"David 01" wrote in message
...
You're right about the name. People, young and old have been big on titles
for several years like for instance, Sanitary Engineer for janitor or
Executive Assistant for an entry level secretary.

Maybe call the new class Certified Electronic Experimenter or Electronic
Experimenter In Training or some other snazzy name. The young kids are
looking for something like that. Novice is an immediate turnoff nowadays.
The new class wouldn't have to have lots of privileges, just a classy name
to attract most young people.

David

I agree. And when the Novice ticket became renewable, the test materiel got
harder; that made it more difficult to attract middle school and early high
school candidates. In my day, it was knowing just enough of the rules to get
by and a very little theory to operate at 75-watts input with a crystal to
keep us in our band. From that, I gained enough interest in radio to get the
Extra before the disastrous "incentive licensing" debacle took place.
Today's beginners need to be connected with computers, so I think that the
simple entry ticket (CEE ?) should allow all digital modes within restricted
sub-bands, including the HF bands. The code capability should be an
endorsement thing, with a small bottom-of-the band CW incentive, much like
the Extras has today. However, the no-coders should be able to use cw within
their sub-bands, without the endorsement. But when BPL gets going full
force, maybe all such concerns will just be academic as the bands won't be
much good for anyone except the power companies.

AK