RadioBanter - View Single Post - You'll probably never have to use CW to save a life.

Dave Heil · September 5th 06, 05:26 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.policy

wrote:
wrote:

wrote:

From: on Sun, Sep 3 2006 1:49 pm

(whole bunch of Len's errors and insults snipped in the interest of
time and space)

The fact is that the "incentive licensing" changes were an attempt to
*return* to a system something like that which existed before February
1953. The complexity of the final result was due in large part to it
being pieced together from the numerous non-ARRL proposals mentioned
earlier.

If that is true (and it is not) then there were FIVE classes
of amateur radio licenses prior to "incentive licensing." :-)

Actually, there were six classes of amateur radio licenses in the USA
from 1951 until the mid-1970s. They were Novice, Technician, General,
Conditional, Advanced and Extra.

Was the Conditional actually a class of license or a method of taking
the exam? What priveleges did it convey? Why do some OF's state that
they had a General when, in fact, they held the Conditional license?
Was there shame associated with the Conditional license?

Yes, the Conditional was a class of license. It conveyed the same
privileges as the General Class ticket. One who held the Conditional
was required to take the General Class exam before the FCC within a
certain period of relocating to an area where he was within so many
miles of an FCC testing point.

Shame?

In the mid-1970s the Conditional was phased out. When a Conditional was
renewed or modified, the FCC changed the license class to General.

Hmmmm? Almost interesting.

Are you bored?

Dave K8MN