New Jersey Radio Clubs and Associations
The Personal Stuff:
I have been an Amateur Radio Operator since August of 1976. I was first licensed as a Technician with the call sign of WA2HEB. In 1980 I passed my General exam and in 1981 passed the Advanced Class exam always retaining the same call sign. In 1997 I decided to apply for a call that really identified me. So, under the vanity call sign program, I applied for, and received the call W2RWB (RWB are my initials).
During my ham years I held various appointments within the American Radio Relay League's Field Organization in the Southern New Jersey Section. Eventually I became the Section Manager and I held that position from September, 1983 until January, 1991.
These days I occasionally check into the New Jersey Phone Net (3950) on Sunday mornings at 9 AM local time. To be fair, this net also meets every evening at 6 PM local on the same frequency. I also do quite a bit of listening throughout the Amateur spectrum. I would operate more 2 meter FM mobile, but the repeaters these days seem to be sparse on talkers and heavy on KaChunkers.
Editorial (it's my nickel):
As I said in the personal stuff above, I listen quite a bit on my HT when I'm in the car. Without getting specific, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of activity on 2 meters at the Jersey Shore. There are some very, very good repeaters and yet some sit dormant for hours on end - even during drive time. It seems strange for a hobby that's based on people to people contact.
On another front, but in a related topic, recently I went up to New England on vacation. I always like to take my 2 meter and 440 HTs with me to sample the local flavor. Where I was staying (I don't really want to say because I don't want to rub anybody the wrong way) there were 4 or 5 repeaters that were DFQ from my hotel room. Beautiful, I thought. I'll be able to talk to some local folks during the few "down" times during the vacation. Try as I might, I'd call into these repeaters with a "W2RWB listening," and time after time no response. I would've thought maybe it was my breath, or maybe because I was a stranger in the area. I don't know but I see this time and time again in my home area too.
In another life when I was really active, I was president of a local radio club. Since I live in an area that has an awful lot of tourists over the summer, I became concerned that people calling into the repeater weren't getting an answer. I was just as guilty as anybody else in not answering, but I finally thought about what it's like to be an Amateur in a strange place, have a radio with which to talk to people who share my interest in radio, but have no one to talk to. It's not nice. Back then I asked my fellow club members to answer calls of people who aren't familiar to us - even if it's just a quick hello.
Sadly, things seem to be the same as they were years ago - and we have more people than ever on VHF/UHF. We are ham radio operators; communicators. Why don't we get on the air and communicate?
8/6/98
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A Possible Answer?
Here's a good example, and I know this has happened to people more than a few times.
An amateur, who happens to be a salesperson, buys a 2 meter rig for the car. The amateur is going to use it to pass the time while driving. Now our amateur is a member of at least two repeater groups and supports these repeaters by the dues paid.
Well, our salesperson/amateur finds that he/she has been using another repeater quite frequently because he/she has found a friend, or just enjoys the people he/she has met. Whatever.
After a couple of weeks, the amateur gets an application in the mail, "suggesting" that he/she joins this repeater club. The implication is crystal clear; you are using our equipment, so you should support it with your money. Never mind that this hypothetical person already belongs to two clubs.
This kind of stuff does happen, boys and girls. Has it ever happened to you? I'll tell you, that would be the ultimate in turnoffs to using a repeater other than ones I belong to. How many groups can you belong to? I always thought that groups put up repeaters, not only for the benefit of their members, but also for amateurs in general. Isn't this what we are all supposed to be about? If you don't want others to use a repeater, make it a closed repeater (another anti-amateur practice, in my opinion). Don't try and coerce people by sending them a membership application, or don't ignore people who just want to talk. Again, we are amateurs. Let's communicate. Da!
8/17/98
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This page last updated on 24 August, 1998.
