"KØHB" wrote in message thlink.net...
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ô¿ô 73, de Hans, K0HB
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"N2EY" wrote

In the early-to-mid 1970s, the Novice went through a period of quick
changes.
First, the FCC allowed folks who had been unlicensed for at least a year
to get
a Novice, regardless of prior licensure. This meant a ham could be a
Novice
forever - two years on, one year off, new callsign and license each time.
Again
the reason given was "too many dropouts".

See my other post about "too many dropouts".

Will do.

Then the one-year-unlicensed requirement was dropped. And the reason given
was...

Finally the Novice was made 5 years renewable, like all the other license
classes of the time. That was more than a quarter century ago.

You're right, Jim, it was more than a quarter century ago. And over a
quarter century ago FCC thought that 13 and 20 WPM code tests were a good
idea, and a no-code license was a bad idea.

And a lot of other things, like secret tests given by FCC examiners,
extreme limits on vanity calls and repeaters, yada yada yada.

Seems FCC no longer holds those
views, so I think we can safely ignore your argument about what they thought
back then on this matter also.

That's one way to look at it.

Another way to look at it is to note that since that time, FCC has
consistently made it *easier* and *more convenient* to get and keep an
amateur radio license - of *any* class. As long as said changes mean
less work for FCC, that is.

That's been a consistent policy from then to now. Forced upgrading
would go against that tide.

One thing I'm not clear on, though. If an LP reached the end of the 10
years but couldn't pass the upgrade test, could they take the LP test
and get another 10 years (as with driver's license LPs) or is it
one-LP-to-a-customer, as the old Novice was?

Do YOU think learners permits ought to be renewable beyond 10 years?

I think *all* amateur licenses are essentially "permits to learn". And
I think *all* classes of amateur license should be renewable. Just my
opinion.

If your proposed LP is going to allow all authorized modes on all
authorized freqs from 1.8 MHz on up, it's going to need a rather
considerable written test, doncha think? The power limit removes the
need for lots of RF exposure and other safety questions, and the VE
stuff, but what about almost all the rest?

73 de Jim, N2EY