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July 17th 03, 03:58 AM

From: "Carl R. Stevenson"

Still slower growth than desirable by a long shot ...

I'd like to get some of my friends licensed and use it for utility purposes.
Other than that, what does it matter about ARS license numbers?

eliminating Morse testing will help

No, it won't. The entry-level license is already code free. Eliminating Morse
testing will not cause more people to want to join.

Some do join just for HF, but that won't affect ARS license numbers.

but more needs to be done to promote ham radio
to those 40-50 years old if we want long-term survival .

I hate to say this, but vanity helps. Better to appeal to selfish motives than
selfless motives. The emergency communicator, the public service aspect - What
young person wants that?

Morse code and contesting don't appeal to vanity.

Morse code may be fun, but it takes more than that. If that fun makes you the
object of ridicule, then its not worth it. That makes it a "guilty pleasure"
-something you keep to yourself.

When they call contesting competition, it offends the normal sensibilities.
Making short QSOs (oops, I used a codeword) and counting contacts. Contesting
is competitive in a way, but its just one way. To exclude several kinds of
competition for contesting just isn't right. It means that competition isn't
the real motive. That's just a rationalization.

Real competition is expanding one's limitations. It includes radio direction
finding, APRS, mobile operation, tuning, troubleshooting, real emergency
preparedness.

And don't forget the social aspect.

Contesting is really boring too. It's human nature not to like boring
activities.

Some Hams will take a day off for a Hamfest that is on Friday and Saturday.
That takes one day away that could be used for a real vacation day. Just go
Saturday - you won't miss anything. Also, lets not schedule Hamfests and other
Ham Radio events during people's free social time, as Hams often do.

If you make the social aspect intolerable, some young people will not join for
that.

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