In article , Alun
writes:

(N2EY) wrote in news:c2356669.0401191008.a3c8376
:

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/01/19/1/?nc=1

Summary:

3 classes of license: Novice, General, Extra

The _only_ merit to that is that testing was free for Novices, so it would
reintroduce a free licence class.

Not part of the proposal as I read it.

The new Novice would replace the existing Technician class as the entry level
exam. It would have less power and fewer VHF/UHF privileges, but more HF
privileges.

Provided the new class that happened to
be called Novice had Tech Plus privileges and they had to pass the current
Element 2 I would have no trouble with that

Why?

Current Element 2 is very VHF/UHF centric, and so are current Tech Plus privs.
The goal seems to be to strike more of a balance between above and below 30 MHz
privileges.

5 wpm code test retained for Extra only

Predictably, I do have a problem with that.

Me too. Should be at least 13 and preferably 20 wpm. Sending and receiving.

Morse skill testing for voice
privileges is illogical and should be dumped.

It's no more illogical than testing theory in order to be allowed to use
manufactured equipment.

Moreover, it can be now,
since it has not been required by the ITU for the last six months.

FCC will most probably just drop it completely.

Existing Advanceds get free upgrade to Extra,

OK

Why OK? Why not simply carry the Advanceds as a separate class, as has been
done for the past 3 years and 9 months?

Techs and Tech Pluses get free upgrade to General

Not OK in this scenario, given my comments above

Agreed - but why is it OK for Advanceds to get a free upgrade to Extra, but not
OK for Techs and Tech Pluses to get free upgrade to General?

What is the fundamental difference that makes one freebie OK but not the other?

'Phone image subbands for 80/40/15 widened slightly

Good.

Bad.

Some phone below 7100? No? Why not?

That space is needed for CW and digital modes.

Old Novice subbands replaced by additional CW/data
and 'phone subbands on 80/40/15. Novices also get
privs on 6, 2, 222, and 440

See above

Please clarify.

Novice power level set below that requiring RF exposure
evaluation

OK

Agreed.

Novice test to be 25 questions on "basics",

Not OK

Why not? Current Element 2 is only 35 questions! And it has a lot
more ground to cover, including all amateur VHF/UHF bands and modes,
power up to "meat cooking" levels (love that WK3C phrase) and much more.

By reducing the entry-level privs, 25 questions should be enough.

General to be
derived from Tech and General, Extra pretty much as-is.

What do you actually think of this proposal yourself, Jim? You don't say
here.

See above. A few good ideas and a few bad ideas. Obviously the work of a
committee looking to give everyone something they want, but not giving anyone
everything they want.

What will FCC do?

First off, they may just go for the "new Novice", in an effort to attract more
new hams.

Second, they will probably just dump Element 1.

Third, they will probably not hand out free upgrades because it costs them
little or nothing to keep the closed-off classes.

And that's probably about it.

73 de Jim, N2EY

73 de Jim, N2EY