Wow! No wonder the hobby is in decline. I see your point but times have changed. Did you know women can be engineers too these days? It is also interesting to hear your views with regards to CB radio operators as in other parts of Europe CB and Ham radio goes hand in hand. CB operators also fix thier own radios and make thier own antennas and learn about propagation. Some clubs welcome CB operators and Hams, in fact anyone with an interest in radio. I happen to agree re the exam as personally I saw very little wrong with the RAE I took in the 70's, but in a world where few people have the time to build thier own radios (unless they are retired and have access to the full range of test equipment) we do need to cater for the hams that are happy to buy off the shelf. Your post is full of "his" "fellow man" "him" "he" and "the pursuant of gentleman". Really the world has moved on but in ham terms it seems that women are tolerated and not seen as real hams. This is what is wrong with the hobby. I have a great deal of respect for anyone that has the time and the knowledge to build thier own equipment but surely the hobby cannot survive if it is only the reserve of a few retired people. Many hams these days may have cut their teeth on CB radio sets long before they were legal in the UK so I struggle with the continuing them and us attitude in the name of elitism. I have a full licence, I am technically competent but I'd rather buy than make most of the time, apart from my own antennas. I earned my licence but to hear remarks such as "real" ham radio really makes me feel that the hobby has a long way to go. Maybe it is time to reflect on the origin of the term ham. We are "amateurs" no matter what our profession or employment status.?
