This is one of a series of “Notes” I published on Facebook. Since Facebook has discontinued the Notes feature, I am publishing that series here on my blog.

Thirty-something years ago when I got into ham radio I recall my parents discussing my new hobby with people they knew and visitors to my dad’s shop. My antennas weren’t exactly inconspicuous even in those early days so the subject had a way of coming up. It was a long time ago but I would estimate about half had heard of ham/amateur radio. Most of those believed it was a radio hobby of some sort that provided opportunity to communicate around the world. A smaller percentage seemed to be aware of its public service and emergency communications aspects.

Has that changed? Three years ago I ran across a lot of curious people while I was out hunting power line noise. The vast majority had either not heard of ham/amateur radio or thought it was the same as CB radio. Of the ones who were aware of ham radio as something other than another name for CB, most were under the impression it was only used in emergencies or for public service. More than a few were shocked when I mentioned other facets of it. Since that time I have been making a point of bringing up the subject with people I meet. It’s true I don’t meet a lot of people. But the trend in what people know or don’t know about ham radio seems to span the community as far as I have been able to discern. The contrast between then and now stands out.

I find it somewhat curious that fewer people seem aware of ham radio today despite a much larger number of hams in the community, greater visibility, and more publicity in local media. Perhaps it just doesn’t make an impression in today’s world of cell phones and internet. Perhaps people are too busy to notice. Maybe it is just information overload. We are bombarded by so much these days. I know I tend to ignore a lot of it.  I’m not surprised that among those who are aware of us, public service is the image they have. This makes sense to me since over the last twenty years, much of the increased public exposure and publicity has been in that vein.

Public service is, of course, a vital part of ham radio. It is not my intent to dismiss or devalue that in any way. But I have seen ham radio be so much more. I have seen ham radio as a hobby change and enrich lives. I have seen what it can do to enhance international goodwill and bring people together. It has been suggested that I place too much value on ham radio and too much emphasis on it being a hobby. Well, yes… I am very passionate about ham radio as a hobby. If that is a crime I proudly plead guilty! I could write a book on what ham radio has done for me, about the positive influence it has had on my life. Maybe someday I will write that book. Point is, I’m not the only one. Beyond any doubt whatsoever I am certain others could enjoy and benefit from it as I and many have. But first they have to be exposed to it and develop an interest.

Some say ham radio as a hobby is dying out because it just isn’t as relevant or interesting as it once was. Surely there is an element of truth to that. With the proliferation of cell phones and the internet, radio has taken a back seat as a means of communication. Yet around the world we still see a percentage (albeit smaller) of people getting involved in the personal, recreational, and educational aspects of ham radio. But before they can do that, people need to be aware of it. They need to be aware of the many aspects of it. Are we simply not doing enough to promote the broader sense of ham radio? If we’re not doing enough to promote it, how do we change that? Seriously. Please comment!

Since I started the publicity campaign for a recently completed amateur radio licensing class back in February I have been giving this a great deal of thought. Were I not so “constrained” by personal circumstance I would be seeking opportunities to demonstrate ham radio in public places, at local community events. While I have the passion and am more than willing to make the time, this remains beyond my personal reach without assistance.

What else can we do? Would informational displays in libraries or other public places be of any use? Would it be possible to do presentations in local schools? What other ideas do you have? I hope this note will stimulate discussion. Furthermore I hope to get from this discussion some direction, ideas and hopefully find a practical way for me to become involved with educating the public about the broad spectrum of interests which comprise amateur radio. If anyone in the local area would like to partner with me to promote our hobby, please contact me.