this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2026
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Define "cool again"? There are a few more hoops to jump through, but ham radio is alive and well.
It's not to the level it once was, simply because cell phones are so much more convenient. But me and my buddies are all licensed. I love meshtastic and have several nodes, but APRS can punch much further and is already a significantly not robust existing network. Just less convenient ๐คทโโ๏ธ
Well where I am in the states, it's very difficult to hear people talking on shortwave. It's all just church stations now. It used to be alive with people talking, now I hear church services. That's it.
Well, church stations are usually AM, and while a small portion of dedicated hams still use AM, the vast majority use SSB, which requires a specialized receiver to hear, because it's basically one third of an AM signal.
The shortwave bands are abuzz with signals every day. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
But yeah if you're in a city or something it'll be harder to hear with the elevated noise floor.
The modern world is full of cheaply made electronics that spew noise all over the spectrum. So most hams in cities will take a portable radio out to a park to get a better signal. It's actually fun, there's a whole online game involving taking radios to parks and trying to reach each other! POTA!
Good fun.