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We don't need to throw obsolete hobbies under the bus, but the people that are passionate about an obsolete hobby need to realize it is dying for a reason. You'

We don't need to throw obsolete hobbies under the bus, but the people that are passionate about an obsolete hobby need to realize it is dying for a reason. You'll still get the odd-ball young person, but it is going to be increasingly rare.

Apocryphon 6y ago
Obsolete hobbies could potentially have a resurgence, from all kinds of subcultures whether paleo (paleo diets), hipster (vinyls and typewriters), geek (Ren Faires, historical reenactments), or even survivalist/prepper. Millennials are stereotypically known for seeking older, "authentic" things, with perhaps a level of exclusivity, so there can be ways to spin ham radio into something fitting their aesthetics of cool.
- dalke 6y ago
  Radio hobbyists used to use spark-gap transmitters. These were cheap to make and popular. They also produced a lot of radio noise. This caused them to be effectively banned by the 1930s, outside of marine use, in favor of continuous wave transmitters. So that particular obsolete hobby will not have a resurgence. I can see a similar argument with ham radio. If it "dies", that is, if there are many-fold fewer people using it, then that frees up RF spectrum. There will be pressure to reallocate those frequencies to, eg, commercial use. When the 2090s subculture rediscovers ham radio, there won't be the spectrum for them all, and the spectrum assignments will be hard to change for what is likely a fad. Maybe CB radio will be popular again? "Ah, breaker one-nine, this here's the rubber duck. you gotta copy on me, pig pen, c'mon?"
  - taddevries 6y ago
    That CW McCall line from Convoy brings back some serious memories. Talk about old hobbies. When I was about 9 I found an 8-track of his and fell in love with that song. I spent much of that summer buying stereo equipment at garage sales to get a working 8-track player setup in my bedroom just so I could listen to that song on repeat. "There's a road-block up on the cloverleaf and them Bears was wall to wall. I said Pig Pen this hear's a Rubber Duck, we justa ain'ta gonna pay no toll. So we crash the gate doing 98 I says let them truckers role 10-4."

Apocryphon 6y ago

Obsolete hobbies could potentially have a resurgence, from all kinds of subcultures whether paleo (paleo diets), hipster (vinyls and typewriters), geek (Ren Faires, historical reenactments), or even survivalist/prepper. Millennials are stereotypically known for seeking older, "authentic" things, with perhaps a level of exclusivity, so there can be ways to spin ham radio into something fitting their aesthetics of cool.

dalke 6y ago
Radio hobbyists used to use spark-gap transmitters. These were cheap to make and popular. They also produced a lot of radio noise. This caused them to be effectively banned by the 1930s, outside of marine use, in favor of continuous wave transmitters. So that particular obsolete hobby will not have a resurgence. I can see a similar argument with ham radio. If it "dies", that is, if there are many-fold fewer people using it, then that frees up RF spectrum. There will be pressure to reallocate those frequencies to, eg, commercial use. When the 2090s subculture rediscovers ham radio, there won't be the spectrum for them all, and the spectrum assignments will be hard to change for what is likely a fad. Maybe CB radio will be popular again? "Ah, breaker one-nine, this here's the rubber duck. you gotta copy on me, pig pen, c'mon?"
- taddevries 6y ago
  That CW McCall line from Convoy brings back some serious memories. Talk about old hobbies. When I was about 9 I found an 8-track of his and fell in love with that song. I spent much of that summer buying stereo equipment at garage sales to get a working 8-track player setup in my bedroom just so I could listen to that song on repeat. "There's a road-block up on the cloverleaf and them Bears was wall to wall. I said Pig Pen this hear's a Rubber Duck, we justa ain'ta gonna pay no toll. So we crash the gate doing 98 I says let them truckers role 10-4."