KØHB wrote:

"Bill Sohl" wrote


The support is/was for ONE-TIME free upgrades as proposed by
the ARRL petition and one or two others. No support was
given to any permananent relaxation of written tests by NCI.



Under this NCI-endorsed plan, 345,802 current hams (using Jim's July 15th
census) would receive a PERMANENT relaxation of the requirement to test for
General and another 75,730 would receive a PERMANENT relaxation of the
requirement to test for Extra. That's means that 421,532 individuals, or 63.4%
of the existing hams, would suddenly hold licenses for which they had not passed
the current written examination. Trying to trivialize that as a simple
"one-time" adjustment is intellectually dishonest and a cop-out. By any
reasonable measure, NCI and ARRL both officially are on record as supporting a
lowering of the qualification requirement for General and Extra.


Frankly, I view one time adjustments in about the same vein as I do
temporary taxes.

Imagine the howls when Operator #1 tests the day before the One time
free upgrade, and operator #2 tests the day after, and gets much less
privileges.

Is that fair? If they both pass the same test, why is one getting
preferential treatment?

All it does is substitutes another problem for the perceived first problem.

Hans, intellectually dishonest is an understatement! It works on so few
levels. I'll be howling on both sides. People should *not* get free
upgrades, and they should *not* be punished for the date on which they
took the test.


Perhaps they could reduce administrative burden, and do all manner of
other wonderful things by simply having a one time adjustment of
everyone to Extra?

- Mike KB3EIA -

"KØHB" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Bill Sohl" wrote


The support is/was for ONE-TIME free upgrades as proposed by
the ARRL petition and one or two others. No support was
given to any permananent relaxation of written tests by NCI.


Under this NCI-endorsed plan, 345,802 current hams (using Jim's July 15th
census) would receive a PERMANENT relaxation of the requirement to test
for General and another 75,730 would receive a PERMANENT relaxation of the
requirement to test for Extra. That's means that 421,532 individuals, or
63.4% of the existing hams, would suddenly hold licenses for which they
had not passed the current written examination. Trying to trivialize that
as a simple "one-time" adjustment is intellectually dishonest and a
cop-out. By any reasonable measure, NCI and ARRL both officially are on
record as supporting a lowering of the qualification requirement for
General and Extra.

In your opinion that is.

Hans, we covered all the same territory in this newsgroup
when NCI filed its own petition and also filed responses
to others. For now, anyway, it is a mute point since the
FCC didn't go with the ARRL free upgrades anyway.

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK

"Bill Sohl" wrote

I would personally oppose any such move and, I believe, I
am familiar enough with the other NCI directors to safely
say that none of them want relaxation of test requirements
for written.


Bill,

Just to make sure I had not mis-characterized the NCI position, I checked their
comments to RM-10867, on file at FCC's web site. My recollection was accurate,
in that it expressed unconditional support of the proposal for free upgrades.

In my veiw such granting of instant upgrades from Technician to General for
almost a third-of-a-million licensees would make a mockery of the written
examinations..

Today the General exam requires passing two 35-question written examinations,
and the Technician requires passing only the simpler of those two exams.

The ARRL petition would essentially grant a one-time waiver of the second
(harder) of the examinations, in effect holding a one-day sale of "half-price"
General licenses to these 330,000 licensees. This is not some trivial "one-time
adjustment" --- in fact if it were adopted, the vast majority of the General
licensees would never have successfully passed the test required for that
license class!

In the world of "unintended consequence" the effect of this give-away would be
that the commission would have ipso-facto established that today's Technician
examination is perfectly adequate for a General class license, and the
credibility of the qualification structure in the Amateur Radio Service would be
destroyed (especially since these "new" Generals would presumably now receive
credit for the "General" written element when they proceed to upgrade to Extra).

73, de Hans, K0HB

K=D8HB wrote:
"Bill Sohl" wrote

I would personally oppose any such move and, I believe, I
am familiar enough with the other NCI directors to safely
say that none of them want relaxation of test requirements
for written.


