"John S." wrote in message
oups.com...
The point I was trying to make is that the amateur radio hobby matured
about 3 decades ago. It's membership is aging rapidly and the number
of active participants is declining. As the baby boomer generation
dies off at an increasing rate the amateur radio hobby will continue to
fade away. Fiddling with the test requirements isn't going to magically
entice younger blood away from the many other license-free ways of
communicating. I would venture to say that you could open the ham
bands completely CB style and not get a big jump in membership. There
are just too many other interesting, easy to use ways of communicating
that that younger people are accustomed to using. I wish it were
otherwise.

Making the ham radio test more of a challenge as you suggest misses the
point completely. The point is that there will be a diminishing number
of people with any interest becoming a ham, no matter what the
requirements are.


You "could" be and may very well be right in that regard as to the numbers
increasing or not if the bands were completely opened. But since most of
this crap evolved around CODE and then the "learning" ability of "exam"
material - those issues are not the complete problem. As I said, if you
want to "learn" anything, effort is the key. All through our lives, we all
have to LEARN "something" to make us who/what we are in life. You learn to
do your job, even if it isn't from a text book. But, you have to admit -
except for sweeping floors, pumping gas, washing windows, etc......... it
DOES take "effort" to learn the tasks. Once you master them - then usually
it is a piece of cake. "Learning" should never end for anyone - until their
number is up here on earth.

In code, you learn ._ is "A". In driving - you learn to put your left turn
signal on and then turn the wheel left - to make a left turn in your
vehicle. In a factory or on a construction job - you learn hand signals to
instruct a crane-man at a job site. Whatever it is - you learn "something"
to get you by in life - be it a job, hobby or whatever. In most cases
(except code) - NOT learning - could get you or others injured or killed.

I DOUBT - anyone jumped in a car the first day and went and passed their
drivers exam - it took EFFORT to learn to drive (safely). I DOUBT anyone -
jumped in a plane and passed their pilots test the first time in the plane -
it took EFFORT. Even to pass a physical ability test for some jobs - TAKES
EFFORT. Any SOLDIER or PRO or even high school/college athlete who has
excelled - will tell you that.

To the screwball who said BULL **** to "effort" - he claims to be an EME
user on his website. I'm DAMNED sure he didn't just wake up one day and
decide to try EME - and be eh - fair(?) at it! SOMEWHERE along the line - it
took EFFORT to acquire the knowledge, license and materials to do so. Too
bad he doesn't make some "effort" to "spell" properly - MOST of his bull
**** has been misspelled so poorly, he comes across as a tard. No wonder he
gets picked on......... Misspelled words, "NEEDED" wars, etc..........
SHEESH. I misspell a word here and there once in a while in error - as do
many others. BUT there are SOME who seem to KILL IT when it comes to
spelling. They never heard of "spell check"? Can't even make effort to use
THAT to make them look a bit brighter.

It doesn't matter how easy or hard the tests are - Code or NO Code - the
point here in this thread and others similar is - it seems some want it
"handed" to them and all I'm saying is EFFORT will help you get it and
you'll be rewarded - your achievement - be it a license, an upgrade in
license OR a job promotion with subsequent pay raise or position. So what if
you never use the code again to save a life or just to chat on the air - who
cares? To pass the muster for some promotions in the service, you have to
prove physical ability, and some of those things needed to be done - you may
never have to make use of again. Tell your senior officer you're not going
to do it and see what you hear in return...........

IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH - YOU"LL DO IT. Of course - weinie boy who thinks
effort is bull **** and believes we NEEDED wars - wouldn't have a clue. So
the quiestion is now - did he cheat on his exam and had his license handed
to him OR have the equipment donated to not have to make the EFFORT to
acquire it all?

Opening up the bands won't be the answer to the "population" of the bands.
IF I were God, had a Crystal Ball, I might be able to give the "exact"
answer. I've "never" claimed to have it nor do I now. All I can say, is we
know where we're headed and it will be interesting in say 5 years or so - to
see how we do indeed end up. Changes "could" come about to revive it, open
the bands up OR shut them down. Right now, they are somewhat protected by
Vongress, but the Congress members are usually able to be bought out by
special interest groups - so - NEVER SAY NEVER............ we could be sold
out next year if enough of them get their heads together. Then - all of
these threads will be moot points. Hell, we may end up paying to type/read
this - over and above our ISP payment. There WAS a move to do so.........
Nothing to say it couldn't happen if someone tries it again.

L.