7 Jun 2022

The future

Yesterday, I expressed my views on Yaesu. I may be very wrong, and hope I am. 

However, these are the inevitable facts that we have to face:

  1. Many radio amateurs are retired.
  2. Within 20 years many will have died or be in care homes.
  3. The pool of amateurs able to buy new commercial radios will probably diminish considerably.
  4. Many of the big Japanese amateur radio manufacturers will no longer be interested in amateur radio.
  5. Low cost manufacturers will dominate.
  6. Many amateur radio dealers will leave the market or go bust.
  7. There will be fewer dealer adverts.
  8. Some amateur radio magazines will go and those that remain will struggle.
In my view, I think we are in for hard times ahead in our hobby. We have to attract and keep younger people or we risk the hobby just dying out.

My view is the real future is in self training and research. Radio amateurs can do research for nothing. By self training we grow future radio engineers who are hard to find.

The future is in our hands.

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3 comments:

  1. trunkyTue Jun 07, 12:12:00 pm GMT+1

    The OARC https://www.oarc.uk/ is doing a lot to train new Radio Amateurs and is a thriving club with hundred of younger members. A little less traditional than many and most of it's online activity is centered on it's Discord server.

    Anyone seriously interested in furthering the hobby amongst younger age groups should join in with this group.

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    Replies
    1. AnonymousTue Jun 07, 04:05:00 pm GMT+1

      Excellent - I certainly hope the hobby is attractive to new and younger people!!

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  2. PE4BAS, BasTue Jun 07, 02:42:00 pm GMT+1

    Interesting view on the hamradio future Roger. I did some "future" posts myself in the past. Some of it became reality. Like touch screens on radio... we see that these days on more Icom models. You wrote that the majority of hamradio manufacturers will be gone in 20 years. It might be true for many. However Icom does also make marine and other professional equipment for radio communication. I really don't know if Yaesu does this. So I think Icom will still be around, even in 20 years. Although it is the question if they will design new radios every now and then if there is not much money to make. Icom probabely has hamradio engineers now, but in 20 years??? I will be around in 20 years (aged 74) and I try to imagine how much contacts I will still make??? I think it will be a lot. I have made several QSO's on PSK31 in the past with hams that were over 90 years old... Let's face another problem in 20 years! It will be nearly impossible to receive anything because of electrical pollution. Besides that it will be impossible to have any antenna of roof or tower because of regulations. At least in the Netherlands...Well, the future...no one knows. 73, Bas

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