Fwd: WA6ITF, Bill Pasternak's Comments On: CQ Realigns Pubs... Announces CQ Plus

[peter h]

fyi.  bt73 deN6ZE + Happy New Year

-----Original Message-----
From: William Pasternak <news...@ix.netcom.com>
To: Nick Evetts <kc2...@gmail.com>; vhf <v...@w6yx.stanford.edu>
Sent: Wed, Jan 1, 2014 10:06 am
Subject: Re: [VHF] Re: CQ Realigns Pubs... Announces CQ Plus

Nick,

Yes, in my humble oppinion Dick Ross K2MGA is 100% correct.  The 
hobby radio market and the interests of many of those involved is 
changing.  Just look at this past week.

In addition to CQ restructuring its publications, Force 12 Antennas 
was acquired by the U.K. company InnovAntennas Ltd and Tokyo Hy-Power 
which arguably was the best quality supplier of modern design high 
power amplifiers and other ham radio peripherals went belly-up.

Even more startling are the licensing numbers for Japan which is 
where some 90% of our ham gear has been made the past 35 to 40 
years.  Japan once had more radio amateurs than any other nation in 
the world but since 1996 the radio hobby has been in sharp 
decline  with the number of amateur radio stations licensed by the 
government of Japan falling by over 65% by 2009.  (See the actual 
by-year statistics provided by Joe Speroni, AH0A, at 
<http://www.speroni.com/MPT/JA-Stations.html>http://www.speroni.com/MPT/JA-Stations.html 

)

So yes, things are changing as the world of hobby radio grows older 
and continues to contract.  Right now we are seeing a spurt of growth 
in numbers of licensed hams here in the USA, but in my opinion thats 
due mainly to the publicized need by the DHS for more people to be 
"trained communicators" and its willingness to sponsor such education.

I am not talking about "traditional hobby radio amateurs" but rather 
"communicators" trained only enough to pass a Tech class test and 
whose only commitment to the hobby is investing in the cheapest 2 
meter HT that they can find and maybe a spare battery.  These are 
folks who you hear on a given repeater an hour a week or maybe an 
hour a month for "drill" purposes but otherwise never turn on their 
radio.  Nor do they join any existing club or have any interest in 
talking with anyone other than those in their tiny emcomm 
enclave.  So the numbers in the USA are growing, but these are just 
"numbers" not actual day to day operators.  And I would venture to 
say that very few could care about VHF weak signal or DX work, owning 
a high power amplifier or reading any hobby radio magazine.

This paradigm shift began right after 911 and has been growing in 
that direction ever since.  And, eventually, this has to reflect into 
the ham radio business world either through  restructuring of the way 
business is done, merger/acquissions or complete failure as in the 
case of Tokyo Hy-Power.

Nor is merger / acquisition anything new.  I still remember when 
Rockwell bought out Collins Radio and in a relatively short time span 
dumped out of the Amateur Radio marketplace.  I also recall the slide 
of EF Johnson from its central core business in providing Amateur 
Radio transmitters into the far more lucrative arena of business band 
and 11 meter CB radio as the Japanese radio providers set their 
sights on taking over the worlds market.

Also, look back over the past decade and think of how many companies 
that MFJ Enterprizes has absorbed.  Names like Hy Gain, Cushcraft and 
the like but in doing so it has kept these companies alive and 
serving our needs.  And I suspect in the next year or two there will 
be a lot more of this -- not necessarilly involving MFJ --  because 
the dynamics that drive ham radio and the product support industries 
that serve ham radio are changing as those of us technically inclined 
pass on and are replaced mainly by emcomm directed ham station on a 
belt clip operators and other casual interest hobbyists interrsted 
only in simple, low cost stations.

The bottom line:  As the old Bob Dylan song goes -- "The times they 
are a changing."

