[CW] FCC Actions - OOOOPS?

[K0HB]

N2EY asked:

>
> Wouldn't that be an incentive to get an Extra?  
>

No, not at all.  It's a dis-incentive to remain Advanced (or General), and
that's not at all a 'subtle distinction'.

>
> As it is now, only 50 kHz of 80/75 is Extra-only territory. That's 10% of
the 
> band - 5% phone, 5% CW/data.
>

We're not talking about "As it is now" --- we're talking about what's being
crammed down the throat of Amateur Radio for the future.

>
> If the new rules are enacted as written, 80/75 will have 125 kHz of 
> Extra-only territory. That's 25% of the band - 25% phone, 5% CW/data.
>

Bzzzzzt! Check you math. 

Extra will exclusively have 25% of the phone band, and 25% of the
CW/rtty/data band. (spare me "but CW is allowed everywhere"). Add in the
Advanced class, a breed approaching extinction-by-attrition, and it works
out to 50% of the 80m phone band and 25% of the CW/rtty/data band is denied
to General licensees.  (And 40 years ago we thought the original
dis-incentive licensing scheme was robbery!)

>
> All it takes for a General, Advanced or pre-March-21-1987 Tech+ to
upgrade to 
> Extra is passing the Extra written. 50 multiple choice questions from a 
> published pool. Is that too much to ask?
>

"Let them eat cake"

73, de Hans, K0HB