RadioBanter - View Single Post

January 1st 06, 10:19 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.policy

From: on Sat, Dec 31 2005 3:29 pm

wrote:
From: on Dec 30, 5:56 pm
wrote:

Reposted and updated slightly:

1) Three classes of license: Basic, Intermediate, Full (change the
names if you don't like them - Third, Second, First, Novice,
General, Extra, whatever)

Brian, the best Jimmie can come up with is just warmed-over
EXISTING regulations with a slightly different bit of
cosmetic changing.

Maybe Jim didn't get any mental stimulation prior to age five.

Oh, I think he was "motivated" to speak Morse Code as early
as that...

Note: There are only THREE license classes granted NOW.

Precisely the number of license classes that Jim advocates!

Amazing, isn't it? :-)

2) HF/MF bands split into subbands by mode and split again by
license class. Some bands (30 meters) may be split by mode only.
Bottom of each band is CW only, middle is CW/digital, top is
CW/phone/image. Percentage division about 20%/30%/50% (varies with
band). "Digital" includes digital voice modes if bandwidth under
1 kHz.

Farf. There's BANDPLANS now, splitting "the bands" by mode
AND class.

Ghettos. Reminds me of some European social engineering of the 30's.

Good grief, we CAN'T speak like that in here!

The "lower end" of "the bands" MUST be kept open for the
PRIVELEGED CLASS to beep in total comfort. So "it has always
been and so shall it always be..."

3) "Basic" license test is simple 20-25 question exam on regs,
procedures, and safety. Very little technical and RF exposure

4) "Intermediate" license test is more complex 50-60 question exam
on regs, procedures, safety and technical stuff. Intermediates
get 300-400 watts on all bands, all modes. Intermediates can be

5) "Full" license test is quite complex 100-120 question exam on
regs, procedures, safety and technical stuff. Mostly technical,

More Farf. Cosmetic changes to classes that exist NOW.

Quitefine advocates Quitecomplex questions. "We've got a bleeder!"

In amateurspeak, he's got a "ham-morage!"

6) All licenses are 10 year and fully renewable/modifiable. No
age requirements or limits.

NO change at all. Status quo-ism.

All we need now is no enforcement and it could be the 70's and 80's all
over again.

Whatever. Except for the following, Jimmie's "idea" is all
just warmed-over deja vu.

Right now U.S. amateurs have licenses of 10 year periods, are
renewable/modifiable, and there are NO age requirements. Item
(6) on Jimmie's list is just a repeat of what already exists.

8) Separate 30-35 question test for VE qualification, open to
Intermediates and Fulls, which allows them to be VEs. Existing
VEs are grandfathered.

Oh my, something NEW! "Unbeliegable," said Arte Johnson.

So, "what was WRONG with the present system" that it needs
this spay-shull "test" to proctor a license exam...with the
answers readily available to them and NO need to make any
decisions such as on schematics or essay questions?

Geez, privatization in testing has been going on a LONG
time without any specific "testing of the VEs."

Odd, but the General could proctor Technician exams, and the Advanced
could proctor General exams. The Extra Exam had loads of VE questions,
the General and Advanced had none.

As far as I'm concerned, since the VEC's are already disregarding FCC
rules, we can dispense with the Extra Exam altogether and let the VEC's
qualify "thier" examiners without any spay-shull FCC exam.

They do that anyway...

End result is a system that is easy to get into (Basic is
envisioned as a 21st century version of the Novice) and has
reasonable but meaningful steps to reach full privileges.

The Novice class was a numbers failure. That's apparent
to most folks other than Jimmie.

It did give us a bunch of Technicians (General incognito) who couldn't
do 13WPM.

As far as I'm concerned, the "NEED" to do morse code at any
rate was an arbitrary, unneccessary regulation back in the
60s. Ancient morsemen didn't think so and pressured the
government to keep that "vital" necessity (or whatever they
called it before Homeland Security needed morse for "the war
on terror). So the morse code test stayed in.

With a ONE-class license plus the ONCE-only "entry" license
it is EASIER than the above regurgitated existing system.

It's easier for the FCC to maintain, and it's all that is necessary.

True enough, but it HURTS the spay-shull "high class" hams
who NEED that super-extra-special federal certificate to
show how good they are (above others of "lesser" rank).

WHY is there a "privilege" system at all NOW? To keep "the
bands" free of "interlopers" that mess up the olde-tymers'
operations with "extraneous signals?"

That hurts my gall bladder to hear you say that.

Sorry about that, chief.

[Maxwell Smart phrase, Hans, has nothing to do with USN]

Testing matches the privs granted.

It should, there is NO real change from the existing system.

Which it what needs changing.

A long time ago. Bad case of diaper rash in regs now...

The FCC has to ADDITIOMALLY TEST Volunteer Examiners. More
work for them. But, as in Latin ("who watches the watchers?")
who will test the VE applicants? Other VEs? Not unless they
have ALREADY been tested...which leads to an impossible
condition.

Division by zero?

Program crash!

What's with this "power level" per "class" thing, anyway?

If that were meaningful, there would be FCC field teams out
there measuring field strengths and knocking on doors, etc.
Obviously there aren't and any existing "RF power output"
maximums in amateur radio operate on the honor system.
Ain't no extensive "RF power output" checking being done.

Maybe Jim is an ARRL Official Observer, has a mobile van with precision
measurement equipment on board...

...in which case he totally neglected that "QRP" rig for sale
on E-bay for $9,500! :-)

[the one "used on 80m" and having that large air exhaust
ducting to carry off excess heat...]

QP contains 10,000 questions. You take a test, 1 question at a time.
Questions selected at random. You keep going til you miss one. No
retakes, no upgrades. Each right question earns 10Hz of spectrum, your
choice of frequency, but it must be made at the exam session. That is
your lifetime allotment.

HAR! :-)

Har? I was serious.

Sorry I am. Well, in retrospect, it was in the same spirit as
Jimmie's regurgitated regulation set...

Yappy New Hear!