ARRL Proposal to Give Technicians More Operating Privileges

The current state of 11 meters is during any openings, your going to get to work the USA DX, or taxi cabs, services, and shipping handlers south of the boarder
Yes I would call across the country DX in such poor conditions. It's all relative.

Some 10 meter techs we have given our used 10 meter only radios to, so they could participate in the Weekly local 10 meter activation net, have trouble even across town. That's due to not standardizing on a polarization for local talk by the Generals and Extras. I switch from vert or horizontal wire to work each of them. Once in a while during that evening net, USA Dx will come in an join us.

Once it gets warmer here we will get more North/South opening into central and SA.

Ten-Ten #65966

 

I've been doing ham radio for 60 years, and every time a change is made it will be the end of our hobby. I wasn't for the generals losing all they had and needed to upgrade to Advanced than Extra to get back what I use to have. I've come to believe that any change that will increase our numbers----we need the people. All kinds of groups are attempting to get a part of radio spectrum. The ARRL (like them or not) needs people when they fight for our spectrum. So I see no problem with the tech's getting more HF spectrum using current and future modes.

 

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Hams in this country managed to single-handedly keep CW alive for a good 50+ years past its useful life. I think that's plenty.

Why not have a whole bunch of other random requirements? Force people to build their own radio to become a ham, build their own antenna, do 100 push-ups in a minute, and whatever other arbitrary requirement we can come up with to keep people off your bands. This is why ham radio is dying.

 

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Listen to this man of experience. He knows what he is talking about.

73
Chip W1YW

 

What exactly do you have against CW? If my recollection of history is accurate, you didn't need to take a CW test when you were first licensed.

 

The questions are multiple guess, so you have a 25% chance of getting it right. Make that 50% as 2 of the answers are too stupid to even be considered.

 

So you think it is better TO TAKE AWAY PRIVILEGES FROM THOSE THAT EARNED THEM? I think it would be better to give the whiners with limited privileges a coloring book and send on their way. Maybe we could also change college grades. STUDENT#1 earns "A" grade but gets dropped to grade "C" so STUDENT#2 earns "F" however gets "C" grade thanks to STUDENT#1.

 

I had a QSO on 10 meters just this evening - from Utah to California. And, the remote station that I spoke with was a Technician class operator. So, apparently he and I MUST be deluded. However, I can guarantee that our 20 minute QSO was very much real. If you watch for Sporadic E, you'd be surprised what kind of contacts you can make during the summer months.

 

OH YES! The fever. My fever was hearing the DX and there I was a Novice. I had to get the General so I could work DX. CW has never been easy for me but the prize DX, my fever. However after getting WAS & DXCC my fever was fueled by hearing all the great DX in the Advance Portion and all I had to do take a written test. BUT, even greater & the rare DX was in the Extra Portion, DAMN, more CW. I squeaked by the CW test and aced the written. All that work and for me, it was hard work, 15 - 30 minutes a day for something I struggled through, BUT THE FEVER RAGED. Today 7 band DXCC - HONOR ROLL - DXCC CHALLENGE. These plaques remind me daily that hard work pays big rewards. The FEVER? Still have it. CW? Still struggle by still work it.

 

Usable phone bands? Why not instead, limited data privileges, restricted to modes of necessary bandwidth of 500 Hz or less, manual control only? 100,000 new Technician operators holding a spiral-cord mic in front of a little plastic box cluttering up the HF bands yakking mindless drivel on scratchy-sounding SSB would be a waste of spectrum as well as time. Besides, "phone" probably wouldn't be much of an attraction to potential younger new hams who would prefer to communicate by keyboard. Hell, a lot of that generation to-day don't even have much interest in talking to each other by telephone. They use their i-Gadgets for social media and to exchange TEXT messages, sometimes with other people in the same room.

 

Yes, of course, because every Technician is no better than a CB radio "freebander".

You wonder why Technicians don't upgrade? Maybe it's because they are constantly being insulted on forums like this.

I'd like to say what I really feel about comments like this but this is supposed to be a family friendly forum.

 

Exactly !

 

Sir , You dont even have ssb.

You are old school.

73