On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 05:34:03 GMT, Dave Heil
wrote:

Len Five Decades Over 21 but not acting a day over eleven wrote:

If you're waiting for radio
amateurs to be impressed by your professional credentials, you're likely
going to be disappointed.

I must admit, I've taken a shot or three at Len over exactly the same
issue - no Amateur callsign = no valid opinion on Amateur issues.

However, a little research reveals that this distinction would be
irrelevant in Canada, as we grant full Amateur license privileges upon
request to persons with appropriate Professional license
qualifications.

An excerpt from Industry Canada's Radio Information Circular follows:

================================================== =====

Persons holding any of the following Canadian certificates may be
issued an authorization to operate in the amateur radio service with
the same operating privileges as the holder of an Amateur Radio
Operator Certificate with Basic, Morse Code and Advanced
Qualifications: (** NOTE: equivalent to US Amateur Extra license)

- Radiocommunication Operator’s General Certificate (Maritime)
- Radio Operator's First Class Certificate
- Radio Operator's Second Class Certificate

Persons holding any of the following Canadian certificates may be
issued an authorization to operate in the amateur radio service with
the same operating privileges as the holder of an Amateur Radio
Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification: (** NOTE -
approximately equivalent to US Technician license)

- Radiotelephone Operator’s General Certificate (Aeronautical)
- Radiotelephone Operator’s General Certificate (Maritime)
- Radiotelephone Operator’s General Certificate (Land)
- First-class Radioelectronic Certificate

The full text of IC RIC-3 is available at:

http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/vwapj/ric3.pdf/$FILE/ric3.pdf

================================================== ======

It would seem to me that this makes perfect sense - radio operation is
radio operation, and the Pros have made a career of it - and invested
considerably more education, time, effort and ongoing training than
would be possible for most hobbyists. After all, it would be pretty
silly for the folks at the local photo club to argue that Yosuf
Karsh's pictures were pretty good, but not up to "Amateur" standards!

After all, the testing done for Amateur licences today is pretty easy
to pass, even without a formal education in electronics. Too easy,
I'd say, but that is another issue......(when 7 year olds can pass
exams with questions requiring calculation of squares, logs and
complex numbers - which sure as heck weren't part of my kids Grade 2
syllabus - I start thinking rote memorization of question pools....)

A question - was a similar arrangement for the recognition of
professional credentials in the Amateur service ever in place in the
US? With the reciprocity agreement between Canada and the US, someone
who has obtained their Amateur licence based on their Professional
qualifications automatically gains full Amateur operating privileges
when travelling in the US. One would think it logical for this
arrangement to be bidirectional, n'est pas?

I'm not sure if Len's First Class license is equal to any of the
Canadian ones listed in RIC-3 above - but if they are, the Canadian
equivalent to his license would be sufficient to acquire a VEx
callsign absolutely free upon request.

Well, for a 49-cent stamp, anyway

Dave K8MN

73, Leo