RadioBanter - ARS License Numbers

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Mike Coslo, wrote in :

This may be hard to quantify, Jim, but is there any data or even
educated guessing about how many Novices are still actually active?

- Mike KB3EIA -

Not hard to quantify at all. Any ham that only knows CW to 5 WPM is a
novice. New hams these days are all Novices. So the number of Novices on
the bands are actually increasing. Ten-Four Good buddy?

"N2EY" wrote in message
...
In article , Mike Coslo writes:

N2EY wrote:
These are the number of unexpired FCC ARS
licenses held by individuals on the dates listed:

snip

As of September 30, 2003:

Novice - 33,034 (decrease of 16,295)

snip

This may be hard to quantify, Jim, but is there any data or even
educated guessing about how many Novices are still actually active?

Not that I know of, Mike.

Let's look at how the three license classes that are closed to new entries
have
declined in numbers:

Novice is now ~67% of where it was May 14, 2000
Advanced is now ~83% of where it was May 14, 2000
Tech Plus is now ~50% of where it was May 14, 2000

Of course the Tech Plus will decline the fastest because all Tech Pluses
are
being renewed as Techs.

Or, alternatively, they are upgrading to General and Extra since they
already have 5 wpm code credit. There's been a lot of that.
(As an "old" techplus with full general written credit and 5 wpm
credit, I simply had to take the extra written to upgrade all the way.
I'm sure there were lots of similarly situated folks who also upgraded,
either as a "paper upgrade", with no test, to general, of as I did by
taking the extra written.)

Carl - wk3c

There's been a lot of that.
(As an "old" techplus with full general written credit and 5 wpm
credit, I simply had to take the extra written to upgrade all the way.
I'm sure there were lots of similarly situated folks who also upgraded,
either as a "paper upgrade", with no test, to general, of as I did by
taking the extra written.)

Carl - wk3c

Yea and it took you over a year to pass it, I guess it wasnt just the Code Test
that kept you back.

Blow Job wrote:

Nice troll handle.

Not hard to quantify at all. Any ham that only knows CW to 5 WPM is a
novice. New hams these days are all Novices. So the number of Novices on
the bands are actually increasing. Ten-Four Good buddy?

Well, how many CBers know 5WPM?

Well, I have a "novice-extra" license. And if I admit that I have
since forgotten my code, would that make me a CB-extra? :-)

N2EY wrote:

Suppose the new Q&A pool really is the cause of this dropoff. Will we
see folks arguing that the writtens are stifling growth, turning
people away, etc.?
Will we see a movement to reduce (again) the level of written testing,
the number of licenses, etc.?

I am inclined to say there will be a push to reduce requirements if
that happens. At the moment, every issue seems to gravitate towards
Morse CW requirement. This question needs revisited after the
requirement is dropped, if it is dropped.

And my opinion is no, we shouldn't reduce the requirements.

- Mike KB3EIA -

Carl got a post-restructuring Extra

After a Year of failing it.

Bruce got a post-restructuring Extra

And $250.00 from from some Dumb Cbers

Bruce makes fun of Carl's amateur license.

Because Carls License isnt worth the pasper its printed on.

Carl does not distinguish between "real hams" and others.

ThaTs because Karl doesnt know the difference

Bruce says a sizable percentage of amateurs are not "real hams".

Just the New ones

Carl is actively trying to defeat the threat of BPL.

Thats a Joke

Bruce doesn't give a damn about BPL.

THATS TRUE

(sarcasm mode on)

Since the entire public is completely aware of amateur radio, therefore they
all are waiting for the code test to drop, then we should have huge growth
eh???

(sarcasm mode off)

Ryan KC8PMX

If/when the code test disappears, what will be the scapegoat for low
growth?

73 de Jim, N2EY

"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
t...
N2EY wrote:

Suppose the new Q&A pool really is the cause of this dropoff. Will we
see folks arguing that the writtens are stifling growth, turning
people away, etc.?
Will we see a movement to reduce (again) the level of written testing,
the number of licenses, etc.?

I am inclined to say there will be a push to reduce requirements if
that happens. At the moment, every issue seems to gravitate towards
Morse CW requirement. This question needs revisited after the
requirement is dropped, if it is dropped.

And my opinion is no, we shouldn't reduce the requirements.

- Mike KB3EIA -

While I obviously support eliminating the Morse test, I do NOT
support ANY lowering of the requirements on the written tests.
(Felt I needed to state that again ...)

The written tests can be made "better" (that does not necessarily
mean "more difficult") by adjusting the question pools to reflect
modern technology, RF/electrical safety, rules/regs, and operating
practices. And, while there is a minimum ratio of questions in the
pool to questions on the tests, there is no maximum number of
questions that can be in the pool ... those who think (and I disagree)
that the question pools are simply "memorized" can push the NCVECs
to increase the number and diversity of questions in the pools.

Carl - wk3c

"WA8ULX" wrote in message
...
Carl got a post-restructuring Extra

After a Year of failing it.

BZZZZZZZZT ... wrong answer ... took it EXACTLY ONCE.

Not that I feel I owe Bruce (or anyone else, actually) an explaination,
but just to set the record straight about how full of BS Bruce is ...

I kept being busy with work, work travel, an elderly mother in
poor health and any number of other "excuses" and didn't get
around to going to a VE session until I did ... so what?

I finally decided to set the goal of going and upgrading by a certain
date.

I went to a VE session on a Friday evening, run by one of the
local ham clubs.

The session never happened because the VE who kept the
paperwork for the team had accidentally tossed all of the
forms while "cleaning out" the file box where he kept
the stuff.

I came home, got on the internet, and found a session the
next day (Sat morning, early) about 1-1/2 hour's drive from
home, got up early, drove down, took the test (1st one finished),
and walked out an Extra ... no sweat, no big deal.

Bruce got a post-restructuring Extra

And $250.00 from from some Dumb Cbers

Bruce makes fun of Carl's amateur license.

Because Carls License isnt worth the pasper its printed on.

Maybe Bruce's license is printed on "pasper" ... mine is
printed on paper (and laminated to protect it).

Carl does not distinguish between "real hams" and others.

ThaTs because Karl doesnt know the difference

One wonders how long Bruce has been licensed and active?
(I'm a member of QCWA ...)

Bruce says a sizable percentage of amateurs are not "real hams".

Just the New ones

I'm not a new one ... and Bruce is, as normal for him, full of
you-know-what.

Carl is actively trying to defeat the threat of BPL.

Thats a Joke

No, it's a very serious matter. If Bruce had a clue he'd know that.

Bruce doesn't give a damn about BPL.

THATS TRUE

That statement alone pretty well should give folks a good
idea of how much credence to give to Bruce's opinions.

Carl - wk3c