RadioBanter - View Single Post - OK...So What Are YOU Going To DO About It...?!?!

January 28th 04, 02:55 PM

In article ,
(Steve Robeson, K4CAP) writes:

(N2EY) wrote in message
.com...

(Steve Robeson, K4CAP) wrote in message
.com...

There's a lot of negativism in this group about the ARRL proposal.

Also a lot of positivism.

That they are trying to keep things moving from their
perspective, perhaps. But I don't think this requires a whole lot of
rethinking nor does it require any complex bandplanning.

I'm not sure what you mean, Steve.

The ARRL proposal focuses mostly on the entry-level license and the license
classes closed off to new issues. There's not a lot of bandplanning in it.

While not as verbose about it, I agree that this "proposal" was
poorly thought out and does not meet any "obvious" need within Amateur
Radio. It's a W5YI-ian like effort to create something new for the
sake of sales/membership.

I disagree! I think it has some good ideas and some bad ideas.

There's good stuff here, Jim, but I'm going to cut to the chase.

OK

On top of all this, the Tech written (Element 2) is full of arcane
stuff like RF exposure calculations, which displaces more basic stuff
that would serve a newcomer better.

I don't think that much of what is "written" is pertinent even if
it were "written" in the next 2 hours. As long as the question pools
are open and the "newcomer" can pick up a verbatim "Q&A study guide",
the tests are relatively irrelevant.

And that's not going to change. Been that way for 20 years, and FCC isn't
going to take back the work that it now gets done for free by unpaid
volunteers.

So the *only* answer is to make the test pools so big that it's easier for 99%
of new hams to just learn the material than to word-associate and rote-memorize
their way to a passing grade. And, in my experience, most newcomers really want
to learn the material. YMMV.

Yes, some "learning" will occur just from reading the question
over and over, but to what legitimate application can THAT kind of
learning be applied?

Some questions are pure memorization, like the band edges and other regs.

Repeat after me: "Lopressor is a beta blocker administerd SIVP
for the control of hypertension and AFIB with IVR."

"Lopressor is a beta blocker administered SIVP for the control of hypertension
and AFIB with IVR."

Got it - sort of.

Got that? Now, WHAT is a beta blocker?

Some kind of drug. Has to do with the mechanisms that cause high blood pressure
and /or hear attacks. Administered intravenously.

What was the underlying
etiology of the hypertension or the atrial fibrillation that produced
the irregular ventricular response?

Something to do with too much beta. Whatever beta is in this context.

I figured out all that from context and a hazy layman's exposure to cardiac
medicine. Do I really understand it? Of course not!

My "answer" is a letter to the ARRL suggesting that this was NOT
a wise idea and COULD have been made less of a surprise to the Amateur
Community by discussing it first. I'll "cc" that letter to my SM.

What about your Director and Vice Director - or better yet, the entire
BoD? And let 'em know exactly what's good and bad, and why.

Perhaps, Jim, but my take is that the FCC has expressed more than
it's fair share of frustration with the numerous licening strategies
that have been offered, all suggesting that "this one" will be the one
to open the flood gates of new licensees.

I don't see that. What I do see is the FCC taking its time and letting everyone
propose all sorts of stuff, and comment on same. NPRM? Maybe some months down
the road. Actual rules changes? Don't hold your breath or you'll need more than
beta blockers ;-)

Each has produced a momentary road bump followed by a rapid
return to a steady-if-unimpressive growth rate.

That's because none of them address, or can address, the underlying problems
that limit growth in amateur radio.

If/when the proposal becomes an RM, it'll be comment time......

Ditto.

Hope you're keeping warm Jim! It's embarrassing here...I spent
most of the evening with the back door open to let a cool drizzling
breeze pass through the house.

We've had 3 winter storms in the past 4 days. Last night was an ice storm
followed by several inches of new snow. Also lots of flu in this house despite
flu shots. Not pretty. See what you're missing?

Time to dig out.

73 de Jim, N2EY