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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 |