From: Bob Brock on Wed, Jan 24 2007 9:12 am

On 23 Jan 2007 22:36:44 -0800, " wrote:
On Jan 22, 2:370m, "Bob Brock" wrote:
"KH6HZ" wrote in ...
"KC4UAI" wrote:

From the same perspective, I think that all hams should be required to
re-test on a regular basis to keep their ham license.
Afterall, that is what they do with driver's licenses isn't it?

Can you drive your ham rig on the streets and
kill or main others by losing control?

That "license comparison" subject was done to
death in here years ago. It is presuming that a
hobby radio license "is the same as" vehicular
operation...it is far from that.

The FCC decides. In the case of the Commercial
Radiotelephone licenses (three classes merged
into one General class) they were made lifetime.
NO renewals needed. Ever. [sometime around
the 1980s? I'd have to look in my licenses folder
elsewhere to get the exact date]

I wasn't being serious Len. I didn't read here years ago and would be
surprised if someone seriously suggested periodic retesting.

My apologies to you, Bob. Sometimes it is hard to
discern who is serious or who is wry in this Din
of Inequity. [as in ham-on-wry... :-) ]

In my
state, they don't require a written test to renew drivers licenses
unless the person has been convicted of a moving violation since the
last renewal.

That's pretty much the case in my state, California...but
somewhat graded. Every five years it was into a DMV
office to take a real shortie of a written test, check
appropriate physical things (corrective eyeware required
in my case), do the fingerprint thing, photos, etc. No
actual vehicle driving test. After ten years I was called
to take the full written. Went to the California state
DMV website and brushed up on new laws. Passed the
written and again, NO actual vehicle driving test. [I had
then been driving every day of those ten years...how did
they think I GOT to the DMV office? :-) ] No, none, zip,
nada moving or stationary violations in ten years.

But, seriously speaking, voice in hushed tone a radio
hobby test isn't even close to a requirement to operate
a vehicle that can KILL others as a result of a minor
lapse of attention. The California DMV driver test (full-
on version) is multiple-choice. The number of questions?
I forgot, but the latest info can be obtained on the 'net.
The nature of operating a heavy vehicle mandates at least
a cursory check of basic physical abilities by officials
whose main task is public safety.

There's NO such need in amateur radio, nor has it been so
for commercial radio licenses for as long as I've been
licensed there (51 years). PERHAPS a periodic review of
new radio regulations? Sort of like what I call the
"shortie" test at the CA DMV. That might be applicable
for the single-Part amateur regs in the USA, but the
commercial radio licenses cover operating in MANY
different radio services covered by as many Parts in
Title 47. Plus, some radio services don't need all
radio operating personnel to have any form of license.

SOME form of licensing is needed for a station, especially
one that can spritz out RF energy all over the globe,
ionosphere permitting. For safety reasons? I don't think
so. Amateurs aren't allowed microwave-cooking kinds of
powers or have they the kilowatts needed to heat-cure
plywood laminations in 32 sq. ft. sheets. Radio amateurs
can kill themselves doing dumb NON-amateur things, so
there isn't a need for yet-another governmental watchdog
on that. I'd say the jury is still out on "RF exposure"
at HF even though it is codified in law (and has questions
on the test)...at least at amateur allowed RF powers.
For technical reasons? Yes, the activity IS technological.
For regulatory reasons, absolutely. Part 97 alone is many
many changes in the last 10 years; I can see that in bound
volumes from the GPO on Title 47 versus today's regs
available at the GPO website.

But, bottom line, the FCC is still the final decider. They
grant the licenses, try to enforce the written (and spirit)
law, can fine miscreants, and yank back the licenses of
offenders.