Is it just me or does it seem every third news item about ham radio these days is about yet another grant?

Money is busting out all over which isn’t a bad thing for an avocation that’s often rumored to be dying. We’ve enough money now that if ham radio does die at least we can enjoy one hell of a funeral - complete with a solid gold casket!

Once you’ve calmed yourself a bit after fantasizing about all that money washing up on our shores, you might take a moment to consider the long term impact this could have on the hobby.

On the plus side, we can finally get funding for important projects, big things that can really bring about significant change in the world of amateur radio. Endless scholarships and high impact STEM initiatives are all suddenly within reach. Research can be funded that will yield new modes, methods, and technology that has the potential to modernize the hobby in a plethora of ways.

The potential upside is huge.

On the other hand, no matter how fairly the grant approval process might be it will be biased. The organization doling out the grant money has an agenda and recipients will need to fall in line to receive those handouts. How this bias may shift the entire track of the hobby is unknown.

The process is certain to create winners and losers among local clubs and organizations. The winners will be those who crack the code on how to write better grant proposals. The losers will never understand this new paradigm and ultimately fail to keep up.

And what will become of the individual donor in this new Gilded Age?

In a land flowing with milk, honey, and grant money I no longer find a compelling reason for me (or anyone else) to continue financial support for any ham radio cause.

It seems even rainbow stew and free bubble-up comes at a cost.