XPost: uk.radio.amateur   
   From: ianREMOVETHISjackson@g3ohx.co.uk   
      
   In message <1nnyw12.1zslla1kvtmkgN%roger@hayter.org>, Roger Hayter   
    writes   
   >Alan  wrote:   
   >   
   >> Jimbo in Hawick ...  wrote:   
   >>   
   >> > It is still dying...   
   >>   
   >> Yes, but nowhere near as fast, and it is evolving   
   >>   
   >> > They should have left it alone...   
   >>   
   >> The numbers for the late 90s show that if nothing was changed, there'd be   
   >> pretty much no new UK amateurs. Something had to change, the theee-tier   
   >> structure was that change, it made a difference and I think it's unlikely   
   >> that decision will be reversed.   
   >>   
   >> BR de Al   
   >   
   >I think you're absolutely right, and the new scheme is probably a good   
   >thing.  However, I don't think I would have ever become a radio amateur   
   >if it had meant approaching some middle-aged volunteer via a club and   
   >doing a sort of show-and-tell test.   I would have had too much   
   >self-respect.   But maybe the world has changed and people like me are   
   >no loss to the hobby.   
   >   
   Operationally, there is virtually no difference between the three grades   
   of licence. In practice, the FL gives a newcomer full access to almost   
   all of the facilities of a Full licensee, so there is little incentive   
   to progress from LF to IL, and from IL to Full.   
      
   So while in the past getting 'an amateur radio licence' took a fair   
   amount of dedicated effort (especially in the days of the dreaded 12wpm   
   morse test!), these days an FL can continue ad infinitum working the   
   world with his £3000+ transceiver and 5 & 9 signal. [Note that it's not   
   that I'm envious, nor do I want to make lesser class mortals struggle   
   unnecessarily. I'm just stating the facts!]   
      
   It's my understanding that the proportion of those progressing up the   
   grades is disappointingly rather low, with many FLs soon losing interest   
   - and with those who do maintain their enthusiasm (and often becoming   
   perfectly able to pass the IL and Full) sometimes never bothering to   
   upgrade. Indeed, I heard several active FLs saying "The FL gives me all   
   I want". As a result, while the 3-tier system has indeed helped to keep   
   the numbers of licensed amateurs from declining, this is largely because   
   the entry requirements are much lower than they were with the old   
   single-exam RAE system.   
   --   
   Ian   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)