[CQ-Contest] IRLP Contest

[Tom Osborne]

This is the truth Bill.  I have one friend here who I coaxed into taking the 
5 WPM code test and get his general.  He was really excited when he started 
talking on HF and last week he passed his Extra. But he was a rare 
exception.

I quit the VE program because nobody was interested in getting a code 
license.  All they wanted was the SOTC station and that was good enough.  No 
matter how much we talked it up--not much interest in code.

I  thought of a good idea.  Why not give an entry class license, say for 1 
year.  After that year you either upgrade or get off the air.  Oh yeah, we 
used to do that and it worked fine.  Guess it wouldn't work nowadays.  73

Tom W7WHY


> The sad truth is, that most of the local guys are pretty content carrying
> their ham shacks on their belts.  Perhaps there will be a change in 
> attitude when
> the FCC gives them HF privileges..the same ones they took away from me in 
> the
> 60s with incentive licensing, the same ones I had to upgrade to 20 WPM 
> for.
> Maybe it's different in other areas, but in the Tampa Bay area that's the 
> way
> it is.
>
> Bill  K4XS
>