"KØHB" wrote in message
k.net...

"Dee Flint" wrote

One of the elements is self training and technical knowlegde. You
encourage that by using increased privileges (spectrum and power) to get
people to study and take
additional tests.

If it were working, it would be evident on the air. But I'll encourage
you to try a little practical experiment to see if you can detect the
results in the real world.

You'll need the following materials for the experiment:

1. A reasonable sensitive receiver, hooked to a working antenna.
2. A blindfold.
3. A set of earphones.
4. No extreme hearing impairments.
5. A comfortable chair.

Seat your self at the receiver, and tune it to the TOP of a popular band
with good propagation to the USA, probably 40 or 75 meters. Don the
earphones and plug them in. Set the receiver RF gain full open and the AF
gain at a comfortable level.

Now place your blindfold over your eyes.

Slowly tune the receiver down the band. If incentive licensing is
working, when you cross over the General/Advanced boundary and again when
you cross the Advanced/Extra boundary, you should detect a noticeable
increase in the "training and technical knowlege" of the operators because
of better/cleaner signals, more sophisticated technical discussions, and
other evidence of better training and technical knowlege. If your ear
does NOT detect this sort of evidence as you tune across those boundaries,
then you can conclude (as I have) that incentive licensing is an abject
failure.

73, de Hans, K0HB

As Jim has already so ably answered, you cannot tell that sort of thing at
all. There is no way to tell whether that signal is better/cleaner since
propagation variables can impact signal quality too. There is no way to
tell if a better signal is due to better knowledge or that the particular
ham chooses to have his equipment maintained by a third party. I would
expect less sophisticated discussions in the Advanced/Extra portions simply
because the Generals may be more apt to be seeking knowledge where the
Extras may be inclined to relax.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE