Speaker

November 26, 2013: Art Goddard W6XD: Amateur radio in the 21st century … mainstream or backwater?

Amateur Radio is not an entitlement. Rather, the Amateur Radio Service is expected to provide public value as defined in paragraph 97.1 of the FCC Rules.  So how well are we doing?  Ask a Ham and you’ll probably hear that we’re doing OK. Ask an elected official or a member of the general public and you’ll likely get a blank stare. In this case, ignorance is not bliss. Government and public perceptions will continue to influence how Amateur Radio fares into the 21st century.

How can we determine the public value of the Amateur Radio Service? How can we get our report card out to decision-makers and the public? Who should do it?

Our guest speaker is Art Goddard, W6XD. Art is well known for his involvement in and promotion of Amateur Radio. Licensed for 57 years, he is Past Director, ARRL Southwestern Division.