In article om, "Dee D.
Flint" writes:

"N2EY" wrote in message
. com...

Oddly enough, in the years following "incentive licensing", the number
of US hams grew like mad after having been flat through most of the
1960s.

Go figure - they upped the requirements and ham radio grew...

73 de Jim, N2EY

The why is actually quite simple. The potential ham viewed it as being able
to take the trip into ham radio in small, manageable, bitesize chunks
instead of having to swallow the entire steak in one gulp. That perception
is what caused the growth whether or not it represented reality.

Excellent point! And it explains the appeal of the old Novice, becaue it made
the first step less of a stretch.

And of course anyone who wanted to take bigger bites could do it.

73 de Jim, N2EY

"N2EY" wrote in message
...
In article om, "Dee D.
Flint" writes:

"N2EY" wrote in message
. com...

Oddly enough, in the years following "incentive licensing", the number
of US hams grew like mad after having been flat through most of the
1960s.

Go figure - they upped the requirements and ham radio grew...

73 de Jim, N2EY

The why is actually quite simple. The potential ham viewed it as being
able
to take the trip into ham radio in small, manageable, bitesize chunks
instead of having to swallow the entire steak in one gulp. That
perception
is what caused the growth whether or not it represented reality.

Excellent point! And it explains the appeal of the old Novice, becaue it
made
the first step less of a stretch.

And of course anyone who wanted to take bigger bites could do it.

73 de Jim, N2EY



Oh balderdash. The 70s brought Dick Bash and multiple guess, and no cw
sending, and easier tests, and Volunteer Examiners. Balderdash.

Dan/W4NTI

Dan/W4NTI wrote:


Oh balderdash. The 70s brought Dick Bash and multiple guess, and no cw
sending, and easier tests, and Volunteer Examiners. Balderdash.

BalderBash?

- Mike KB3EIA -

In article . net, "Dan/W4NTI"
w4nti@get rid of this mindspring.com writes:

"N2EY" wrote in message
...
In article om, "Dee D.
Flint" writes:

"N2EY" wrote in message
. com...

Oddly enough, in the years following "incentive licensing", the number
of US hams grew like mad after having been flat through most of the
1960s.

Go figure - they upped the requirements and ham radio grew...

73 de Jim, N2EY

The why is actually quite simple. The potential ham viewed it as being
able
to take the trip into ham radio in small, manageable, bitesize chunks
instead of having to swallow the entire steak in one gulp. That
perception
is what caused the growth whether or not it represented reality.

Excellent point! And it explains the appeal of the old Novice, becaue it
made
the first step less of a stretch.

And of course anyone who wanted to take bigger bites could do it.

73 de Jim, N2EY

Oh balderdash.

No, it's true. The number of US hams stalled at around a quarter million for
most of the '60s. Then it started to grow again about 1969.

The greatest period of growth was from 1929 to 1935, when the number of US hams
almost tripled in about 5 years.

The second greatest period of growth was from 1951 to 1962, when the number of
US hams increased 2-1/2 times (from about 100K to 250K)

The 70s brought Dick Bash and multiple guess, and no cw
sending, and easier tests, and Volunteer Examiners.

Timeline:

1960: FCC eliminates the last "draw a diagram" and essay questions from the
writtens and goes to full multiple choice.

1967: Novice becomes two years and loses 2m 'phone, Advanced reopened to new
issues.

1968: First set of subband restrictions due to IL

1969: Second set of subband restrictions due to IL

Early 1970s: First Bash books appear.

1977: Code sending test waived

1984: VE system takes over license testing: Q&A pools published.

Balderdash.

Well, of the items you mentioned, only the Bash books and the end of sending
tests occurred in the 1970s.

Since the actual tests used before 1984 are not available, who is to say if
they were "harder" or "easier"?

73 de Jim, N2EY

"N2EY" wrote

|
| Since the actual tests used before 1984 are not available, who is to
say if
| they were "harder" or "easier"?
|

Those of us who took them.

The material today is somewhat more difficult, since it covers a much
broader range of technology than the 1960's stuff.

73, de Hans, K0HB

"KØHB" wrote in message link.net...
"N2EY" wrote

|
| Since the actual tests used before 1984 are not available, who is to
say if
| they were "harder" or "easier"?
|

Those of us who took them.

The material today is somewhat more difficult, since it covers a much
broader range of technology than the 1960's stuff.

73, de Hans, K0HB

That should be obvious.

In article . net, "KØHB"
writes:

"N2EY" wrote

|
| Since the actual tests used before 1984 are not available, who is to
say if
| they were "harder" or "easier"?
|

Those of us who took them.

Like me.

The material today is somewhat more difficult, since it covers a much
broader range of technology than the 1960's stuff.

That's not necessarily true.

A broad range of material covered at a basic level may or may not be as
"difficult" as a narrower range of material covered in more depth.

And how material is tested has a large effect on the perceived difficulty.

IOW, it's possible to write a test on an entire book that is "easier" than a
different test written on just one chapter. Unless the actual tests and methods
are available for comparison, such claimes are TMDAIPORTM

73 de Jim, N2EY

"KØHB" wrote in message
ink.net...

"N2EY" wrote

|
| Since the actual tests used before 1984 are not available, who is to
say if
| they were "harder" or "easier"?
|

Those of us who took them.

The material today is somewhat more difficult, since it covers a much
broader range of technology than the 1960's stuff.

Hans is correct. The late 50's Tech was the same as General.
Additionally, there were plenty of smaple tests around via AMECO
and other study guides even before Bash.

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK

"N2EY" wrote in message
...
In article . net,
"Dan/W4NTI"
w4nti@get rid of this mindspring.com writes:

"N2EY" wrote in message
...
In article om, "Dee
D.
Flint" writes:

"N2EY" wrote in message
. com...

Oddly enough, in the years following "incentive licensing", the
number
of US hams grew like mad after having been flat through most of the
1960s.

Go figure - they upped the requirements and ham radio grew...

73 de Jim, N2EY

The why is actually quite simple. The potential ham viewed it as
being
able
to take the trip into ham radio in small, manageable, bitesize chunks
instead of having to swallow the entire steak in one gulp. That
perception
is what caused the growth whether or not it represented reality.

Excellent point! And it explains the appeal of the old Novice, becaue
it
made
the first step less of a stretch.

And of course anyone who wanted to take bigger bites could do it.

73 de Jim, N2EY

Oh balderdash.

No, it's true. The number of US hams stalled at around a quarter million
for
most of the '60s. Then it started to grow again about 1969.

The greatest period of growth was from 1929 to 1935, when the number of US
hams
almost tripled in about 5 years.

The second greatest period of growth was from 1951 to 1962, when the
number of
US hams increased 2-1/2 times (from about 100K to 250K)

The 70s brought Dick Bash and multiple guess, and no cw
sending, and easier tests, and Volunteer Examiners.

Timeline:

1960: FCC eliminates the last "draw a diagram" and essay questions from
the
writtens and goes to full multiple choice.

1967: Novice becomes two years and loses 2m 'phone, Advanced reopened to
new
issues.

1968: First set of subband restrictions due to IL

1969: Second set of subband restrictions due to IL

Early 1970s: First Bash books appear.

1977: Code sending test waived

1984: VE system takes over license testing: Q&A pools published.

Balderdash.

Well, of the items you mentioned, only the Bash books and the end of
sending
tests occurred in the 1970s.

Since the actual tests used before 1984 are not available, who is to say
if
they were "harder" or "easier"?

73 de Jim, N2EY

Those that took the tests and can read still today.

Dan/W4NTI