@BenDoubleU I love Lemmy.radio...but I question the slogan "ham radio like it used to be". Let's be honest-it used to be expensive and white. A few old grumps wish it still was. It's more accessible now than ever, more diverse, and there are more activities available now than ever.

Stop listening to those old grumps who say the hobby is dying. It's very much alive, and Lemmy.radio is an awesome gateway to all sorts of stuff.

@ham_bitious Sunspots=blackouts-propagation. We don't get propagation without noise.

The key for hams is that the noise drops at night, but the ionosphere takes more hours to deionize itself, and the propagation persists for a few hours.

But you don't get reach without noise.

@w0odl Okay, society might collapse, but the propagation is going to be AWESOME.

@[email protected] I haven't been there since around 1971 or 2...when I fell asleep floating on an air mattress for 5 hours without sunscreen. I hiked out in my underwear because I couldn't get trousers on over the blisters. Still have blotchy skin. Not a high point in my "use your brains" history.

Incredibly beautiful place!

@w0odl Unfortunately, I can't. If someone wants to treat the ARRL as the inept perpetrator of our current state I can't stop them, but I WILL say it's classic victim-blaming.

I AM being respectful. I have attacked no one based upon who they are, and the person claiming I was is wrong.I won't sit around and let people attack the only collective voice we have on false pretense-if that offends you, that's a YOU problem.

ARRL is our voice, and a reflection of our commitment to our hobby.

@Dusty This is what entitlement looks like, folks.

Seriously. If you think blaming the ARRL for being up against a corrupt and entrenched monopoly makes sense, you're a fool. I'm sorry to be blunt, but there it is.

Representation is not a zero-sum game where you get exactly what you pay for. This is why our democracy has come so close to failing-and you're part of the reason why.

Yes, I just said that. Think very carefully before you reply, please. For all of our sakes.

@Dusty @kb6nu Keep in mind that ARRL is limited by the amount of money we give them. It's less than a drop in the bucket compared to what Verizon et. al. can pay for influence. Is this the fault of the ARRL, or the fault if the people that elect corruptible shills?

The ARRL's track record is not a sign of failure by the ARRL. Given the resources they have to work with, and the willingness to cheat their adversaries possess, and our ability to elect criminals, they've been performimg miracles.