ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees

Hi Fellow Ham Operators

I want to make sure I got this right, Technician class will have HF privileges?

"ARRL Requests Expanded HF Privileges for Technician Licensees"

The argument is to recruit more Ham operators, the fear Ham community will be far less in population due to baby boomers dying off.

I think I heard this argument before...I think the progression went this way, and please tell me if I am wrong (Note the steps maybe in the wrong order, and I might have missed some steps)

1. Lower Code speed to 5 WPM

2. Provide a pool of questioned that would be on the exam, (Memorize rather then comprehend)

3. Do way with the code all together

4. Change from 5 class tier license (Novice, Tech, General, Advance, and Extra) to Tech, General and Extra

Did the above actually increase the number of Ham operators? Maybe I have no idea, I think this is diminishing returns though.

I am not into conspiracy, but it if someone told me that the major manufactures and distributors (Lobbyists) were to heavily promote such of lowering the standards to make sales, I might believe it..

I think at this point, less just do away with all the exams, like CB, I have a feeling this is the way it is going.

However, the day an emergency requires professional communications, coordination, maybe the value of quality will out due quantity.

Having said that, I don't think having the Tech license have HF privileges will retain or promote. There might a slight increase, but it will settle down. It is a hobby that is all, You have to have an interest to communicate long distances, via HF propagation, or other aspects of Ham radio, you can't lure more people just because of lowering the standards.

C U You on the bands! Cheers , NN2X, Tom

 

What rock have you been hiding under, and how did this get on the QRZ front page? This proposal is months old.

Technicians already have some HF privileges, they just aren't very useful unless the Tech learns the code. The ARRL proposal first calls for granting them digital privileges on the bands they already have CW privileges on. It also grants them some limited phone privilege on those bands, as well.

I'm not so much in agreement on the phone privileges, but I think the digital privileges would be a big improvement. They would give the Tech something to do at night, after the repeaters go to bed, a non-voice mode that's actually useful to them.

The improvements you cite as failures were actually wildly successful - particularly the elimination of the code test for Technician. Had that not occurred, I think ham radio would already be dead and buried. We get plenty of new recruits, but the dropout rate is horrendous, and it also has changed the focus of the hobby from HF to 2 meter FM. Granting useful HF privileges for the entry license might restore HF to the forefront.

Reducing the requirements? The current Tech exam covers all of the things being proposed - they can already do those modes on all bands from 10 meters and up, with 1500 watts above 50 MHz.. The international recommendation is that entry level licensees have 'meaningful' HF privileges.

 

The current exam DOES not cover the HF frequencies being proposed... the exam questions and answers are given to the potential applicant, so why DON'T they just study (sic) the questions and upgrade?

 

I hate to say it...yet again...but given this is MONTHS old...and we already saw and discussed it....


ITS NOT AMATEUR RADIO NEWS

 

No kidding! I hope we don't have to re-hash this again.

 

I gave up on trying to figure that out long ago.

 

I predict a downturn in upgrades to general. Other than an avid phone dx'er, these WIDE digital bands(2X too wind IMHO) decreases incentive and would make many ops satisfied. With the solar cycle what is going through, you can work DX every night now on digimodes and they get plenty of BW to do it. At least this bright idea won't loose me any frequency accesses like that other idea did.

 

Don't sweat it. The FCC isn't going to approve the petition.

 

I think it's a great idea to get more hams on the ham bands.
I also think it stinks that they don't upgrade the NOVICE to use digital on there HF frequency's and get to use 2 MTR and 440 MHZ.
W4DJS

 

I agree.

 

The number of licensed hams is increasing, what isn't increasing is ARRL membership. Who put the petition up? That should answer the why, but the FCC has previously shot down "tech enhancement" petitions
so the other side of the question is why waste the resources on a slim to none chance of getting it passed?

 

Yes it is a few months aged but still relevant. My only issue is the fairly large swath of band on 40M and the fact that is will support few reasons to upgrade to general. More dumbing down however is bound to be the way of the future. One small bright spot as earlier noted, doubt the FCC will bless this one as it reeks of commercial reasons.

 

Only if we allow it. Generally speaking, sending money every year to an organization who insists on dumbing things down doesn't help.

 

I would call that beating a mummified horse. It has been 18 years since there were about 50,000 of them. More than 80% of those licenses are now gone. I think that any Novice that wanted those privileges has already moved on to the Tech license. I would like to hear from a Novice that does NOT agree.

As for the Advanced Class, there is still an opportunity to make some difference for them. Their drop-off has only been about 60% (and how many of them are already Extras?). Give them an option to become an Extra ON REQUEST ONLY. There are many who seem to have no desire to change their status. In some cases it seems to be an old grudge with the FCC (a wound that will never heal). Others take pride in what it took to achieve an Advanced class license. So I would not force it on anyone.

 

Any ham radio that pays for a membership to an organization that only wants to increase its membership so they can pay their over priced leaders of this organization and run it into the ground only to fill their pockets with your memberships every, has got to have your head examined.

Do you REALLY think they are looking out for the hobbies best interest, your wrong.....Stop giving them your money and see what happens..

yes there has been an increase of ham ops but a decline in membership to a organization that is a shambles.

numbers dont lie!!!!