[TenTec] Arrl and code

[Don Rasmussen]

I agree Ron, I took my code test in the Federal
building in downtown Cleveland (1976).

But it's also ironic to me that before the FCC and the
league became such influences, amateur radio did just
fine without them at all.

My friend and elmer Harry W6LKC enjoyed the day when
you made up your own callsign, had no electric power
and used jelly jars filled with chemicals as batteries
to run his home made CW rig.

Surely there was no written or CW test.

Along came WWII, and Uncle Sam requested all radio
gear to be donated to the war effort and Harry donated
everything he had. It was to be returned after the war
but you know the government. 

Anyway, Harry's great displeasure in Amateur Radio was
this "incentive licensing" thing the Feds came along
with, which took away some privileges had had already
"earned". 

Although Harry was a top CW op, it seems to me he'd be
smiling at the trend of heading in the direction of
less restriction rather than more. Out of it 
altogether would probably suit him just fine. ;-)

-----
I will tell you one thing from a personal level.  No
offense to anyone who
has taken an exam since, but for my own sake, I'm glad
that I took my Extra
before an FCC examiner, back before all of the
changes.  
73, ron w3wn