wrote in message
ups.com...

Dan/W4NTI wrote:
"Dee Flint" wrote in message
...

"John Smith" wrote in message
...
N2EY:

I think at this time, the tech ticket can be dropped, let 'em go
general
to start or forget it!!! Just combine tech&gen tests to one...

John


As I've mentioned before, in my classes in the future, I'll be
encouraging
my students to do that extra bit of study and go straight for the
General.
Apparently some of the proposals to the FCC did suggest this but they
are
not ready to go this route just yet.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

That is a good idea Dee. With the massive desertion of V/UHF for HF,
it
will be a vast wasteland. Yes indeed, standby for the giant sucking
sound.

All us present users of HF will have to make room, we will have phone
all
the way down to 14.010. The FCC will be deluged with demands, yes
demands
for more spectrum.

Maybe not, Dan.

The license is just the first step. Then comes building a station,
putting up
an effective antenna, getting on the air, learning the characteristics
of the
various bands, etc.

How many folks are actually going to do all that? Particularly during
sunspot minimum?


Yeah I think we won't see any major changes. There will be a noticeable
blip in upgrades but that's about it. Actually the fact that it is being
implemented at the time of a sunspot minimum means we are at risk of losing
hams as they upgrade, find the HF bands difficult and then drop out. We'll
really need to do some exra Elmering to help the new people and keep them in
the hobby.

Even 11 meters will be turned back into a ham band.

A lot of folks are going to be surprised that all of HF isn't like 11
m.

After all that is what all the anti-code is all about, right?

We'll see.

---

One report I read is that in Germany, where the code test was dumped
some time back, there has been an *increased interest* in Morse Code
operation! Apparently a sizable number of newcomers want to use Morse
Code, test or no test, simply because it's different, takes skill, etc.

73 de Jim, N2EY

313

I hope so. Again perhaps the fact that the change in the code requirements
comes as we approach a solar minimum will affect how people view the code.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE