"Bill Sohl" wrote in message
link.net...

One interesting proposal sure to either enrage or please is the
free upgrades for Tech and Advanced. Personally, and I have no stake
in this as I'm already Extra, the idea of free upgrades doesn't bother me
at
all
if it ultimately results in a set of license classes that make sense with
regard
to privileges vs requirements. The other two alternatives a
(1) certain existing licenses would lose privileges (not a good track
record on that as we saw in 1968) or
(2) we keep the existing licneses plus the newly defined ones and
wait for the old licenses to go SK. Probably not what the FCC wants
for enforcement and rules simplification.


But with the fact that the renewals are pretty much automated, there is very
little burden on the FCC as it is. So why bother with changing the existing
over to whatever new ones they come up with. Regardless of what they do
about the code, the current three tier license system seems quite
appropriate as is. I got my Extra under the 5 level system and even then I
thought three would be the most appropriate. The current Tech, General, and
Extra seem about right to me and also seem about right if the system should
go codeless. Tech covers a decent range of the basics for someone to get
started for a wide range of amateur activities. General is well within the
reach of anyone with a only a moderate amount of effort. Naturally Extra
should require a significant "extra" effort.

As far as enforcement being complicated by tracking the old Novice &
Advanced in addition to the current three classes, it really doesn't seem to
be much of a problem. If you read the published FCC enforcement letters,
you see almost none of them going to Novice or Advanced licensees. That's
probably because the majority of the Novice licensees are inactive while the
Advanced category doesn't contain as many licensees as the others.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE