From: Alun L. Palmer on Aug 7, 10:29 am

"Bill Sohl" wrote in
"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
Bill Sohl wrote:
"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
Bill Sohl wrote:
"John Smith" wrote in message


If you believe there shouldn't be any testing, then file your
comments with the FCC accordingly.

I do not, Bill. I personally think there isn't enough testing now,
Morse code issue aside. I think I'm on record as being accepting of
elimination of Element one if there is a corresponding increase in the
testing requirements. If not, I am now.

OK...05-235 doesn't do what you want, however.

I raise these questions because there are some pretty powerful tools
available to people who feel otherwise.

What pretty powerful tools are you thinking of
and for what use? You lost me on that last comment.

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK

Although there are some licences that don't allow homebrew, none of them
allow full power, i.e. I don't think anywhere has banned homebrew
altogether. Of course, there are different ideas of what reduced power
means, i.e. 10w in the UK where full power is only 400w, versus 200w in
Canada where full power is 2,250w!

"Full power" is a very subjective term. That's NOT an issue
in WT Docket 05-235 regardless of how many are trying to
ignite differing wars of words in here.

No problem on power output for those that learn what to do.
I've operated 40 KW peak-power HF transmitters with as much
ease as handling a 20 W peak-power HF transceiver on a
manpack (AN/PRC-104). From RF power levels of around 100 W
output, there's a proportional increase in possible damage
to the human body with higher powers, plus a greater primary
power demand (i.e., higher electricity bills), and greater
cooling necessity in warm climates. Not to mention increasing
out of pocket expenses whether the transmitter is home-built
or ready-built.

There may be more attempts to get a lower level licence in the US, maybe by
Fred Maia, but the FCC has made it pretty clear in recent comments IMHO
that they think the Tech is easy enough, so I don't think it will ever
happen. End of story.

The ARRL has blessed and sactified the "entry level license"
as Technician class...which should be the end-all of that,
should it not? :-)

Curiously, the ARRL once upon a time lobbied long and hard
to get the ORIGINAL "entry level license" of Novice and did
get it. Yet, they fell down on the job of supporting it in
following years. Novice class numbers have been decreasing
for over a dozen years, longer than the existance of the
no-code-test Technician class license.

However, WT Docket 05-235 doesn't call for a "new license
class" or change any class names or even talk about an "entry
level." All it does is propose to eliminate the morse code
test for ALL U.S. amateur radio license classes.

WT Docket 05-235 is NOT about any "restructuring" of rules
save for the regulations about Test Element 1. However, if
the code test is eliminated, it will be the Death of Ham
Radio As They Know It to the rabid morsemen and they will
mourn its passing with mighty lamentations, sack cloth,
and ashes. The majority of amateur radio hobbyists will
continue on, adjusting to the new regulations, and possibly
embrace NEWER things besides a primitive communications
coding first used 161 years ago.

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