situations? So maybe it didn't need so much more in evolution to provide same thing which also might help it not really needing much more to it... ?
@freeschool Ham radio has changed a heck of a lot. In recent years we have new modes of operation that are significantly more effective than older modes in poor conditions.
That said the older ways of operating are still accessible too.
@freemo It's true I did misunderstand. And seems less useful now overall (maybe #2 even that but that might be moved on in it's own way once it's mostly 'done')
But I'll not claim I know anything... just seems less need by public, naturally evolved / obsolete or simply "replaced" more than anything else to make it popular. Again pinch of salt on the HAM topic for what I say...