In the Lord of the Rings fandom there’s a persistent debate whether balrogs, or Durin’s Bane specifically, have wings. The text in Fellowship is ambiguous whether what it is describing are literal wings or something else wing-like.
In the Lord of the Rings fandom there’s a persistent debate whether balrogs, or Durin’s Bane specifically, have wings. The text in Fellowship is ambiguous whether what it is describing are literal wings or something else wing-like.
Completely forgot an even better example. Is FT8 ruining ham radio? Think of FT8 like a glorified ping using modem noises. You pipe those modem noises over a radio and someone pings you back with a signal report, and that’s it. There are many people who want to have more substantive conversations and think FT8 is automating the fun out of the hobby. Others argue that the people using FT8 aren’t the type to want to ragchew anyway, so they can hang out in their little corner and leave the rest of the bands clear for those who do want to chat.
That being said, one can probably find similar arguments when phone came into mainstream, and then again when the FCC eliminated the Morse requirements. The truth is it’s all ham radio, and any arguments to the contrary are rejected outright.
To even get on any of the digital modes, not only must one have the licenses, radio, and antenna, they must also know how to pair the computer up to it to get it to function while also understanding atmospherics.
Speaking as someone who only got licensed in 2019 with almost zero exposure to the hobby prior, I get where this attitude comes from. Back in the day a new mode meant new (expensive) equipment which also took up space (the cost in terms of square-footage for a shack and antennas is overlooked IMO). Whereas now most things can be accomplished with a computer and sound card.
Also, ham radio for the most part is only fun when other people are doing it too. I love Hellschreiber but nobody else does, so I rarely get any contacts using Hell. I can see CW guys bemoaning the folks who moved from CW to FT8 because they only used CW because it’s tolerant of low power or sub-optimal antennas, and FT8 was built with that scenario in mind.
On the other side ham radio is supposed to be about experimentation and trying new stuff. That’s one of thee reasons given by the FCC for allocating spectrum for ham use. So of course new shiny modes are going to come up all the time, if they don’t then the hobby is failing.
A fantastic point I hadn’t considered, new gear taking up more space. I would also try Hell but for the same issue you mentioned. I did SSTV a bit which is kind of neat.
I’ve tried JT65 a bunch on HF with no luck.
The code requirement is what stopped me from getting a license in the mid 90s as a kid. Well that and nobody could tell me what lunch meat had to do with wireless communication. I learned morese all the same after getting my tech license just to prove to myself I now had the discipline that I lacked as a kid.
Related: There was an uproar when the FCC said they’d start charging $30 for licenses whereas before they were free. Most hams I hang out with IRL were fine with it, but I was not. If you’re on the outside wondering whether to get into the hobby, every roadblock is a potential show-stopper. If someone hands you a can of weird soda you’ve never tried, you’ll probably try it because the worst you’ll get is a bad taste. If you have to pay for that same can of mystery soda, even if it’s just a dollar, you’re more likely to pass.
The big picture is more complex though. The $30 dollar fee isn’t specific to ham licenses, it’s part of a process of standardization at the FCC that also affects other services. It’s also a pittance compared to what some other countries expect. Aussies had it really bad in the past, though googling it literally just now seems to indicate it’s gotten a lot better. They used to have to pay annual fees on top.
I don’t like talking (edit: aloud, to be clear) that much, in person or otherwise, so I like data modes.