Opinion

The meaning of the word elmer is known to many hams as a mentor or tutor who offers personal guidance, technical knowledge, as- sistance, and encouragement to ham radio operators. While not exhaustive, this brief guide can explain how you can be an elmer to others, or in other words, how to elmer. The term “elmer” was coined almost by accident, in a March 1971 QST article by Rod Newkirk W9BRD.

Kindness

Above all other attributes, make kindness your guiding principle in every conversation. If a new ham asks you a rudimentary ques- tion, or one that you’re simply tired of repeatedly answering, either answer the question politely, or tell him you’d rather answer at another time. It’s not kind to remind the person that he or she should have already known the answer from the exam or study materials, because many of us have probably forgotten more than we remember, and few of us passed the exam with a perfect score. Refrain from simply telling people that they should have Googled it or read the manual, because they likely have already done that. Criticism has no place in the conversation of an elmer.

Patience

You might not be aware that the person you’re helping has a learning impairment, is highly self-conscious, or is otherwise disabled in some way. Working with some can test your patience, so try never to speak sharply or harshly to them; speak in a kind voice. Avoid correcting the person’s mistakes, if at all possible; instead, present another point of view. If the new ham states that a dipole is made of two half-wave length elements, simply state that you tend to find better results when you cut them to quarter-wave lengths.

Be reachable

Every so often, turn on your radio and an- nounce that you’re monitoring, indicating that you’re willing to converse with whomever is listening. We live busy lives, and don’t have time for every person who wants our attention, but make time for, and befriend those you don’t know, as well as your close clique of ham buddies. Your generosity will pay off.

Set the example

Whether you’re helpful or otherwise, people hear you and see you in action, and they look to you for an example of what an experi- enced ham should say and do. As impossible as it might be at times, try never to be negative on the radio, be positive. Never berate anybody or resort to personal attacks or name calling, instead, build them up. Be agreeable, even when you don’t agree. When you sense a pointless argument brewing, be the first to stand down.

Humility

You can tell by now that you don’t need to know a lot, to elmer others; even the newest licensee has something to teach and share with the rest of us. Still, none of us knows everything, and there is no shame in saying that we weren’t aware of a technical detail or a particular situation. People tend to have greater respect for those who can admit that they’re wrong. Refer the ham to another who is better qualified to answer a question.

Finally

Does this describe you? Of course it does, and down deep you know that’s true. You have a lot that the rest of us can benefit from. Don’t be afraid to take a person under your proverbial wing, and kindly show him or her how to elmer.

Take a Long Hard Look at Our Community… also, What Can We Do as Amateur Radio Operators Do to Help Grow the Amateur Radio Hobby.

The art of amateur radio is a globe spanning activity, held together by radio waves and the promise of a community with a shared uncommon interest. The strength of a community depends entirely on the members of that community. Without the efforts of each individual amateur, our worldwide license to experiment is doomed.

You might ask yourself what part you must play in this? Consider what would happen if a group of amateurs decided to transmit on an unlicensed frequency, or purposefully interfered with other legal users. It’s obvious that the regulatory response to such illegal activities would be swift and left unchecked, it would spark the end of our hobby. What prevents that from happening is our common purpose, our common interests, our willingness to address such behavior, or said in another way, our community standards. It’s the thing that keeps us talking, sharing, learning, experimenting, and having fun along the way.

I’ve been told many times that I shouldn’t expect all amateurs to be friends but consider for a moment the sheer diversity of our community. For starters we’re scattered around the planet. We have different cultural and political sensibilities; we have different religions and expectations. We don’t even speak the same language, even if you forget that the Japanese station you just had a QSO with was using phonetics not even close to their native language.

