In article . net, "KØHB"
writes:

"Dee D. Flint" wrote
|
| So we have OVER 97,000 people eligible to upgrade with just a written who
| did not do so. Any one care to venture an explanation as to why?

Because they didn't care to yet. Nothing wrong with that. Some may
simply be content with their current privileges. Some may be inactive
at this time due to any number of reasons, and not 'plugged in' to
amateur radio. Some may be permanently dis-interested.

I'd say that is an excellent summation of what is happening.

Problem is, in the small minority of those doing the lifestyle
thing of personally boosting their favorite activity, they tend to
project too much of their own activity on others. Not everyone
lives ham radio like the League pushes it in publications.

I've long thought that everyone who wanted to be on HF in a meaningful
way is already there, and that tinkering with the licensing requirements
will have minimal impact in who we actually find on the air below
29.7MHz. I'd wager that an instant upgrade to Extra for every current
licensee would result in less than 5% more stations heard on HF.

That's possible. But, to some of the "higher classes" those
would be unimaginable and outrageous figures, those seeing
doom, gloom, and wishing to take a broom to the heretics
threatening Their favorite playground. :-)

For what it's worth, as of 6 April 2004, there were 282,948
no-code-test Technicians in the FCC ham database. That's a
whopping 38.9 percent of all licensees who cannot, legally,
operate on ham bands below 6 meters. That number is almost
twice as big as the 146,174 or 20.1 percent who were General
class licensees on that date.

Advanced class were 84,507 or 11.6 percent and Amateur
Extras were 107,343 or 14.8 percent. Novice was only
38,814 or 5.3 percent and Technician Plus almost twice that
at 67,359 or 9.3 percent.

There WOULD be a significant playground "threat" should the
no-code-test Technicians get a piece of the HF action. Might
be true doom and gloom plus the hue and cry of alarum from
those who think that HF was made only for Them.

Should be clear that HF denizens need more space to play.
Nobody seems to be active on doing that. All that happened
in the relatively recent time resulted in five "channels" on 60 m.
According to NTIA Spectrum Projections, an endnote says
that ARRL "requested more bandspace" a dozen years ago.
The only thing on the current WRC-07 agenda is the 136 KHz
LF band consideration "for study."

Where are all the bandspace Activists?

LHA / WMD