Subj : Re: radio check
To   : DaiTengu
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Thu Feb 02 2023 16:58:00

 Da> There are 767,863 licensed amateurs in the USA right now. A cursory
 Da> google search seems to indicate anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 amateurs
 Da> are added per year.  If we do the napkin math, that'd mean
 Da> 300,000-480,000 (licenses last 10 years) of those 767,863 were licensed
 Da> since the morse code requirement was completely dropped.   More than
 Da> half.

  Unfortunately, there are also many of these who study to take the license
exam, then never get on the air. To me, that made the studying a colossal
waste of time on their part.

  One of the central Arkansas TV meteorologists, is licensed, with his late
father's callsign. But, with his work at the TV station (I believe his wife
works there as well, but I don't know if she's licensed or not), and with
his duties at home (they have 2 sons), he doesn't have time to get on the
air.

  I can NOT fault him at all for that...he is putting job and family first.
After all, ham radio is supposed to be a HOBBY...but there are some out
there who feel "it's an obsession". Or, more like "it's necessary for
survival". In that regard, as ARRL (R) notes "When All Else Fails...", it's
true. But, I thought of the meme that noted "Coffee is essential for one's
survial. The dinosaurs didn't have it, and look what happened to them!!" <G>.

Daryl, WX4QZ

.... Bad restaurant: When a hospital map is on the back page of the menu.
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