"KØHB" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Dee Flint" wrote
In any activity it would be normal for the "beginners" group
group to be the largest segment. There are always a
lot of people who start activities but then drop out
for a wide variety of reasons.

Astute observation. It would be nice to find a way reduce that "first
termer" attrition by promoting an atmosphere which reinforces the reasons
they took the time and trouble to come aboard. To steal an idea from
marketing, "It's usually a lot easier and cheaper to keep an old customer
than to identify and recruit a new one."
73, de Hans, K0HB

From the different organizations I've been involved with, I think the
larger beginner "drop-out" is just a truth of human nature. I've seen it
in scouting, college, classic car clubs, etc. Exactly why newcomers move
on to other pursuits is one of life's mysteries in most cases.

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK

"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...
Dee Flint wrote:

"KØHB" wrote in message
ink.net...

wrote in message
egroups.com...

KØHB wrote:


The growth in numbers of Amateurs over the past decade
has been overwhelmingly via the Technician license.

.... since about 1987 or so, most new hams
have started out as Technicians.

Jim, we can nit-pick the semantics if you really think that's productive,
but the two statements above both seem to convey the same notion, which
we might more clearly state "Most new hams since 1991 have entered via
the Technician class which is now the largest single license class in the
US, comprising almost half (47.7%) of the population of licensees in this
country, nearly equal to the combined total population of the three
higher classes.".
73, de Hans, K0HB

In any activity it would be normal for the "beginners" group to be the
largest segment. There are always a lot of people who start activities
but then drop out for a wide variety of reasons.

Every person that drops out is one small failure on our part.

I wouldn't take it that seriously. Lots of folks start something
new only to learn it isn't their "cup of tea." Now if they
drop because others in the hobby (whatever the hobby) didn't
welcome them or otherwise treated them in an unwelcome manner...
then that is a shame and a failure.

We need to cultivate these new folk into the ARS. They are a resource that
is being largely ignored by the "better Hams".
- Mike KB3EIA -

Agree...We should always be encouraging new blood.

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK

"bb" wrote

The ARRL is about HF radio using Morse Code.

Bull****.

wrote:
K=D8HB wrote:
The growth in numbers of Amateurs over the past decade has been
overwhelmingly
via the Technician license.

Do you have any numbers to back that up, Hans? The license numbers I
post here every two weeks point back to 2000 but not to 1995.

I agree that since about 1987 or so, most new hams have started out
as
Technicians.

You're a bit early. The Novice was the entry level license at that
time. Technician was the consolation prize for passing the General
exam, but failing the 13wpm exam.

Maybe even earlier than that. But it's also true that many
of them have gone on to other license classes.

The total number of Technicians and Technician Pluses today is less
than it was 5 years ago.
=20
73 de Jim, N2EY

That doesn't surprise me.

wrote:
wrote:

The League needs to recognize/concede that it has a serious
marketing
problem and address the problem the same way other businesses do in
these situations. They have a product line which isn't selling to a
large sector of their potential buyers. Why? Nobody actually knows.
And
nobody will know until the League finds out why the Techs aren't
buying
their wares.

Here's one big reason:

The League is a *national* organization. Focused mostly on national,
international, and regional issues, and not so much local ones.

Now if a ham's focus and interest are national or international, the
League can have a lot to offer. But at the local level, how much the
ARRL can offer someone depends entirely on who the local folks are.

Which is almost entirely a function of the quality of the leadership of
the local clubs and the time and effort they have available to put into
the clubs. Which the League can't control or do anything about no
matter how they reshuffle the organization and event charts in
Newington. Beyond that the facts are that the League has only managed
to sign up ~20% of all licensees in this country nocodes thru 20wpm
Extras and some uncounted huge number of those aren't members of local
clubs either. There's nothing new about any of it, this whole topic
area has been massaged into oblivion many times in the past and it'll
come up again after this minor cycle of angst peters out.

As a prime example, look at QST. How much of it is devoted to purely
local stuff? Not much - the mag would have to be huge to cover ever
locality in any depth at all. So why should someone whose main
interest
in amateur radio is the folks within, say, 50 miles, shell out $40/yr
for a membership?

That question has already been answered by a several hundred thousand
zipped-up wallets.

Don't get me wrong though. I'm quite firmly convinced that the ARRL can
and needs to boost it's support amongst the Techs but I'll stick with
my proposal vs. Hans' proposal.

73 de Jim, N2EY

w3rv

Which still granted one the Novice privilege. Someone earlier posted
that when the Novice upgraded he lost Novice priviledges. Not so.

It was true at one time, but the FCC realized the error and
fixed it so techs got to have novice privs. This was back around
1969 or so.

KØHB wrote:
"bb" wrote


The ARRL is about HF radio using Morse Code.

Bull****.

What Hans meant to convey, "bb", is that your guess is incorrect and
that the ARRL is a large organization which promotes any number of
operational modes and bands. Of course he cut to the chase and managed
to sum it up in one word.

Dave K8MN

wrote

I'll stick with my proposal vs. Hans' proposal.

Is there a copy of your proposal that I can point my browser at? I'd be
interested in your view.

73, de Hans, K0HB

Dave Heil wrote:
K=D8HB wrote:
"bb" wrote


The ARRL is about HF radio using Morse Code.

Bull****.

What Hans meant to convey, "bb", is that your guess is incorrect and
that the ARRL is a large organization which promotes any number of
operational modes and bands. Of course he cut to the chase and
managed
to sum it up in one word.

Very precise and eloquently put, Dave...

But do you think he got it...?!?!

73

Steve, K4YZ

K=D8HB wrote:
wrote

I'll stick with my proposal vs. Hans' proposal.

Is there a copy of your proposal that I can point my browser at? I'd
be
interested in your view.

Oh fer chrissake, spare me will you Master Chief SIR, I clearly stated
that the ARRL should engage in a business-like market research effort
to find out how to connect with the non-member Techs rather than go off
on your fuzzy tangent. =20
=20
73, de Hans, K0HB

w3rv