A nice discussion happened on social media when one question is occurred about the Future of Amateur Radio.
“How to attract young people to get interested on Amateur Radio?”
9A1RBZ Croation Young DX Contest Team
Informal discuss between amateur radio activists was actively running from years and it should be our concern to make it going through these days. I assumed with a short comment that we would learn from the basic, a simply way that amateur radio needs to make synergy with other young elements such as Scouts, College students, PMI/PMR, Tagana and BNPB Regions. Others also counted as well.
There were so many young generation should be develop from the beginning. One question: how is ORARI part on handling these one? We do simply start from Local Club Station. Do they have any solution about it? Because it takes time for years and not instantly works as well as we planned. For example: the Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) with Scouts and ORARI Local or Club Station was a very good example to presenting the benefit of amateur radio for young generation. It is nicely if you could participating on the way to embrace young people with this amateur radio hobby, take a look and visit this one: http://www.ham-yota.com/
A young man who was studying in Jogjakarta and also a young amateur radio replied my comment above:
“OM Irsan, I am absolutely agree with your opinion, instead i also had experience to knowing amateur radio since my young age, through the Scouts activities (otherwise it was not a JOTA). But it also have one more important composition to add for these young generation of HAM.”
If i might to share just little..i was initially face up with amateur radio since junior high school on field day camp. At that moment, my team leader brought a HF radio transceiver and a wire antenna that we locally called it as “Tiang Jemuran” (Clothesline Pole). Hi hi. Then the HF radio was turned on and tried to call other station out town and far away from our location. The Demo was introduced to us, the scouts boy whom were joining the camp. Something is interesting for me, from so many children at the that time whom were seen the demo, why is that so only just one person who were attracted to entering Amateur Radio world?
The point key is : Curiosity
Handiko YD1SDL (right) with his Elmer, YB2DX
I was so amazed and asked to myself “how come with just only a wire, we could contact to Cirebon, Cikampek and others? Luckily i found some electronics craft books at the school library, later i had so been busy read the contents, guide to make a bell circuit of bird noise, a flip flop led and a walkie talkie! Even a series of simple radio without batteries! A crystal radio made with a razor blade is another such interested for me. Later on, i read all kind of book like that, those are became my favorite books from entire library collection.
When the time my friends went to the Online Game Rental to play games (Ragnarok online game was so popular at that time), i had been enjoy to ‘play’ with my father shortwave radio – taking apart of it finally damaged, hi hi. 😀 Mostly i spent my money for bought transistors and others to try making series of walkie talkie from the golden book above. Yes indeed i was already being a home brewer since my junior high back to beginning of this millennium.
Until now, the amateur radio virus is never gone:)
The young man name is Handiko and he is already an amateur radio now with callsign YD1SDL.
I was admiring this young man spirit to learn about Amateur Radio, i guess his curiosity means a lot. In fact, i thought it is more like a talent than a skill. A bright talent to thinking and study about to create something, and a young man fantasy in this world, A HAM World is more fascinating. Once you entered this hobby (nor i think it is just more than a hobby), you will feel the joy. It is up to you for labeling the feeling, similar to other hobby at my young age, we loved the hobby this way and lived within the hobby. Trying to rejuvenate yourself with this hobby otherwise you did not get anything just only the waste of cost! So, let your passion going through with attract more young people at your neighbors to come and visit your ham shack, wait for their reaction and always answer their little question.
Encouraging the young people at this era is not easy, but keep struggling with that and trying to wait for the result at last. Consistency is a last key point.
YB Land DX Club DX-ing Is Our Life
But it also have one more important composition to add for these young generation of HAM.”
😀 Mostly i spent my money for bought transistors and others to try making series of walkie talkie from the golden book above. Yes indeed i was already being a home brewer since my junior high back to beginning of this millennium.
