A license was required in the beginning that is true, however, the FCC
lost all control of the users so the feds took the easy way out. They
just did away with that little law and declared all users legal. Kinda
the way that amateur radio is going right now. Five bucks and my now
non-existing Advanced class ticket says that a no code, no written test
will be operating HF anywhere, any mode, yea verily!

HT3 wrote:
Isn't this the same thing that happened to the CB culture
in the mid to late 70's? Back then you had to license, but
all of a sudden that was too inconvenient. So licensing was
eliminated and every hemorrhoid could get a radio and ruin
the band.

Mark Russo wrote:

One of these below will get you there...

Seems to me that they should bump up the current General class to
Advanced class.
This way people who worked hard to get to General will not be locked in
with the no code
folks. That seems fair?.


http://www.remote.arrl.org/news/stor.../01/19/1/?nc=1


Click he ARRLWeb: ARRL to Propose New Entry-Level License, Code-Free
HF Access