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Another License Idea
Reposted and updated slightly:
1) Three classes of license: Basic, Intermediate, Full (change the names if you don't like them - Third, Second, First, Novice, General, Extra, whatever) 2) HF/MF bands split into subbands by mode and split again by license class. Some bands (30 meters) may be split by mode only. Bottom of each band is CW only, middle is CW/digital, top is CW/phone/image. Percentage division about 20%/30%/50% (varies with band). "Digital" includes digital voice modes if bandwidth under 1 kHz. 3) "Basic" license test is simple 20-25 question exam on regs, procedures, and safety. Very little technical and RF exposure stuff. Main objective is to keep Basics out of trouble. Basics get 100-50 watts on HF/MF and 25 watts or so on VHF/UHF (power level is below the point where RF exposure evaluation required). Modes are CW, analog voice, PSK31, RTTY and many of the other common data modes like packet. Basics cannot be VEs, control ops for repeaters, or club trustees. Basics get most VHF/UHF and about half of HF/MF spectrum, including parts of all subbands-by-mode. Basic is meant as the entry level. Easy to get, lots of privs, yet there's still a reason to upgrade. 4) "Intermediate" license test is more complex 50-60 question exam on regs, procedures, safety and technical stuff. Intermediates get 300-400 watts on all bands, all modes. Intermediates can be VEs after qualification (see below), control ops for repeaters, and club trustees. Intermediates get all VHF/UHF and about three quarters (or more) of HF/MF spectrum. 5) "Full" license test is quite complex 100-120 question exam on regs, procedures, safety and technical stuff. Mostly technical, with some regs to cover expanded privs. Fulls get all privileges, modes, bands, etc. except that Fulls can be VEs only after qualification (see below). 6) All licenses are 10 year and fully renewable/modifiable. No age requirements or limits. 7) Basics have six-character calls, Intermediates have five- or six-character calls, and Fulls have four-, five-, or six-character calls. Nobody has to give up an existing callsign. 8) Separate 30-35 question test for VE qualification, open to Intermediates and Fulls, which allows them to be VEs. Existing VEs are grandfathered. 9) Existing Novices, Techs and Tech Pluses become Basics, existing Generals and Advanceds become Intermediates, and existing Extras become Fulls. Existing hams can continue to use their current privileges when they exceed privileges granted by the new system as long as they retain license documents showing their old license class. Existing Tech Pluses who can show proof of license before Mar 21, 1987 get Intermediates. 10) Change to new system is at least six months to one year after announcement to allow time for question pool reorganization and so existing hams can upgrade under present rules if they want. End result is a system that is easy to get into (Basic is envisioned as a 21st century version of the Novice) and has reasonable but meaningful steps to reach full privileges. Testing matches the privs granted. Power levels are set about one S-unit apart. Nobody loses any privileges. There are only three license classes and four written tests, so FCC doesn't have more work. Example of new privileges: 80/75 meters 3500-3575 CW only 3575-3750 CW/data 3750-4000 CW/analog phone/image Basic: 3525-3625 and 3900-4000 Intermediate: 3525-3750 and 3850-4000 Full: entire band 73 de Jim, N2EY |
Another License Idea
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Another License Idea
wrote Basic: 3525-3625 and 3900-4000 Intermediate: 3525-3750 and 3850-4000 Full: entire band I missed where you explained why the bands needed to be divided by class. Is it more difficult to understand how to operate on 3524 than on 3526? 73, de Hans, K0HB |
Another License Idea
KØHB wrote:
wrote Basic: 3525-3625 and 3900-4000 Intermediate: 3525-3750 and 3850-4000 Full: entire band I missed where you explained why the bands needed to be divided by class. It's to serve as an upgrade incentive. Not everyone aspires to run high power. Is it more difficult to understand how to operate on 3524 than on 3526? Of course not. Neither is it more difficult to understand how to operate a 100 watt transmitter than a 50 watt transmitter. But under your system, a Class B licensee could not legally operate a 100 watt transmitter. RF exposure, you say? The RF exposure hazard (in the high gain direction) from a 50 watt UHF transmitter with a high gain antenna is far more than that from a 100 watt HF transmitter with a low-gain antenna at the same distance. Yet under your system, a Class B licensee could legally operate a 50 watt UHF transmitter and high-gain antenna, but not not legally operate a 100 watt transmitter with low gain antenna. 73 de Jim, N2EY |
Another License Idea
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Another License Idea
wrote in message
oups.com... I missed where you explained why the bands needed to be divided by class. It's to serve as an upgrade incentive. Not everyone aspires to run high power. When I upgraded from Conditional to Extra (Advanced was closed) in 1963 I didn't need any spiffy new freqs or higher power to motivate me. Sounds like giving lollipops to children if they'll first eat their spinach. Is it more difficult to understand how to operate on 3524 than on 3526? Of course not. Good answer! 73, de Hans, K0HB Grand Exalted Liberator of the Electric Smoke |
Another License Idea
On 31 Dec 2005 05:52:25 -0800, wrote in
.com: KØHB wrote: wrote Basic: 3525-3625 and 3900-4000 Intermediate: 3525-3750 and 3850-4000 Full: entire band I missed where you explained why the bands needed to be divided by class. It's to serve as an upgrade incentive. Not everyone aspires to run high power. So what you're -really- talking about are low-power and a high-power license classes? ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
Another License Idea
