One Hundred Years Old and Still Kicking
A century ago, when the International Amateur Radio Union was formally founded, this hobby looked very different than it does now. The whole world was different then, the human evolution has accelerated, not always for the better, and radio hobby has evolved into something that would have been unrecognisable to its founders. In spite of ongoing predictions that the Internet would annihilate Amateur Radio as such, the numbers show a steady growth of people all over the world using radio spectrum ”for self-education, experimenting, social interaction and advancement”. The increase is substantial in Asia, but also in countries such as Sweden and Poland, many new followers enter the ranks of ”licensed radio amateurs”.
Trying to validate the predictions and hearsay about this hobby being lifeless, on the last Sunday of the summer of 2025, I drove to a meeting of radio worshipers some 30 kilometres south-east of Warsaw, the capital city of Poland.
Warm and sunny weather stimulated many participants, including myself, to take a trip to the nature and join the bandwagon. The photo opportunity is essential at every hamfest, but it shows only a part of the congregation.
This meeting is a tradition since 2017 and they call it The Mazovian Amateur Radio Picnic. Mazovia is a region in the middle of Poland. There I met, roughly 200, picnickers of all ages, most of them newcomers and strangers to me. I have been around in ham radio for more than 65 years and should have known most of them, but these are the new generations. The sponsors provided entertainment for everyone - lectures and presentations, swap meet, hidden transmitter hunt, a helium balloon transmitting telemetry and images, plus the permanent exhibition of the educational center of parks and forests.
Old timers play with a WOLF DDC/DCU transceiver, based on the open source design by UA3REO.
Mek, SP7VC, giving a presentation of his recent trip to northern Finland and Norway. He is one of the most on-the-air-active persons in Poland.
Mek, SP7VC, is 60 years old, has visited a hundred countries and activated well over 150 locators, mainly on VHF, UHF and Microwaves, after reaching the DXCC Honor Roll on HF.
Newcomers to Amateur Radio - SP5DNA and SP5LAG (left) - discuss the charm of telegraphy, with three CW paddles present on the table.
SP9DAT and SQ7FSO (right) have traveled hundreds of kilometers to the meeting. They travel light, only with handheld radios for VHF/UHF.
SP5RT gives his son a hint on how to detect and locate a hidden transmitter on 430 MHz.
Demonstration of tracking a hidden transmitter is a staple attraction during these Picnics. Here, SQ5NWI guides a young SP5YAM club member.
SP5GAD evaluates the WOLF transceiver. His judgement is enigmatic.
Some kind of barbecue is a must on a picnic. The firefighters are standing by, but they usually give instructions and demonstrate their skills.
The times they are, as always, a’changing
I did witness authentic interest in the contemporary wireless technology, among young, old and middle-aged people. The paradigm of Amateur Radio has shifted from shortwave aural communication to Ultra High Frequency digitalised modes, enabling hobbyists to send messages, images and talk with each other. Digital Voice, in different configurations, is more popular than the old fashioned Frequency Modulation. Is this good for a person-to-person communication in a hobby? Digital modes are very useful in commercial, security, public utility and military radio traffic. The operators do not care about the technique behind it. Radio amateurs always cared more about the way their equipment works, while the relayed message is almost always trivial. Other aspect of digital modes used by hobby operators is that these can be inhibited and easily monitored. All digital applications are susceptible to intrusion and corruption. Another annoying trait of digital equipment and programs is the absence of comprehensive instruction manuals. Using complex software radio applications is similar to being a cellular phone subscriber, yet lacking the features and protection of the service provider. Very few radio amateurs comprehend the insides of their fancy black boxes, usually only those who, are professionally engaged in IT and cellular telephony.
The national organisations, affiliated with the IARU, report drop in membership. Older members pass away, while the new digital-UHF generations see little value for money in enrolling. It won’t be better unless there is a basic change in the formula.
Traditional short-wave DX-ing will not attract masses because of a few fundamental reasons. The HF antennas are large and expensive, often ruled out in residential areas. The electromagnetic smog is noticeably distinct on shortwave bands. Today the majority of world’s population live in towns and cities, where the two latter factors are apparent. Remote operation is not for everyone, and frankly, does not make sense - it is not Amateur Radio, it is radio by Internet. International travel is affordable and widespread. For instance, in Europe it is easier to spend a week or two in Egypt, rather than to make a radio contact with someone there. So DX-ing is not so exciting for anyone with an average income in the developed world. In poor countries, nobody cares for a very expensive pastime that gives no profit.
The humankind tend to use machines for everything, even self-standing thinking. Amateur Radio is not dead by any means, but the future depends on us, what and how we choose to implement what the machines provide for us. Do not let the machines take over, keep it as human-to-human communications. And sometimes arrange face-to-face meetings, such as this Picnic.
Photographs and text by Henryk Kotowski, SM0JHF
created in September 2025 without any assistance from the Artificial Intelligence.
