[CW] Re: [KYHAM] Re: Here come the Attacks!
[email protected]
[email protected]
Fri, 23 Jan 2004 14:41:15 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
But, where would I fit in? I'm an "Extra-lite", having upgraded after the change
to 5 words per minute? Does that mean I fall into the General category? But,
I was an Advanced before I upgraded! I don't want to lose what I had. The
Advanced class written test was a lot harder than the General class written
test (I seem to remember that it used to be the same as the Extra class
written test at one point.), so why should those Generals get the same
privileges I have when I had to take a lot harder written test? Or, would
Advanced class be "grandfathered" into the Extra bands? But, won't this
upset some of the "real" Extras who passed the 20 word per minute code test?
Ok, I'm being slightly facetious. But, the point I'm trying to make is that there
isn't any way to be perfectly fair to everyone without erring one way or the
other, or without imposing an incredible paperwork load on the FCC. And,
I think the better way to err is to grandfather certain classes up to higher
privileges, rather than taking away something that someone had.
While there may not be much additional testing load on the VEs caused by your
program, there would be a lot more paperwork involved for the FCC. Already,
the FCC doesn't even want to differentiate between no-code Technicians and
code Technicians! And, in this time of shrinking budgets, I'm not sure the FCC
would be very pleased by the prospect of keeping track of that much more
information. I'm not too sure that the FCC wouldn't be just as happy to have
one license class, an "Amateur" class, and be done with it [3]. That would minimize
their paperwork load; either someone has a license or they don't. It would minimize
their enforcement load; either someone is inside the band or they aren't.
The one thing that it wouldn't do is to provide an "incentive" licensing structure
to encourage people to upgrade by improving their technical talent.
[3] Before someone says that this would never happen, remember that the
FCC washed its hands of the entire CB licensing mess ages ago, so why couldn't
it do the same for the amateur system?
Or, another idea that I've seen floating around is for the FCC to wash it's hands
of the entire licensing and enforcement mess, and to delegate all of that to the
ARRL. Even though I'm an ARRL life member, I wouldn't want to see the ARRL
put in charge of all of the amatuer radio bands! Yuck!
So, I think some of the things we need to factor in are that whatever the new
licensing structure is, it needs to require a minimum amount of paperwork
for the FCC, and it needs to require a minimum amount of enforcement actions.
Unfortunately, even though Riley is doing a great job, he's only one person, so
there's only so much he can do. Plus, any future licensing structure needs to
provide for some type of incentive licensing to encourage people to want to
upgrade. And, it needs to encourage more usage of the HF spectrum [1],
especially when it comes to emergency service work.
[1] I took a couple of hours last night and tuned around the HF bands. They were
generally in pretty lousy shape. I did hear a couple of CW signals on the 30 meter
band. I heard a bunch of guys on SSB on 40 and 80 meters, but I was very
disappointed in the number of CW signals on 40 and 80 meters. I could count the
number of CW signals on 40 on one hand, while wearing mittens! And, I could
count the number of CW signals on 80 on two hands (but, without the mittens).
160 meters was a little better, in that there were a couple of CW signals but only
a few SSB signals. But, given that the bands are, roughly, split about equally
between SSB and CW, and that CW requires well under a tenth of the bandwidth
of an SSB signal, that means that there's an incredible amount of band space
going to waste. And, I'm afraid that the saying "Use it or lose it" may become
very true.
As for the incentive licensing situation, one of the original purposes of the
Novice license was to be an entry level or training type license. Once a
licensee had become able to copy code, they were allowed on the HF
CW bands in order to boost their speed up to 13 words per minute where
they could qualify for the General class license. And, they were only given
two years to accomplish this; else their license would lapse, since a Novice
license could not be renewed. Once they did get their code speed up to
13 words per minute, they could migrate into the General class portions of
the bands, where they could continue to work on their code, or even migrate
over to voice or other more exotic modes.
So, if I had to design my own licensing structure, I think I would create an
entry level license with provisions for using either voice or code, in a small
portion of the HF bands. This would allow those who wanted to use voice
only, for example, to participate in emergency nets, to be on the bands.
