[CW] ARRL survey.

[N2EY at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/16/04 2:41:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
k4kyv at hotmail.com writes:


> I recall reading somewhere that no-code techs make up about 50% of the US 
> ham population.


That's a bit higher than reality.

As of yesterday, the number of US hams (individual licenses currently in 
force) is:


Novice - 30,891
Technician - 262,355 (38.8%)
Technician Plus - 58,172
General - 139,354
Advanced - 79,368 
Extra - 105,840 
 
Total Tech/TechPlus - 320,527 
 
Total all classes - 675,620 

Works out to 38.8%. But they're not all nocodetest Techs, because since April 
15, 2004, the FCC has been renewing all Tech Pluses as Techs, while they 
retain Tech Plus privileges. And if a Novice takes the Tech written test, he/she 
gets a Tech license (but Tech Plus privileges).

Back in April, 2000, the number of Techs was about 205,000 out of about 
675,000 total hams. That's 30.3%. Not even a third, let alone a half.
 

> 
> A few years ago it was  reported that Japan had an amateur population 
> several times that of the US.  Those figures were inflated by a 10w no-code 
> licence in that country, and the actual number of regular hams with full 
> privileges was about 60,000.

There are four classes of ham license in Japan, and only the 4th class is 
nocode test. The number of 4th classers far outnumber all others. 

But you have to look at JA numbers with a bit of understanding. In Japan, 
operator and station license are completely separate. Station licenses cost a 
small fee and have to be renewed every year. Operator licenses are free and 
*never* expire, even if the ham does. So the number of operator licenses in Japan 
is really an indication of how many people have ever held a ham license there 
since 1952, not how many current hams there are. If a ham there upgrades, 
his/her lower-class operator licenses are still in effect, so one ham may account 
for as many as four operator licenses.

Since about 1995, the number of JA station licenses and JARL membership has 
been dropping like a stone. Number of new licenses is also way down. This 
longlived slump correlates well with the rise of cell phones and the internet in 
Japan, and their protracted economic troubles. 

See

http://www.ah0a.org

for lots of info on UK, US and JA amateur license numbers.

73 de Jim, N2EY


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