In article . net, "Bill Sohl"
writes:
"N2EY" wrote in message
...
In article , Paul W. Schleck
writes:
In (N2EY)
writes:
In article om, "Dee
D.
Flint" writes:
Basically I think the ARRL Board knows that the free upgrades means
that
their proposal probably will not be adopted in this form. The FCC has
never
gone along with free upgrades before and there is no evidence that they
would do so now. However, I believe they tossed it in as another idea
for
the FCC to consider in developing whatever the FCC decides to do, if
they
decide to do anything at all.
That's probably correct, Dee. And that's what bothers me!
As you say, FCC has never done free upgrades, and the last time the
issue
came
up (98-143), the ARRL proposal was for existing Novices (!) and Tech
Pluses
to
get free upgrade to General. Of course, FCC said "no way", and has had
no
problem whatever keeping the closed-to-new-issues classes in their
database.
So why propose something FCC obviously isn't going to do? Just wastes
everybody's time.
More important, it diverts attention from the other issues.
oh wait, I think I just answered my own question...;-)
73 de Jim, N2EY
I brought this subject up with someone in the League. This exact
thread, actually. I was told that the ARRL BoD sincerely believes (take
at face value, or not) that failure to upgrade licensees in the FCC R&O
for WT 98-143 was not a final "no" answer.
Maybe it wasn't. But are such freebies really a good idea?
Here's your options:
We currently have essentially a 6 license system in place (even though
several licenses are no longer issued). To go from that system
to the one proposed by ARRL leaves three options as I see it:
1. The one-time free upgrade process as put forth by ARRL which takes
nothing away from anyone
Hold on a sec.
Right now there are about 105,000 Extras. And we have a few slices of
choice kHz on 4 HF bands. In my experience, QRM in these subbands is usually
less than elsewhere in the same band because relatively few US hams have access
to them.
If all 83,000 Advanceds get a free upgrade to Extra, they'll have access to
those choice slices and they'll probably increase the QRM level. So giving them
a free upgrade *does* take something away from existing Extras.
Same situation for Generals.
elsewhere in the same band
and immediately gets everyone into the
new 3 license system,
But nobody says why that is such a big priority, when it wasn't 4 years ago.
or
2. Go to the new system but "grandfather" those on current but no
longer to be issued license classes which takes nothing from anyone but
presents a dual system of licenses, rules and regulations which would
likly exist for decades until those with licenses no longer being issued
as new ended up SK or otherwise dropped from our ranks
or upgraded! Have you forgotten that any of the closed off classes can
upgrade with the required tests? The fact that so few Advanceds have
upgraded in almost 4 years is quite interesting, don't you think? Number
of Advanceds is down by only about 16%, and that includes both upgrades
and expirations.
or,
3. Implement the ARRL 3 licnense system and downgrade some
folks to new Novice (i.e. the Techs) or General (i.e the Advanced).
This last scenario takes away privileges and we all know how well
that went down in the late 60's Incentive Licensing implementation.
Or
4. Do something else.
To me the answer is clear...and, I suspect so is it also to ARRL which
is why the proposal includes free upgrades.
Why should FCC allow free upgrades today, when they said no in 1999? What has
changed?
Rather, it is just one of
the unresolved loose ends that was deliberately not tied up until better
consensus emerged from the amateur radio community about things like
Novice band refarming, etc. The League official noted that the ARRL's
band refarming proposal, RM-10413, has been sitting on an FCC official's
desk for about two years now (he claims to know the exact FCC official,
but did not name him). Because of this, as long a wait, if not longer,
is expected on a "final" answer concerning automatic upgrading.
I say we should judge by actions. When FCC thinksa proposal is a good or
bad
idea, they act. How long did the whole 98-143 process take, from initial
release of the NPRM to the new rules in April 2000?
More important, what would a lack of free upgrades hurt? Is it really such
a
burden to require an Advanced to pass Element 4, or a Tech to pass Element
3,
in order to get the next higher grade of license?
See options 2 and 3 above.
The rules for the 6 license classes are already in place. So what's the
problem?
73 de Jim, N2EY