Plus, it would give them the opportunity to work on their code, if the
desire ever hit them. But, by restricting them to a small portion of the
bands, both voice and code subbands, it would limit the "damage" that
they could do. If a higher class licensee wants to work high speed code,
then they can go to one of the subbands that the entry level people don't
have access to. I would probably also give the entry level licensees an
allocation on 2 meters and 70 centimeters, mainly for emergency services
work, although I think I'd restrict them to FM only on that band (No satellite,
EME, or weak signal work.). Next, I would have a General class license which
required more theory on the test (I can go either way on a code requirement for
the General class license.). This would give the licensees a larger chunk
of the HF bands, including CW bands, so that they could work on their code
if they desired, and full VHF/UHF privileges. Finally, I'd finish the classes
with the Extra class license, but I'd leave the CW requirement in place for
that license, since the theory is that Extra class licensees are supposed to
be proficient in all aspects of amateur radio.
The advantage of such a system is that it minimizes the number of subbands
required, and thus the enforcement actions needed. It minimizes the number
of license classes required, and thus minimizes the paperwork for the FCC.
However, it maintains incentive licensing, while still providing a place for no
code licensees to work on their code proficiency if they so desire. Plus, it
encourages new people to become licensees, and gives them a small taste
of what amateur radio is about, with the promise of more privileges as a
reward for improving the talents. And, in increases the utilization of the
bands, and makes more people available for public/emergency service work.
Unfortunately, the system I've designed is very similar to the system that
the ARRL has put together.
No system is going to be perfect. No matter what's proposed, there will be
someone who isn't happy. There will be someone who feels that their
accomplishments are being minimized one way or the other, or that
they're having some of their privileges removed. But, unless we want to
create a separate license class for everyone who has ever held a
license, with each class having its own unique privileges [2], then someone
won't be happy.
[2] And, in all likelihood, with each licensee unable to talk to any other
licensee!
Dave
WA4QAL
-----Original Message-----
From: "Anthony W. DePrato" <[email protected]>
Sent: Jan 23, 2004 12:49 PM
To: w0oow <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: [KYHAM] Re: Here come the Attacks!
ok how about this one?
1.divide the bands into 3 sections phone, digi /sstv, and cw
2. then divide each section into 3 more sections novice/tech, general /
advanced, and extra
each test you took gives you more space and each test is harder theory
wise, and a question pool of not the real test questions( but like it use
to be.) general area question's made around the real test question's. that
way you have to know the theory and could not memorize the pool (man w5yi
and ncvec HATE me for that one )
3. same things with the cw sections 5 wpm 25 mhz , 13wpm 50 mhz , 20wpm
all the band..
4. same with digi psk hell pactor ect in half the section ,rtty in the
other.
5 now you want phone bands? test for phone you want to add digi / rtty ?
take the digi /rtty test. you want to work cw? take the cw test.
and the cw test is NOT multi guess it is 5 mins with one min of solid copy
PERIOD.
so this should make everyone happy. you do not want to use or take a code
test you do not have too. you want to feel that what you earned years ago
still means something IT WILL.
it will not add to those of us who are VE's time, all that much we still
have to give the tests and use the answer keys. most guys take a couple
tests when they go anyway..
ARRL say's WE have too have more ham's This will do it.. you have a no code
test (MAN looks at the grids from NO CODE INT.)
to brings thousands of new hams into whatever our hobby will be called down
the road. and those that find they REALLY love this hobby and would prefer
to spend hours on the radio then eat.. can test up for bigger and better
things..
one more thing. if you were a tech and passed the general test years ago
but only the 5 wpm code you get phone in the general section but code in
the novice/tech section.. pass the 13wpm you get that also..
this way you get credit for what you earned no matter when you took the test..
OK NOW who is not happy about this ?
does this not cover every thing ?
ooops forgot SAT's and EME.
voice birds you test for them digi birds you test for them. all general
tested tech's get to use them and all general and above also.
but all new comers have to test for sat and eme theory..
NOW WHAT DOES THIS GIVE US ?
IT gives the no coders phone and they do not have to cry about the code test
It gives code boys the cw bands and we do not have to cry about the
extra-lite and no code hams
it gives a ez way for everybody into ham radio
it makes you learn and earn no matter if it is theory or code if you want
to get more band space.
Ok what have i missed ?
with best regards
Tony WA4JQS
SINCE 1962
A1-OP , OO , VE
AM,CW,SSB,RTTY,SAT'S