In article k.net, "KØHB"
writes:

HF privileges were granted in the past by taking a test far less demanding
than the current Technician test.

The old Novice written plus 5 wpm code was "far less demanding"? OK....

And Technicians of the past took the General written test AND a Morse test,
but were not allowed on HF, but they could get a (simultaneous) Novice
license and operate on HF (even though the General written they'd taken for
Technician didn't allow them on HF or 2 meters).

And you new kids think MY licensing proposal is strange!

Even stranger is the fact that there was a period of time (1970s?) when FCC did
not allow the simultaneous possession of both the Novice and Technician
licenses, so when a ham passed the written test for Tech, he/she lost all HF
privs - even though both licenses required the same code test.

Merry (whatever god you worship) Feast,

Happy Solstice

73 de Jim, N2EY