Radio Amateur KC2HMZ wrote in message . ..
On 07 Jul 2003 11:11:10 GMT, (N2EY) wrote:
Here are some predictions for ya:
Hmmm...hang on, lemme wipe the dust off the crystal ball for ya
first....okay, go ahead.
Thanks!
The dropping of the code test will not be accompanied by a significant change
in the written exams.
In the short term, probably not. In the long term, as the written
tests go through their normal revision and updating processes, I'd
expect and hope that the question pool committee members would begin
to include questions on practical operating knowledge in addition to
the questions on theory that are already part of the tests.
The current writtens are a mixture of rules and regs, theory,
operating practices, and RF safety. They have been in constant
revision and development for over 20 years. I don't see them changing
all that much.
What sort of "practical operating knowledge" questions would you have
the QPC add? (Anyone can submit questions for review, btw).
I've long
felt that it was time for the CW testing requirement to go, but the
fact remains that it has indeed been the only practical skill (as
opposed to theoretical knowledge) tested, and I think that this does
need to change.
One of the problems with skill testing is that the test has to
actually include the skill - it can't be a purely paper test and
actually mean anything. (You can't judge my bicycle-riding or
stick-shift skills with a written test). And such testing means a
separate test element and the same problems that come with the code
test.
The dropping of the code test will not be accompanied by a significant,
sustained increase in growth rate of the ARS. There may be a short term
surge,
and lots of upgrades, but total numbers will not skyrocket.
Seems to me that the outcome, in this regard, is up to us. We have an
opportunity to start a significant influx of good operators into the
ARS provided we're willing to identify them and elmer them and welcome
them into the ranks, so to speak.
Those of us who go out of our way to meet these people and convince
them to get into the club meetings and the VE sessions, and who answer
questions and provide the guidance the newcomers will need and then
accept and respect them as fellow hams should, will be taking good
advantage of the opportunity.
I agree with all of the that - but a lot of it comes down to publicity
for the ARS, and the simple fact that most people are not interested
in radio as an end in itself. There's a limit to how much we can
"sell" amateur radio. The trick is to identify those who are really
interested, and help them out.
Those of us who spend our time coming up with witty and derogatory
names like Extra Lite and insist on distinguishing between No-Code and
Know-Code and go out of their way to make people feel like
second-class citizens will be letting the opportunity just slide on by
and will be doing a disservice to the ARS.
Agreed - and I challenge you to find any postings of mine where I have
done any of that.
The dropping of the code test will not be accompanied by a significant change
in the modes and technologies used by hams. There will not be a
technorevolution, nor big increases in experimentation or homebrewing. Just
more of the same of what has been going on.
Again, this depends on us.
To a certain extent. There are not many hams who will homebrew
themselves a multiband multimode transceiver from scratch. Even if
someone has the time and tools, it's usually not cost-effective.
Hmmm...lemme see...we're faced with the possibility of having a lot of
newcomers with little or no practical experience WRT radio wave
propagation on the HF bands, and thus little knowledge on which to
base selection of a frequency band on which to begin making contacts
at any particular time. Isn't this exactly what ALE is supposed to do?
Sure.
Yet, how many hams do you know of who have even heard of ALE, outisde
of those in this forum where I know the subject has come up
previously? How many hams in your local club know what ALE is? How
many would be willing to accept and use it if they did?
Many of us know what ALE is, and even how it could be used on the
amateur bands.
The bigger question is - why would hams want to use ALE for normal
amateur operation? The whole point of ALE is to reduce/eliminate the
need for a knowledgeable operator. In fact, if you look at most
nonamateur radio equipment design philosophies, one of the driving
forces behind them is to replace the skilled "radio operator" with a
relatively unskilled "user", who doesn't really know what's going on -
and doesn't have to. Consider the nearly-ubiquitous cell phone - none
of the radio-specific functions are controlled by the user at all! In
fact, far too many people don't even realize a cell phone is a radio
transceiver. (I recall an indignant fellow airline passenger telling
me "I can use this while we take off! It's a TELEPHONE, not a
RADIO!!")
Let's see what happens in the UK. RSGB and RA have been pushing to drop the
code test for a long time. Maybe they won't be disappointed.
Just wondering.
Don't hold yer breath. The usual bureaucratic delay will slow things down here
in the USA. And remember, those who get the licenses after the change will be
raw, inexperienced newcomers, who will need our help and guidance as they are
welcomed into the ARS.
To use the British term: Bloody Well Right!
Fair dinkum, mate!
Especially since there
will undoubtedly be those who will not welcome them at all, and in
fact do quite the opposite.
A few. That's not a new thing - ever hear of the fellow who used to
call CQ on 75 AM and add "no kids, no lids, no space cadets, Class A
operators only"?
Those of us who wish to take advantage of
this opportunity will have to work doubly hard in order to overcome
the harm done by the minority that will attempt to ostracize and chase
away the newcomers, forgetting that they were newcomers themselves
once upon a time.
All true. Actually, it doesn't seem like that long ago that I was a
newcomer.
But there is also the reverse problem: Newcomers who do not want
advice or elmering from the "old f@#$S", no matter how it is offered.
I've been on the receiving end of that more than a few times. What's
the right approach - just ignore them?
73 de Jim, N2EY