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#21
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"N2EY" wrote in message om... There's a bit of marketing psych going on here, of course. Asking somebody to cough up seven cents a day or forty-nine cents a week isn't the same thing as asking them to pay $25 a year. And asking them to pay $25 a year isn't the same thing as asking them to pay $250 for ten years, payable up-front. Marketing psych ? Well, if that's the choice or even if I just had to pay 10 cents per month to renew my ham license, I'd let my callsign lapse. Just not worth it as there are many better things / hobbies to waste money upon besides ham radio. A casual listen to the daily Net 'boredom parade' on 40M will convince anyone of this. Sounds to me like this scatterbrained idea to charge $250 fee for a renewal is almost as bad as the dry-drunks at ARRL which gave us "Incentive Licensing" in the 1960's, from which ham radio has never fully recovered. (even with code requirements being relaxed, you still don't see young people comming into the hobby anymore, this should tell you something....) The smart marketer knows that you need to make the initial payout relatively small. That's why there was never any fee for a Novice exam. Sure, it works everytime. I am in the auto sales business and we have a saying: "For every seat there's an ass, for every wallet there's a credit plan" (These are updates of the original: "There's a sucker born every minute") -- Hopefully, Hans will submit his proposal to FCC before it's too late. yawn 73 de Jim, N2EY The future is he http://****qrz.com |
#22
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KØHB wrote:
K4CAP/K4YZ wrote: (about license fees) I think fees in the $25/year range would not be inappropriate. So let's take a poll: Q1: If it cost $250 (plus testing fees) for a 10-year license would you have become a new amateur radio operator? --- or --- Q2: If it had cost $250 to renew your license each time over your ham radio career, would your license have lapsed by now? Here are my responses: Q1: Not a chance. Q2: When raising a family, spending $250 on a discretionary avocational item would have been out of the question. There are probably better ways to make a poll like this, Hans. Your poll tips all off to your opinion, and won't allow for a good answer from the pollees. (is that a word?) Since opinions vary in intensity even among people agreeing on a subject, it might be better to use a agree disagree scale with say 5 possible answers: Q1. The Ham license fee should be $250 for a ten year period. A - Strongly disagree B - Disagree C - Neutral or don't know D - Agree E - Strongly agree Q2. I would support a $250 Ham radio license fee if it was tied to increased enforcement A - Strongly disagree B - Disagree C - Neutral or don't know D - Agree E - Strongly agree Q3. I would never support a $250 Ham radio license fee. A - Strongly disagree B - Disagree C - Neutral or don't know D - Agree E - Strongly agree Q4. I would pay $250 for a ten year Ham license. A - Strongly disagree B - Disagree C - Neutral or don't know D - Agree E - Strongly agree Q5. A ham license is worth $250 for a ten year period A - Strongly disagree B - Disagree C - Neutral or don't know D - Agree E - Strongly agree Q6. $250 is too much for a 10 year Ham license. A - Strongly disagree B - Disagree C - Neutral or don't know D - Agree E - Strongly agree Q7. If the fee for a Ham license were $250 for a ten year term, I would allow my license to lapse. A - Strongly disagree B - Disagree C - Neutral or don't know D - Agree E - Strongly agree Q8. I would prefer to pay for a $250 license fee once every 10 years, if it was the case. A - Strongly disagree B - Disagree C - Neutral or don't know D - Agree E - Strongly agree Q9. Paying for a $250 license fee at the rate of $25 per year is the best way of financing the fee, if it was the case. A - Strongly disagree B - Disagree C - Neutral or don't know D - Agree E - Strongly agree Q10. There should be no license fee, ever A - Strongly disagree B - Disagree C - Neutral or don't know D - Agree E - Strongly agree Then allow a section for comments. This way you'll get your answers, but without tying the person to a digital yes/no response. Digital responses are usually way too broad to be of much use. My response to this new poll would be: 1 - C 2 - D 3 - B 4 - E 5 - E 6 - D 7 - A 8 - A 9 - B 10 - B So this puts me down as a person that is neutral on the idea of a $250 dollar fee, but would support such a thing if it were tied to increased enforcement. I'd never say I would never support such a fee. I think the fee is too much, but would not allow my license to lapse if the fee were that much. I'd also prefer to pay the fee at once, rather than spread it out. And I'd never say there should never be a fee. Or to answer your poll: 1 - yes 2 - yes - Mike KB3EIA - |
