ARRL Proposal to Give Technicians More Operating Privileges

Advanced Class licensees aren't "making incentive licensing look like a failure."

Incentive licensing is making itself look like a failure.

I was first licensed as a Novice in 1969, passed the General in 1971, took and passed the Advanced in 1973 but failed the Extra written in the same sitting. I had simply studied just for the Advanced but not the Extra. Boo-friggin'-hoo. Morse code testing was never a problem, nor is it today.

Quite honestly, the Advanced operating privileges suit me just fine. The "lower 25" would be nice, but are not necessary for me to enjoy ham radio. Extra voice slivers would be a waste, as I don't operate phone, nor do I care to.

Some of the pontification in this thread as much as screams that there something patently wrong with someone being happy or simply satisfied with their present level of license and operating privileges.

What's next? Incentive home ownership? Incentive car/motorcycle/boat/plane ownership? Incentive trophy wife matrimony (note I didn't say "ownership")?

Frig "bigger-better-faster-more-now." If that blows your skirt up, then by all means enjoy the breeze and chasing that high. But don't foist a mandate on the rest of us.

 

That is correct. I apologize for my negligence, thank you for pointing it out, I will delete the term "current" ...... by holding a Novice, Technician Plus OR Advanced licence EVER, it indicates you did past a morse code element. I know OP's who hang on to the Novice and Advanced licenses for that reason. 73 Rich

 

Sure...

Seems counterproductive to me.

73 de Jim, N2EY

 

To me also. If your active on the CW bands and if proof is necessary for you to prove it, would that not suffice........ I run across a Novice about twice a month, I have never heard one at 5 wpm. 73 Rich

 

I'm late to this discussion, so I apologize in advance if my points have already been made.

I appreciate the thought behind NW7US's proposal. Please correct me if I am incorrect, but as I understand it he believes that the use of HF bands by licenced radio amateurs is not growing, and as a solution to this problem, the FCC should open up a portion of the HF bands to Technician license holders to "give them a taste" of operating HF, and this will stimulate the growth amateurs operating in the HF bands.

With all due respect to NW7US and his supporters, I strongly disagree with granting more HF privileges to Technician licensees. I do not believe that the current license restrictions are the cause of the lack of growth in HF.

There are significant barriers that need to be overcome for an amateur to successfully work HF. The most significant (in my opinion) are:

1. HF Transceiver
2. Antenna selection and placement
3. Knowledge
4. License

A transceiver is going to start at around $500, even used.

An antenna and tuner is going to be another $200-300+. (Yes, you may be able find some equipment for marginally less dollars, but the point doesn't change.)

Knowledge acquisition is more difficult. True, one can learn while doing, but there needs to be a starting point. The Technician license training and tests are far less than one needs to start off on HF.

The easiest of these items is the license. A $30 ARRL book, a modest amount of time and a $15 test moves a Technician to General pretty quick.

If NW7US's proposal was approved, it would not eliminate the top three barriers to participate in HF operation. There would still be THE SAME CASH OUTLAY, and EVEN LESS KNOWLEDGE. The General ticket is the smallest barrier to overcome.

I do believe that giving a person more exposure to operating HF will being more people. Experienced Extras, Generals and clubs should probably spend more efforts exposing Technicians to HF operation and training. Most of the classes I see offered are to get people their Technician ticket, but General and Extra classes are rare. I don't see many club HF Night events either. There are opportunities for improvement, but adding more HF to the Technician class license is not one of them.

-73-

Steve, KE7OEO

 

Where is the incentive to up grade? Might as well forget licensing altogether. IMO K8UV

 

There is much more incentive for a tech to upgrade to general than there is for a general to upgrade to extra, even with the proposed changes.

 

It's been my experience that if a person wants to up grade, they will. If putting out a little bit of study to get a higher class (more priveliges) is just toooo much to ask for, then "they" don't deserve the up grade. They should just quit altogether. (I cleaned up what I would normally say, really.)

