Indeed so. It is the interest and understanding of how devices
of all types function and how to interact with their interfaces
that is the fundamental skill of Ham Radio; a fundamental skill
that is markedly lacking in the CB-like licences issued today,
in particular the M3/CB Fools' Licence of Britland.

When the man-in-the-street can buy an off the shelf radio enabling
him to talk to the whole world, a GSM phone, what difference is
to be perceived from a Radio Ham who seems to do the same -
buys his rigs off-the-shelf and returns them to the shop if needing
repair?

I believe that it is very necessary that we revert the qualifications
for Ham Radio to an understandng of technical matters before
we become perceived as just another consumerist pastime by
the powers-that-be, and our jealously gained privileges are lost.

"William E. Sabin" wrote in message
news:V4RMg.39723$aJ.14372@attbi_s21...
In addition to the properties and usage of basic discrete components
(still very important) and the appreciation of fundamental principles
(from an introductory mathematical perspective) of electronics, there is
an increasing interest in the use of integrated circuits, especially at
low and intermediate signal levels. It is seldom necessary to be an
expert at the inner workings of these ICs, but the ability to understand
their data sheets and how to employ and interconnect them is a skill that
is very useful.

We probably could be tested a little regarding the basic usage of certain
kinds of ICs such as opamp, multiplier and DSP types.

Bill W0IYH

"nntp.aioe.org" wrote in message
...
I suggest that it still lies in the areas of LC filters, resistor
networks and individual transistor (or valve) operation.

Because, although the bulk of our circuit complexity
will soon lie in a single DSP chip, the interfaces to that chip,
to us at the baseband end and then to the antenna at the RF end,
still depend upon traditional electronic (pre-IC) practice.

How, then, can it be possible to issue Ham Radio licences
to those who cannot tell one end of a resistor from the other?

How, then, can it ever be possible to issue Ham Radio
licences to those of 6 years of age who lack the mathematical
capability to understand the evaluation of resistances in parallel?

The answer is, that it cannot be possible, and that licences
issued to such people are CB licences, no more, no less.

Syllabi for Ham Radio exams should resort to the traditional
subjects of familiarity with elemental electrical and electronic
components together with a modernised examination of the
ability to write software and understanding of DSP theory.