#23
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"Steve Robeson K4CAP" wrote That's EXACTLY why your suggestion of $2.50/year was ludicrous. So is your $25.00/year suggestion. The FCC has calculated that it costs $20.80 to process a ham license transaction (see current vanity call fee), so the net revenue from each yearly renewal would be $4.20 at current labor rates. Great idea! 73, de Hans, K0HB --- "Hey, call down to the machine room and tell them to empty the bit bucket, and FAST, before that baby overflows." |
#24
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"Mike Mills" ) writes: Sounds to me like this scatterbrained idea to charge $250 fee for a renewal is almost as bad as the dry-drunks at ARRL which gave us "Incentive Licensing" in the 1960's, from which ham radio has never fully recovered. (even with code requirements being relaxed, you still don't see young people comming into the hobby anymore, this should tell you something....) I suspect the majority of US hams were not licensed when incentive licensing was introduced. After all, it's been 35 years, and the various layers of simplification have brought in many new hams. I suspect the whole thing about incentive licensing is overblown. How did incentive licensing damage the inflow of young people to the hobby? It was the already licensed hams who grumbled, and who lost anything. Consider that all the changes made over the 35 years to make it easier for people to come into the hobby (and we've seen similar changes here in Canada in recent years) may have the reverse effect when it comes to young people. Maybe the tests, code and theory, that are so much a burden for the older person coming into the hobby were not an impediment to the young. They thrived on it, and at a young age, it was a boost to be able to pass the test when older people were griping about how hard the test was. When I passed the test in 1972, at the age of 12, it was no drag to be able to accomplish that. It was practically like snapping my finger, because what was in the test interested me, and it was not merely an obstacle to overcome before I could start yacking on the radio. If you're ten (which is when I first set out to learn the code, though I did not go about it properly), or eight, you're young enough that being able to understand a "code" of some sort is picking up a secret language that those around you don't know; that's incentive in itself to learn it. But, all the changes have been made by middle age men, or older, who often seem to have forgotten what it was like to be young and get their first ham license, or who came into the hobby in later years. They are making judgements based on being middle age, which may not reflect what it's like to be young. For that matter, too often the mistake when talking about getting newcomers into the hobby is that quantity is the necessity. If only we can get big numbers, then we're safe. But in trying to lure those numbers, the pool gets watered down. The hobby is no longer a technical playground, it's no longer a place where kids can play and grow up, either into technical pursutes or just adults who have a better than average familiarity with technical matters (a rather important thing, given how much more technology we're surrounded by compared to thirty years ago). There is plenty I learned from amateur radio that have nothing to do with technical matters, but it comes from being part of a not just for children activity when I was still what amounted to being a child. Maybe in watering down the entrance requirements, the hobby is not bringing in those who would benefit from the hobby, as they traditionally would have. "It takes nothing to get into the hobby, what possible appeal could there be?" Once things have started down the slope of making it easier to attract larger numbers, then there is no alternative but to seek even larger numbers, because then the only thing you do have is those large numbers. Gone are the benefits of amateur radio, to the actual hams and to society at large, and there goes any ability to justify the frequencies except by large numbers. And getting back to the middle age men, it is they who keep repeating the mantra "how can amateur radio be appealing in a world where every kid has a cellphone and a computer?". So long as competition with society in general is the pivot point, then of course there can be little appeal to the youngster. Only by promoting the hobby's strengths and uniqueness can one hope to compete with superior forms of communcation. Michael VE2BVW |
#25
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Subject: License Fees --- a poll
