(N2EY) wrote in
:

In article , Alun
writes:

(N2EY) wrote in news:c2356669.0401191008.a3c8376
:

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/01/19/1/?nc=1

Summary:

3 classes of license: Novice, General, Extra

The _only_ merit to that is that testing was free for Novices, so it
would reintroduce a free licence class.

Not part of the proposal as I read it.


As I understand it, the law providing free testing for Novices remains on
the books. Hence, it really does matter what the entry level licence is
called. If it is re-named 'Novice', then the test is free.

No, it's not part of the proposal, and having since read the whole thing on
the ARRL web site, it appears that the league haven't thought about this
particular wrinkle, as they say that the name is still open and it could be
called something else.

The new Novice would replace the existing Technician class as the entry
level exam. It would have less power and fewer VHF/UHF privileges, but
more HF privileges.

Provided the new class that happened to
be called Novice had Tech Plus privileges and they had to pass the
current Element 2 I would have no trouble with that

Why?

I thought the old Novice was too easy


Current Element 2 is very VHF/UHF centric, and so are current Tech Plus
privs. The goal seems to be to strike more of a balance between above
and below 30 MHz privileges.

So change the question pool, but don't dumb it down


5 wpm code test retained for Extra only

Predictably, I do have a problem with that.

Me too. Should be at least 13 and preferably 20 wpm. Sending and
receiving.


Won't happen

Morse skill testing for voice privileges is illogical and should be
dumped.

It's no more illogical than testing theory in order to be allowed to
use manufactured equipment.


Not in my opinion

Moreover, it can be now,
since it has not been required by the ITU for the last six months.

FCC will most probably just drop it completely.


I think they will too

Existing Advanceds get free upgrade to Extra,

OK

Why OK? Why not simply carry the Advanceds as a separate class, as has
been done for the past 3 years and 9 months?

Can't stand loose ends


Techs and Tech Pluses get free upgrade to General

Not OK in this scenario, given my comments above

Agreed - but why is it OK for Advanceds to get a free upgrade to Extra,
but not OK for Techs and Tech Pluses to get free upgrade to General?

What is the fundamental difference that makes one freebie OK but not
the other?

As I see it, the new Novice would be a replacement for the Tech, which is
already pretty easy


'Phone image subbands for 80/40/15 widened slightly

Good.

Bad.

Some phone below 7100? No? Why not?

That space is needed for CW and digital modes.

Better to keep those on the Novice freqs and refarm more useful spectrum to
phone


Old Novice subbands replaced by additional CW/data
and 'phone subbands on 80/40/15. Novices also get privs on 6, 2, 222,
and 440

See above

Please clarify.

I see no benefit in giving over 7125-7150 to phone. 7075-7100, for example,
would be the same size and in a more useful place. Moreover, it would
harmonise Region 2 US hams with US hams outside R2.


Novice power level set below that requiring RF exposure evaluation

OK

Agreed.

Novice test to be 25 questions on "basics",

Not OK

Why not? Current Element 2 is only 35 questions! And it has a lot
more ground to cover, including all amateur VHF/UHF bands and modes,
power up to "meat cooking" levels (love that WK3C phrase) and much
more.

By reducing the entry-level privs, 25 questions should be enough.


With that power limit you could take out the RF exposure questions, but I
think the test is already easy enough.

General to be
derived from Tech and General, Extra pretty much as-is.

What do you actually think of this proposal yourself, Jim? You don't
say here.

See above. A few good ideas and a few bad ideas. Obviously the work of
a committee looking to give everyone something they want, but not
giving anyone everything they want.

What will FCC do?

First off, they may just go for the "new Novice", in an effort to
attract more new hams.

Re-naming the Tech as a Novice would make the test free under existing law.
That has some appeal.


Second, they will probably just dump Element 1.

Agreed


Third, they will probably not hand out free upgrades because it costs
them little or nothing to keep the closed-off classes.

I think that for some reason their computers are only set up to handle 5
classes of licence, but I guess that works out as there won't be two types
of Tech anymore (this is also the reason why they aren't recorded
differently right now).

I personally am not in favour of keeping closed licence classes, though. I
think it is better to move on.


And that's probably about it.

73 de Jim, N2EY

73 de Jim, N2EY


73 de Alun, N3KIP