Editorial - Survey results

By Joshua Carroll, N5JLC - Arkansas Section Public Information Coordinator

All of us are aware that people become involved in Amateur Radio for lots of different reasons. Whether it be to assist in emergency communications, learn about the science of radio, or just to have fun and make friends - undisputed it all leads to a fun and fascinating hobby. Once inside the "Ham Radio world" new operators discover that there are lots of other areas of interest to intrigue and occupy our time. Our ability to assist with emergency communications is, while glamorous and very worthwhile, only a scratch in the surface of the possibilities that come with an Amateur Radio operator's license.

Considering all of this, we really wanted to know what the people in the Arkansas Section found to be the most enjoyable part of the hobby. So, we recently conducted an informal poll of visitors to the Arkansas Section web site in which we asked what was their primary focus in Ham Radio.  Here are the results we received:

Emergency communications: 33%, Contesting: 20%, Amateur satellites: 1%, Packet: 1%, Experimenting with new technologies: 7%, APRS: 5%, "Ragchewing" or "chit chat": 25%, WAC / WAS certificates: 3%

Of course, these survey results are in no way scientific. But maybe they could spark some interest in an area you haven't checked out yet.