After reading all the comments on the subject, I'd like to
offer the following ...

I was one of the six people responsible for the "No Code
License".  I consider it an honor to have been chosen as
a member of the study committee by the ARRL.  FWIW,
each member of the committee was a dedicated CW
operator.

It had nothing to do with "incentive licensing".  We were told
by the both the FCC and the ARRL that some form of a code
free license -was- coming and they wanted to give the amateur
radio community a "say" in the matter.

Our committee was widely publicized in the hobby's media
and we all received -lots- of correspondence, both pro and
con. I still have two cartons of letters in my attic.  FWIW, the
letters are about 50/50 in favor and against.

What eventually became the "no code license" differs a bit
from what was we proposed ... think 160M and 6M for example.
It was thought that because of TVI that 6M would not be a
good place to put inexperienced new hams and the lack of
activity and LORAN A on 160M was a detriment.

The jury will always be out on whether "no code" has been
good for the hobby or not, but it was felt that the resulting
increase in the number of licenses may have "saved" the
hobby from the spectrum wolves on the prowl at the time.

Trivia:  We determined that if a person said they couldn't
learn the code there was no way to disprove that.

One can -always- find a CW QSO to enjoy.  I've been essentially
CW only since my Novice license in 1951 (WN5TKI) ... one of the
first issued ... and the FCC only came to Oklahoma City once a
year in those days.  My SK Elmer (W5ADC) drove this 13 year
old kid the 90 miles to take the exam.

66 years have passed ... such changes I've seen.

73!

Ken Kopp - K0PP
(Not a vanity call ... a story unto itself.)
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