FCC license numbers 3/15/05

Total number of USA Licensed Amateurs by Class

As of May 14, 2000:

Novice - 49,329
Tech/+ - 334254
General - 112,677
Advanced - 99,782
Extra - 78,750

Total all classes - 674,792


As of March 15, 2005

Novice - 29,098 (-41.02%) (-20,231)
Total/+ - 318,387 (-4.74%) (-15,867)
General - 137,334 (+21.88%) (+24,657)
Advanced - 77,035 (-22.80%) (-22,747)
Extra - 106,238 (+34.91%) (+27,488)

Total All Classes - 668,163

Total all classes (5/14/00) - 674,792
Total all Classes (4/21/03) - 687,860
Total all classes (9/6/04 ) - 674,788
Total all classes (2/15/05) - 668,163

Total loss of 6,629 since 5/14/2000 ( Was 674,792)
Total loss of 6,625 since 9/6/2004 ( Was 674,788)
Total Loss of 19,697 since 4/2003 (all time high of 687,860)

Notes,
For the 8th straight reporting period, all classes except for Extra declined. There was a net loss of 618 licensees in this reporting period from the last reporting period.

From the last reporting period, We lost:

139 Novices
287 Tech - Tech+
151 Generals
175 Advanced

We gained:
71 Extras

Net Loss: 681 since 2/28/05

The base totals are from implementation of the then new licensing changes in May 2000. September 6, 2004 is the date I started measuring the changes. The peak number was in April 2003.


73
George
K3UD

 

Do these numbers include Silent Keys??...and if not, is there any info on that number?

 

What is the significance...??
Or I mean your point???

Not trying to start an argument...

For every 10 hams I bet 7 are either inactive or only slightly active in Radio...

Some only tyo the point thatthey use the local repeater for nets only...

And for those who are so active ham radio is all they do.... i am sure there are some of thoses..

Just unclear..
Maybe you were just showing stats???

best 73 Jerry n9lya

 

http://www.speroni.com/FCC/index.htmlis an excellent source of very detailed analysis of US Ham population statistics.

Scott

 

Unfortunately, the increase in Extra Class licensees doesn't mean much. When you simplify the test, spoon-feed the answers, and reduce the code requirements, you will naturally show an increase in Extra Class. When/if they completely remove code requirements, you'll see an even bigger jump. 10-4, Good Buddy, fer sure, fer sure.

 

I thimk K9AUB pretty well summed it up..
If you dumb up the test,,,,,,
well lets just say certin things are obvious......
Dan, kb7uxe.

Ya know what they say:
I may be slow but,,,,,,,
well ok i'm slow....

 

po:
    I like your signature. (song) Do do do do do, doot da do, livin in the USA.
                                     Bill

 

When the upper portions of the WTC towers fell they started out slowly, then their velocity steadily increased their downward trend till there was none.

 

I suspect that there are a fair number of Silent Keys within the numbers as a whole. While someone may be a silent key, his or her license may still be unexpired and counted as active in the database. There seems to be no way of knowing how many silent keys are represented in the active database.

These numbers are from the FCC datbase and only unexpired licenses are counted. As I understand it, licenses in their grace period are not counted.

As to why I post them:

I have been interested in the numbers and trends since the early 90s and like to track them. The postings on QRZ started in September of 2004 on the T&O forum and are posted at 15 day periods, give or take a few days. After receiving a good amount of comment that this should really be in the Ham Radio News forum
I submitted it for publication here.

73
George
K3UD

 

That is a problem with a 10 year renewal system.

Lots of op's are silent keys but the relatives don't think or know to report it to the FCC.

The result is that the numbers have a greater margin for error.

The 5 year license term would probably been a bit more accurate.

There was a move for lifetime license terms. That would really skew the numbers.

At our exam sessions we usually get at least one new licensee per session. For us that's 6 per year as we test ever other month.

 

Silent keys. There were silent keys whose license was still shown active in any of the older numbers that you are comparing with. So they are not a significant variable at any other time.

In fact with the average longivity increasing, the number of silent keys with active licenses is probably decreasing.

gill, n4vox

 

When I was in California (Bay Area) the VHF/UHF activity was very good, I was on every day with take nets, fox hunts and etc... I now live in the midwest (Indiana) and the activity here is nil... Haven't bothered with anything above 10 meters in a year. If I were a Tech I'd feel very little incentive for ham radio here and have no opportunity to learn good operating skills. How does one get skills on CW when there is no one to talk to on the bands your allowed to operate?
Just a thought... Dyan  KV9R ...
Novice 58 ->
Tech 59 ->
General 59 ->
Extra 02 -> ?

 

I think you should take on the task of sending out letters to every ham that is listed, and get their current status and help the FCC update thier records

 

Of the new Tech's, I would bet that their numbers would show the most inactive hams. Just listen to the local repeater and do a mental count of all the "new" hams from last summer that are no longer heard from.

When incentive licensing was done away with, there was little reason to upgrade. Unless the Tech ticket ignites a flame within them, they will go QRT about the time the battery pack on their HT wears out.

This DOES NOT mean we should “dumb down” even more and give away HF access.

What it does mean is these folks need to be invited out to Field Day and encouraged to join a club, attend gathering and see what the hobby has to offer beyond the FM repeater fishbowl. Only then will they find their groove and motivation to seek an upgrade. The code stops only the lazy. It’s easy to be an Elmer… invite them to your shack, show them what it is you enjoy in the hobby and how you do it. Speak at the local club meetings and share your knowledge with them, I bet some of the new folks will come up and ask more questions. Cast the hook, you’ll catch their interest!

My hometown club in Michigan makes learning the code easy. Code classes are conducted on the repeater for free and the same classes are offered on CD for a very low price!

The future is ours to shape.

 

Well said----- breaker 19-------