"Kim W5TIT" wrote in message ...
"Brian Kelly" wrote in message
om...

And of that 11,000 how many do you 'spose are engineers who wouldn't
have become hams unless the code test was dropped to 5 wpm? And of
those, how many of these newly minted ham engineers will ever make any
"contribution to the service"?


I don't think that's a very fair question. How many long-licensed/current
hams have ever made a contribution to the service? I suspect not many by
your definition, so it's not even a good question, let alone a fair one.

I absolutely did mean it within my narrow definition because the
ongoing argument has been based on a narrow definition. But I should
have been more specific in my post.

It's a very fair & appropriate question as a rhetorical response to
the NCTAs who have been claiming forever that eliminating the code
tests for HF access will result in a new influx of technically astute
engineers. Bilge. Who will put their expertise to work and come up
with "advances in the state of the art" now that they won't have to
jump thru the "code test hoops". More bilge and you know that as well
as I do.


w3rv

Kim W5TIT

w3rv