In article , "Carl R. Stevenson"
writes:

"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...
Carl R. Stevenson wrote:

I agree that the ARRL is "between a rock and a hard place" with respect
to the split in their existing membership.

Very much so, I'd agree.

However, outside of their membership
(in the 75% of US hams who are NOT members of the ARRL), I believe
that the demographic is heavily tilted towards the no code test side ...

What makes you think this? I'm not trying to be a wise guy, but I agree
with you about the polls being self directing. Therefore are you
operating on gut feeling, what your friends tell you, or what?

I'm going on what I hear from members, from clubs, from e-mails I
get from folks, etc.

With all due respect, Carl, I don't think that "self selected sample" is
representative of the entire amateur radio community. And I don't think you are
a totally objective observer...;-)

I'm ALSO going on the demographic of all those
nocode techs

Which demographic? The ARRL/READEX poll of 1996 showed that the youngest hams
were the most procodetest. Bert Craig, WA2SI, has told you here that he does
not consider Element 1 a "barrier" or "hoop". Other newcomers have said the
same thing. Don't they count?

who could get on HF were it not for a stupid Morse
requirement ...

Hmmm...."stupid Morse requirement"? It's been passed by elementary school
children, old people, people with severe disabilities, and everything in
between. Heck, under the old rules we had at least one 8 year old Extra!

The fact is that if Element 1 is dropped, all those non-code-tested Techs will
gain some SSB on 10 meters and four slices of HF CW. (Ironic) In order for them
to get more, they have to jump through another hoop...I mean, pass another
written exam.....;-)

You may not think the General or Extra writtens are very hard, nor that they
are "unreasonable", but the fact remains that they have not been shown to be
necessary for safe and legal operation of an amateur station.

Why is a Tech considered qualified to use any authorized mode/freq above 30 MHz
but unqualified to use all but CW and SSB on a few narrow slices of HF?

do you REALLY think they are "hot to learn Morse"???

Some of them are. Others aren't.

I don't ...

With all due respect, Carl, I don't see you as a good spokesperson for the
CW/Morse mode....

thus,
I believe that the ARRL stands to pick up more members than they stand
to lose if they take a position that it's time for Morse testing to go.

It remains to be seen. Those for who the Morse test is too much trouble
may not be bothered to join the ARRL either.

ARRL membership provides a lot of benefits through QST, the website,
and all of the good things they DO do for amateur radio.

Sure - but a lot of hams, of all license classes, don't see those things. Or
they aren't interested. I know at least one ham here who gave up on HF because
she doesn't like the noise and distortion of HF. And, comparing even the best
HF SSB to typical VHF/UHF FM, I can understand her point of view.

Some are still mad about incentive licensing, of all things.

One of the real problems with the Tech license being defacto the entry-level is
that, for the most part, beginners nowadays are VHF/UHF centered, with their
main focus on voice operation and manufactured equipment. Those things are not
bad of themselves. They do, however, tend to distract new hams from nonvoice
modes, building their own equipment, and national interests vs. local ones.
IOW, they are more likely to join a local radio club than the distant ARRL.

However, selling
those benefits is difficult when the prospective buyer is someone who knows
his/her membership dues are going to an organization that's dedicated by
current policy to keep them off of HF ...

That's simply not true. Everyone has the same opportunity to pass the required
tests - code and written - and get whatever license they desire. There is no
policy to keep anyone off HF.

There is also the option of becoming a member, electing new directors, and
changing the policy.

it doesn't take Einstein or a Gallup
poll to figure that one out ...

How about the ARRL/READEX poll, and what it told us about hams under 24? 85% of
them were procodetest. Do you think that number has radically changed since
then?

The nocodetest position may carry the day when all is said and done. And then
we may well find that the whole issue was a red herring.

Consider this, Carl:

Once the license is in hand, getting on HF can be quite daunting for the
newcomer, compared to VHF/UHF.

All a newbie needs on VHF/UHF is an HT, if they are close to repeaters. For a
few dollars more, they can have a nice base/mobile duobander with antennas that
mount on TV hardware, and/or in the car with a few wires and a magmount.

HF requires much more hardware, big antennas, and a whole pile of other stuff.
There are 9 bands and a bunch of modes. Propagation varies all over the place,
and mobile is a different game altogether. More time, more space and more
money. If you have CC&Rs, things get even tougher.

You have a new house with plenty of space and more resources than perhaps 99%
of the rest of us, Carl. What sort of HF station do you have? Yes, I know
you're busy - we're ALL busy, though.

Surf on over to

http://www.dell.com

and check out what sort of computer setup $500 to $1000 will buy. That's the
competition.

73 de Jim, N2EY