[CW] Re: [Fists] Ain't it awful?

[Roger A. McCarty]

Great Post!.
Pick up any copy of QST from any decade and you will see the same complaints
albeit era specific, as we hear now...

Roger KD6CC

----- Original Message -----
From: "K�HB" <k0hb@earthlink.net>
To: "FISTS Reflector" <fists@mailman.qth.net>; <cw@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 7:51 PM
Subject: [Fists] Ain't it awful?


> Somebody wrote
>
> > Don't look now, but ham radio has been going downhill a lot longer than
> > 12 years.  Most "old timers" refer to the '50's and '60's as the "Golden
> > Era" of amateur radio, and from all accounts, they were right.  It was
> > in the late '60's when they started playing with the licensing
requirements,
> > and Incentive Licensing, which was botched by the ARRL by not
> > making adequate grandfathering provisions, began the NCTA and the
> > ultimate Balkanization of the ARS we experience now.  As to when
> > ham radio is going to "crash," I'd say that's pretty much already
> > happened, as of 4/15/2000 with the announcement of "Restructuring."
>
>
> Larry, your jeremiad is not original. This same dismayed chant has
> been going on for 90 years, ever since 1912 when Hiram Percy Maxim
> was forced to give up his call, "SNY", move above 200 meters, and
> knuckle under to government regulation including a (gasp) 5WPM
> Morse test.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" was the cry.  But ham radio
> went on and flourished.
>
> Then in 1919 they raised the Morse test to 10WPM.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" was the cry.  But ham radio
> went on and flourished.
>
> Throughout the 20's CW gradually replaced King Spark, and spark was
> eventually outlawed.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" was the cry.  But ham radio
> went on and flourished.
>
> In 1923 they introduced something called "Amateur Extra First Grade"
> with special calls and privileges.  The class was discontinued
> when only 6 people applied in 1926.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" was the cry.  But ham radio
> went on and flourished.
>
> Then in 1927 they reduced the license classes from two to only one
> class.  Old "Second Grade" had to upgrade within one year, or go
> QRT.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" was the cry.  But ham radio
> went on and flourished.
>
> In 1932 they changed it all again, dividing us up into Class A, B,
> and C, all with a 10WPM code test.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" was the cry.  But ham radio
> went on and flourished.
>
> In 1936 they said there were too many new hams coming into the
> hobby, so they raised the Morse test speed to 13WPM.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" was the cry.  But ham radio
> went on and flourished.
>
> In the early 50's they renamed everybody from A, B, or C to
> Advanced, General, or Conditional. They also introduced 3
> new license classes called Novice, and Technician at 5WPM, and
> Extra at 20WPM.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" was the cry.  But ham radio
> went on and flourished.
>
> In the late 60's they invented something called Incentive Licensing.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" was the cry.  But ham radio
> went on and flourished.
>
> In 1976 they quit requiring us to certify we had been on the air
> for 12 hours last year (for renewal).  They also ended the
> Conditional license.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" was the cry.  But ham radio
> went on and flourished.
>
> In 1991 they removed the Morse requirement for VHF/UHF-only
> licensees.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" was the cry.  But ham radio
> went on and flourished.
>
> In 2000 they changed Morse testing back to the 1912 requirement of
> 5WPM, and the number of classes to 3.
>
> "Ain't it awful what they've done to us?" is the cry.
>
> With all kind wishes,
>
> de Hans, K0HB
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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