ARRL Proposal to Give Technicians More Operating Privileges

HF spectrum is internationally allocated by treaty. The CW requirements to operate below 30 mHz was determined by international convention and proposed to the International Telecommunications Union.
ITU no longer suggest CW proficiencies.
Threats to the loss of spectrum is always an ever present danger and is a very strong reason and purpose for maintaining a strong organized group that represents our greatest interests in a sensible well thought out and reasonable way that reflects the general consensus of the organization. Together we stand Divided we fall. Now and in the future this will always be of great importance. The ARRL has been our organization good and bad it is what represents us. We have choices. Do nothing but bitch. Become a ARRL member and become active in the ARRL activities and step up to serve your membership. Oppose organization and fight the good fight as a your own entity. ORGANIZE another ham radio organization that is of service to the ham radio community and offer another opposing voice to ham radio. Given the options the history, the clout, the prestige, the minimal amount of effort on my part due the the greater toil of the organization, its leaders and the forefathers including The Old Man whose love of the ham radio service founded the organization through much toil... I go with the ARRL. They are the ones with the political clout to get things done. If were unhappy rank n file we must convice our leadership.

 

As I said---

Assume that IOT interests will push for ITU changes of HF spectrum--- in the next 5 years. We must use our spectrum.

I have no idea why many of us hams think that HF is considered useless (by others), and is our privilege by default. The world looks at ham spectrum as 'placeholders' by those crazy cutup amateurs.

I don't feel like a crazy cutup amateur. You shouldn't either.

 

I personally see no problem this proposal. However, the ARRL may be missing something.

If the proposal included the proviso that it would be effective for a limited time, say two years, there would be more interest by a few to quicly take advantage of it and get on the air. The idea is they must go for while it is offered lest they delay and not get to use the new frequencies. Built into this should also be put into the limited time proposal that the ARRL could petition the FCC to expand the proposal for another period of time OR for it to be effective permanently depending upon the response to the proposal. This then is a win-win for the new hams and for the ARRL. Considering how popular and beneficial to the new ham this proposal should prove to be, the FCC should also be amenable to the extension.

This would then be a better way to introduce the proposal and for new hams to be eager to take advantage of it.

Again, I do not see a problem with the proposal but suggest consideration for my views for making it a limited time proposal with the possibility to make it more permanent when/if the proposal proves to be popular, beneficial to ham radio and not cause anyone undue heartburn ... which I believe would prove to be to be the case.

 

Slap of reality? You posting the results of that survey are as nonsensical as saying working a single Tech on 10m shows that the band isn't dead.

5117 people (mainly contesters, where CW normally scores double the points) responded to the survey. There are 757,000 hams in the US alone. You want to tell me that barely 5100 people represent the entire world of several million ham radio operators? This is the silliest thing I've heard in weeks!

Slap of reality indeed for you, I hope.

 

I don't necessarily disagree, I'm just saying that times are definitely different. I know what I've seen. When I got my license in 1994, had I not used CB and SWL previously, I would have known my HTX-202 and 2m, and that's about it from a hands-on perspective. Going to the club meetings with 50-75+ other hams, Field Day with 100+ hams, that's really where I got my first real taste of HF, outside of CB. Today, CB is dead. SWL is in a slump as well. Club meetings are dead. Field Day is a bunch of old, grumpy hams. Everyone is just on the internet. Combined with the real world examples I've seen, I think my point is plenty valid.

Honestly? I love it! I don't want to get too far off-topic in this thread, but I personally think the information required on the tests is largely silly. I have been proposing a single license class for years, with a test that covers basic radio privileges, rules and regulations, propagation, etc. But then who would all these holier-than-thou Extra class operators be better than? Who would they have to talk down to?

I'm really not looking to give everything away without some effort, but at the same time, we have to be realistic. Times are changing and we need to adapt. I'd say 8 out of 10 new hams I talk to have absolutely no interest in HF. DMR? Probably 9 out of 10 can't wait to give it a try. So how do we interest new hams in HF again, when all they can work is CW and 10m voice? What makes sense to me is to give them a taste of voice privileges on the bands that actually matter. Is that the answer? I honestly don't know, but we definitely won't know if we don't try.

I'd love to work you on CW, Rich! I thoroughly enjoy 40m CW, especially late at night here in Socal. Good chat!

 

Thanks Bryan for the clarification regarding your thinking. At the risk of sounding argumentative Bryan, while I was enjoying your QRZ information from your Biography page it occured to me you may just be the perfect person to help us understand the entirety of this issue. Since you mentioned you had received your Technician license originally in 1994 that would have been after the CW requirement would have been required, which ceased in 1991 for the Technician license. If that is correct somehow you, on your own evidently found the desire to learn it, if you are enjoying it now on 40m?

Additionally Bryan I learned you upgraded from your Technician license to a General class license.....25 years later, which is exactly the question we have been talking about....."giving Technicians more privileges ". So Bryan, why did it take you 25 years to upgrade? Was it because you were ignorant of the possibilities of HF as you mentioned? What was the motivation of your upgrade? Do you feel your case was unique? What enticed you to learn CW since it was not required at any stage of your licenses? Do you believe we can expect more stories like yours in the future, finding that a required upgrade to join HF may be suitable after all? Bryan I see you as the "poster boy" of exactly of what we are wanting amateurs to be. You have taken the initiative to improve your skills and knowledge. I commend your efforts. You sir are a perfect example of how this system is working nicely. ...... thanks for reading.....I respect your opinion, 73 Rich, try me on 10.125....listening

 

Interesting.... You are willing to say that the Advanced licensees haven't earned an upgrade but that the Tech licensees HAVE earned it when they haven't even taken a portion of the test to upgrade, like the Advanced licensees did, to earn it.

