On Feb 24, 9:57 pm, "Dee Flint" wrote:
wrote in message

oups.com...

snipped

Unfortunately with such a large group and limited time for use of the
facility, there was no time for chit chat. We administered 27 written tests
in addition to those who were just doing paper upgrades.

.. . . overload time eh. . . ?

I do know that one
of the three was a former ham (Tech+) as he mentioned it when he
pre-registered. He is one of the individuals who passed both Element 2 and
3, thereby earning his General ticket.

Good.

2 failed on the upgrade exam
1 failed on new license exam

2 achieved General as their 1st license by passing both elements 2 and 3
at this session.
14 upgraded to General from Tech via test or CSCE
5 upgraded to Extra from Tech via test and/or CSCEs

Dee, N8UZE

w3rv

The individual reporting from Manitoc, WI (?) gave similar results, heavy on
upgraders and very light on new licensees. We'll have to wait and see what
the future brings but "early returns" would suggest simply a change in
upgrading patterns and no change in new licensees.

No surprises there at all, it's just one more example of history
repeating itself.

My contention is that while they're few in numbers the newbies are a
good if not the best source for finding out what actually drives folk
toward ham radio. The way I see it we're not mining the VE sessions
for the hard data which could be used to more rationally target the
efforts currently underway to bring folk into the hobby. Which strike
me as a collection of committee-designed hipshots in the dark which
would never in this world fly out in commercial reality.

Given my druthers I'd cobble together some sort of questionnaire to be
passed out to the newbies at VE sessions which asks the pointed
questions which I think need to be answered. Over a period of say a
couple years of compiling their inputs we'd have some of the hard data
we don't have now. Shouldn't be much additional workload involved at
the VE sessions. Pass out the questionnaires at the registration desk,
collect 'em on the newbie's way out and forward 'em to The Committee
for analysis and the reality checks they need.

Dee, N8UZE

w3rv