"Carl R. Stevenson" wrote in message ...
"Brian" wrote in message
om...
(N2EY) wrote in message
...

Morse code testing was implemented for a number of reasons, but limiting
the number of hams wasn't one of them. And in 1968, when the requirements
for full amateur privileges were increased in both the written and code
tests, the number of hams began to grow again after at least 5 years of
stagnation at the quarter-million mark.

A direct quote from the pages of QST was posted on here several years
back.

It's also in "200 Meters And Down"

It was during the Aaron Jones Morse Myths demything era. I
don't think Aaron posted it, though.

The Morse test speed for was increased to 13 wpm as a direct effort to
limit the number of hams - and the moving force was the ARRL - it's
documented in public records in the Library of Congress and was researched
by a certified archivist.

The key word is "implemented" - not increased.

Here's "the rest of the story":

The year was 1936.

US amateur radio had grown faster than at any time before or since.
The number of US hams had almost tripled since 1929, despite the Great
Depression and highly restrictive new rules that went into effect in
1929.

There were serious problems with interference, poor signals,
out-of-band operation, and overcrowding of the bands, and rapid
turnover of new hams (approaching 40% per year).

The remedy was twofold: Both the written test and the code test were
revised. The written test was upgraded and the code test increased
from 10 wpm (where it had been since 1919)to 13 wpm.

ARRL asked for 12-1/2 wpm but FCC went for 13. There was also a big
redoing of the written tests, but somehow that fact is forgotten...

See the article at http://www.nocode.org/articles.html - scroll way down to
the bottom it's the 3rd article from the bottom.

That's why the code test of 67 years ago was increased by 3 wpm from
10 to 13 - but not why it was implemented in the first place.

Some folks wonder about the claim of overcrowding. In order to
appreciate what amateur radio was like back then, it's necessary to
understand what technologies and operating practices were in use by
average hams.

Consider this: The bands were crowded enough back then that as early
as 1931 some enterprising hams (W6DEI, Ray Moore, and others) built
and operated single-sideband transmitters and receivers.

73 de Jim, N2EY