Yes I'm planning on going. Will listen out on 145.375
73 de Dave G4OTV
On 05/11/2015 17:49, Mark Kent wrote:
Oh, Kempton - anyone going to be operating mobile? I’m planning to go along, and should be able to pop a 2 metre rig in the Landy.
Perhaps we could listen out on the net frequency of 145.375?
Anyone else up for mobile (including any M6s!)?
On 5 Nov 2015, at 17:32, Gordon Bubb <gordonbubb@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:gordonbubb@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
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?
Gordon
G7KNS
On 5 November 2015 at 17:29, gladius650@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:gladius650@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto: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
<mailto:mark.antony.kent@xxxxxxxxx>>
To: <wkars-members@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto: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
<mailto:gladius650@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "gladius650"
for DMARC) <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> 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
<mailto:mark.antony.kent@xxxxxxxxx>>
To: <wkars-members@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto: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
<mailto:gladius650@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender
"gladius650" for DMARC) <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto: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
<mailto:mark.antony.kent@xxxxxxxxx>>
To: <wkars-members@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto: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
<http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=13864>, (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 to
2,789,720 in 2000
over 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:
Country Number of amateur
radio operators % population Year of
Report Source
Japan 1,296,059 1.012 1999 [2]
Slovenia 6,500 0.317 2000 [2]
Republic of China 68,692 0.296 1999 [2]
South Korea 141,000 0.288 2000 [2]
Thailand 176,278 0.275 2006 [2]
United States 738,497 0.239 2012 [3]
Canada 69,183 0.201 2011 [3]
Denmark 8,668 0.156 2012 [5]
Spain 58,700 0.127 1999 [2]
Norway 5,302 0.106 2000 [2]
United Kingdom 58,426 0.094 2000 [2]
Germany 75,262 0.092 2007 [4]
Australia 15,328 0.067 2000 [2]
Italy 30,000 0.049 1993 [2]
Argentina 16,889 0.042 1999 [2]
Poland 16,000 0.041 2000 [2]
Ukraine 17,265 0.037 2000 [2]
Russia 38,000 0.026 1993 [2]
France 14,160 0.02 2013 [2]
Brazil 32,053 0.016 1997 [2]
South Africa 6,000 0.012 1994 [2]
Indonesia 27,815 0.011 1997 [2]
India 15,679 0.001 2000 [2]
RAs by absolute numbers 15 years ago:
Country Number of amateur
radio operators % population Year of
Report Source
Japan 1,296,059 1.012 1999 [2]
United States 738,497 0.239 2012 [3]
Thailand 176,278 0.275 2006 [2]
South Korea 141,000 0.288 2000 [2]
Germany 75,262 0.092 2007 [4]
Canada 69,183 0.201 2011 [3]
Republic of China 68,692 0.296 1999 [2]
Spain 58,700 0.127 1999 [2]
United Kingdom 58,426 0.094 2000 [2]
Russia 38,000 0.026 1993 [2]
Brazil 32,053 0.016 1997 [2]
Italy 30,000 0.049 1993 [2]
Indonesia 27,815 0.011 1997 [2]
Ukraine 17,265 0.037 2000 [2]
Argentina 16,889 0.042 1999 [2]
Poland 16,000 0.041 2000 [2]
India 15,679 0.001 2000 [2]
Australia 15,328 0.067 2000 [2]
France 14,160 0.02 2013 [2]
Denmark 8,668 0.156 2012 [5]
Slovenia 6,500 0.317 2000 [2]
South Africa 6,000 0.012 1994 [2]
Norway 5,302 0.106 2000 [2]
