RadioBanter - View Single Post - Amateur Radio Newslineâ„¢ Report 1402 Â June 25, 2004

June 26th 04, 02:07 AM

(Radionews) wrote in message ...
Amateur Radio Newslineâ„¢ Report 1402 Â* June 25, 2004
snip

**

RESTRUCTURING: A NEW HAM RADIO IN ZED-L

Big changes appear to be in store for ham radio in New Zealand.
This, as the current licensing system is replaced by one test and one
class of ham radio operator. ,Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, is in Auckland
where its all taking place:

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Here's the bottom line. Our current New Zealand Amateur Radio
licensing system is being renovated. We now have only one class of
ham radio license in Zed-L called the General Amateur Radio License.
This is just one of many changes coming to ham radio down-under as
New Zealand radio amateurs discover the full outcome of their
regulatory authority's review of the Amateur Radio service. It's all
good!

The changes started on June 17th when a new revised Schedule attached
to the Zed-L license came into effect. A Schedule here in New Zealand
is kind of like a new set of rules. That's the first step. Other
changes will take effect over the next 18 months or more. Many long
standing problems are being eliminated and some of the changes are
believed to be world firsts. Under the new structure there will be
only one grade of Amateur operator license in New Zealand. That's the
General Radio License that I mentioned earlier. One license means
only one test needs to be administered.

A newly-licensed amateur will have immediate access to all amateur
bands below 5 MHz and to all amateur bands above 25 MHz. After
getting experience over 3 months and with at least 50 contacts
logged, access is then permitted to all amateur radio bands.

All existing Limited Amateur licensees automatically became General
Amateur licensees on June 17th irrespective of what is written on
their existing licenses. There being only one license grade,
callsigns will no longer indicate a class. There is already an
established procedure to request a change of callsign if a licensee
so wishes.

All amateur bands remain the same but a newly-extended Low Frequency
band 130 to 190 kHz is being listed for the first time as an amateur
allocation.

The permitted maximum transmitter power output for an amateur station
on all bands is 500 watts P-E-P. With only one figure, the maximum
power level in New Zealand is now mode-independent.

How about visitors to New Zealand? Touring hams holding a current
amateur certificate of competency, authorization, or license issued
by another administration, may operate an amateur station in New
Zealand under a General User Radio License for visitors. A licensed
visitor will be granted similar privileges to a New Zealand resident
station for a period not exceeding 90 days. The present country-to-
country reciprocal license agreements will disappear in time as more
countries directly recognize the licenses issued by other
administrations. This will make cross-border travel by radio amateurs
a lot easier than it is today.

There are now minimum rules and restrictions for Amateur Radio in New
Zealand and the future is positive.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, reporting
from Auckland.

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With one license exam, one license grade, and with new and
simplified procedures, New Zealand telecommunications regulators say
that they have positioned that nations Amateur Radio Service for an
exciting future. (ARNewsline(tm), ZL2BHF, Q-News)

Mega-dittos!