I took the modern tests, from Technician to Extra.

Technician October 1999
General June 2001
Extra Feb 2002

All were at just about the correct level for the privileges
conferred, IMO. I don't think the Technician test is proper
preparation for the General class license.


Does it really require more skill and knowledge to operate on 14.155 vs.
14.326? ;-)

Of course the real reason for the frequency based priv's is that it is
easily identified
what frequency you are operating on at a remote FCC receiving site.

Your point is more valid when comparing techs against general/extras
(VHF vs HF).




And there is still that nasty "day after" thing, when th eetsting
regimin goes up again...... or does it?



The testing regieme doesn't *have* to "go up again" ... NOBODY has
proposed
that the testing regieme be changed ... only that, in the interest of
"nobody loses privileges" (which was a DISASTER in the past), that
there be
a one-time "adjustment" to make everyone fit the new structure without
losing ...


But there is the problem. You either choose to believe (or simply
don't care) that the person that takes and passes a Technician test
one day before "the adjustment" is not treated differently by the
testing process than the person that takes the general test the day
after "the adjustment".

While people are grousing about how HARD those tests are, I look
at it as giving a royal shaft to the technicians upgraded in this
proposal.

It makes for a little awkwardness at the Extra level afterwards,
as they will not have taken a General element test.

I know that it's all about getting maximum benefits for minimum
input these days, but if a prospective ham asked me, I would suggest
that they wait until after "the one time adjustment" to get their
license, unless they wanted to go through the ranks quickly and get at
least General before the "one time adjustment. Learning and testing is
not a bad thing, IMO.

- Mike KB3EIA -