What this means is that if you get a Technician
Class license now, it will likely be converted
into a General Class license with HF SSB
priviledges in the future, without any need for
Morse Code testing, or General Class written
testing.

A smart person would get his or her HAM Tech
license now, instead of waiting and having what
will likely be a tougher test later.

TEXT FOLLOWS
****************************************

League Files "A Plan for the Next Decade" with FCC
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 28, 2004--The ARRL has filed a Petition for Rule
Making asking the FCC to amend its Part 97 rules to complete the
Amateur Service restructuring the Commission began in 1999 but left
unfinished. The League wants the FCC to create a new entry-level
license, reduce the number of actual license classes to three and drop
the Morse code testing requirement for all classes except for Amateur
Extra (see "ARRL to Propose New Entry-Level License, Code-Free HF
Access"). The ARRL says its petition follows in the footsteps of
changes in Article 25 of the international Radio Regulations adopted
at World Radiocommunication Conference 2003. Among those changes,
WRC-03 deleted the Morse testing requirement for amateur applicants
seeking HF privileges and left it up to individual countries to
determine whether or not they want to mandate Morse testing. While
several countries--including Germany, the UK and Australia--already
have dropped their Morse testing requirements, the ARRL emphasized in
its petition that Morse code is not the primary issue at hand.

"Changes in Morse telegraphy are one aspect of the proposal, and it
would be insufficient for the Commission to address those issues in a
vacuum," the League said, calling its licensing proposal "a plan for
the next decade." The ARRL said that plan's overall intention is "to
encourage newcomers to the Amateur Service and to encourage those who
enter its ranks to proceed further on a course of technical
self-training and exposure to all aspects of the avocation."

Last fall various parties filed a total of 14 Morse-related petitions
with the FCC. Several called on the Commission to drop the Morse
requirement altogether, while others proposed to keep and even expand
the requirement or put forth various license restructuring schemes of
their own. The petitions, RM-10781-10787 and RM-10805-10811, attracted
thousands of comments from the amateur community.

Beyond the Morse question, the ARRL says, the time is right--now that
WRC-03 has finished its work--to follow through on the restructuring
process the FCC began with its 1999 restructuring Report and Order (WT
98-143). Among other things, that landmark Order, which became
effective April 15, 2000, reduced the number of Morse code test
elements from three to a single 5 WPM requirement for all license
classes offering HF privileges.

Although the US has revised amateur licensing requirements several
times since 1917, the ARRL pointed out, "there has not been a
comprehensive restructuring of both licensing requirement and
corresponding operating privileges in many years." The League said the
FCC declined to address operating privileges in its 1999 Report and
Order but put off the job for a later date because it was still
constrained by the Morse requirement in the Radio Regulations. The
ARRL said, however, that the FCC in 1999 "issued an invitation to the
amateur community" to complete the work it had begun.

While just dropping the Element 1 (5 WPM) Morse requirement may seem
to be a "simple plan," the ARRL said, it fails to address the critical
need for an entry-level ticket other than the Technician. The
Technician license, the League said, "is for too many a 'dead end' to
what might otherwise be an active, progressive interest in Amateur
Radio, technical self-training and incentive-based educational
progress in the many facets of the avocation."

The ARRL said its proposed entry-level license--being called "Novice"
for now--would establish "a portfolio of operating privileges
consistent with an examination that would not include material that is
inappropriate or irrelevant at the entry level." It would require
passing a 25-question written examination--but no code test--and offer
limited HF phone, image, CW and data privileges.

"This structure provides a true, entry-level license with HF and other
operating privileges which will both promote growth in the Amateur
Service and integrate newcomers into the mainstream of Amateur Radio,"
the ARRL told the FCC. "It will better introduce newcomers to more
seasoned licensees who will assist them."

The League proposal also would consolidate current Technician and
General licensees into General class without further examination.
Future General applicants would not have to pass a Morse code test,
but the written exam would remain the same. Current Advanced licensees
would be merged into Amateur Extra class without further testing, and
the Extra exam would remain intact.

Advanced licensees already have passed the now-deleted 13 WPM Morse
examination. The ARRL proposal would retain the Element 1 Morse exam
for Extra class applicants. It also would provide Element 1 credit for
anyone who had ever passed at least a 5 WPM Morse test, whether or not
they're now licensed.

"The differences between the [Advanced and Extra] license classes are
so minimal as to amply justify the one-time upward merger," the League
said. While it agreed with the FCC's 1999 assertion that ability to
demonstrate increased Morse proficiency "is not necessarily indicative
of that individual's ability to contribute to the advancement of the
radio art," the League contended that retaining an "extremely minimal"
and "rudimentary" 5 WPM Morse requirement for Amateur Radio's top
license class is appropriate.

The ARRL said its overall plan dovetails with the FCC philosophy and
goals stated in the 1999 Report and Order--to simplify the license
structure and streamline the licensing process. The League said its
plan would implement licensing requirements and privileges that are in
harmony with each other and is designed to attract and retain
"technically inclined persons, particularly the youth of our country"
and encourage them to advance in areas "where the United States needs
expertise."

