[50mhz] A leter to President Haynie concerning entry level proposal

[John Geiger (NE0P)]

Actually, the original point I was trying to make is that the Technician class license is not limited to 2 meter FM, which is what President Haynie indicated in his thoughts on the need for an entry level license.  

Given that the code test is almost certainly going to be removed for the General class (and probably for the extra class)I don't believe that passing a 70 question written exam (35 Tech, 35 general) where the questions and answers are all published is too much to ask for an entry level license.  The FCC seems to agree with me on that point (can't believe I am actually saying that).  We have to decide where the break point is for sacrificing quality for quantity in licensing.  If we really want to get as many people as possible licensed, then we should petition the FCC to remove the written test as well, as it serves as a barrier and it doesn't eliminate bad operators.

In terms of CCR and other evil things like that,  being limited to indoor or hidden antennas is not a limiting factor for VHF or satellites either.  While in graduate school, I earned a 6 meter VUCC with a 125 endorsement sticking using a homebrew 6 meter dipole hanging up in my apartment bedroom.  Most attics would have room for a 6 meter beam, or definitely 2 meter or 70cm beams.  A Cushcraft dualband (2 and 70cm) yagi would easily fit in most attics and would make a good mode J and mode B satellite antenna.  Or you could make a portable setup using a dualband yagi with a short mast and stand.  Leave it on the patio or inside, and move it outside for satellite passes.  You could even fit a pair of eggbeater antennas in most attics.  In the same grad school apartment I made a homebrew 70cm yagi and hung it in the living room in order to reach a UHF repeater 30 miles away.  It was the only non-CTCSS repeater in the area, and my HT at the time didn't have CTCSS tones.  

There is no limit to what hams can come up with for hidden antennas, and I think breaking a 6 meter pileup during Es season with 100 watts and an indoor dipole would probably be easier than breaking a 20 meter SSB pileup with 100 watts and an indoor dipole.  In the 6 meter pileup there will be fewer people running more than 100 watts, and the antenna will be higher above ground in terms of wavelengths.

73s John NE0P  


---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Mike (KA5CVH) Urich" <ka5cvh at gmail.com>
Date:  Wed, 11 Jan 2006 16:38:18 -0600

>On 1/11/06, Anthony W. DePrato <wa4jqs at mikrotec.com> wrote:
>
>> Sir:
>> I have lived in both Houston and Dallas and i got on HF from both cities. I
>> went into the attic of my apartment and put up a dipole for 40 and 20 mts.
>
>Mike wrote
>
>That was my point exactly, and I believe you missed John's example.
>John was trying to use his V/UHF antennas as an example for the
>average tech to get on the air on the V/UHF bands.  In this example
>his "modest" V/UHF antenna farm of his isn't likely to see the light
>of day around here. OTOH its easy to stick some HF dipoles up and get
>on the air quite respectfully which was the point I didn't quite
>clearly connect.  When living with these restrictions you can have a
>much better station on HF than V/UHF because 100 watts and a dipole
>will serve you much better on 20 meters than 2 meters.
>
>--
>Mike Urich, KA5CVH
>http://ka5cvh.com
>Amateur radio ~IS~ a contact sport.
>
>
>--
>Mike Urich, KA5CVH
>http://ka5cvh.com
>Amateur radio ~IS~ a contact sport.
>
 

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