I think a lot Techs don't bother upgrading because they are not really interested in ham radio. They took the basic test to get a license because they are interested in 'prepping' for the 'end of times.'

If the big draw now days is the digital modes then it should be the digital modes that are used as the incentive (carrot). Revise the tests (the whip) to include more questions about the digital modes.

Give them some Phone privileges but restrict them more on the digital modes. Then make them work for the additional digital modes that they want. Make them upgrade to get the additional digital modes and frequencies that they ARE interested in.

There is a reason that Techs don't upgrade. Figure out the reason and this problem can then be solved. I still believe that if Techs wanted more privileges they would upgrade. Apparently they are happy with what they already have and so there is no incentive to upgrade.

Dan KI4AX

 

Yes Dan I think you got it right, just like all the XYL's that don't want to upgrade.

 

And, this is how / and why we are going to lose band space...

If the draw is DMR then use that as the incentive to upgrade. Just giving stuff away does not create incentive.

Ki4AX

 

I would rather discuss the large number of "hams" that

 

hat? cat? mat? rat? chat? hat? bat? fat? pat? sat?vat?

we are left...danglin'....

 

I agree that Technician class licensees should be allow some voice on a band or 2 of HF! SSB HF IS SOME OF THE MOST ENJOYABLE TIMES ON RF.
Live long and prosper.

 

Hold on a second there. Let's look at the facts....

1) What has been mentioned is the idea of giving Advanceds full Extra privileges, without any more testing. IOW, a free no-test upgrade to Extra. But it is NOT proposed that Techs get a free no-test upgrade to General, just that they get some (not full) SSB and digital privileges on bands they already have. There will still be a huge difference in privileges between Technician and General: 160, 60, 20, all the WARC bands, full power, and large parts of 80/75, 40, 15 and 10. There will still be an incentive to upgrade to General.

Big difference there.

2) It used to be that the same written test was used for General and Technician. In 1987, old Element 3 was split into 3A and 3B, with both required for General but only one (3A IIRC) for Technician. So Technicians have taken part of the General test.

3) Anyone who has an Advanced has held that license at least 19 years, because FCC closed that license class to new issues in April 2000. Technician is an ongoing and growing license class, with licensees of all vintages.

4) The Big Problem with the Technician is that its privileges are so unbalanced. Techs have everything above 30 MHz, but almost nothing below. Below 28 MHz they have only CW. It's a historical anomaly whose reasons have long since disappeared. The idea behind the proposal is to balance the privileges more.

Some did. Others did so for a variety of reasons.

WHY?

Why not give them a SAMPLE of 'phone and digital, so they can see what they like?

There are many reasons Techs don't upgrade, not just one.

And...while we're on the subject:

When the Advanced was closed to new issues in April 2000, there were about 100,000 of them (individuals with current unexpired Advanced licenses). Now there are about 39,000. Some have upgraded, some have dropped out.

Why are there still 39,000, after 19 years? Sure, some are SKs, but most aren't. If the old Advanced test was "so technical", and the current Extra is "so easy", why are there still so many Advanceds?

As related above, I passed the Advanced way back in 1968, with an 8th grade education, less than a year as a ham, no Elmer other than books, and no formal education in radio or electronics. That was back before VEs, CSCEs, or even pocket calculators. It wasn't hard at all.

What is stopping those 39,000 Advanceds?

73 de Jim, N2EY

 

There are thousands of amateurs in America that despite having a valid license never take part in any activities. Check QRZ for a list of hams in your town, city. If everyone decided to get on the air rig manufacturers could not build fast enough. Granby, Ct. lists 65 out of a population of 11,247 as of 2016. How many are active or were ever active is not known. If FCC gives Technicians HF privileges how many would jump on the band wagon? Every disaster where ham radio is shown handling traffic or assisting rescuers the media lauds hams for their work. ARRL and FCC have attempted to increase participation by various methods. Dropping code requirements, increasing spectrum has never created the desired results. When I mention ham radio to people the first comment involves "CB!" Amateur radio needs a serious overhaul. Our image as "CB'ers" does nothing in the way of increasing participation. HOA's outright ban any antennas further reducing participation. Once a year Field Day gives the public a chance to view amateurs operating under field conditions. Publicize the fact, invite the public, set up information booths. Contesting brings out a certain segment while others complain about "contesters!" Image transformation could reverse public opinion but change needs to come from within. The old adage, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink" pertains to Amateur Radio also. Increasing participation starts by increasing public events. Contesting, nets and field day should be exposed to the general public instead of hidden away in "shacks!" Shopping malls, strip centers, festivals provide opportunities to highlight Amateur Radio to the public. The "Big "E" in W. Springfield allowed amateurs to set up in the 4H building for years. Thousands passing the booth left messages that later were passed on to families or friends on nets. Many made it a yearly occasion and told how much people enjoyed receiving a message from the "blue!"

My point, we need to change our image, update our perception by the public. Take it to the people!

 

Hey! Stop that! This is the Amateur Radio Service. You must earn fun!