Badly Designed Ham Websites

**M0TZO** · Fri 19th Sep 2008, 00:39

It started on a topic about Kempton and Pete M3PHP saying he could find worse Ham Radio Websites.

So, come on, show us the Bad Ham Radio sites that are out there.

**M0JJK** · Mon 16th Feb 2009, 00:47

eHam.net - I find it confusing to navigate most days, And what you search for is never what you end up clicking on, or is that just me?

**2e0sql** · Mon 16th Feb 2009, 17:22

I'm going to put the RSGB website (http://www.rsgb.org) poorly designed for what they are trying to sell which is ham radio, utter bitch to navigate and they have far to many domains.

**M0TTB** · Mon 16th Feb 2009, 17:59

eQSL ... it's like a trip back to the 80's. I'm not a lover of eQSL anyway, but you'd think they'd smarten the place up a bit, and that eQSL designer is another relic left over from the last millenium, there are some great online qsl design engines around...check out http://www.iqslusa.com/ordering for example. I paid my $$ to eqsl as well, presumably every last cent is going on bandwidth over there...which may explain why your 'cards' are restricted to such feeble sizes.

rant over :lol:

**2e0sql** · Mon 16th Feb 2009, 18:19

Originally Posted by M0TTB

eQSL ... it's like a trip back to the 80's. I'm not a lover of eQSL anyway, but you'd think they'd smarten the place up a bit, and that eQSL designer is another relic left over from the last millenium, there are some great online qsl design engines around...check out http://www.iqslusa.com/ordering" for example. I paid my $$ to eqsl as well, presumably every last cent is going on bandwidth over there...which may explain why your 'cards' are restricted to such feeble sizes.

Yes eQSL is pretty awful! and perhaps they should invest in hiring someone to actually give it a make over, the underline technology is very good and does work, as for QSL card design system yes a flash system would be much better but again knowledge comes into it

Compare it against LoTW and it doesn't seem so bad!!

**W8EEO** · Fri 27th Feb 2009, 21:31

I won't "single" out an individual site. However, I will just ask a question or two.
What is the purpose of any web site?
What are some important aspects of a usable site?
The next question, I guess, is would you buy a newspaper if the background was any color other than a shade of white.
Would you pick up a publication which did not have at least a bit of content?
Would you buy a book that did not have a "table of contents" or are you happy to just plunder through the entire publication before you discover there is nothing there of interest?
In my opinion, a web site should have an understandable index of some sort.
I would not buy a magazine which was difficult to read because the back ground was red, or green, or pink or black, etc.
I very much prefer plain text on white paper without strange objects which have nothing to do with the content, if any, of the publication.
When I pick up a magazine I check the table of contents to see if I want to bother to read it.
The main thing, in my opinion with any publication is that it must have adequate content.
In fact, in my opinion, that is a necessary component for it to be called a usable publication.
Content! Content! Content!...

**kd0bik** · Sat 28th Feb 2009, 14:55

The ARRL website is a bit difficult to get around at times. I'm no professional web designer...but believe that companies, organizations etc. should consult and hire professionals to develop their web content. After all for a lot of companies and organizations, their website is the only thing people will see.

I may never go visit the ARRL HQ, but I visit their website on a weekly basis (if not more).

Jerry

**RockRacer** · Fri 25th Dec 2009, 04:57

My site is only in it's beginning phases, but I hope it doesn't end up in this thread.

**G6NHU** · Sun 2nd May 2010, 21:20

There are some really awful Amateur Radio sites about, I cringe when I see them. Terrible backgrounds, lots of different fonts, colours and animated gifs. It's as though the author just tried to get as much in as possible.

The site could contain good useful stuff but when it's presented badly, all I want to do is hit the 'back' button.

**2e0sql** · Mon 3rd May 2010, 22:24

Originally Posted by G6NHU

There are some really awful Amateur Radio sites about, I cringe when I see them. Terrible backgrounds, lots of different fonts, colours and animated gifs. It's as though the author just tried to get as much in as possible.

You really cannot beat the animated gifs of the towers and the guy sending morse code

**M0TTB** · Tue 4th May 2010, 11:40

You should see some of the qrz entries that are now appearing since it now has an html editor... I've come out of some entries with my head spinning and eyes aching. For the public health, some people should be kept away from page formatting

**2e0sql** · Sun 9th May 2010, 10:26

Andy your so right, I think some of these features are nice but giving users total control is a disaster waiting to happen, special when it comes to hams

maybe we need a new thread with awful QRZ Profiles

**5B4AJB** · Sun 9th May 2010, 18:23

after the page finishes loading - press ESC

**MStarmer** · Thu 24th Jun 2010, 15:55

eham.net...

Trying joining there but even after registering and putting in my password I just get a welcome anonymous every time. E-mailed three times with no response. Found this site and here I am. Hopefully I can get some questions answered here.

MStarmer

**Barack** · Fri 23rd Jul 2010, 03:06

Originally Posted by MStarmer

eham.net...

Trying joining there but even after registering and putting in my password I just get a welcome anonymous every time. E-mailed three times with no response. Found this site and here I am. Hopefully I can get some questions answered here.

MStarmer

Same thing happened to me, twice. So I'm here instead, looking for a bit of help.

**PA2EFR** · Sat 21st Aug 2010, 13:20

Originally Posted by Barack

Same thing happened to me, twice. So I'm here instead, looking for a bit of help.

I got good help there.
First you must reset all yout eHam cookies and history.
Then login, log out immediately and login again.
Now it should be OK. Mine does.

Now for the wordt ham site: it's mine.
I have a new domain name but the site must be filled with interesting stuff.

Check it out: http://www.pa2efr.nl

**N8GRQ** · Fri 10th Jun 2011, 05:52

To be fair.. I have found that most hams are old school folks. Non computer literate. The websites of clubs in my area are abysmal. The reason I am here is I was looking for a local forum to ask some questions. We might be rarities. People who are "IT" savvy who were radio operators second. I monitor 2 meters in my area with a scanner. it is funny how clueless most are with computers. I wouldnt even classify them as better than normal computer users and most of them have their Amateur Extra license which after 2 weeks of studying that material, let me tell you, I respect their intelligence. Dunno maybe we are the new people. The new pioneers that will take over amateur radio when that generation passes on

EVERY HAM radio site I have been on has been horrible. The only one I have liked that was set with a REAL specific purpose was www.hamexam.com That site for testing was a godsend for me. I emailed the owner and told him thanks. He replied back almost instantly

**G6NHU** · Fri 10th Jun 2011, 20:41

Originally Posted by N8GRQ

EVERY HAM radio site I have been on has been horrible. The only one I have liked that was set with a REAL specific purpose was www.hamexam.com That site for testing was a godsend for me. I emailed the owner and told him thanks. He replied back almost instantly

Have a look at mine, both linked in my sig - Go on, have a look *nudge*

**ryangetty** · Fri 8th Jul 2011, 11:17

I think its eham

**Ben Hutchinson** · Sat 16th Jul 2011, 05:20

Not ham radio but here's an example of a site that WAS in the 90s (found on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine website). http://web.archive.org/web/199611042...w.foxkids.com/
It's the old Fox Kids website that has stuff about their cartoons. Archive date is Nov 4, 1996. I remember watching those cartoons way back then when I was a kid. And the website design is definitely a good example of 1990's web site design.