The end?

For several years now, I have been predicting the decline of our hobby. In this case I hope I am very wrong! An undeniable fact is that ours is (mostly) a hobby that interests older males. In itself, this is no bad thing: people retire, want new interests and tend to have more disposable income as children leave home and education.

What bothers me is we are all getting older. As we age fewer rigs will get bought, there will be little (or no) profit in our market. Dealers will disappear, magazines will shrink or stop.

Already our hobby is less about self-training and research and more about appliances and who has the deepest pockets.

What do I think will happen?

• Fewer new rigs
• Fewer and smaller magazines
• CB and amateur radio will merge (possibly ISM too).
• Amateur radio (as we knew it) will go.
• Callsigns (for those that want these) will be issued by national societies.
• Organisations like OFCOM and the FCC will wash their hands.
• A free for all will follow.

Am I worried?  No. 

Personally, I have always preferred research.  Those that want to do this will still carry on in a deregulated world. In some ways it could be better.

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