On Sep 18, 2:21�am, AJ Lake wrote:
wrote:
But in 1991 FCC did it [a no-code license] anyway.

I always thought it was silly having a code test for an 'experimenter'
license anyway.

Had there not been a treaty requirement, FCC might have not had a
Morse test for Tech from the beginning. We'll never know.

I never used CW as a Tech. Heck I was too busy working 6M DX
(on AM) during that best of all cycles during the late 50s. But I suppose
could have told the FCC I was experimenting with the ionosphere...

A lot of VHF/UHF experimenting in those days did use Morse Code and
still does today. EME (moonbounce), meteor scatter, aurora,
troposcatter and other "weak signal" work was almost all CW. Most of
it still is. Of course those were specialized things back then.

Then Sputnik went up, and the USSR got a first in the history books.

Yes, remember it well. I listened to Sputnik on my S40.

Then you may remember the reactions. All of a sudden we were #2 and
that wasn't good enough.

It [Russian technology] was a shock that had repercussions in a lot of ways,

Yup. Got me many years of employment (government contracts).

And convinced FCC to be dissatisfied.

nobody wants to be blamed for "incentive licensing version 2"

Can't blame em. One screw up was enough.

Was it really a screw up? I think the real mistake was back in 1952.

What happened was that in 1951 the FCC restructured the ham radio
license classes and added a whole bunch of new license classes. That
restructuring was in part due to proposals from two small groups
(membership a couple of thousand each) who argued that the then-
current US amateur license requirements, even for Class A, were too
easy.

In those days it took an Advanced (old Class A) for full privileges.
Which meant taking another 50 question written test for hams with
Generals. The new Extra also had full privileges but had more
requirements like 20 wpm code, a 100 question written, and 2 years
experience.

But as part of the 1951 restructuring, FCC announced that at the end
of 1952 they'd stop issuing new Advanceds. So if a ham didn't have an
Advanced by the end of 1952, s/he'd have to go for the much more
involved Extra.

A considerable number of hams rushed to get the Advanced before the
door closed at the end of 1952. But then, in a surprising about-face,
in mid-December the FCC announced that as of Feb 1953 all Generals,
Conditionals, Advanceds and Extras would have full operating
privileges.

You can just imagine the reaction from hams who'd worked hard to get
their Advanceds or Extras, then suddenly found the HF 'phone bands
flooded with Generals and Conditionals who had the same privileges.

I don't know why the FCC suddenly reversed their plan, which they'd
taken several years to develop. Or why they didn't just leave things
the way they were in 1952, and left the Advanced open to new issues.

Nobody I have talked to, nor any reference I have read, gives any
reason for that Great Giveaway. And most of the hams licensed after
1952 that I have encountered have no idea of that piece of history.

When I first got interested in getting a ham license I bought the ARRL
License Manual for fifty cents. I clearly remember opening it up and
seeing the chart of license classes and privileges. I thought that it
was incredibly odd that there were six license classes, but four of
them (General, Conditional, Advanced and Extra) all carried exactly
the same operating privileges. What was up with that? I thought then
(and still do) that it made no sense at all.

Generals now have at least as much 'phone space as they
had in 1968,

I could have just kept my old General (or even Tech) license. That's all I
really need these days for CW ragchewing.

The circle is complete.

I remember in the 1960s thinking that the incentive license idea was
good but the application was bad. I thought what should have been done
was to increase the privileges of Advanceds and Extras rather than
taking anything away.

For example, in those days on 80/75 the Novice subband was 3700 to
3750 and the 'phone subband was 3800 to 4000. 3750 to 3800 was where
the foreign 'phone stations hung out to get away from US QRM. Why not
make 3750 to 3800 a phone band for Extras only? And make 3775 to 3800
a phone band for Extras and Advanceds? Similar things could be done to
other bands.

Another incentive would be increased power. The old rule was 1000
watts input; I thought a lot of hams would have upgraded if Extras
were allowed, say, 2500 watts input. Sure it's only a couple of dB but
that never stopped anybody.

I also thought that optional distinctive callsigns for various license
classes would be a good incentive too. (That one actually happened,
but it was many years later).

and we're effectively down to three license classes (almost).

I predict it will be only one license eventually.

Maybe, but it will take a very long time. In seven years we've lost
only about 1/3 of the Advanceds. And the FCC doesn't seem inclined to
give automatic upgrades nor to merge license classes except by
renewal.

I've come across Advanceds who say they like their license because it
supposedly proves they passed 13 wpm code. But in fact it doesn't,
because from 1990 to 2000 one could get any class of license with 5
wpm and a medical waiver.

The first license class to disappear completely will be the Tech Plus,
because FCC has been renewing them as Technician since April 2000. In
another 19 months the last Tech Plus should disappear.

The Novice license totals are now well under 20,000 (from 50,000 in
2000) and is also dwindling.

Who will be the very last Novice? The very last Advanced? How long
will it take for those license classes to disappear?

73 de Jim, N2EY