JB wrote:

snip

The Technician License split ham radio into two factions by offering a
license class that had little incentive to upgrade and actually made it much
more difficult to, by limiting the opportunities for on-the-air training.
People who took the Novice ticket were upgraded to General in less than 2
years or never got around to get on the air and let it lapse. Hams (in my
area anyway) were expected to build something as a right of passage.
Building a code practice oscillator would get you a pat on the back from
everyone and you were in with the simplest project there was. I built that
and the power supplies for my mil surplus rigs. Some guys built a whole
Novice station. Techs at that time were expected to retune or modify a rig
or some project as well but would go straight to CB like intercom operations
not conducive to learning the HF skills for upgrade.

Hmmm, first time I've read such an opinion regarding original Techs; in my
experience, Techs concentrated on building, experimenting and exploiting
VHF, UHF and above and had less inherent interest in HF. Some were just
unable to muster higher CW wpm for other tickets.

In my day we were aware of a difference but we were all brother hams then.
I had Elmers that were Techs and beyond.

Perhaps you are referring to later model Techs; the term 'Elmer' didn't exist
during the day to which I refer.

Michael