[CW] QRM and Technician License Expansion

[Richard Knoppow]

     Keep in mind that in the old days the privileges increased 
with the class of license. When I got my first license c.early 
1960s, the general class already had all privileges. I got a 
general first thing. A few years earlier there was an Extra Class 
and Advanced class both with more privileges than the General. 
When I took my test one could still apply for an Extra but it 
didn't give you anything other than the prestige. My impression 
is that the reduction in the number of classes and elimination of 
the code test is more to make things easier for the FCC than 
anything else.
     Amateur radio is probably considered obsolete by many, if 
not most, of the younger people these days. Certainly the 
internet and cell phones have taken away some of the incentives 
from it. The thrill of talking to someone in another country or 
continent is no longer, we do it every day. Yet, I think there is 
still an incentive as far as learning about something and using a 
method that does not require an enormous external network. The 
little boxes in my garage/shack, with the aid of some wire, will 
reach out to the world.
     We all know that it is common for someone to become 
interested in ham radio and loose interest again after a few 
years. Some never do, some come back to it after a while. I don't 
think you can _make_ someone interested, they either are or or not.

On 3/18/2019 6:32 PM, Ron Youvan wrote:
>     N7DC at comcast.net wrote:
> 
>> It did not fail.  Thousands use the incentive to upgrade over 
>> the years, until someone got it in mind that they were being 
>> left out, because they refused to go in and take the next 
>> test.  That was the failure.
> 
>    I think the idea of taking privileges away (from Generals) and 
> making
> them re-available (with others) was a very bad idea.
>    It left a bad taste in my mouth.  There are lots of reasons to
> upgrade, one is to work DX, I don't know how upgrades can be 
> attributed
> to the incentive program.

-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL