One is never afraid of the unknown; one is only afraid of the known coming to an end…

In the sleepy town of Saratoga Springs there’s an old amateur radio club that’s been around since 1931. Officially, 43 members are still on the books, but during the most recent Field Day operation, only six members showed up. A good time was had as usual, but the decline in active membership never passes without notice, comment, and considerable hand-wringing that one day it will all be over. Two of the more active members, Bob and Tom, had been friends for nearly 50 years. They continued to meet for breakfast every Saturday morning when there isn’t a nearby hamfest. Almost a dozen club members used to frequent the ‘Hand and Fork’ restaurant each week for this unique coffee klatch, but that number had dropped in recent times to just two.

Lois, the long-time waitress had already poured a cup of coffee and was headed in his direction as Tom walked through the front door. Taking the cup he said, “thanks Lois, you doing okay?” then took a seat across from Bob in their usual booth.

“Doing just fine, just a couple more weeks until I’ll be moving to Ann Arbor to be close to my grandchildren,” she said with a noticeable twinkle in her eye.

“We’re going to miss you around here when you go, what’s it been, thirty-years?”

“At least that,” she replied. “You guys want the usual this morning?”

They did. A full order of biscuits and gravy with a side of hash-browns and an eternal pot of hot coffee. Being diner coffee it was a given it would be strong.

“You worked anything interesting since last week?”

“Just that TY5 in Benin on 30 CW, you already snagged him, right?”

“Yeah he’s worked, but not yet confirmed. Band conditions have been kinda wonky lately. It’s probably just the summer doldrums, but the peak of Cycle 25 was so good maybe we just got spoiled by the easy conditions?” Tom speculated.

These two enjoyed a long-running debate about the future of amateur radio. Both were convinced that it was a 20th century relic that would one day run out of steam, but then, the same could be said of them. How the end would come was the only debate between them. Tom believed the growing authoritarian government would close the service and reclaim all the radio spectrum for itself. Bob’s theory was that overall numbers would simply continue to decline, and without growth, or even maintenance of the status quo, ham radio would go the way of the dinosaurs.

Both men wished more members would attend these weekly brain storming sessions because frankly, both had grown tired of each other’s talking points in this debate and they hoped some new blood could be injected in this long running conversation. But having finished breakfast, and multiple coffee refills, it was obvious no one else would be joining them today.

“I’ve always said I like your prediction for the end better than mine,” Tom said as they were waiting for the check. “It would be an interesting twist if the numbers dropped so low that all the commercial vendors gave up on this market. Then the only hams still on the air would be those who could home-brew equipment from scratch or maintain the old gear forever. Either way, it would be a lot more like the pioneering days of the hobby and wouldn’t that be something to behold?”

“It’s certainly something to think about,” Bob said.

As they walked toward the parking lot both already knew they would indeed be thinking about it, and discussing it, for the rest of their lives…