Thanks Mike, worth a try isn't it
--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 5/11/15, MG Blueyonder <mike.granatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Subject: [wkars-members] Re: RSGB DRM UPDATE
To: wkars-members@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thursday, 5 November, 2015, 21:33
Ok.
I will run the talk through with 439.1 MHz on one side and
the main net frequency on the
other.Mike
On 5 Nov
2015, at 20:43, gladius650@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(Redacted sender "gladius650" for DMARC) <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Yes Gordon certainly do sir
Sent from my HTC
----- Reply
message -----
From: "MG
Blueyonder" <mike.granatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <wkars-members@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [wkars-members] Re: RSGB DRM UPDATE
Date: Thu, Nov 5, 2015 7:57 PM
I'd be happy to set up a
talk through at my T Wells QTH. It might provide a viable
link from Wadhurst. Kevin - do you have a 70cm
capability?
On 5 Nov 2015, at
19:21, gladius650@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(Redacted sender "gladius650" for DMARC) <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Yes a lot of earth between us, I can
usually hear a few apart from my interference. I
use a Watson W300 antenna, usually with my ID-5100 but will
try the FT-1900 next time Gordon..
Sent from my HTC
----- Reply
message -----
From: "Gordon Bubb"
<gordonbubb@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <wkars-members@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [wkars-members] Re: RSGB DRM UPDATE
Date: Thu, Nov 5, 2015 6:48 PM
Kevin,To Tonbridge Wadhurst
is 16 Km and not a good path. If you use a hand held I
probably won't hear you but others should who have
higher QTHs. I'm sure Mark will come up with likely
stations you could hear on monday
nights.Gordon
On 5 November 2015 at
18:37, gladius650@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
The name is Kevin and located in Wadhurst.
I will try my dedicated 2 mtr radio, after looking at the
specs of filtering it may be an advantage to
me
Sent from my
HTC
----- Reply message -----
From: "Gordon Bubb" <gordonbubb@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <wkars-members@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [wkars-members] Re: RSGB DRM UPDATE
Date: Thu, Nov 5, 2015 5:32
PM
Gladius650,
sorry have missed your name somewhere along the line,
thinking of our nets, where are you located? This will give
us an idea of whether you can easily get into the
net.
Will you be at Kempton
this sunday?
GordonG7KNS
On 5 November 2015 at
17:29, gladius650@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I am not the only M6 that gets abuse,
which is why they have returned to their roots with 11
mtrs.
Sent from my HTC
----- Reply message -----
From: "Mark Kent" <mark.antony.kent@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <wkars-members@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [wkars-members] Re: RSGB DRM UPDATE
Date: Thu, Nov 5, 2015 5:15
PM
The West Kent nets are
advertised every week, and M6s are always welcomed. Why
don’t you join one of them? The invitations are sent
every week onto the -announce list, so you should see them;
this, at least, is something where M6s are always invited.
I cannot speak for
all licensed amateurs, but I have never heard any on-air
abuse on these nets.
In case you don’t have the details
to hand, the target is 145.375 MHz, FM, centre of gravity is
Tunbridge Wells area, time is 2000hrs local time (so GMT at
the moment), and the day is Mondays, when it’s not a club
night, and lasts usually 1-2 hours depending on who is
about.
73 Mark
G8PHM
On 5 Nov 2015, at 15:34, gladius650@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(Redacted sender "gladius650" for DMARC) <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
As M6's we are inclined to look into
things in great detail to prove our worth to more
experienced users, not necessarily the theory but the more
practical side of things, only to get put down because a-c=d
doesn't equate when we ask questions. Therefore I will
only ask one person now that will listen to both
sides. There is also a great deal of snobbery
amoung full license operators, while in seperate discussion
groups we are never asked to join any group, just left on
the side line to twiddle our fingers, so we
leave. Because we feel honoured to hold a call
sign, we tend to keep up what we are taught at the time as
announcing our call signs, then we are accused of wasting
time or even called proofs, pancies, tarts even down to
making comments that we must be child molesters, the excuse
they must have been drunk, doesn't wash with
me.
Sent from my
HTC
----- Reply message -----
From: "Mark Kent" <mark.antony.kent@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <wkars-members@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [wkars-members] Re: RSGB DRM UPDATE
Date: Thu, Nov 5, 2015 1:50 PM
Do you have a particular area you’d like to
see improved? Or particular examples where you think
things might have been handled better?
