After reading various posts on this topic, and re-reading the Subject,
it does say "...ways to introduce amateur radio...", without "and
persist in". I've had a half dozen hobbies in my 80+ years, but I have
persisted in only amateur radio to this day. I dabble in one or two
others, but no comparison to amateur radio in time, expense, and
enjoyment. So I have failed to persist in, say, 5 out of 6 hobbies.
One activity I did as a high school physics teacher, during a unit on
electricity and magnetism, was bring in an HF radio, put a simple
antenna on the school lawn, and feed it through an open window. A
demonstration and discussion of amateur radio was a lesson for only one
day each class each year, although I sponsored a radio club after school.
The students in the radio club made a 5-element loop antenna and a
wooden tripod support for it. We used it to make a brief contact with
the second Space Shuttle amateur radio operation. While that was
thrilling, the contact during class I treasure was one in which, by
chance, a station we heard caught the attention of one boy who said
"That's my dad!" We gave him a call and had a short QSO, and the boy got
to contact his dad. To appreciate that, you need to know that the boy
had left his family and joined a cult (yes, as a teenager) and had no
contact with his family. This QSO led to his reuniting with his family.
I don't know if the boy ever got a radio license, or persisted in
amateur radio, but for him and his family amateur radio was priceless.
One year, after I announced the radio demonstration would be held in a
few days, two of my students who, unknown to me, had amateur radio
licenses, approached me and asked if they could demonstrate their 2m
handheld radios with a repeater contact. They had a radio in hand and
showed me how the repeater worked and I made a phone-patch call to my
wife. That was my first introduction to repeaters and the VHF/UHF
frequencies. So the radio instruction worked both ways that year.
Sorry for the off-topic parts, but the point is that one's introduction
efforts can have benefits of importance, whether or not staying active
in the hobby is achieved.
73, Dave W8OV
On 2025-07-23 21:52, Wayne Burdick via Elecraft wrote:
Hi all,
Please share any methods you've used for stirring interest in our shared
pastime. How have you communicated the science, the camaraderie, and the
intrigue of the radio art? Real-world examples would be inspiring to read
about.
73,
Wayne
N6KR
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