In article k.net, "KØHB"
writes:

"N2EY" wrote

One thing I'm not clear on, though. If an LP reached the end of the 10
years but couldn't pass the upgrade test, could they take the LP test
and get another 10 years (as with driver's license LPs) or is it
one-LP-to-a-customer, as the old Novice was?

One to a customer.

Understood.

If you can't "get it" in 10 years, then you probably
aren't going to be able to "get it" in 20 or 30 years.

All depends what's going on in those 10 years.

I know plenty of hams who were quite active until something significant
happened in their lives like military service, a major illness in the family,
marriage, divorce, children, relocation, new career, etc. Then, in accordance
with "The Amateur Is Balanced", they put amateur radio on hold for anywhere
from months to decades. Then, when their lives permitted, they came back in a
big way. A few let their licenses lapse, but most kept renewing and modifying.

Case in point: Amateur licensed in high school, got a bachelor's degree, worked
a year or two, then decided to become a doctor. For the next 7 years his life
was med school/residency/fellowship. Not a lot of time in there for ham radio,
but he had an HT and kept in touch. And now he's an M.D. and hamming in a big
way.

His 10 years as a ham hit somewhere towards the end of medical school. Under
today's rules, he just renewed and kept on going. Under your proposal, he would
have lost his license and had to go all the way to Extra in one go if he ever
wanted to be a ham again.

Is that really what's best for the ARS?

BTW, drivers license permits are not renewable here, although you can retest
for a new one.

Same deal here, AFAIK. So why not the same deal for hams?

73 de Jim, N2EY