"Now, the issue is not merely whether there should or should not be
Morse telegraphy as an examination requirement," the ARRL said, "but
rather what is the best overall approach for positioning the Amateur
Service for future growth and incentive-based self-training."

A copy of the ARRL's Petition for Rule Making is available on the ARRL
Web site. The FCC has requested that individuals refrain from
contacting or attempting to comment to the FCC on the ARRL's
restructuring proposal before the FCC issues a Rule Making (RM) number
for the ARRL petition and invites public comments on it. Until that
happens, it is premature to comment to the FCC.

The written test should be made much harder especially the theoretical part.


"N1EE" wrote in message
om...
What this means is that if you get a Technician
Class license now, it will likely be converted
into a General Class license with HF SSB
priviledges in the future, without any need for
Morse Code testing, or General Class written
testing.

A smart person would get his or her HAM Tech
license now, instead of waiting and having what
will likely be a tougher test later.

TEXT FOLLOWS
****************************************

League Files "A Plan for the Next Decade" with FCC
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 28, 2004--The ARRL has filed a Petition for Rule
Making asking the FCC to amend its Part 97 rules to complete the
Amateur Service restructuring the Commission began in 1999 but left
unfinished. The League wants the FCC to create a new entry-level
license, reduce the number of actual license classes to three and drop
the Morse code testing requirement for all classes except for Amateur
Extra (see "ARRL to Propose New Entry-Level License, Code-Free HF
Access"). The ARRL says its petition follows in the footsteps of
changes in Article 25 of the international Radio Regulations adopted
at World Radiocommunication Conference 2003. Among those changes,
WRC-03 deleted the Morse testing requirement for amateur applicants
seeking HF privileges and left it up to individual countries to
determine whether or not they want to mandate Morse testing. While
several countries--including Germany, the UK and Australia--already
have dropped their Morse testing requirements, the ARRL emphasized in
its petition that Morse code is not the primary issue at hand.

"Changes in Morse telegraphy are one aspect of the proposal, and it
would be insufficient for the Commission to address those issues in a
vacuum," the League said, calling its licensing proposal "a plan for
the next decade." The ARRL said that plan's overall intention is "to
encourage newcomers to the Amateur Service and to encourage those who
enter its ranks to proceed further on a course of technical
self-training and exposure to all aspects of the avocation."

Last fall various parties filed a total of 14 Morse-related petitions
with the FCC. Several called on the Commission to drop the Morse
requirement altogether, while others proposed to keep and even expand
the requirement or put forth various license restructuring schemes of
their own. The petitions, RM-10781-10787 and RM-10805-10811, attracted
thousands of comments from the amateur community.

Beyond the Morse question, the ARRL says, the time is right--now that
WRC-03 has finished its work--to follow through on the restructuring
process the FCC began with its 1999 restructuring Report and Order (WT
98-143). Among other things, that landmark Order, which became
effective April 15, 2000, reduced the number of Morse code test
elements from three to a single 5 WPM requirement for all license
classes offering HF privileges.

Although the US has revised amateur licensing requirements several
times since 1917, the ARRL pointed out, "there has not been a
comprehensive restructuring of both licensing requirement and
corresponding operating privileges in many years." The League said the
FCC declined to address operating privileges in its 1999 Report and
Order but put off the job for a later date because it was still
constrained by the Morse requirement in the Radio Regulations. The
ARRL said, however, that the FCC in 1999 "issued an invitation to the
amateur community" to complete the work it had begun.

While just dropping the Element 1 (5 WPM) Morse requirement may seem
to be a "simple plan," the ARRL said, it fails to address the critical
need for an entry-level ticket other than the Technician. The
Technician license, the League said, "is for too many a 'dead end' to
what might otherwise be an active, progressive interest in Amateur
Radio, technical self-training and incentive-based educational
progress in the many facets of the avocation."

The ARRL said its proposed entry-level license--being called "Novice"
for now--would establish "a portfolio of operating privileges
consistent with an examination that would not include material that is
inappropriate or irrelevant at the entry level." It would require
passing a 25-question written examination--but no code test--and offer
limited HF phone, image, CW and data privileges.

"This structure provides a true, entry-level license with HF and other
operating privileges which will both promote growth in the Amateur
Service and integrate newcomers into the mainstream of Amateur Radio,"
the ARRL told the FCC. "It will better introduce newcomers to more
seasoned licensees who will assist them."

The League proposal also would consolidate current Technician and
General licensees into General class without further examination.
Future General applicants would not have to pass a Morse code test,
but the written exam would remain the same. Current Advanced licensees
would be merged into Amateur Extra class without further testing, and
the Extra exam would remain intact.

