<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV>This is GREAT news!!!! Thanks for sharing Ernie<BR></DIV>
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<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Ernie <kg4yni@arrl.net><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> LakelandARC@yahoogroups.com<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Fri, January 8, 2010 9:03:19 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [LakelandARC] Encouragement<BR></FONT><BR><SPAN style="DISPLAY: none"> </SPAN>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 19pt; COLOR: #c00000">+ <I>Spotlight on Amateur Radio</I>: 2009 Sees Surge of New Amateur Radio Licensees</SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><IMG id=_x0000_i1025 height=258 alt=http://www3.arrl.org/nl/al/image/ARRL_VEC_2009.JPG src="cid:1.2745146930@web59813.mail.ac4.yahoo.com" width=250></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></SPAN></P>
<P class=caption1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt">In 2009, the FCC issued more than 30,000 new Amateur Radio licences -- an almost 3 percent increase in the number of new licenses issued in 2008. At the end of 2009, there were 17,084 Novices, 334,245 Technicians, 150,970 Generals and 119,403 Amateur Extra class licensees.</SPAN></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN>This past year was a banner year for new Amateur Radio licensees. According to ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, the FCC issued more than 30,000 new ham radio licenses. "In 2009, the demand for Amateur Radio exam sessions remained elevated and is still running at a higher rate than before the FCC's restructuring of the license requirements in 2007," Somma said. "This high level of exam session activity has produced an elevated influx of new applications, far outpacing recent years." A total of 30,144 new licenses were granted in 2009 -- an increase of almost 7.5 percent from 2008. In 2005, 16,368 new hams joined Amateur Radio's ranks; just five years later, that number had increased by almost 14,000 -- a whopping 84 percent! Read more <A href="http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/01/06/11278/?nc=1" target=_blank rel=nofollow>here</A>.<A rel=nofollow name=toc03></A></SPAN></P>
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