Those differences are mostly attributes of geography, but they don’t end there. We have differences in our households and family structures, our work life and finances, our play time, and our interests. We also differ in age, skin color, gender and even our sexuality, orientation, and gender identity. Even among all those differences, we are still radio amateurs together with our personal preferences for Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood or some other brand, our desire to use QRP or kilowatts, our need to use a Morse key, our voice, or a computer. We choose to use a repeater, or not, choose HF or not, like to chat, or not, build antennas, or not.

So, it’s with all those differences in mind that I’m distressed to report that, yet another amateur has been bullied out of our community. An amateur who joyfully participated in this community, who made videos, wrote software, learn it, and shared. Like others I know, they were bullied in our community because they were different and it’s not the first time, I’ve witnessed this behavior and it’s not the first time I’ve called out this unacceptable conduct by so-called members of our community. Different, how you ask? Does it really matter, or are you asking to determine if there was a valid reason for making them feel uncomfortable?

To be clear, our community is a welcoming environment, filled with hope and joy, but there is a small rotten element in our midst that we need to rip out root and branch, much like we would if it was deliberate HF interference. You might think that given that this abuse exists on reddit, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, QRZ, email, telephone, letterbox, in clubs and on-air, that it’s a majority experience. That’s not the case. The same individuals harass fellow amateurs across multiple platforms as entertainment causing untold harm to their victims.

The Standard You Walk Past, Is The Standard You Accept. It’s not just up to victims of bullying and harassment in a community to speak out. As members of our community, we amateurs have a responsibility to speak out also. Anyone who doesn’t is part of the problem. Our community is so diverse as to never be one single thing. A bully is a bully, no matter which words are used to sugar coat it.

I’d like to invite you to consider any bullying you accepted in silence, either personally, as a witness, directly, or indirectly. This community is strong, it’s resilient, it’s resourceful, it’s you and I and it’s our duty to stand tall and speak out, loud and proud, about any victimization. Even if you’ve never considered that this is happening in your community, look around and notice people leaving the hobby unexpectedly and examine why that might be the case.

You might ask what it is that you can do to help. For starters, calling it out at every occurrence is part of communicating to the victim that they’re not alone. It tells the community that they are part of the solution. It tells the bully that what they’re doing is unacceptable. I have and continue to offer my email address, ohrvcamper@gmail.com and*or nu8v@nu8v.us, for anyone who is struggling with this to discuss any bullying that they are dealing with.

I have experienced some of what this amateur has gone through at the hands of this community, and I will not stand for it any longer and neither should you. Keeping quiet and changing frequency is not the solution as time after time experience has proven. Calling out a bully and any bullying behavior is calling out a vicious minuscule minority with a peanut brain who needs to be read the riot act. They are not welcome in this community. They are few and far between and we really don’t need or want them in our midst.

In my opinion, the community must take ownership of this problem and address it directly, rather than sit on the fence and leave a victim wondering why they’re on their own. If you are a victim of bullying in this community, I stand with you and if you are a bully, I’ll do everything I can to call you out.

What Can We Do as Amateur Radio Operators Do to Help Grow the Amateur Radio Hobby?

I became a Ham Radio Operator in 2024 and I just love the hobby. I earned my General license, then a few weeks later my Extra, and set up a “Ham Shack” with an ICOM 706 (multi-band transceiver), Long wire (HF long-range antenna) Dipole on the porch roof of my house, 2m, 1.5m, 300m, and 70cm antenna on the roof, another quad band antenna next to it that covers 2m,6, 10m, and 70cm, with a QB25 Quad band (two-band transceivers) in the car, a dual band ht by bofeng, a tid radio capable for GMRS, another HF /HT. You get the idea?

When my parents became ill, my hobbies were sidelined for a number of years. A few years ago, after my mom passed peacefully in a nursing home in the Cleveland area, As I started into this hobby, I realized I had forgotten a lot and that a lot had changed. I took the opportunity to act as a beginner again, to experience the excitement of learning it like it was the first time. For some reason, I felt a greater appreciation for the quality of people participating, for the volunteers that help keep the repeaters working and for the folks who assist in emergencies.

