On Jan 31, 11:03�pm, "Carl R. Stevenson" wrote:
Information from within ARRL indicates that last year the ARRL VECs, whose
teams handle over 70% ov al VE sessions, per their claim (which I am not
confirming nor disputing), performed over 5,000 VE sessions (with each
session handling multiple applicants/testees).

According to the report, the average session was 5-10 applicants/testees ....
(25-50k testees)

"Reservations" have now jumped to 50-75/session!!!

That's excellent!

It appears that no-code WILL result in significant growth. (as I predicted)

Well, maybe.

We don't know if those reservations are for new hams, or for existing
hams
planning to upgrade.

We also don't know how long the "surge" will last.

Back in 2000, when both the Morse Code and written testing were
reduced, there was a
surge of growth. But it only lasted a short time, and now we're more
than 18,000 US hams
*fewer* than we were in May 2000. (see the long-lived thread "ARS
License Numbers" for
exact numbers).

IOW, the growth from the last license-requirements change did not
last. Hopefully, that won't be the case with this change.

While some who want to keep our bands "to themselves" (at least until
they're reallocated for lack of/diminishing use) will bemoan this, I am
elated!

I don't know any who want to "keep the bands to themselves". Who would
they be?

There *are* folks with differing ideas as to what the requirements for
a license will be.

From what I've seen, the ARRL BoD is "Getting It" about the need to welcome
new hams and strongly discourage any berating/insulting/bad treatment of
them just because they didn't have to take a Morse test. *BRAVO!

I hope that ALL hams will "get with the program" and act like decent human
beings/Elmers towards the impending, apparently significant influx of
newcomers.

From what I read on the various reflectors, that has always been the
case in most of
amateur radio.

Treat them right and they will assimilate - treat the crappy and you'll
regret it in the long run.

Remember that it's a two-way street, as well.

---

We'll see about the growth in a few weeks/months/years.

Good to hear from you, Carl.

73 de Jim, N2EY