On Feb 15, 2010, at 11:40 PM, Keith M wrote:
Talk to the old grouchy hams about adding no-code tech
ham radio
licenses on your local repeater, if you want your ear beat for
1/2 hour.
...but not here. No-code Tech licenses have made 2m sound like
the CB of the 1970s.
I guess this must be a regional thing. I haven't heard any
problems locally on 2m or 440 over the last few years. While I'm
admittedly spotty in how often I pop on and listen, I haven't heard
a single episode of CB-like behavior. No cursing, everyone using
callsigns, seems ok to me.
I saw a big spike in bad behavior when the requirement was
dropped, both in MD and FL. I've not had a radio turned on in about
two years, perhaps people are behaving a bit better now, but I don't
have high hopes. CW was the one thing keeping ham radio from
becoming "CB with a gazillion 'channels' and a huge power limit".
The US was about five years behind Int'l community
in dropping the
requirement.
I think it was a bad idea for the int'l community too. ;)
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL