It’s been a while since we’ve reported the results of our Reader Surveys, so this month I’m taking the opportunity to report on four month’s worth of results. Believe me, compiling the results and putting it into an easily understood (at least I hope so!) article takes considerable planning. Anyone can toss out the facts as you’ve been so kind to report each month, but I’d frankly rather weave it into an article that tells your story.

Typically we receive about 100 responses every month — and while that might seem low, that’s been our experience over considerable time — and it’s quite sufficient to paint a picture of our readership. Take for example our question about the types of equipment you own and regularly use, in addition to your radios. No doubt about it, you’re certainly “wireless” — and not just when it comes to scanning and shortwave. Nearly 60 percent of you report having a cell phone. Slightly more of you have a cordless phone. Contrast that with the 5 percent of you who use a pager with E-mail and other wireless capability. Interestingly, about 5 percent of our readers say they have a satellite phone, and about four times that number use a GPS unit regularly.

Your Other Interests

When we asked the question about how many of you use a NOAA weather radio, we expected quite a few, but not necessarily 63 percent. From that May (yes, that long ago!) survey we learn that while you’re certainly wild about radios, your other interests include photography and amateur astronomy; about 63 percent of you use a standard 35mm camera, and another 29 percent use a digital camera. About 20 percent of you own a telescope valued at $300 or more, and another 15 percent come inside after looking at the stars and relax with a home TV satellite system. About the same number of our readers report having a surround-sound DVD system.

Hams: What Got You Interested In Getting That License

It’s no secret — although talking to some hams once they get licensed, you’d never know it — that about 40 percent of you got interested in amateur radio as a result of your early years as a CBer. The exact same number of you report that a radio enthusiast got you interested in radio. Could it be that person also was a CBer that had just become a licensed ham? Perhaps, but in the same section about 35 percent of you said another ham was responsible for getting you licensed.

The same number of readers credited Pop’Comm and QST (17 percent each) for their amateur radio involvement. CQ Amateur Radio has been responsible for 10 percent. Wayne’s 73 is responsible for about 4 percent, according to our survey results. (We didn’t ask if any of you had been abducted by aliens or if hams were somehow responsible for global climactic changes). Putting it all together, though, a lot still must be said for CB as an entry into amateur radio — even today, I believe, to a certain extent.

In June we asked you to mark all items that applied to the following statement (a total of five possibilities); “I’m an active amateur operator or CBer and the following applies to me.”

• I attend radio club meetings— 28%

• I have never attended a radio club meeting — 38%

• I’m not certain there is a local radio club — 18%

• I attended a couple of meetings and never went back — 8%

• There’s no radio club in my area, but I’d go if there were one — 18%

It seems that we’re talking about quite a potential number of club members to help out — only if we were reaching out to them. Clearly folks would take part in local activities — and probably more so now after the events of last fall. A few months prior to the event, 6 percent of you said your getting licensed was the result of first-hand experience with hams during a disaster. That’s first-hand experience, not seeing radio operators on TV or in the newspaper holding a microphone or working on a keyboard! If you don’t think that 6 percent is a lot, suppose you take that figure and even cut it in half; imagine getting 3 percent of the USA involved in radio and perhaps amateur radio? At the same time, why did the 8 percent of respondents attend a couple of meetings and not return? Just food for thought.

Internet Or Radio?

One of our readers named Terry, from Evansville, Indiana, wrote the title for this month’s Tuning In: “I am a radio operator, not an E-mailer.” He wrote that remark on the bottom of our survey response card in the “E-mail” block. I thought it was quite a statement — whether or not it accurately reflects others’ attitudes about E-mail, radios, computers or not, it still makes me think. So, let’s look at that month’s survey results, particularly the question about the famous Internet. We asked how much time, during a typical week, you spend on the Internet. Look out, Terry, a whopping 22 percent of readers spent more than 10 hours at the computer. That’s in combination with other survey questions in following months where we asked how much time you spend listening to international shortwave news and commentary. Eleven percent of you said you spend more than eight hours. Interestingly, most readers — the same percentage of you who spend more than 10 hours at the computer — spend “a few minutes — less than an hour listening to SW.” Of course that doesn’t take into account scanning, hamming, FRS, or other radio activity, but this is one reason we’ve continued to merge computers and radios in Pop’Comm; Joe Cooper’s “Computer Assisted Radio Monitoring” and Ken’s “Overheard” column are examples of where the hobby is headed, like it or not. We’re embracing the technology and the outstanding things you can do with both. We hope you’ll tell your friends — especially those who aren’t yet radio hobbyists, but use the Internet on a daily basis — what a kick both mediums offer!

Trunking And More

If you think trunktracking is too complicated to master, it’s not — thanks to writers like Ken Reiss and others who are constantly showing us the ropes of this and other high-tech communications systems. We’re sometimes asked why we don’t have tons and tons of frequencies each month. The answer is that in many respects we do — but you have to find them in your area. Anyone can put together lists (the Internet is great for lists, but be careful about the accuracy of “lists”), so we stay focused on telling you how to find the frequencies. Sure, it’s exciting to plug in a frequency and let the radio listen as you sit there spellbound, but isn’t it much more of a challenge to work with the radio using material our writers present each month than to be spoon-fed lists? I thought so. Forgive me, I digress — 65 percent of you said that trunking is NOT too complicated to figure out or too much bother. While about 14 percent of you are uncertain about purchasing a new trunktracker scanner in the next few months, many of you said you were indeed planning on taking the plunge, however a near equal amount said you weren’t. Stay tuned — we’re continuing with trunking coverage in the coming months!

I’ll admit, I was more than surprised by your answer to the question, “During the course of a year, I attend the following number of auto racing events AND bring my scanner to hear the action.” Fully 74 percent of you said “never.” There could be many reasons for this, because, frankly I expected  Pop’Comm readers would attend at least one racing event. Very few of you apparently do, as only 5 percent of you said you attend either one racing event, or two to four events. Obviously the “four or more” response got even less — about 3 percent I’d be interested in your thoughts on this subject, because from NASCAR to CART there are thousands upon thousands of folks that are missing out on lots of great radio action — and we can help!

 A few of you noted on your cards, “my neighbors don’t know” or similar words. Interesting, because at least 53 percent of you said they know you’re a radio hobbyist because they see your antennas. About the same number of you report talking with them about the hobby, and only about 10 percent of you say they’ve actually listened to your radios. When you do talk to non-shortwave radio enthusiasts about international radio, most are intrigued by news and commentary and utility radio. Most are somewhat interested or very interested (20 percent). They’re very polite listening to your excitement or they really are interested in radio — I think they’re actually interested, based on my own experience where they either buy a CB or portable shortwave or even a basic scanner after hearing my excitement. Non-hobbyists are least interested in sports on shortwave and dramas or plays. Let’s face it, if they want sports, they can easily watch it on TV — not so with international news and commentary — at least with the tremendous variety offered by radio.

Free Pop’Comm Subscriptions — Or  One-Year Extensions!

The following readers will be receiving a free one-year subscription or sub extension. They were randomly selected from four month’s worth of survey cards — except Terry McCrarey, Indiana, whom I selected because he’s not “an E-mailer.”

Congratulations also to Jerry V. DiTrolio of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Bobby Tanner of Monroe Twp., New Jersey; and Brad Zimmerman of Airway Heights, Washington. Thanks again to everyone for responding to our monthly surveys — remember to send in yours and be entered in our free subscription drawings!