"Steve Fritts" wrote in message
...
When I think of the ARRL I think of one thing- "Incentive Licensing".


"Incentive Licensing"

PRESS RELEASE
October 30, 2000
For further information:
Gary Harrison, K0BC
QCWA President
P.O. Box 467
Bolivar, MO 65613
417 777-7777
417 777-4783 Fax



The Quarter Century Wireless Association, Inc. has filed a petition with the
Federal Communications Commission requesting rulemaking action to amend
Section 97.505(a) of the Commission's Rules for the Amateur Radio Service.
This amendment would facilitate the restoration of those privileges
withdrawn from Advanced and General Class operator licensees on November 22,
1968. The amended rule would do this by requiring administering volunteer
examiners to give examination Element 4 credit to current Advanced and
General Class licensees also holding an FCC-issued Advanced, General or
Conditional Class operator license granted before November 22, 1968. By
doing such, the person would become eligible for a Amateur Extra Class
operator license, the privileges of which include those withdrawn on
November 22, 1968.
On November 22, 1968, amateur operators holding Advanced, General and
Conditional Class licenses lost significant operating privileges as a result
of rules adopted by the FCC in implementing a system of incentive licensing.
Every Advanced, General and Conditional Class operator was affected
adversely. Within the instant of but a single tick of the clock, their
privileges on the most popular amateur service bands were reduced
drastically. To regain the privileges withdrawn, a licensee had to upgrade
to Amateur Extra Class by traveling to an FCC office and passing difficult
high-speed telegraphy and written examinations.


It is the QCWA view that no useful purpose is being served by continuing to
deny the privileges withdrawn to those amateur operators who still suffer
from that action. The single issue addressed in the petition is the need to
restore to these operators the privileges they have not enjoyed for some 32
years. In sharp contrast with the compassionate "grandfathering" provisions
recently adopted for the amateur service, the transition to incentive
licensing imposed an injustice on all amateur operators holding an Advanced,
General or Conditional Class operator license grant on November 22, 1968. It
brought serious disruption to the amateur service and created ill will
within the amateur service community. Although many, if not most, of the
licensees affected have since upgraded to a higher operator class, there is
a widespread belief within the amateur service community that the abrupt
withdrawing of privileges was unjust to all Advanced, General and
Conditional Class operator licensees of that era.


There remains today, at most, a few thousand amateur operators so affected
who have not chosen to upgrade. Some do so as their statement in protest to
having been affected so adversely. Clearly, these licensees lost significant
privileges for which they had previously qualified by examination before FCC
examiners. Moreover, for many years - in some instances for many decades -
these licensees had been using those privileges at their amateur stations.
Most certainly, they had proven conclusively their proficiency in operating
an amateur station properly with those privileges. Then, in that instant of
time, those very privileges were withdrawn.


As the organization whose purpose is to promote cooperation and friendship
among amateur operators of at least 25 years of service, the QCWA seeks a
prompt ending of the injustice being suffered by those within its
constituency. The QCWA is committed to promoting interest in the amateur
service and the advancement of the electronic art, making use of the
reservoir of knowledge and experience among the nearly 10,000 members of the
QCWA for the benefit of all amateur operators and the furtherance of the
public welfare through amateur service communications.
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May God bless the QCWA for trying to fix that wrong.
Ace -
WH2T