In article , "Carl R. Stevenson"
writes:
"N2EY" wrote in message
...
In article , "Carl R. Stevenson"
writes:
"N2EY" wrote in message
...
In article t, "Bill
Sohl"
writes:
[snip]
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.
Jim,
I'm willing to share the Extra sub-bands with a few others.
Only a few? I'm willing to share them with as many as can pass the
required tests. Particularly the *written* tests.
Be careful ... your "not in my sandbox" motives are showing.
You're the one willing to share with "a few"....
You're squirming pretty hard and stretching pretty far with your attempt
to twist my use of the words "a few others" into something you know
[expletive deleted]
well I didn't mean the way you're trying to spin it ...
I'm not squirming or stretching, Carl. Just pointing out some facts. And I
don't
know what you intended to mean - I just know what you actually wrote. Frankly,
I was very surprised that you support free upgrades without *written* testing
for over 400,000 US hams
And I do recall someone saying they'd **NEVER** support a reduction
in the **WRITTEN** test requirements.
I'm not ...
Let's get this clear right now.
ARRL proposes that all current Techs and Tech Pluses get a free upgrade to
General with no additional testing.
They also propose that all current Advanceds get a free upgrade to Extra
with no additional testing.
Do you support those free upgrades or not?
If you support them, then by definition you are supoorting a reduction in
the written test requirements for those licenses.
Now you might argue that it's only a temporary or one-time reduction, but it's
still a reduction. And since it affects over 400,000 hams, it's not a small
matter.
I'm supporting the establishment of a reasonable, viable
entry level class with appropriate testing and restrictions.
That's a completely different issue. And I support the "NewNovice" concept as
well. In fact I proposed it here more than two years ago.
Yet now I see that same person
supporting free upgrades that involve not even having to take *written*
tests...
As Ed pointed out, the difference between the Tech and General written
tests is not that large - it's a one-shot deal to "make things right" in a
way
where nobody loses privs, and as Bill pointed out, those Techs are already
authorized 1500W at frequencies that the FCC and anyone with any knowledge
of RF safety knows are more "risky" than HF.
Then why should *anyone* have to take the General test? If the Tech written is
adequate for General HF privs for some, why not for all? Why not simply dump
the General question pools into the Extra, and use the current Tech pool for
General?
Like all those Advanced are on the air now. Give me a break.
If they're not on the air, there's no reason to give them upgrades,
is there?
They'll get upgrades, even if they're SKs whose family hasn't
sent in their license for cancellation - so what?
Why not upgrade all existing hams except Novices to Extra, then?
Because that doesn't comport with either the FCC's or the ARRL's
(or my) desire to have some reason for folks to learn more to upgrade.
How do you know what FCC wants?
[snip]
After careful consideration of Ed Hare's (personal, not ARRL)
comments on the subject on eHam.net
I'll ask again for a link to those comments.
Go to eham.net (or use Google) ..
I did. No luck.
I don't have the URL direct to Ed's comments handy ...
So there's a wonderful set of arguments out there, but you can't/won't
point us to them.....That's not how you sell something, Carl.
I (personally, not as NCI)
think it makes the best sense as a one-shot deal as a way forward
to a license/priv structure that makes sense for the future.
Even though it means a one-shot reduction in written test requirements
for over 400,000 hams. That's almost 60% of those licensed today.
Again, the differences are not that great (in content - I know you have
a BIG hangup about the number of questions on the test ...)
I don;t have any hangups about the tests. I'm all for them.
If the difference isn't so great, why require the General test at all?
Here's another thought: Rules changes like that don't happen overnight -
there's always a time delay between when a rules change is announced and
the
new rules take effect. So if FCC simply accepted ARRL's proposal tomorrow,
they'd probably make it effective a few months hence.
They could make a rules change effective 30 days from publication in the
Federal Register ...
Sure - but they don't. Look at the 2000 restructuring - announced in late
December 1999, made effective April 15, 2000. More than 3-1/2 months
- over 100 days - of prep time.
So someone without a license could just take the Tech before the changes
take
place, and then ride the free upgrade bus to General.
Give me a break ...
What do you mean? That's exactly what a lot of people will do.
Those with no license or an existing Novice will have an incentive
to get a Tech before the rules change and ride the free upgrade
bus to General. Those with Tech will have a *disincentive* to
actually take (or study for) the General. Same for Advanceds
and the Extra.
your arguments are just plain lame
How? Do you think people won't do this?
and your "someone might
get privs without taking a test with the same number of questions as I took"
is REALLY showing.
Nobody today can even take the tests I took. You couldn't pass the tests I
took,
Carl.
The tests I took are not the issue. Free upgrades and reduction in written test
requirements are the issue.
I'd really like to see a link to Ed's arguments...
Go find them - you know how to google.
I'll look again but it's quite telling that you are being very unhelpful when
asked for assistance
73 de Jim, N2EY
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