We’ve just launched our 2017 amateur radio survey, to get a snapshot of an aspect of the hobby. This year, the theme is ‘Amateur Radio Clubs’, with the aim of finding out the following:
- What do today’s amateurs expect from a radio club?
- What services offered by clubs are most valued?
- What do you expect from an amateur radio club’s website?
- Are members happy with what they’re getting from their club?
This follows some recent debate in one of the RSGB discussion groups, where discussion of the role of clubs was a hot topic.
If you have a spare two minutes, we’d appreciate you taking our 2017 survey. The final results will be released in March, although we’ll be publishing updates now and again over the coming weeks.
What do you want from your club…field days, a newsletter, more Nets, or better speakers at social nights? Let us know
Keep an eye out for updates on our 2017 survey soon.
Results so far
We had 59 responses in the first 12 hours. After almost 4 weeks, we’ve had over 230 responses. A good mix of ages from 30 upwards are responding, with a strong response from the 50 to 70 year old categories. Initial data shows:
- Hot: training, hands-on sessions
- Colder: Special event stations
So far, an encouraging 85% are happy with their main club.
Random selection of comments:
What our club does well:
- “Talks, contests, foundation coaching, help and advice for anyone on many subjects.”
- “Welcoming; strives to organise interesting meetings and special events; produces a monthly magazine”
- “A good choice of guest speakers”
- “They are essential to keep the genre alive and growing”
- “Friendly, knowledgeable bunch, broad range of talks including not directly about amateur radio but of interest to the membership”
What our club could do better:
- “They can be very insular and stuck in their ways”
- “our local club needs to cater for the newcomer to the hobby far more than they do due to the ever increasing changes to not only the technology side of the hobby but also the requirements of the ‘modern day’ operator”
- “…the same few who do everything whilst the membership wait to be spoon fed”
- Clubs “need to work together more rather than in isolation. “
- “Having visited and talked at a few clubs, many seem to be old men ‘drink and chat’ clubs not encouraging to new members”
Locally?
In the first 15 hours, 32 amateurs in Essex have completed the survey – 32 are members of a local club, and 93% report being happy with their club.
More updates to follow…
