"Steve" wrote in message
...

A WHOPPING 74.3% of hams polled claim that they have heard NO
difference in the bands since the code requirement was lifted. See for
yourself:
http://www.hamwave.com/cgi-bin/index...=pollit2&id=89

Maybe not in the US, but here in OZ, the elimination of CW & the
introduction of a code-free Foundation Licence has seen an estimated 1500
new hams being licenced in the past 18 months.
That may not sound like much in the US, but considering our population, and
the fact that amateur radio was heading South at one hell of a rate of
knots prior to the code being dropped, it has been the saviour of our hobby
downunder.

ruff