Well, in 1952 (this may be out of date) the Tech and General exams
were the same except Tech didn't have any code or privileges, and
there was a nifty Novice test with 5wpm code nonrenewable that
lasted a year, for you to get your code speed up to the General's
13wpm. If you didn't go on the air over that time in code, you
had a tough time meeting the code requirement. If you did, it
was easy. Anyway judging from the experience of a typical child
and his father following these two paths.

Then it all started going downhill and God only knows what it is
today. I don't even know what the power limits or bands are.
We used to have a nifty KW into a backyard antenna, after years
of sultry upgrades, and sending code would dim the lights and
shrink TV pictures.

You could pass any written test by memorizing the ARRL's License
Manual but code was apparently the killer for grownups.
--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.