wrote in message
ups.com...
Kim wrote:
Ah! Here it is...wouldn't ya know it? OK, so you're thinking the NPRM
in
its submitted form, if accepted and passed, would mean that
Codeless Technicians would have to upgrade?

I agree with you--lots of folks in for a shock. I am now
intrigued enough
to look through there and see what it says.

My initial thoughts are that, to do so, would seem to open up a
whole can of worms from an administration perspective.
I mean, as it is, I have to produce the actual
piece of paper to prove that I have the 5wpm endorsement
(if I wanted to upgrade to General under the current licensing
structure).
That is, if I understand the "way it works." LOL

That's how it works now, Kim. But that piece of paper could be
an old license that says "Technician Plus", or a page from an
old Callbook, etc. Or a listing from the FCC database showing your
former license class as "Technician Plus".

So, there'd be more affected than just the No-Code techs, I
think. For
instance, I couldn't begin to even find my endorsement and I am not
sure
I'll ever be able to. That would mean, essentially, I am a
Codeless Tech?

Since the changes of April 2000, FCC has left it up to the Technician
licensee (!) to retain documentation that they
are/were Tech Pluses.

It would be the height of irony if, in fact, the FCC dropped
Element 1 yet kept non-code-tested Techs off of HF until
they got Generals or Extras.

But isn't that exactly what is proposed. Once it becomes the
new regulations (i.e. no code test anymore at all) there really
is no way for a code-less Tech to then become a Tech
with coode since there won't be anymore code tests being
administered.

Of course the "simple" solution is to upgrade to General or Extra.

And since a CSCE is good for a year, many code-less techs
might want to consider getty element 3 so when the new
regs become the rules, they can just go for a paper upgrade
on the day the rules become effective. Lots of Techs and
advanced licensees did that in early 2000 once the new rules
were set to go into place in April of that year.

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK