You are correct in one regard....."Don't hold your breath" is about the best
comment I have heard here. Existing technicians may choose to utilize their
new privileges but the dropping of morse code completely is not going to
bring up our numbers any more than where we are at right now from a month to
month basis.

You could hand out free licenses with $100 bills attached to them but if
people are not aware of that, they are not going to be giving out that many.
It's all about the public relations/promotion of the hobby.


--
Ryan, KC8PMX
FF1-FF2-MFR-(pending NREMT-B!)
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... --. .... - . .-. ...
"N2EY" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Steve Robeson, K4CAP) writes:

Once the official FCC changes are made, by whatever method, I wonder
how long it will take the unlicensed to become licensed...Now that
there's NO excuse remaining?

There's always an excuse, Steve.

Here are some predictions for ya:

The dropping of the code test will not be accompanied by a significant
change
in the written exams.

The dropping of the code test will not be accompanied by a significant,
sustained increase in growth rate of the ARS. There may be a short term
surge,
and lots of upgrades, but total numbers will not skyrocket.

The dropping of the code test will not be accompanied by a significant
change
in the modes and technologies used by hams. There will not be a
technorevolution, nor big increases in experimentation or homebrewing.
Just
more of the same of what has been going on.

---

Let's see what happens in the UK. RSGB and RA have been pushing to drop
the
code test for a long time. Maybe they won't be disappointed.

Just wondering.

Don't hold yer breath. The usual bureaucratic delay will slow things down
here
in the USA. And remember, those who get the licenses after the change will
be
raw, inexperienced newcomers, who will need our help and guidance as they
are
welcomed into the ARS.

73 de Jim, N2EY