 

Sure, if they want it then they can get it. I still like the proposal because it updates the Technician privileges to reflect how people today use the spectrum available to them. Technician CW only sub-bands are anachronistic today. How long do people expect the privileges granted to exist unchanged? This might not be the exact kind of update needed but it's close enough for me. I suspect something similar to what is proposed y the ARRL will be adopted by the FCC soon.

 

Err,........ just exactly who are the "people" you refer to?

Certainly not the Tech that can't/won't pass a simple multiple choice "test".

Perhaps some of the Tech's should consider "updating" themselves.

 

Human people.

Technician bashing isn't helping anyone.

So, we keep the CW only sub-bands? How does that meet the basis and purpose of Amateur radio as spelled out in the FCC regulations?

 

So, you want those with a Technician license to get more exposure to HF but not add more HF privileges? How, precisely, are they going to get that exposure now? Go over to the house of a local ham with a General or Extra license to experiment with them as control op? Operate only CW? Play with the little voice and digital that they have on 10 meters?

I believe we've been trying those tactics for the last 20 years. Maybe we could try a new tactic? Like maybe expand privileges on the bands they have already been tested to operate? Expanding it to include modes they've also already been tested on? Kind of like what the ARRL proposed?

An Amateur with a Technician license needs to know they want HF if we are to convince them to upgrade. What they have now on HF is nearly nothing, and the update (NOT AN UPGRADE) to the privileges could bring that exposure. If they can see more than just CW-only on the band plan then maybe they can be convinced that there is more to HF than Morse code.

 

How about tuning around on an SW receiver? Seems to have worked in the past.

Too expensive? No antenna?

How about tuning around with any of the plethora of on-line SDR remote radios?

There are a lot of current Techs who don't use the privileges they already have - HF, VHF, and UHF. Explain to me how granting them more privileges is going to suddenly get them active on-the-air?

 

Here's an explanation: http://www.arrl.org/files/media/News/2018 Entry Level License PRM FINAL.pdf

Or, again, how long are we to expect the FCC to continue enforcing CW only privileges for Technician license holders below 25 MHz? I've asked this same question many times and the only direct response I got, at least that I recall, was that this will continue only until the FCC acts on this petition. I agree. As much as people may like to maintain the status quo the keeping CW only privileges for a currently issued license is anachronistic. It's time for an update. It's not an UPGRADE because it is still the Technician license that people would hold, and with privileges that are changed in the slightest of ways.

Or, how about this question? If all it took to convince Technician license holders to upgrade to General was their current privileges, and access to some HF listening, then why do we still see them not upgrading? It's not working and so let's try something, and this is as good as any idea I've seen.

I've been accused of "Advanced bashing" before but all I'm doing is swapping "Advanced" for "Technician" in the Technician bashing comments I've seen. I'm holding up a mirror and seeing how much the old farts like being made fun of. You don't like being called lazy, stupid, or both? Then don't call Technicians such. If you can't take it then don't dish it out. If incentive licensing is to be considered still a valid concept then we should not see nearly half of the Advanced license holders still around after 15 years. They should be Extra by now. What's the problem? Too stupid? Too lazy? You are "comfortable" where you are? Maybe we should make you a little less comfortable, such as letting Technician license holders have more HF phone bandwidth. I certainly can't understand giving anyone with an Advanced license more privileges after this long, you didn't earn it yet.

I believe this ARRL petition will both bring about an update (NOT UPGRADE) from the FCC and no real change in the numbers of licensed Amateurs that upgrade. I still support it as it should bring Amateur radio licensing more in line with how people operate radios today and prove (yet again) that incentive licensing as it is currently constructed is not working.

After a few years of proving this a failure then perhaps we can try again with a new license structure. Or, maybe, this will reach the intended goal and we will see incentive licensing work like it should. Either way it's a "win" to me.

 

Isn't everything?????