> I recently got my ham license for fun and boy is it fucking boring.
Well, that "recently" there in that sentence is likely the root of your problem. You've barely scratched the surface, run into a dickbag or two (which exist in EVERY community) and then decided to stereotype the whole culture. You have no idea how wide and deep the hobby is, and probably won't as long as you hold onto your false generalizations.
> It’s just a bunch of old dudes talking about where they are driving to
And might I ask, who are you to judge what other people talk about on the radio? If you don't like what other people are talking about, spin the dial. Or go to another repeater/frequency and call CQ so you can talk about whatever interests you. Be the change you want to see in the world.
> gate keeping the spectrum through repeater systems that you need to pay to be a member of or else you might get a stern finger wagging.
I live in a metro area and have over 40 repeaters programmed into my radio. Most of the repeaters are owned by various clubs. I have never ONCE heard anyone get a stern finger wagging for using a repeater for a club they aren't a member of. Around here at least, the attitude is, the more the merrier.
> From my understanding, ham radio back in the day was about tinkering.
It still is, you just didn't look hard enough. The past couple of years have seen interesting long-range weak-signal digital modes, mesh networking using commodity hardware, hackable handheld radios, and bunches of independent QRP kits. LEO satellite repeaters, POTA, SOTA, Field Day, designing antennas with cheap $50 antenna analyzers, these are just the things that I find interesting. I could go on forever.
There is more to explore in ham radio than you can fit in a lifetime. If you find it boring, that is not ham radio's fault.
Well, that "recently" there in that sentence is likely the root of your problem. You've barely scratched the surface, run into a dickbag or two (which exist in EVERY community) and then decided to stereotype the whole culture. You have no idea how wide and deep the hobby is, and probably won't as long as you hold onto your false generalizations.
> It’s just a bunch of old dudes talking about where they are driving to
And might I ask, who are you to judge what other people talk about on the radio? If you don't like what other people are talking about, spin the dial. Or go to another repeater/frequency and call CQ so you can talk about whatever interests you. Be the change you want to see in the world.
> gate keeping the spectrum through repeater systems that you need to pay to be a member of or else you might get a stern finger wagging.
I live in a metro area and have over 40 repeaters programmed into my radio. Most of the repeaters are owned by various clubs. I have never ONCE heard anyone get a stern finger wagging for using a repeater for a club they aren't a member of. Around here at least, the attitude is, the more the merrier.
> From my understanding, ham radio back in the day was about tinkering.
It still is, you just didn't look hard enough. The past couple of years have seen interesting long-range weak-signal digital modes, mesh networking using commodity hardware, hackable handheld radios, and bunches of independent QRP kits. LEO satellite repeaters, POTA, SOTA, Field Day, designing antennas with cheap $50 antenna analyzers, these are just the things that I find interesting. I could go on forever.
There is more to explore in ham radio than you can fit in a lifetime. If you find it boring, that is not ham radio's fault.