[Boatanchors] No code

[Flowertime01 at wmconnect.com]

Bob, & Tony,

I agree we need numbers. I see Tony's point.
My take on the problem is the cost of the hobby against the
return on the hobby.

It cost most Amateurs well over $500.00 to get started. Even a hand held to 
get on the local repeater will cost you a couple hundred.  If your interest is 
just
talking to people and not having to type it in and wait for a reply, You can
do almost as well on CB for return on satisfaction. CB works fine for chit 
chat.

Unless your self driven to contest, CW operation, other self inflected 
challenge, Amateur Radio just does not interest most people.

Cell phones are dealing us out of lots of emergency response activity.
You can have a computer and Internet connection for less than an Amateur 
radio station. Then you still need a computer and Internet connection to do RTTY, 
digital modes, SSTV, and send in your contest log book.

Every time someone suggest home brew and low cost AM you catch an ear full 
about using excess band width.

We have to find the real core value in Amateur Radio and then learn to market 
it effectively. Explain to me again why I want to spend my allowance on that 
and exactly what do I get in return? If we have to answer that question to the 
new fellow, we are not going to get his involvement. As the venture is now, 
Amateur radio is a costly no return interest. The folks that are in, are in for 
some self motivated interest.
What ever this self interest is we cannot sell it to the masses. I do not 
have an answer to help our numbers grow. I am not happy to see code go. No code 
will not make our numbers grow.

Roger KC6TRU