"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
36...
wrote in
oups.com:

On Feb 1, 12:49�pm, Dave Heil wrote:
wrote:
On Jan 31, 11:03?pm, "Carl R. Stevenson" wrote:
Information from within ARRL indicates that last year the ARRL
VECs, w
hose
teams handle over 70% ov al VE sessions, per their claim (which I
am n
ot
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/teste
es ...
(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
predi
cted)

Well, maybe.

W3GEG told me that this past week's VE session in Morgantown resulted
in five fellows who took and passed Morse Code exams in obtaining
their new licenses. I seem to recall that you'd commented some time
ago that some people might want to take such an exam before the
elimination of Morse testing.

Yep, that's right.

In fact Carl, WK3C, was a major contributor to a local radio club
prize for the *last* person in the club to pass Element 1.
(See his earlier posting at the start of a different thread for
details.)

---

Hopefully, the upcoming changes to the license requirements will
result in a new era of long-term growth in amateur radio, as has been
repeatedly predicted and promised by many of those in favor of the
changes.

But what if it doesn't?

A question might be "what are you going to do to insure that it doesn't?
(Not you specifically)

My group is already working to make sure that the new folks don't
feel shunned, and in recognition that many of the new folks will be
inexperienced as compared to years past, we plan on some pretty
extensive Elmering. It should be great fun.

One possible fly in the ointment is that just as there are Hams who
wouldn't upgrade to Extra because their advanced license proved they
took a higher speed code test, there are some who will probably do all
they can to have their dire predictions be a self fulfilling prophecy.

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -

Well I keep trying to spread the word on ham radio and try to get people to
try the hobby. However, batting zero here. If my hypothesis is correct
that we've basically "saturated the market" then the best we can hope for is
a sustainable level but no long term growth. I have met many people who
have heard little to nothing about ham radio until I start talking about it.
I've met no one who has stayed away because of any test requirements. The
ones I've talked to don't even know that we have to be licensed.

Dee, N8UZE

Dee, N8UZE

"Dee Flint" wrote:

I have met many people who have heard little to nothing about ham
radio until I start talking about it.

Most non-technical people I run into, where the topic of ham radio comes up,
end up saying one of two things. Either

1) "Oh, you're one of those guys with the unsightly cell tower in your yard"

or

2) "Yeah my neighbor had one of you guys next door, and he couldn't watch
his tv or vcr any longer cuz you you guys"

73
kh6hz

On Feb 1, 10:23 pm, "KH6HZ" wrote:
"Dee Flint" wrote:
I have met many people who have heard little to nothing about ham
radio until I start talking about it.

Most non-technical people I run into, where the topic of ham radio comes up,
end up saying one of two things. Either

1) "Oh, you're one of those guys with the unsightly cell tower in your yard"

or

2) "Yeah my neighbor had one of you guys next door, and he couldn't watch
his tv or vcr any longer cuz you you guys"

73
kh6hz

My neighbor wanted to become a ham, but I told him all the calls were
used up.