RadioBanter - View Single Post - NCVEC files license resstructuring proposal

March 17th 04, 02:58 PM

PAMNO (N2EY) wrote in
:

(quoting the NCVEC proposal)

In addition, the NCVEC proposed mandatory low voltage to the final
transmitter amplifier stage

What about the 110 AC line?

and that only commercially
manufactured transmitters be used by Communicator Class licensees.

Might as well call it "Appliance Class" and be done with it.

Communicator Class licensees must pass a simple 20 question
multiple-choice written exam and will be required to obtain, read and
certify their understanding of the Part 97 rules.

This is the worst part. We must fight this like the plague. What it
*really" means is that there will be *no* rules and regs questions on
the 20 question test!

Agreed

It is precisely this sort of thing that messed up cb.

The VECs Question Pool
Committee feels that it is impossible to cover the FCC rules in what
would be a relatively few questions. The ARRL proposed 25 examination
questions.

The old Novice I took was 20 questions, and we could homebrew. Which I
did from Day One. If a 13 year old kid with books for Elmers could
safely build transmitters in the hollowstate era, why all these
additional limits today?

This petition was reviewed prior to submission by all 14 of the
VEC's around the country, and was approved by a 2 to 1 margin.

Which means a third of them disapproved. Were the individual VEs
polled?

No, I wasn't

This NCVEC thing is very similar to the "Amateur Radio in the 21st
Century" paper by KL7CC. I wrote a detailed commentary on it some time
back.

NCVEC's proposal makes the ARRL one look good. Which isn't saying
much...

73 de Jim, N2EY

It has some improvements over the League's plan, but that all depends on
your perspective.

I'm not in favour of making the theory requirements easier. Both of these
plans upgrade all the Techs to General just to add a lower class licence
without increasing the number of classes. This is because they know the FCC
won't accept anything that makes the end result more complicated.

I don't think we need an easier theory test to attract people. If someone
is genuinely interested they will learn the theory. What we need is simply
publicity. Most people are scarcely aware that ham radio even exists.

The code test does need to be dumped to get over the hurdle of potential
recruits who immediately lose interest when it is mentioned. No-code
licencing for VHF+ did not eliminate that problem, no matter what anyone
says to the contrary. Any intelligent person knew that code testing was
only postponed if they wanted HF. However, most people don't even get that
far. Our visibility is zero. Besides, I am sure that the FCC will eliminate
Element 1 anyway.

By all means restructure, but these petitions are misguided.

73 de Alun, N3KIP