In article , Mike Coslo writes:

N2EY wrote:
In article , Mike Coslo
writes:

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

How odd! Are the newbies going to not be allowed to use antennas like
Magloops?

Or dipoles? Or antenna tuners? Or line-powered power supplies?

These people have it SO WRONG! Presumably thay are admitting that there
are safety issues involved, which there are. Then teach the newbies
safety, don't avoid the issue, teach them Safety!!

There's a logical inconsistency in this requirement. The purpose of safety
questions in the written test is not so much to protect an amateur from the
consequences of his/her own ignorance as to protect *others*.

Sure. And there is no logical argument that can convince me that safety

shouldn't be practiced from the start. It doesn't have to be safety
officer level, but it has to be there, and it has to be there from the
start.

I agree 100%. Even back in my Novice days there were safety questions on the
test.

I find that the pussyfooting around safety, where these proposals to
limit power are made, is verging on criminal negligence.

Consider this: In most areas that I know of, a homeowner can work on
his/her
electrical wiring without a license or test of any kind. Same for plumbing.
Just can't do it to somebody else's house as a "professional" - meaning for
money.

So a Communicator could legally wire or re-wire his/her entire house, but
could
not legally *operate* a TS-520. Or even a solid-state rig with 48 volt
finals....because he/she might hurt themselves!

That's why they shouldn't be allowed to have electrical tools! ;^)

HAW!

But it just points out how ridiculous that part of the NCVEC proposal really
is.

Here's two mo

1) Audiophiles and radio restorers build and work on all sorts of high-voltage
electronics without any test. Why is a ham transmitter so dangerous if it has
more than 30 volts, but not a ham receiver or a stereo amplifier?

2) Low voltage is no guarantee of safety. A 100 watt transceiver powered by
13.8 volts will typically require 20 A or more to transmit full power. 35 A and
50 A supplies are common. Don't get your rig across those terminals...

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

This is illogical! What purpose would forcing an amateur to use a
commercially built product be?

1) To sell more commercially built products (read the "21st Century" paper
- it
talks about how we need more hams or the ham equipment manufacturers will
close
up shop).

2) To get new hams in the habit of buying, not building

3) To eliminate even more theory from the written test

zzzzzzzzzz...... now *that* sounds like a much fun as a stick in the
eye.

It's what NCVEC is trying to sell. Some folks here seem to be buying it. I
don't.

Some of the main Basis and Purposes of the ARS are technical education,
experimentation, and related stuff. Limiting *any* class of ham license to
manufactured gear and so many final volts directly contradicts those B&P.

The main reason I am in Amateur radio at
all is for the homebrewing and restoring of radio equipment.

More to the point: How many hams do we lose each year to electrocution from
their transmitters? How many hams cause serious interference problems with
their home-brew or restored rigs?

I propose an addition to the proposal in which Hams of all classes must
drink only Pepsi or Coke, whichever company donates more to the BPL
defense fund.

The Dr. Pepper contingent will have a fit!

If they provide enough money, then maybe they will be the one!

I prefer Sprite or 7Up, myself. Better yet, a Yuengling Black & Tan or a
Guiness Stout.

The communicators should also not be allowed to own a soldering iron or
electronic tools This will keep them out of their commercially built
transcievers, and keep them safe from booboo's that they might get from
foolishly messing with electronics, where they might get shocked or
something

But they would legally be allowed to build power supplies for their
commercially built rigs....

Right! we'll have to work on that! The goal is no booboo's. We have to
protect the new hams from themselves. So I would amend the proposal to
not allow Communicator's to use ANY voltages over 48 volts.

No power tools, no vacuum cleaners..oh wait, what about the CRT in the computer
monitor? Or the ATX power supply in the computer! Oh the humanity!

Maybe they should wear aluminum foil hats too?

Seriously, I think such rules insult those we are trying to attract.

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. 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.

Cannot a person of even limited intelligence take a test of more than
25 questions? I took bigger tests in grade school.

Me too. You should see the tests they give second-graders here.

The old Novice test was originally 20 questions, then 25, then 30. Most of
the
added questions were concerned with safety and the expanded privileges.
Novices
are allowed to homebrew anything they can legally use on the air.

I have always though that having more questions on a test made the test

easier! If you have a twenty question test, you don't have to miss many
to get a failing grade.

That's one way to look at it.

What this is doing is alarmingly like the citizens band radio I bought
in I think the late 70's or early 80's. At this point, the F.C.C. was
still lamely trying to have some kind of callsign and "rules". I "had"
to read a little pamphlet, and assign myself a callsign by some strange
method that I forget at the moment. Even had places for me to sign.

Where do you think NCVEC got the idea about the rules?

But didn't learn much else. Maybe they should check the aftermath of
that example.

Maybe it's what they want!

If a person can certifiy that they have read and understand part 97,
there is no reason at all that they shouldn't just say they read a book
about the whole process and sign for that.


BINGO!

Testing would certainly be easier!

One wonders what would be left to test!

And here's the bottom line:

If there is *anything* that *must* be part of testing for a ham license of
*any* class, it's safety and the rules and regulations. No exceptions, no
signed statements.

What you are seeing is exactly what I predicted about the anticodetest
arguments being used against the written test.

Check this out:

From the 1976 ARRL License Manual:

NOVICE (1976)

Study Question #31:
Draw a schematic diagram of a circuit having the following components:
(a) battery with internal resistance, (b) resistive load, (c) voltmeter,
(d) ammeter.

Study Question #32:
From the values indicated by the meters in the above circuit, how can
the value of the resistive load be determined? How can the power consumed
by the load be determined?

Study Question #33:
In the above circuit, what must the value of the resistive load be in
order for the maximum power to be delivered from the battery?

Study Question #34:
Draw the schematic diagram of an RF power amplifier circuit having
the
following components: (a) triode vacuum tube, (b) pi-network output tank,
(c)
high voltage source, (d) plate-current meter, (e) plate-voltage meter, (f)
rf chokes, (g) bypass capacitors, coupling capacitor.

Study Question #35:
What is the proper tune-up procedure for the above circuit?

The actual exam was multiple choice, and would show a schematic of the
amplifier circuit - close, but not exactly like the one shown inthe license
manual - and had 5 of the components labelled "a" thru "e". The question
would
be something like, "which is the coupling capacitor?" "which is an rf
chokes?"
"what is function of the capacitor labelled ''d' in the circuit above?"

That was for a Novice!

Good questions! And actually not all that hard.

Not for you and not for me. Even when I was a 13 year old Novice-to-be those
questions were not "hard". Some folks here are obviously stumped by them,
though..

Sounds like an enjoyable test to take.

Challenge is the word I'd use.

73 de Jim, N2EY