[CW] QRM and Technician License Expansion

[Bruce Prior]

I have no objection to a Morse code requirement, but it won't fly when ITU doesn't require it. One of the worst things I ever did was to memorize a dot-dash chart on order to qualify for my First Class Boy Scouts badge. It slowed down my Morse comprehension for decades, because it introduced a visual element into what should be an aural process. If we're going to teach Morse code, it should be by sound. It's actually easier to learn Morse at faster character speeds, like 20 WPM or more.

I agree that we badly need a youth-oriented entry-level license. The ideal time is about 11 years old or 5th grade. We can quibble over frequency privileges for such a youth license, but it definitely should have a low maximum output power, say, something like 25 W PEP. 75 W is definitely too high. I'd suggest that the youth license expire when the licensee reaches age 21. Of course anyone can upgrade to General and Amateur Extra at any time. The original terminal one-year Novice license was a bad deal for me. I had barely mowed enough lawns and carried enough newspapers to pay for a very basic Heathkit Novice station by the time my license had expired. Nobody in my family had ever heard of Ohm's Law. Back in the day, the written exam for the Technician license was identical to General Class. That was way beyond me when I'd barely started junior high school.

We could grandfather Technicians with limited HF digital and voice/image privileges and allow the renewal of those licenses, but not encourage more people to enter Amateur Radio at the Technician level. The standard adult entry license should be General Class, and it should have no prerequisites, which means that some of the Technician Question Pool nees to be folded into General Class. That's what happened when the Advanced Class license was grandfathered and the questions migrated into the Amateur Extra Class Question Pool.

73,
Bruce Prior N7RR

________________________________
From: cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net <cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of n7dc at comcast.net <n7dc at comcast.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2019 6:43 PM
To: abqcooks at aol.com; CW Reflector
Subject: Re: [CW] QRM and Technician License Expansion


We were asked to vote on the issue, and the ARRL then supported the non code licenses.  Funny thing though, later on I saw that the vote was very "NO!"   But it was done anyway.

They keep talking about a new license to make it even easier.  My vote too, is to return the Novice exams, including CW.   Thousands of us came on that way.  I've been involved with kids, and adults, earning their entire license, including learning the code at 5 plus wpm, within ONE week.  Another time, One boy, on a one-on-one basis, learned and PASSED the 5 wpm code in 30 minutes.  Take at look online,  search for Ham radio at the BSA National Jamboree 1985.   I think the article said something like 5 Scouts, but it was 12.

Danny Douglas





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