From: (Michael Black) Date: 8/12/2004 11:27 AM Central Standard Time Message-id: I suspect the majority of US hams were not licensed when incentive licensing was introduced. After all, it's been 35 years, and the various layers of simplification have brought in many new hams. It has. I suspect your suspicion is correct! I suspect the whole thing about incentive licensing is overblown. Morbidly so. Of course the Hatfield's and McCoy's went at it for over a hundred years, so I suspect those remaining few who got caught up in the Incentive Licensing brohouha will keep barkling about it until they are gone. How did incentive licensing damage the inflow of young people to the hobby? It was the already licensed hams who grumbled, and who lost anything. BAM! Hammer hitting nail on the head. BIG SNIP TO.... And getting back to the middle age men, it is they who keep repeating the mantra "how can amateur radio be appealing in a world where every kid has a cellphone and a computer?". So long as competition with society in general is the pivot point, then of course there can be little appeal to the youngster. Only by promoting the hobby's strengths and uniqueness can one hope to compete with superior forms of communcation. Amateur Radio has always appealed to a certain few, and those who are interested in radio for radio's sake...not necessarily as the fastest way to communicate or the most efficient. I imagine it will always be so... 73 Steve, K4YZ |
#26
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Subject: License Fees --- a poll
From: Mike Coslo Date: 8/12/2004 7:59 AM Central Standard Time Message-id: KØHB wrote: K4CAP/K4YZ wrote: (about license fees) I think fees in the $25/year range would not be inappropriate. So let's take a poll: Snip to Mike's comments... There are probably better ways to make a poll like this, Hans. Your poll tips all off to your opinion, and won't allow for a good answer from the pollees. (is that a word?) My point exactly. Hans' "poll" was so skewed that one would be hard to NOT answer it the way HE wanted it answered...NOT necessarily how it SHOULD be answered. Since opinions vary in intensity even among people agreeing on a subject, it might be better to use a agree disagree scale with say 5 possible answers: Snipped too...Excellent alternatives, Mike...Nice job. 73 Steve, K4YZ |
#27
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"Steve Robeson K4CAP" wrote Any more insulting insinuations today, Hans? I don't see any "insulting insinuations" in my message, but if you found one, well then accept it with my warmest compliments. 72.5, de Hans, K0HB |
#28
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"Steve Robeson K4CAP" wrote Hans' "poll" was so skewed that one would be hard to NOT answer it the way HE wanted it answered. Awwww gee, Captain Obvious, ya figured it out! Kinda like your leading question as to whether we should "trivalize the Amateur Radio service so we can accomodate the FEW who prefer to toss the monies away on beer, broads and booze?" Sunuvagun! 72.5, de Hans, K0HB |
#29
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Subject: License Fees --- a poll
From: "KØHB" Date: 8/12/2004 3:28 PM Central Standard Time Message-id: .net "Steve Robeson K4CAP" wrote Any more insulting insinuations today, Hans? I don't see any "insulting insinuations" in my message, but if you found one, well then accept it with my warmest compliments. As always, Hans...we can be rest assured of your ability to shave from either side of the mirror... 72.5 I'd expect nothing less than "not quite enough" from one of your posts, Master Chief. Steve, K4YZ |
#30
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Subject: License Fees --- a poll
From: "KØHB" Date: 8/12/2004 3:40 PM Central Standard Time Message-id: . net "Steve Robeson K4CAP" wrote Hans' "poll" was so skewed that one would be hard to NOT answer it the way HE wanted it answered. Awwww gee, Captain Obvious, ya figured it out! Then why don't you just ask people if they agree with you, rather than suggest it's a "poll"? Kinda like your leading question as to whether we should "trivalize the Amateur Radio service so we can accomodate the FEW who prefer to toss the monies away on beer, broads and booze?" Quoted out of context...Again, I'd expect nothing less, Hans. Jim Miccolis made a SPECIFIC reference to a person he supposedly knew who was addicted to tobacco, and suggested in his post that his friend would rather spend money on his addiction than divert the money to Amateur Radio. I ask, would YOU trivialize Amateur Radio just to accomodate a few who would have to choose between Amateur Radio or purient addictions? Sunuvagun! Sunuvagun yourself. What "point", other than proving you can quote out of context, do you think you have made? If it was to try and appear antagonistic rather than objective, you did it in spades. 72.5 Again, once more with not quite enough...Why am I not surprised? Steve, K4YZ |
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