[CW] Something of a disappointment

[David J. Ring, Jr.]

Hey Hans!

Good for you!

How about a two tier system?

General - a permit and fee.  No code.  Equipment will be type-accepted, no
modifications or repairs will be permitted by these operators.  Term ten
years renewable.  Current Novice, General, and Advanced and 5 wpm Extras get
automatic license.

Extra - a twenty-five question exam about amateur radio regulations, and a
20 wpm code test, and a theory license equivalent to the GROL and/or the 2nd
Class Telegraph.  Also if you have the GROL --- and --- the 2nd Class
Telegraph license all you have to take is the twenty-five question exam
about the ham regulations.  This class will be able to build its own
equipment and repair ham equipment.  General or higher licensees who were
originally licensed before 1967 (date of incentive licensing) automatically
qualify for this license.  The new 5 wpm Extras have to retest at 20 wpm.
Holders of Vanity calls have 5 years to upgrade, or they revert to their old
calls (except for club stations or relatives of former licensee.)

Bands?  Half the CW and half the phone bands for Extras, half for Generals.

What segment do you think I'll operate in?

73

David Ring, N1EA


----- Original Message -----
From: "K0HB " <k-zero-hb@earthlink.net>
To: <cw@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2004 5:44 PM
Subject: [CW] Something of a disappointment


> Since the ITU removed the worldwide requirement for Morse testing of
> amateur radio license applicants, several organizations and individuals
> have petitioned the FCC to amend their rules. Many of us have been
> anxiously anticipating the ARRL Board of Directors to take a leadership
> position on this issue, and this weekend at their Annual Meeting they
> "overwhelmingly approved" their plan which will (lacking a last minute
> change of heart) be submitted to the FCC for consideration.
>
> Unfortunately, I fear you will be disappointed in what they've approved.
>
> Essentially it is a mildly warmed over version of the existing
> "restructured" license structure, including some remaining residue from
> incentive licensing. Rather than a forward looking plan from the minds of
> visionaries and leaders, it quite frankly looks like a broad compromise by
> a large committee of timid politicians anxious not to rock the boat nor
> diminish their re-election chances.
>
> Here is a broad-brush characterization of the proposal.
>
> Three-class license structure, consisting of:
>
> -- revival of the ghetto-ized Novice class with more generous slices of CW
> and Phone in 4 HF bands, plus 6, 2, 222, and 440 bands. No Morse exam for
> Novice. Power limits of 100W below 10 meters, 50W 10 meters and above.
>
> -- continue the current General class license class. No Morse exam for
> General.
>
> -- continue the current Extra class license class. A 5WPM Morse exam for
> Extra.
>
> Some modest tinkering with band segments, mostly enlarging phone portions
> of 4 bands to refarm the old Novice segments.
>
> (Yes, I know some readers are starting to yawn and nod off, but stick
> around.... there's more.)
>
> Current Novices (all 33,000 of them) would remain Novice.
>
> Current Techs and Tech + (about 322,000) would get a free pass to General
> without testing for that class.
>
> Current Advanced (about 82,000) would get a free pass to Extra without
> testing for that class.
>
> In other words, roughly 60% of the current licensees would get instant
> upgrades without any testing (probably not even any paperwork).
>
> Yaaaawwwwwwnnnnnnn! Ooopppps, sorry folks, I guess I sorta nodded off
> myself there.
>
> C'mon, BoD, you guys can do better than this! Heck, even the token
> 'retention' of Morse testing for Extra is wishy-washy! I personally don't
> support a Morse exam for any class of license, but if we must have one,
> let's make it "Extra", not the lame count-the-dots-and-the-dashes exam
that
> Novices have been passing for the last half-century!
>
> For some thoughts on a forward-looking streamlined license which includes
a
> limited term-learners permit with mainstream privileges for newcomers, a
> beefed up "Standard" license for experienced hams, and no "free passes"
see
> an alternate proposal at http://tinyurl.com/wce9.
>
> 73, de Hans, K0HB
>
> "I >am< the ARRL"
>
>
>
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