I have a more powerful knowledge today than I did when I earned my Technician Ham Radio license in 2024. From my work as a speaker, coach & educator, I have an understanding of multi-generational and multicultural issues. I decided since I’m getting back into the hobby I would explore how I can give back to the community.

I believe any person can make a profound difference in the world once they let go of their limiting beliefs. I have seen it happen with my friends, and in my own life so I began a quest to find out what it would take to grow the hobby. I started by asking the question of a number of Hams of different ages. 

What can WE do (as individuals, not some organization or association) to grow the number of constructive active members of the Ham Radio community?

Stop being a lurker! One way to grow Ham Radio is to USE IT!, DON’T ABUSE IT!

One of my favorite comments from others is, just use it! Stop checking to see if anyone is online. If you don’t hear anyone online that is because YOU are not talking Talk and come out of the shadows! For those of you who say, “I just listen, I don’t talk much,” I say that by staying silent you are contributing to the demise of your own hobby because relationships need conversations to stay alive. Without talking, relationships die. When you listen alone or talk alone on Ham Radio, it is not like sitting face-to-face where the other person can tell if you are listening. On Ham Radio, no one knows you’re listening if you don’t open your mouth & speak. When you listen silently, you contribute zero to the collective conversation. To quote Johnny Cash, I say “where are your guts?”

Respond to people you hear on the airways. If you hear “This is NU8V listing,” RESPOND if you can. Say Hi or chat, even for just a moment. A simple “I hear you” response is more valuable than you may realize. When all the people who do have the courage to actually talk then people who can only listen because their hands are busy with work will hear something happening.

If you don’t hear someone on the band, be persistent! Don’t give up after just one–call out several times. For example, “This NU8V on 64 monitoring, November Uniform 8 Victor. It’s a beautiful day here. Is anyone out there? This is NU8V mobile and monitoring, anyone listening? One more time, this is November Uniform 8 Victor, NU8V monitoring. NU8V clear.”

Show your love of Ham Radio!

Get a vanity Call Sign license plate, take a handheld with you in public and get ready for people to approach you about Ham Radio. Be open if they ask a question, even if they have a smart-ass attitude. Maintain your generosity and give a kind, honest answer.

If you are volunteering or recently participated on Ham Radio, share it on social media. I understand for safety reasons you may want to limit your posts when you are away from home but make it a point to post once you’re back home.

When you hear how someone was helped on Ham Radio share that on social media. Share what you love about Ham Radio and take the time to learn from people who are different from you what they love about it online and in-person. Look for ways to let the media and local politicians understand the value of Ham Radio. It is OUR responsibility to communicate the value of Ham Radio. It is NOT their responsibility to discover it!

Don’t be a curmudgeon!

{Definition: [ker-muhj-uhn] “As fickle and stubborn as the type of person it describes, curmudgeon comes to us without a history, its origins undisclosed. It was originally believed to have come from “Coeur mechant”, the French phrase for “evil heart,” but that theory has been long discarded. Don’t worry though, you’ll know a curmudgeon when you see one: He’ll be ill-tempered and miserly, eager to shake his fist and spout disagreeable opinions.”}

I have met curmudgeons of all ages. A curmudgeon is someone who first finds what is wrong, why something can’t be done or reasons to give up without trying. Curmudgeons may eventually notice the good, what is valuable or what is currently working well, but they tend to focus on the negative. For example, “‘Echolink’ is not real Ham Radio,” or “those (name) radios are junk.”

If someone asks a “dumb” question online don’t be a jerk by saying things like “it’s in the manual;” maybe give a short answer and then say “you can find more in the full manual under ‘X.’” Unfortunately, no one cares how hard you worked to earn something. People care about what you say AFTER they know you care about what they have to say.

