Hi Steve and Others,

I wonder how many are really active. I once put my zip code into one of 
the online servers; can't remember which one. I got a whole bunch of 
callsigns that I did not recognize at all. I have been active on HF, 
VHF/UHF and in several local clubs and I never heard of these folks. I 
know there used to be a number of schools that would grind out young 
hams who would use the school equipment, maybe buy a cheap portable and 
then after they graduated within a year or two, you never heard from 
them again.

On 4/29/2014 2:14 PM, Steve wrote:
> BlankPhil,
>
> You got me curious.  Here is the number of licensed hams from 1971 to 2012
> by decade
> • December 1971: 285,000
> • December 1981: 433,000
> • December 1991: 494,000
> • December 2001: 683,000
> • December 2012: 709,500
>
>
> Clearly, the biggest jump occurred after the code requirement was reduced to
> 5 WPM for all classes of license.  No code certainly contributes to the
> number of operators.  There are now 130,000 Extras.
>
> I suspect though, judging from what I hear on the HF bands, that activity of
> the newer hams is more likely on VHF and above.
>
>
> Steve, K8SP
> Lansing, MI
>