[CW] Novice Bands are still there

[Alan W.]

Larry said:

> ...it would be nice if new candidates would not be able to know 
> EXACTLY what the test was going to be.
> Anybody remember the days of the Dick Bash books?

I remember them well.  THAT was the beginning of the end of the FCC 
testing program.  There is STILL no reason for the calculation questions 
to use the EXACT numbers as appear in the question pools.  There is no 
reason for the EXACT multiple choices (including the wrong 
answers/distractors) to appear in the question pools.

The NPRM says that the Fists petition's recommendation for "more 
technical content" is a vague standard.  But in the back of the Fists 
petition, the syllabus table shown is as explicit as the FCC's  table in 
the pre-2000 (pre-Restructuring) regulations.  We need to call them on 
that assertion!

I believe that the general electronics skills level should be:

Technician  - Basic component symbols, adding parallel & series 
inductors, resistors, capacitors; 3 basic oscillators, and a more 
digital emphasis

General - Block diagram understanding of transmitters & receivers, more 
schematic symbols, tranmission line matching, power supply-related circuits.

Extra - Circuit building blocks, basic electronic design, 
troubleshooting common problems

The Fists petition covered this well and the FCC's NPRM blew it off as 
"vague" - when you write the FCC, CALL THEM ON IT!

To review Fists petition look at
    http://www.fists.org or
    http://www.qsl.net/n5lf

Alan