For new & younger Hams: Don’t be stopped by curmudgeons

Smile, be nice and enjoy the hobby your way. Ignore any curmudgeon-like comments or bullying attempts. Don’t let someone else put a damper on your enjoyment of the hobby.

Keep in mind that many Ham Operators are engineers at heart, which may make relationships with them a challenge. They, like curmudgeons, look for what is wrong 1st because sorting for differences is the first step in engineering. This skill is a great asset in trouble-shooting but can be a train wreck in relationship building. No one ever said, “I want to stay with my partner for life because they have such a keen understanding of my shortcomings.” What does this have to do with being a new Ham? If you ask the opinion of a Ham who is engineer-oriented they will tell you what you did wrong 1st, which you may take as harsh criticism. Even though it may be uncomfortable to hear, you may, in fact appreciate their insights. I assure you their honest feedback is worth feeling a little uncomfortable. If you want a compliment then ask them what they liked about something you did or what they see you did right.

For experienced Hams: Go to where the new Hams are, Embrace the new digital world AND share your enjoyment of the analog one. Remember that a good teacher (“Elmer”) does not demand the student enter the teacher’s world but enters the student’s world first, then invites the student to participate in a journey to new opportunities for both.

Don’t try to compete with cell phones or social media–amplify what is unique about Ham Radio, Anyone with a pulse or even no pulse (fake people) can be on social media but Ham Radio has a barrier to entry called the FCC Ham Radio license. We also have to identify ourselves on a regular basis by our license. People who can be anonymous tend to misbehave more as they do on Twitter.

Ham Radio vs Facebook and Twitter

There are two types of people in the world: those who make a difference and those who collect evidence proving that you cannot make a difference. What if you were to choose the former as I do? Live as if you do make a difference. When you live as though you make a difference, you are open-minded and eager to hear from others. When your attitude is “why bother trying,” your close-mindedness is killing any possibility of growth. Even though you’ve convinced yourself that you’re right, and you may be, you’re missing most of what makes life worth living. Which type of person do you think has a more meaningful life?

Despite its mediocre name, amateur radio is a radio service and hobby designed to encourage you to expand your knowledge of radio electronics. In contrast, ‘convenience’ communication devices, such as cell phones, Family Radio walkie-talkies, even the Citizen’s Band, do not teach you anything about how electronics work.

Amateur radio is the ONLY category within the FCC’s defined radio services that allows its licensees to ‘tinker,’ to design and construct receivers and transmitters that do not have to be type-certified. Ham radio was and still is truly an experimenter’s haven. With particular regard to getting young people involved, I’ve said that there are basically two kinds of youth who are going to be assets to the community.

The best Elmers aren’t focused on teaching or “outreach,” they’re focused on doing cool radio stuff. They’re open to teaching and building relationships when the opportunities present. Hence the reason I started the Elmers Corner Learning newsletter, So I can help others, despite others that say it is worthless. Mainly because they are jealous of what I am doing, and or they didn’t think of it before me. I am not worried, and I have over 100 people who are signed up for the newsletter who send me praise for doing this for others, and for free.

Those who already love ham radio, and just don’t know it yet. They’re already into DIY tech or communications or disaster response or have some other interest with which ham radio would be a great fit if someone showed them a path to learning the ropes and getting involved. Those who love somebody who loves ham radio.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that people come to amateur radio from all different backgrounds and reasons. Some of us embrace it and use it daily. Some don’t. Some just want it for when the sky falls and for some of us, we want it for talking to things in the sky.

Amateur radio hasn’t really stopped growing. We can argue about the numbers. Yes, I know they are artificially inflated by those that get a Tech in a day kind of ticket but there are some of those that will progress further within the hobby. There are so many facets within the hobby that if someone is truly interested in radio they will be able to find their niche.

We can’t force people to enjoy radio. Nor can we please everyone. Or even make anyone happy, because they will always find fault in you. DO NOT Let that bring you down. Do what you feel you can do to make this hpbby better. And help those who are new to the hobby.