Where there’s something specific
to go on, it’s often easier to make some kind of progress,
and often, people don’t realise that they’re getting
something wrong, so a light hint can work wonders
:-)73 Mark G8PHM
On 5 Nov
2015, at 12:26, gladius650@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(Redacted sender "gladius650" for DMARC) <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Until the RSGP/OFCOM suppresses the
arrogance towards new operators the ingress to our hobby
will remain static. Involving new operators into
conversations, and listening to their input will go a long
way to encouragement.. May I add a little light joviality
also. M6LVK
Sent from my HTC
----- Reply message -----
From: "Mark Kent" <mark.antony.kent@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <wkars-members@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [wkars-members] Re: RSGB DRM UPDATE
Date: Thu, Nov 5, 2015 11:40 AM
[ I’ve re-attached my email so
that the thread is not broken ] Comments are inline:
Mark
That's a fascinating and telling analysis, and some
of your conclusions are pretty powerful. Thank you very
much for sharing them. A couple of thoughts:
1. The film Convoy was a huge boost
because it showed CB radio as the hero, a point reinforced
by its use to thwart overweening authority. The
illegitimacy of CB here was a huge draw. I was at the Home
Office during CB's heyday, and handled all the public
communication for radio regulation at the time - and when we
brought in MPT 1321 and legalised CB, six magazines and a
great number of equipment suppliers went out of business
almost overnight. Never underestimate the power of
romantic unlawfulness. Conclusion: we'll probably
always be able to attract technophiles, but if we want real
growth, we need to be able to sell fun in the broad
philosophical sense you suggest. Raynet type activities,
demonstrating a public good and fun to boot, are an obvious
candidate.
Robin Hood was, eventually I
believe, forgiven by the incoming regime! Pirate radio,
like computer hacking, continue to appeal to the ‘romantic
unlawfulness’ genetic drive which many young chaps seem to
have. Part of this, I think, is the perception of
adventure falling outside of normal experience, with the
opportunity to act beyond accepted norms. Once upon a
time, the armed services, bizarrely perhaps, offered
something of the ‘Horatio Hornblower’ appeal [ see the
original Star Trek series for that in a more modernistic
setting] , or indeed Blake’s 7 was described as ‘Robin
Hood in space’.
So
as you say, how do we loop Horatio Hornblower and Robin Hood
into Raynet..?
2. As an Whitehall hand, I think the RSGB has pitiful
influence with Ofcom.
We lost the moral standing that comes with a licence fee.
We clearly deal
with people low in the Ofcom food chain, when the real
decisions are made by the policy makers and legal people.
The paucity of our reach and importance is well illustrated
by that new guidance document with its poor
drafting, non-sequiturs (see 2.79-2.82 for example) and
dreadful proof reading.
Yes, big mistake. I wonder if we
should do something rather odd, that being to campaign for
the re-introduction of a licence fee in return for some
support? That’s something the RSGB could push or it
could be done independently.
3. The RSGB is an organisation bonded by a website and
magazine, but riven by different competing and often
arrogant interests. It has dozens of very good people all
ploughing the field in different directions. It reminds
me a great deal of policing - the upper tiers dominated by
people who live off the experiences of their long-lost
younger days... (Hence my bleat for more kids, ASAP.). As
a consequence, it lacks any of the focus necessary to
campaign for the hobby. Raynet has a variant of the
disease.
I get
the point, but I think fixing the leadership by adding new
recruits will have a very long time-constant, probable
several decades, so it needs other, more immediate action,
going into the mix as well, in my view.
4. We need to sell amateur radio as an enabler, and a
strategic good, not just an end in itself. But that's
where we both agree. And we have to find better champions
and partners than Ofcom. It's a regulator, and an
auctioneer, and we are a pimple on the hindquarters of an
elephant with no effect on its head or direction at all.
This is worth some further thought.
73 Mike
Indeed.. I’ve come around,
by the way, to what the RSGB is perhaps trying to achieve
with the film. I’m still not convinced it’ll work, but
that’s a different question.
More immediately:
Answer the question "What is
the RSGB for?" At the base level, it is a social
club, but that also has some of the responsibilities of a
labour union, or a professional association. The latter
parts are about representing the interests of its members.
Simple enough, but
a much harder question is “What should the RSGB do?”
Clearly promotion of Amateur Radio is almost a given, as
without that, the RSGB ceases to exist. But it goes much
further, out to properly engaging with licensing
authorities, and ensuring that it is the proper voice of its
membership. Recently, it seems to have allowed itself to
be pushed out of the way - this is clearly wrong and needs
be fixed.
There is a
very basic question, though, which is should Ofcom be
responsible for spectrum auctions at all? This is surely
poacher turned gamekeeper; the RSGB should be raising this
question into MPs and parliament, probably on the back of
the educational value of amateur radio in promoting UK
PLC’s future in science and technology, something everyone
agrees the need for.
