wrote:
"LVN" wrote:

Is this a US only group or can any coutry join in?


AFAIK, it's not US only.

I'm not a moderator, but I'd be very interested in seeing amateur
radio license statistics from other countries.


We've been watching the US statistics because of the recent
elimination of Morse code testing. Most of the world dropped code a few
years ago. Therefore, it is in foreign countries that more conclusive
data might be found. That is, in foreign countries, the results of the
experiment may already be in, so to speak.

Klystron wrote:

We've been watching the US statistics because of the recent
elimination of Morse code testing. Most of the world dropped code a few
years ago. Therefore, it is in foreign countries that more conclusive
data might be found. That is, in foreign countries, the results of the
experiment may already be in, so to speak.

I'm more interested in the general issue of the health of the hobby than
the specific correlation with a code requirement. Here in the US, I see
potential ham radio operators spending their time with computers and not
impressed by the concept of being able to communicate with people all
over the world because they can do that by opening their cell phone. I
wonder how the population of amateur radio enthusiasts is holding up in
countries where there might be less computers but more cell phones.
There's a very different dynamic in less-developed countries and I don't
know whether it favors the hobby. For example, people might be more
motivated to explore amateur radio but unable to do so because equipment
is not available.

73, Steve KB9X