Frank Gilliland wrote: On 31 Dec 2005 05:52:25 -0800, wrote in .com: KØHB wrote: wrote Basic: 3525-3625 and 3900-4000 Intermediate: 3525-3750 and 3850-4000 Full: entire band I missed where you explained why the bands needed to be divided by class. It's to serve as an upgrade incentive. Not everyone aspires to run high power. So what you're -really- talking about are low-power and a high-power license classes? No. If you look at K0HB's license-structure idea, the main (in fact the *only* difference in operating privileges between his Class A and Class B licenses is the power allowed. Class A gets full 1500 W Class B gets 50 W Hans' idea is that by limiting Class B to 50 W, the RF exposure questions can be eliminated, or at least greatly reduced. But the fact is that 50 W can still be an RF exposure hazard on some frequencies (UHF in particular) if a high gain antenna is used. Deciding that the power level of 50 W is acceptable for Class B, but 100 W is not, is just a matter of judgement. It's the same kind of judgement as saying that 3500-3525 kHz is not allowed for all license classes. |
Another License Idea
"Frank Gilliland" wrote So what you're -really- talking about are low-power and a high-power license classes? Same like now, only more so....... Three power levels.... Three frequency sets.... Longer clunkier calls for lower grades.... Beep beep de Hans, K0HB |
Another License Idea
From: on Dec 30, 5:56 pm
wrote: Reposted and updated slightly: 1) Three classes of license: Basic, Intermediate, Full (change the names if you don't like them - Third, Second, First, Novice, General, Extra, whatever) Brian, the best Jimmie can come up with is just warmed-over EXISTING regulations with a slightly different bit of cosmetic changing. Note: There are only THREE license classes granted NOW. 2) HF/MF bands split into subbands by mode and split again by license class. Some bands (30 meters) may be split by mode only. Bottom of each band is CW only, middle is CW/digital, top is CW/phone/image. Percentage division about 20%/30%/50% (varies with band). "Digital" includes digital voice modes if bandwidth under 1 kHz. Farf. There's BANDPLANS now, splitting "the bands" by mode AND class. 3) "Basic" license test is simple 20-25 question exam on regs, procedures, and safety. Very little technical and RF exposure 4) "Intermediate" license test is more complex 50-60 question exam on regs, procedures, safety and technical stuff. Intermediates get 300-400 watts on all bands, all modes. Intermediates can be 5) "Full" license test is quite complex 100-120 question exam on regs, procedures, safety and technical stuff. Mostly technical, More Farf. Cosmetic changes to classes that exist NOW. 6) All licenses are 10 year and fully renewable/modifiable. No age requirements or limits. NO change at all. Status quo-ism. 7) Basics have six-character calls, Intermediates have five- or six-character calls, and Fulls have four-, five-, or six-character calls. Nobody has to give up an existing callsign. Be absolutely SURE that the lowest class is readily identifiable as the LOWEST one. Tsk, can't have those nasty "beginners" messing up the playground! 8) Separate 30-35 question test for VE qualification, open to Intermediates and Fulls, which allows them to be VEs. Existing VEs are grandfathered. Oh my, something NEW! "Unbeliegable," said Arte Johnson. So, "what was WRONG with the present system" that it needs this spay-shull "test" to proctor a license exam...with the answers readily available to them and NO need to make any decisions such as on schematics or essay questions? Geez, privatization in testing has been going on a LONG time without any specific "testing of the VEs." End result is a system that is easy to get into (Basic is envisioned as a 21st century version of the Novice) and has reasonable but meaningful steps to reach full privileges. The Novice class was a numbers failure. That's apparent to most folks other than Jimmie. With a ONE-class license plus the ONCE-only "entry" license it is EASIER than the above regurgitated existing system. WHY is there a "privilege" system at all NOW? To keep "the bands" free of "interlopers" that mess up the olde-tymers' operations with "extraneous signals?" Testing matches the privs granted. It should, there is NO real change from the existing system. Power levels are set about one S-unit apart. Nobody loses any privileges. There are only three license classes and four written tests, so FCC doesn't have more work. I N C O R R E C T ! The FCC has to ADDITIOMALLY TEST Volunteer Examiners. More work for them. But, as in Latin ("who watches the watchers?") who will test the VE applicants? Other VEs? Not unless they have ALREADY been tested...which leads to an impossible condition. What's with this "power level" per "class" thing, anyway? If that were meaningful, there would be FCC field teams out there measuring field strengths and knocking on doors, etc. Obviously there aren't and any existing "RF power output" maximums in amateur radio operate on the honor system. Ain't no extensive "RF power output" checking being done. 73 de Jim, N2EY QP contains 10,000 questions. You take a test, 1 question at a time. Questions selected at random. You keep going til you miss one. No retakes, no upgrades. Each right question earns 10Hz of spectrum, your choice of frequency, but it must be made at the exam session. That is your lifetime allotment. HAR! :-) ------ Well, since Jimmie didn't come up with anything "new" other than doing a Max Factor Thing with the existing regulations (plus the NEW test for VEs), I'll just remind everyone of what is in the regulations NOW...and has been since at least 1995: The FCC states that each written test element Question Pool must contain a MINIMUM of 10 times the number of required questions. There is NO maximum on the Question Pool. [I don't think there ever was one] It's all up to the VE QPC on how many it wants to generate and distribute. Make it 20 times, 30 times, 50, even a 100 times the minimum in the QP...that will knock down all those charges of "memorization." Yawn. Nappy Hoo Year! |
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