The responsibility for spectrum
licensing should be taken from Ofcom, or the
responsibility for licensing radio usage, interference and
such like should be given to a separate body. That body
should be charged with protecting the interests of the
UK’s scientific future through defending essential
educational spectrum from short-term commercial
exploitation.
Secondly, RSGB and Raynet both
should be looking at the Horatio Hornblower side; but that
means a whole different approach, and must be done *without*
losing appeal to the traditional, self-selecting groups
(universities, schools, technicians, engineers, et
cetera).
I wonder if
the RSGB might considering getting together with its CEPT
country counterparts and see about funding some Scientific
Arts as per my previous note. There are countless
examples of radio amateurs providing unusual emergency
comms, including the Falklands, the recent Tsunamis, and of
course the activities of Raynet. There’re also the
satellites, the FunCube thing, the space station. How
about a story which weaves all of this
together?
Maybe I
should try to write one :-)
================ <my previous note
below> ===============
Mike et al, time for some
analysis…
Facebook
and social
media======================Facebook’s
biggest growth area is, and has been for some time, in older
people (> 34), so its quite likely that radio amateurs
are going there. It’s losing popularity amongst the
youngsters, though.
For facebook: http://www.slideshare.net/oreillymedia/facebook-demo-20090415 in
2009:
The UK had 18
million active users. The majority of users were 18-34,
majority growth for Europe was in the 45 to 65 year age
range, but also had a peak from 13-17, with most users being
female. That is about 1 in 3 people.
Japan had 3.3 million active
users. Asian user profile was similar to Europe, except
majority users male. That was about 1 in 50
people.
The US had
59.6 million active users. Americas user profile was
similar to Europe, majority of users female. That was
about 1 in 5 people.
Facebook users are rapidly
‘getting older’, though, in 2014 :
http://investorplace.com/2014/02/facebook-users-demographics/#.Vjrc06IrNsM US
users are up to 180 million, threefold since 2009 report
above, and now approx. 1 in 2 people in the US. The
biggest growth group is 55+ so that would align with Radio
Amateur populations, with biggest active group 35-54 and the
biggest fall in 18-24 years old.
It seems just as likely that
Japanese people use alternative social media, for example.
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/social-media-fast-facts-japan
suggests that the Japanese far prefer Twitter, and number an
astonishing 9% of global users, but also that Facebook users
have grown by 300% in the last 3 years to 17 million, rather
more than the 3.3 million reported by O’Reilly, above.
Also see https://takeme2japan.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/social-media-in-japan/
which
shows just how rapidly the trends move. In 2009, most
Japanese were using Mixi, but Facebook has rocketed
since.
Radio Amateur
numbers across the
world====================================The
numbers are interesting… according to
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_operator,
(see also IARU figures at
http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=13864,
http://www.n0hr.com/ham_radio_population.htm)
we have
1,296,059 licensed amateurs in 1999
in Japan, which is 1.012% of the population.
738,497 licensed amateurs in 2012 in
the US, which is 0.239% of the population. 15% of them are
said to be female.
(Thailand, Korea, Germany, Taipei,
Spain, then)...
58,426 licensed amateurs in 2000 in
the UK, which is 0.094% of the population. 8th largest in
the world for licensed amateurs, or 11th largest by %age of
population (see the table below).Also note 81,000
licences allocated according to this:
http://www.essexham.co.uk/news/ofcom-amateur-radio-licence-review.html
Global
numbers---------------------According
to the IARU figures, the number of licensed amateurs
globally has grown from 399,000 in 1965
to2,789,720 in 2000over that period,
showing growth each year. I don’t know what’s happened
since, and 15 years is a long time, so perhaps it’s now
going the other way.
From the %age table well below,
though, you can see that the UK is actually reasonably well
placed in Europe, in fact 5th.
The undisputed world champ, though,
either way, is Japan. Hence I’d be wondering why Japan
is so amazingly far ahead of anywhere else in all
measures.
UK RAE pass
figures, 1946 to
2003============================
Historical view of UK RAE, 1946 to
2003: http://www.g4dmp.co.uk/rae/raestats.pdf:
1946: 395 RAE passes (ex-military
folk?)1959: 1102 RAE passes (first year above
1000 - ex mil?)1982: 8000 RAE passes (highest
ever - post-CB boom)1991: 3000 RAE passes (sight
peak when Novice RAE introduced )1997: 980 RAE
passes (first year below 1000 since 1959)2003:
652 RAE passes.
After that, the RSGB began to run
the RAE, and figures seem quite hard to find! So, does
anyone know what the RAE pass figures are since 2003? I
cannot find them.
