N2EY wrote:

Robert Casey wrote in message ...


N2EY wrote:



The original 1913 reason for technical qualifications was to prevent
interference to nonamateurs caused by improper adjustment of amateur
transmitters.

How much interference to nonamateurs is caused by improper adjustment of
amateur transmitters today? Reading the FCC enforcement letters, such
interference today seems to be more a case of intentional modification of
amateur equipment by a lawless few to operate on nonamateur frequencies.



It seems that you have to violate rules "on purpose" several times
before the FCC
starts working on it.



I think it all comes down to complaints, too.



Modern equipment rarely causes problems (like
excessive
splatter or harmonics). I'm talking about stuff from the major
manufacturers
(Yeacomwood), not the "freeband" "linayes".



That's very true.

And it raises the question of "why should hams have to know all sorts
of theory stuff when the original reason for that knowledge is largely
gone"

Well, the FCC allows us to build and modify equipment for use on the ham
bands, and
it would be a good idea if we know what we are doing. At least be able
to recognize
things like wrong frequency (like out of band), severe harmonics,
splatter, TVI, and
such. Cell phone users don't have licenses, but they're not allowed to
modify their
equipment either. Same for CBers. A CBer isn't supposed to modify his
radio to
operate on 10m, but a ham could. It becomes a "ham radio set" and no
longer a "CB set".
If and when the FCC says "no homebrewing or modifying, off the shelf
'type accepted'
rigs only, then the theory requirement gets weaker. I doubt the FCC
would ever do
that, as one of our reasons for existing is to encourage learning about
radio and
electronics.