Hmmmm -

It's amazing, but I keep hearing these 'sour grapes' attitudes from
the old timers, both on the radio and in the newsgroups.

Fact is, if the Big Government changes the rules, and as a result
somebody gets a licence just like yours without having to jump through
all of the hoops that you did years ago, they still have a licence
that allows them to do the same thing that yours does.

In other words, it's equal. Maybe not in terms of effort, but in all
other respects and for all intents and purposes, equal.

That's a hard pill to swallow, especially if you pride yourself on
passing a 20 WPM code test to get your Extra, and it only takes 5 WPM
now. But, da rules is da rules, and someone who gets their Extra
tomorrow morning with 5 WPM can do exactly what you can do on the air
today. Same privileges, same modes, sames frequencies. Same licence!
And soon, when code is retired, it will be 0 WPM to get in and play.

Fact is, the FCC makes the rules, and you and I follow 'em. Simple as
that. Like it or not, you don't control the process. You live with
it, like everybody else. Time was, an Extra was WAY up there in the
amateur ranks (20 WPM is bloody hard!!) - today, it's simply a ticket
to use a small additional frequency allocation. Nothing more - no big
status thing to lord over everybody else! Still a lot of theory in
the test, but it can be done by memorizing the question bank answers -
I proved that a week ago Friday.

That's just the way it is, Friend - deal with it, or be bitter and
upset - it's your choice! Either way, as long as you're endlessly
debating the issue over here on Usenet, you're off the air - and we're
having a blast QSOing in your absence!

CB Plus - maybe, same as yours, after devaluation!

88's
Eddie - Extra Class Amateur Licence

....5 WPM Extra as of Sept. 12th, 2003 (gotta LOVE that big nickel!)...


On 21 Sep 2003 03:06:09 GMT, (WA8ULX) wrote:

You won't get any argument about that from me.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

And you will never be able to get a Real ham License, just 1 of them there
CBplusser Licenses