Dee:

Oh you and your feminine wiles. I do already hear your "sirens song"
and fear for the lives of those men you will sing of CW to...

Yes, I will bet that you can wreck more than one young man on the
shoals and dangerous reefs of CW.

Me, I will just tell 'em about the rare and luscious females I have
met in obscure and out-of-the-way pubs and the wonders I have beheld
there... grin

.... maybe offer to buy 'em a beer and argue antenna theory with 'em...

John

"Dee Flint" wrote in message
...

"Michael Coslo" wrote in message
...


wrote:

Observations:

- Although the majority of individuals who commented on the 18
proposals supported code testing, FCC proposes to completely
eliminate it.

- There were a lot of ideas in the 18 proposals other than the
code
test. FCC simply denied all suggestions for change *except*
dumping
Element 1. Free upgrades for Advanceds and Novices? New entry
level
classes? More HF bandspace/modes for Novices and Tech Pluses? "No"
to
all of them.

- The changes of 2000 brought a lot of upgrades and some
short-term
growth, but now the number of individuals with unexpired US ham
licenses is almost 10,000 below what it was in May of 2000. Nor
has
there been any sort of "techno-revolution" from the reductions in
code
testing.


Predictions:

- There will be a lot of debate and commentary. But in the end FCC
will
just dump Element 1 and make no other changes.

Agreed

- There will be a lot of upgrades and a short-term peak in
licenses.
But not long term growth.

Agreed

- The HF/MF bands will not be overrun with more activity.

MOre activity, but not likely overrun.

- There will not be a "revolution" in technology used by hams
brought
by the new folks.

No, certainly not brought about by the new folks - as a group. But
I don't doubt that some of the new folks may very well involved.



- The focus will shift to a debate about widening the 'phone
subbands
or even having no mode subbands at all.


Yawn! That won't be anywhere near as much fun as the Element 1
debate!

One more thing that will happen, and I hope it doesn't. I
anticipate a bit of class warfare, as (some of) the code tested try
to establish superiority over the great unwashed who enter the ARS.


Let's hope not. A prospective ham can only follow the licensing
procedure in place at the time he/she licenses. The important issue
now, as it has always been, is the post licensing personal
development.

Quite frankly, that will make those so called elite a worse problem
than the newbies coming into the service.

Now will be a time for Elmering and openness. I've sat and listened
to enough grumbling about Nickel Extras such as myself, right to my
face, from OT's who haven't done a thing for the service for years,
talk about how "Any idiot can become a Ham now." This happens more
often than it should.


I would've gotten right in their faces and asked them what they had
done lately for ham radio.

I intend to provide as much help to the newcomers as possible,
instead of grousing about the "good old days", and steely eyed
F.C.C testing agents.


Yup. There's no point in grousing. Besides one can turn the old
requirements into an icebreaker just by telling the story in a
humorous way.

That I support Element 1 testing is of no consequence to the new
people.


Absolutely correct. Of course, I'll attempt to foster learning the
code and code use. I'll just tell them about the rare and exotic DX
that I've found only on CW. And how most contests offer extra
points for CW.

I suggest that the Ham who wants to be thought of as superior
establish that superiority by example, not by grousing or
ridiculing the new folks. Foster the idea that good manners and
technical acumen is a good thing.


That is the only true measure.

Just some thoughts.....

- Mike KB3EIA -


Dee D. Flint, N8UZE