de
Bill P. / WA6ITF





At 01:06 AM 1/1/2014, Nick Evetts wrote:
>[VHF] Loss of CQ-VHF magazine ?
>This is the email i got from CQ Magazine
>
>
>On 31 December 2013 20:21, CQ Communications, Inc.
><d.kehr...@cqcomm.com>wrote:
>
> >     [image: CQ AR logo]
> > *CQ Realigns Publications, Announces New  *
> >
> >
> > *"CQ Plus" Digital Supplement*
> >
> > CQ Communications, Inc. has realigned its roster of publications and is
> > launching an exciting new online supplement to its flagship magazine,
> >
> > *CQ **Amateur Radio. *
> >
> >
> >
> > "The hobby radio market is changing," said CQ Communications
> >
> > President and Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, "and we are changing
> >
> > what we do and how we do it in order to continue providing leadership
> >
> > to all segments of the radio hobby." CQ Communications is currently
> >
> > the only publisher in the United States serving the broad radio hobby,
> >
> > from broadcast band DXing to amateur radio moonbounce and satellite
> >
> > communications. *CQ* itself has been amateur radio's leading independent
> >
> > voice for seven decades.
> >
> >
> >
> > Effective with the February 2014 issue of *CQ,* said Ross, content from
> >
> > the magazine's three sister publications, *Popular Communications, *
> >
> > *CQ VHF **and WorldRadio Online*, will be incorporated into CQ's digital
> >
> > edition as a supplement to be called *"CQ Plus."* With this change, hobby
> >
> > radio enthusiasts of all types will be able to go to a single source -
> > *CQ* -
> >
> > for articles on the broader aspects of hobby radio, from shortwave
> > listening and scanner monitoring to personal two-way services
>a<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001JqKRjwgfTQLGbq11d-xb9fSR8uGAM0eDQqdxQHTATIcg
>3AkWriuBuIWCn-_dIX2dzvENM1Z5Lg8lwh8Bo2NnAIHxuSm6P9jcT30HHINUoR68GX9m0z4bwt28d
>JOknGsJjbDE86lOrJoJNsP83-2pGJfrPsggiDq1GqwWq37a71ULK_14AzIA1j9oARpb8blZWVSN0b
>7KcO_bAlLqX9th0-ybI-hZw2j9>
> > nd Internet
> >
> > radio, as well as amateur radio. Richard Fisher, KI6SN, currently Editorof
>both *Popular
> > Communications and WorldRadio Online*, will be Editor
> >
> > of *CQ Plus.*
> >
> >
> >
> > "Our primary audience is ham radio operators," explained Ross, "but veryfew
>hams began their radio involvement as amateurs. Most of us started out
> > as shortwave listeners, broadcast band DXers, CBers or scanning
>enthusiasts.
> >
> > Many continue to be involved in many different aspects of the radio hobby
> > in addition to amateur radio."
> >
> >
> >
> > "By consolidating four specialized publications into one," Ross continued,
> > "we will be better able to keep these multidimensional readers informed
> > on all  aspects of the radio hobby while simultaneously exposing those
> > who are  not hams to all the excitement and opportunities that amateur
> > radio has to  offer. We see this as a win-win for all of our readers!
> >
> >
> >
> > The expanded material will be an integral part of the digital edition of
> > *CQ, *
> >
> > and will be included as part of a standard digital subscription. Each
> > month's
> >
> > digital edition will simply continue beyond where the print edition ends,
> >
> > offering supplemental material on all aspects of hobby radio communication
> >  and will include selected columns carried over from the other magazines.
> >
> > The added digital content will make full use of the multimedia
> > opportunities
> >
> > presented by digital publications.
> >
> >
> >
> > *What happens to my Pop'Comm, WorldRadio, CQ VHF subscription?*
> >
> > Current *print* edition subscriptions to *Popular Communications and CQ
> > VHF *and will be converted to *CQ Amateur Radio* *print* edition
> > subscriptions, on an issue-for-issue basis -* and receive** CQ's digital
> > edition (which includes CQ Plus) at no additional charge.*
> >
> >
> >
> > Current *digital* edition subscriptions to *Popular Communications, CQ
> > VHF and** WorldRadio Online *will be converted to *CQ Amateur Radio's*
> > *digital* edition subscriptions (which includes *CQ Plus*) on an
> > issue-for-issue basis.
> >
> >
> >
> > *Popular Communications, CQ VHF and WorldRadio Online* subscribers who
> > already have a *CQ* print and/or digital subscription will have their
> > subscription's expiration date(s) extended accordingly.
> >
> >
> > There's no need to wait to see the great variety of articles that will be
> > featured each month in the new* CQ and CQ Plus. *
> >  Click
>here<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001JqKRjwgfTQLGbq11d-xb9fSR8uGAM0eDQqdxQHTAT
>Icg3AkWriuBuIWCn-_dIX2dzvENM1Z5Lg8lwh8Bo2NnAIHxuSm6P9jcT30HHINUoR68GX9m0z4bwt
>28dJOknGsJjbDE86lOrJoJNsP83-2pGJfrPsggiDq1GqwWq37a71ULK_14AzIA1j9oARpb8blZWVS
>N0b7KcO_bAlLqX9th0-ybI-hZw2j9>to preview the February issue's Table of
>Contents!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > * CQ Plus Special Offers! *
> >
> > *Current CQ print edition subscribers* can get in on the *CQ Plus* action
> > too! For a limited time you can purchase a 1-year* CQ* digital edition
> > subscription (which includes *CQ Plus*) at an extra-special rate! Click
> > on link below to order today!
> > *Get 1 year for only $12
> >
><http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001JqKRjwgfTQJYUn6cuQBC14aueny8Njqz2TfCUQRKAvg7A
>Iw79oJc0VzpSu569DZAvQcnvOy9oZ1v3Utxnra85r-ElRbkhrDd7cnwx7Jt4iVlffifckysulI8bT
>DdZFT0EktqBRl9pwrHE8rWSDGl64v9ATMX3wfj>*
> >
> >
> >
> > *Not interested in print editions* . . . Purchase a* CQ* digital only
> > subscription (which includes* CQ Plus*) - at an extra-special rate! Click
> > on link below to order today!
> >
> > *Get 1 year for only $22
> >
><http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001JqKRjwgfTQIaz5H91JHE-I_tRKBtDmshdYe250jgEfRvp
>qApv1ybpGg54dGs6cPdbznIZk2tYyuH9m1O-OREpHkglHCKJCDZe33ZMTJLRXRsR96sA76CDBC5m4
>6gQjqZ7Sy2VnHpUAGW9BPYXDw3QAi0q4-hlVKv>*
> >
> >
> >
> > *With such great prices available . . . it's a great time to add a year to
> > a current CQ digital subscription too!*
> >
> > * Click on the blue link to subscribe/renew today!                Offer
> > Expires: January 31st *
> >   Forward this
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>--
>Nick de 2E0LUN
>
>"Comets are like cats; they have tails, and they do precisely what they
>want."
>- David H. Levy
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