Advanced licensees already have passed the now-deleted 13 WPM Morse
examination. The ARRL proposal would retain the Element 1 Morse exam
for Extra class applicants. It also would provide Element 1 credit for
anyone who had ever passed at least a 5 WPM Morse test, whether or not
they're now licensed.

"The differences between the [Advanced and Extra] license classes are
so minimal as to amply justify the one-time upward merger," the League
said. While it agreed with the FCC's 1999 assertion that ability to
demonstrate increased Morse proficiency "is not necessarily indicative
of that individual's ability to contribute to the advancement of the
radio art," the League contended that retaining an "extremely minimal"
and "rudimentary" 5 WPM Morse requirement for Amateur Radio's top
license class is appropriate.

The ARRL said its overall plan dovetails with the FCC philosophy and
goals stated in the 1999 Report and Order--to simplify the license
structure and streamline the licensing process. The League said its
plan would implement licensing requirements and privileges that are in
harmony with each other and is designed to attract and retain
"technically inclined persons, particularly the youth of our country"
and encourage them to advance in areas "where the United States needs
expertise."

"Now, the issue is not merely whether there should or should not be
Morse telegraphy as an examination requirement," the ARRL said, "but
rather what is the best overall approach for positioning the Amateur
Service for future growth and incentive-based self-training."

A copy of the ARRL's Petition for Rule Making is available on the ARRL
Web site. The FCC has requested that individuals refrain from
contacting or attempting to comment to the FCC on the ARRL's
restructuring proposal before the FCC issues a Rule Making (RM) number
for the ARRL petition and invites public comments on it. Until that
happens, it is premature to comment to the FCC.

It should be really hard so that elitist electronic snobs are filtered out
too.
Make the license worth something, make someone work for it. You've seen what
captain's licenses have done for sailing, who wants THAT to happen to HAM
radio?
Gun licenses are tough to come by, why not radio licenses? There would be
less divorces if marriages were more regulated.
The radio can be used to issue instructions to sabateours and should be
impounded.


Oz wrote in message ...
On Wed, 04 Feb 2004 02:08:47 GMT, "Professor Howard Hill"
scribbled thusly:

The written test should be made much harder especially the theoretical
part.

Why?
So that elitist electronic snobs can get licences easier?

It's about using a tranceiver not building one!


Oz1...of the 3 twins.

I welcome you to crackerbox palace,We've been expecting you.

Professor Howard Hill wrote:

The written test should be made much harder especially the theoretical part.


Why? With surface mount who is going to home repair kit these days
anyway? Isn't it better to have a body of people enjoying a hobby than
just a few who may find themselves reguklated out of existence? Rember
what happended to the R/C community in the UK. Overnight their band was
taken from them so they had to go and buy new gear!

Cheers

Why have a license at all?



"Nav" wrote in message
...


Professor Howard Hill wrote:

The written test should be made much harder especially the theoretical
part.


Why? With surface mount who is going to home repair kit these days
anyway? Isn't it better to have a body of people enjoying a hobby than
just a few who may find themselves reguklated out of existence? Rember
what happended to the R/C community in the UK. Overnight their band was
taken from them so they had to go and buy new gear!

Cheers

Just so people know correct R/T proceedures.

Cheers

Professor Howard Hill wrote:

Why have a license at all?



"Nav" wrote in message
...


Professor Howard Hill wrote:


The written test should be made much harder especially the theoretical

part.

Why? With surface mount who is going to home repair kit these days
anyway? Isn't it better to have a body of people enjoying a hobby than
just a few who may find themselves reguklated out of existence? Rember
what happended to the R/C community in the UK. Overnight their band was
taken from them so they had to go and buy new gear!

Cheers

"Professor Howard Hill" wrote in message
hlink.net...
The written test should be made much harder especially the theoretical
part.


What do you mean by "theoretical"?

Which part of the written test is not "theoretical"?



Regards


Donal
--

"Donal" wrote

"Professor Howard Hill" wrote
The written test should be made much harder especially the theoretical
part.


What do you mean by "theoretical"?

Which part of the written test is not "theoretical"?

It's semantics. Most of the entry level "Tech" test here in the USA deals
with definitions and priviledges such as allowed frequency bands which,
being established by FCC rules, are not considered theoretical. You can view
sample tests at www.qrz.com.

I found the theory questions to be easy, and
had trouble with the band plan memorization.

Band plans are much easier to remember once
you start operating. And you can keep a
reference diagram next to your radio.


Bart


"Donal" wrote

"Professor Howard Hill" wrote

The written test should be made much harder especially the theoretical
part.


What do you mean by "theoretical"?

Which part of the written test is not "theoretical"?

"Professor Howard Hill" wrote:

Gun licenses are tough to come by, why not radio licenses? There would be
less divorces if marriages were more regulated.

Heheheee...you are *so* funny, Professor Hill. When did a radio licenses
ever *kill* anyone? Huhh?

You remind me of Professor Deming ( a real professor and Oklahoma State
University) who compared a vaginia to a handgun...

.....a vagina can be deadly! LMAO!

LP