Bill,

Just to make sure I had not mis-characterized the NCI position, I checked=
their
comments to RM-10867, on file at FCC's web site. My recollection was acc=
urate,
in that it expressed unconditional support of the proposal for free upgra=
des.

In my veiw such granting of instant upgrades from Technician to General f=
or
almost a third-of-a-million licensees would make a mockery of the written
examinations..

in your view ok doesn't make it so

In mine for example giving the upgrade esp to those who have held the
leicense while it produces a retification of past in justices but the
FCC disagreed which isn't going to bother NCI or NCI members


Today the General exam requires passing two 35-question written examinati=
ons,
and the Technician requires passing only the simpler of those two exams.

The ARRL petition would essentially grant a one-time waiver of the second
(harder) of the examinations, in effect holding a one-day sale of "half-p=
rice"
General licenses to these 330,000 licensees. This is not some trivial "on=
e-time
adjustment" --- in fact if it were adopted, the vast majority of the Gene=
ral
licensees would never have successfully passed the test required for that
license class!

incorrect if they received the license then would have passed the
required test


In the world of "unintended consequence" the effect of this give-away wou=
ld be
that the commission would have ipso-facto established that today's Techni=
cian
examination is perfectly adequate for a General class license, and the

not really just would ahve showed, If the FCC had done it, that time in
service was also of value

credibility of the qualification structure in the Amateur Radio Service w=
ould be
destroyed (especially since these "new" Generals would presumably now rec=
eive
credit for the "General" written element when they proceed to upgrade to =
Extra).

of course they would and their would be no more or less credibility
than the current system their are always thoose saying the new license
holder did not earn it, nothing the FCC could have done and nothing
they can do will do change that

=20
73, de Hans, K0HB

KXHB:

I sympathize...

That is too drastic a change.

Most here probably remember the big stock market crash and the depression of
the 30's (I wasn't born yet--two decades later.) People jumped out of windows
and committed suicide in terrible ways--just imagine all the hams doing
this--would be anti-productive--end up with fewer licensees as a result of such
action by the FCC!

John

"KXHB" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Bill Sohl" wrote

I would personally oppose any such move and, I believe, I
am familiar enough with the other NCI directors to safely
say that none of them want relaxation of test requirements
for written.


Bill,

Just to make sure I had not mis-characterized the NCI position, I checked
their comments to RM-10867, on file at FCC's web site. My recollection was
accurate, in that it expressed unconditional support of the proposal for free
upgrades.

In my veiw such granting of instant upgrades from Technician to General for
almost a third-of-a-million licensees would make a mockery of the written
examinations..

Today the General exam requires passing two 35-question written examinations,
and the Technician requires passing only the simpler of those two exams.

The ARRL petition would essentially grant a one-time waiver of the second
(harder) of the examinations, in effect holding a one-day sale of
"half-price" General licenses to these 330,000 licensees. This is not some
trivial "one-time adjustment" --- in fact if it were adopted, the vast
majority of the General licensees would never have successfully passed the
test required for that license class!

In the world of "unintended consequence" the effect of this give-away would
be that the commission would have ipso-facto established that today's
Technician examination is perfectly adequate for a General class license, and
the credibility of the qualification structure in the Amateur Radio Service
would be destroyed (especially since these "new" Generals would presumably
now receive credit for the "General" written element when they proceed to
upgrade to Extra).

73, de Hans, K0HB

John Smith wrote:
KXHB:

I sympathize...

That is too drastic a change.

Most here probably remember the big stock market crash and the depression of
the 30's (I wasn't born yet--two decades later.) People jumped out of windows
and committed suicide in terrible ways--just imagine all the hams doing
this--would be anti-productive--end up with fewer licensees as a result of such
action by the FCC!

John

that is rich of course iwas born 3 and half decades later than black
monday myself