[KYHAM] Arrl Proposal to the Fcc.

[K4lid@cedarvalleybbs.com]

With regard to the proposal by the Arrl to the Fcc on license
restructuring here are my thoughts.

I have been involved in ham radio for nearly 40-years.  The first
thing to come along in the mid 60's was incentive licensing.  At
that time, it was stated by some that this would be the death of
amateur radio.  Did this happen?  Not!!! Although it created a cass
system, the fcc at that time was perfectly content to leave things
as they were.  That is, if you held a General class ticket, you had
all of the priviledges.  It was a group of people who wanted their
own segment of the bands for either "dxing" or what ever they
wanted and lobbied for an exclusive segment of the bands and got
it.

What, especially today, do you think the average age is of those
who operate Hf more than Vhf?  I daresay the average age is over 50
years of age.  Regardless of what happens, there will be very
little growth in amateur radio in my opinion.  Why?  Simply because
many people live in areas where there are Ccr's(Covenants,
Conditions and restrictions)  placed on them and, therefore cannot
put up an antenna structure.

Additionally, there is the internet. If Amateur radio is going to
be a viable means of communications, ultimately, it is going to
have to find a way to compete.   You do not have to have a license
to get on the internet and do the exact same thing we are doing on
ham radio.  Most people today, especially are going to look at this
and ask themselves why should I study for a license when I can do
the same thing on the internet and other personal communications
systems?

Within the next 10-years, many of our operators, sad to say, will
become silentkeys.  Of those who have gone on, they are not being
replaced at the same rate.

The only people who are going to get into the hobby and stay in my
opinion are those with some sort of interest in radio.  If they
don't, it will be just a passing thing.

Back in the 80's, there was a lot of discussion about the "No code"
license."  Here again, it was forecast to be the ruination of our
hobby.  Did that happen?  Absolutely no.

Think.  The Arrl and other groups must try and do something to save
our hobby from extinction within the next 20-30-years.  We must try
to look at the big picture and make educated decisions based on
what currently is and, not what if.

When the last major change occurred in April of 2000, A former Arrl
official told me personally that there would be a flood of hams on
Hf.  It did not happen.  Therefore, regardless of what proposal is
accepted, the growth in our hobby, due to what I have outlined
above will not change much.
Tom Lykins  K4lid.