RSGB
membership ================This is
interesting:http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/minutes/March2014.pdf suggests
1993 membership at 30,000 and 2013 membership at 21,500,
which does show that the RSGB is, perhaps, in trouble, but
this might be more representative of the post CB boom that
anything else.
What caused the 1980s Amateur Radio
boom?====================================The
biggest ever injection of Radio Amateur Examination passes
was, it seems, from the ex-CB fraternity in the 1980s.
This rather suggests that making a film like Convoy -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5ZLJWQmss might
be the best possible thing you could do. A large part of
the appeal of CB was its edgy, not-really-legal feel, along
with the fantasy-lifestyle which went along with the films,
the E-type Jaguar, the CB jargon, and the feel-good,
go-nowhere story (I was never a CBer, btw, I was licensed
before this). So perhaps the RSGB is heading the in the
right direction in some respects! The key follow-up TV
series was The Dukes of Hazzard, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qogVHlmFcx0
which again featured a feel-good, slightly edgy, CB and
road-based series of escapades, interspersed with Daisy
Duke’s (Catherine Bach's) eyebrow-raising wardrobe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToEHObxHqI4.
If that weren’t enough, we also
had Smokie and the Bandit - here is the CB tutorial made to
go with the film - see Burt Reynolds teach you US CB
talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRwiAk2wjZo Buford
T Justice quotes from Smokie and the Bandit:
https://www..youtube.com/watch?v=uN3c64j2DPE
Analysis
of the CB impact, and its cultural
links====================================The
biggest growth in amateur radio was as a direct consequence
of Hollywood lifestyle films, promoting a feel-good,
slightly edgy, but ultimately morally upright characters,
taking on an establishment of well intentioned, but
ultimately corrupt figures. CB radio provides the key
mechanism through which the heroes and heroines communicate,
using special language and social networks which the
establishment figures understand, but are unable to
effectively emulate.
The growth in illegal CB created a
peak in demand for both better performing radios and for
more legitimacy amongst users in the UK. This directly
translated into a massive boost, around 8-fold growth, in
successful RAE candidates. The subsequent disappearance in
CB-radio derived television and film genre post 1980s, and
its replacement with weak 1990s US ‘comedy’ shows like
Seinfeld, the Cosby Show providing ‘feel-good’ (if you
liked them) and the more dystopian Family Guy and South Park
appealing to the more ‘edgy’ side of things, signalled
the end of this CB-driven cultural era. The
very utopian Star Trek spin-off series attracted some of the
more scientifically minded, whilst the beautifully written,
cast and acted Blake’s 7, with its dystopian themes, went
the way of the CB film and TV show.
In these 1990s+ televised utopian
worlds, the technology generally ‘just works’.
Sub-cultures, such as the CB/Truckers world are generally
frowned upon, and rarely shown in any kind of positive
light. Scientists and engineers are typically
characterised in several, generally unflattering ways, which
can include ‘sneering intellectual’, ‘troubled
mad-man’, ‘amoral sociopath’, ‘socially inept figure
of fun’. Or, for the mainstream characters, they simply
espouse a lot of non-sensical jargon, whilst shoving their
equivalent of the sonic screwdriver into something with lots
of flashing lights, which generally starts to work after a
couple of bashes, and the day is saved. This has changed
little since the 1990s, with current television shows
characterising scientific types as ‘talking nasally’ and
‘a bit dim really’, and always characters to laugh
at.
Education========Our
education system is deeply biased against males.
Presently, 50% of females attend university, but only 38% of
males, and by 2025, 70% of undergraduates will be female
according to the OECD:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/5459854/Girls-will-take-up-70-per-cent-of-university-places-says-new-study.html.
The beginning of
this trend coincided exactly with the introduced of GCSEs to
replace O-levels in 1988, however, the trend towards
academically favouring females over males is representative
in many countries as well as the UK.. The only area in
Universities where males outnumber females currently is in
hard sciences. The recent ‘discovery’ of the links
between autism and science seem unlikely to influence policy
makers overly.
This imbalance is shocking, and is
something the amateur radio community could look to address,
by encouraging younger *males* in schools to consider
academic study. The remarks above regarding the very
negative characterisation of science and scientific culture
in mainstream media are probably related. ‘Nerd, Geek,
Anorak, …’ very appealing!
As the RAE is fundamentally exam and
practical based, it offers equal opportunity, no matter your
learning style, something which could be
promoted.
Ofcom,
businesses and radio
spectrum==============================Ofcom
seem very interested in trying to hijack amateur radio
spectrum in order to ‘sell’ it to businesses. Once the
family silver is gone, there will be no getting it back.
One argument is the falling number of licences granted,
however, there are far more now than there were 50 years
ago, so this seems to be a weak argument.
Contrarily, Ofcom appear to have
zero role in, or even any recognition of, the educational
value of amateur radio.
Other interest
groups================Radio amateurs
have much in common with other amateur and professional
groups, such as Astronomers, IET, chess clubs, BCS (British
Computing Society). Politics usually gets in the way of
things I know, but maybe forming philosophical societies
which include all of these people might help.
Conclusions==========1.
A re-characterisation of scientific people in a positive
light is essential in mainstream culture. The moral and
intellectual high-ground has been lost, and needs be
re-gained. Influencing mainstream media is critical, and
perhaps the RSGB’s film will address some of that, so in
that sense, I’ve rather persuaded myself that it has
cultural value beyond my initial feeling.
2. A nice glossy film associating
amateur radio with feel-good, slightly edgy, but ultimately
morally upstanding lifestyle, accessible to all, yet forming
a powerful and desirable sub-culture, could well result in
huge growth again. It’s interesting to note that most
dystopian, post-apocalypse futures films do not show
communications as existing at all; perhaps one where radio
amateurs continue to communicate in the dystopian future
would be an interesting new take. Raynet meets Mad Max,
but feeling like Convoy.
3. Spin-off television with an
amateur radio focus could have almost immeasurable
advantage. The adventures of the Wizards of West Kent :-)
TX Factor will not achieve this, it’s very good indeed,
but is about amateur radio, it’s not about lifestyle at
all. Hmm - here’s a thought, why not invite the TX
factor team to make a show about one, or several Raynet
events? That could show amateur radio supporting the
community in a very positive way.
4. In 2003, RAE passes fell to below
the 1959 level. I don’t know the figures since, but we
are 12 years on. Academically, there has been a recent
resurgence in scientific study at universities, so the time
is absolutely right to go back out to those science
departments and look to recruit into amateur radio. Be
aware, though, that they are mostly male, so any material
should be made with that in mind!
5. The RSGB should work *with* Ofcom
to make representation to academics regarding amateur radio
and its educational value. Ofcom should not be simply
acting as the store-keeper for spectrum.
6. Radio amateurs, clubs and the
RSGB should work with other groups to create and promote
broad-interest philosophical societies, which can help
encourage males into education; noting that the RAE is
highly non-discriminatory.
============================Tables
of Amateurs around the
world============================
R.Amateurs By %age population, 15
years ago:
CountryNumber
of amateur
radio operators%
populationYear
of
ReportSourceJapan1,296,0591.0121999[2]Slovenia6,5000.3172000[2]Republic
of China68,6920.2961999[2]South
Korea141,0000.2882000[2]Thailand176,2780.2752006[2]United
States738,4970.2392012[3]Canada69,1830.2012011[3]Denmark8,6680.1562012[5]Spain58,7000.1271999[2]Norway5,3020.1062000[2]United
Kingdom58,4260.0942000[2]Germany75,2620.0922007[4]Australia15,3280.0672000[2]Italy30,0000.0491993[2]Argentina16,8890.0421999[2]Poland16,0000.0412000[2]Ukraine17,2650.0372000[2]Russia38,0000.0261993[2]France14,1600.022013[2]Brazil32,0530.0161997[2]South
Africa6,0000.0121994[2]Indonesia27,8150.0111997[2]India15,6790.0012000[2]
RAs by absolute numbers 15 years
ago:
CountryNumber
of amateur
radio operators%
populationYear
of
ReportSourceJapan1,296,0591.0121999[2]United
States738,4970.2392012[3]Thailand176,2780.2752006[2]South
Korea141,0000.2882000[2]Germany75,2620.0922007[4]Canada69,1830.2012011[3]Republic
of China68,6920.2961999[2]Spain58,7000.1271999[2]United
Kingdom58,4260.0942000[2]Russia38,0000.0261993[2]Brazil32,0530.0161997[2]Italy30,0000.0491993[2]Indonesia27,8150.0111997[2]Ukraine17,2650.0372000[2]Argentina16,8890.0421999[2]Poland16,0000.0412000[2]India15,6790.0012000[2]Australia15,3280.0672000[2]France14,1600.022013[2]Denmark8,6680.1562012[5]Slovenia6,5000.3172000[2]South
Africa6,0000.0121994[2]Norway5,3020.1062000[2]
